Lot Essay
Victorious, bred by Mr Crofts, an important breeder with a stud in Norfolk, was a black colt by Whitenose out of a mare by Firetail. Having won for Crofts at Lincoln under the name of Achilles, he was sold to Lord Onslow in 1751. The following year he won a remarkable eight races (all 50) at Epsom, Winchester, Salisbury, Blandford, Marlborough, Tetbury, Oxford, and Burford. He was unbeaten that year and only one of his wins was a walkover. In 1753 he was beaten by Sportsman in the King's Plate at Guildford having won the first heat, won a race at Oxford, and lost the King's Plate at Winchester to Brutus, again having won the first heat. Unraced in 1754, he was beaten by Figine in May 1755 and then retired.
This picture was in the collection of the last Lord Rivers and, when offered at Christie's in 1929, was part of an important group of sporting pictures including works by Wootton, Stubbs and Agasse. The details for the 1929 sale of the picture in the Witt Library mistakenly record the vendor as having been Sir Algernon Peyton, Bt., who sold another notable group of sporting pictures in the same sale.
This picture was in the collection of the last Lord Rivers and, when offered at Christie's in 1929, was part of an important group of sporting pictures including works by Wootton, Stubbs and Agasse. The details for the 1929 sale of the picture in the Witt Library mistakenly record the vendor as having been Sir Algernon Peyton, Bt., who sold another notable group of sporting pictures in the same sale.