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Lot Essay
The 1828 Doncaster Gold Cup, was run on Thursday 11th September over a distance of two miles and five furlongs. In this glorious early work, one of an important series of racing pictures that he executed at Doncaster, Herring depicts all six runners in the home straight, about two furlongs out, led by the eventual winner, Laurel, ridden by T. Nicholson. Rose Hill, Doncaster Racecourse's distinctive undulation in its back stretch is visible in the far distance.
From right-to-left, the six runners can be identified as: Major Yarburgh's four-year-old brown colt, Laurel; Mr. Nowell's seven- year-old bay horse, Longwaist; Lord Milton's four-year-old brown colt, Medoro; Mr. Golden's four-year-old brown colt, Robin Hood; Lord Kelburne's six-year-old chestnut mare, Purity; and Mr. Gully's four-year-old bay colt, Mameluke.
The result was something of an upset since Laurel, the 4 to 1 second favourite, beat in an exciting race, the favourite, Mameluke, whose starting odds were 5 to 6. Mameluke in Lord Jersey's colours had won the previous year's Derby. He had been sold to Mr. Gully, a prize fighter, before his defeat in the Doncaster St. Leger by Matilda, where he was placed second with Laurel third.
The Sporting Magazine's Alfred Highflyer reported the 1828 Doncaster Gold Cup race:
'For this year's Cup a field of six came out; viz. Robin Hood, Purity, Medoro, Mameluke, Laurel and Longwaist. At starting, Longwaist set off, and made very strong play to within the distance, where Nicholson brought up Laurel, defeated him, and won rather clever. It was a very severe run race, and the others were dead beat. Mameluke was backed at even to win, but he could not go the pace' (Vol. XXII N.S., no. CXXXIII, October 1828, p. 398).
Laurel was bred by Major Yarburgh of Heslington Hall, near York, in 1824, by Blacklock out of Wagtail by Prime Minister. His racing career lasted between 1827 and 1831 and he beat many of the most notable racehorses of the era, including Fleur-de-Lys, Bessy Bedlam, Mulatto, Matilda, Halston and Maria. In 1828 prior to the present victory, he won the Constitution Stakes at York and Cups at Beverley and Pontefract. The following year Laurel won three more races including the Gold Cup at Preston and the Strand Cup at Liverpool. He was second in the 1829 Doncaster Gold Cup behind Lord Cleveland's Voltaire. Two more Gold Cups followed in 1830, through victories at York and Pontefract, and he was successful in a further two races. Laurel's final victory was in 1831, when he won the Gold Cup at Beverley.
Laurel was sold at the end of his racing career to Mr. Theobald as a stallion and became the grandsire of two classic winning fillies, Rhedycina, who won the Oaks in 1850 and Governess, who won the Oaks and 1,000 Guineas in 1858. A horse of fine pedigree, Laurel was also half-brother to Major Yarburgh's outstanding St. Leger winner Charles XII.
Herring moved to the Yorkshire racing centre of Doncaster in 1814 at the age of 19, possibly to see the running of the Great St. Leger of that year. He started out working for a coach-painter in that town but quickly established himself independently with commissions for horse portraits from the local gentry. In 1816 he began with Duchess to paint the winners of the St. Leger. An early patron was the Hon. Edward Petre of Stapleton Park, a successful racehorse owner, who won a number of Classic races. In a joint venture with the Doncaster Gazette, Herring annually sketched each St. Leger winner that were published as a successful series of colour prints.
Herring painted a number of works depicting major races at Doncaster, including Preparing to Start for the Doncaster Gold Cup, 1825 (Christie's, London, 13 July 1984, lot 21); two versions of the Finish of the Doncaster Gold Cup of 1826 (collection of Doncaster Art Gallery, see O. Beckett, J.F. Herring & Sons, 1981, p. 99, no. 33; and Paul Mellon Collection); Start of St Leger 1828 (op. cit., p. 100, no. 45).
From right-to-left, the six runners can be identified as: Major Yarburgh's four-year-old brown colt, Laurel; Mr. Nowell's seven- year-old bay horse, Longwaist; Lord Milton's four-year-old brown colt, Medoro; Mr. Golden's four-year-old brown colt, Robin Hood; Lord Kelburne's six-year-old chestnut mare, Purity; and Mr. Gully's four-year-old bay colt, Mameluke.
The result was something of an upset since Laurel, the 4 to 1 second favourite, beat in an exciting race, the favourite, Mameluke, whose starting odds were 5 to 6. Mameluke in Lord Jersey's colours had won the previous year's Derby. He had been sold to Mr. Gully, a prize fighter, before his defeat in the Doncaster St. Leger by Matilda, where he was placed second with Laurel third.
The Sporting Magazine's Alfred Highflyer reported the 1828 Doncaster Gold Cup race:
'For this year's Cup a field of six came out; viz. Robin Hood, Purity, Medoro, Mameluke, Laurel and Longwaist. At starting, Longwaist set off, and made very strong play to within the distance, where Nicholson brought up Laurel, defeated him, and won rather clever. It was a very severe run race, and the others were dead beat. Mameluke was backed at even to win, but he could not go the pace' (Vol. XXII N.S., no. CXXXIII, October 1828, p. 398).
Laurel was bred by Major Yarburgh of Heslington Hall, near York, in 1824, by Blacklock out of Wagtail by Prime Minister. His racing career lasted between 1827 and 1831 and he beat many of the most notable racehorses of the era, including Fleur-de-Lys, Bessy Bedlam, Mulatto, Matilda, Halston and Maria. In 1828 prior to the present victory, he won the Constitution Stakes at York and Cups at Beverley and Pontefract. The following year Laurel won three more races including the Gold Cup at Preston and the Strand Cup at Liverpool. He was second in the 1829 Doncaster Gold Cup behind Lord Cleveland's Voltaire. Two more Gold Cups followed in 1830, through victories at York and Pontefract, and he was successful in a further two races. Laurel's final victory was in 1831, when he won the Gold Cup at Beverley.
Laurel was sold at the end of his racing career to Mr. Theobald as a stallion and became the grandsire of two classic winning fillies, Rhedycina, who won the Oaks in 1850 and Governess, who won the Oaks and 1,000 Guineas in 1858. A horse of fine pedigree, Laurel was also half-brother to Major Yarburgh's outstanding St. Leger winner Charles XII.
Herring moved to the Yorkshire racing centre of Doncaster in 1814 at the age of 19, possibly to see the running of the Great St. Leger of that year. He started out working for a coach-painter in that town but quickly established himself independently with commissions for horse portraits from the local gentry. In 1816 he began with Duchess to paint the winners of the St. Leger. An early patron was the Hon. Edward Petre of Stapleton Park, a successful racehorse owner, who won a number of Classic races. In a joint venture with the Doncaster Gazette, Herring annually sketched each St. Leger winner that were published as a successful series of colour prints.
Herring painted a number of works depicting major races at Doncaster, including Preparing to Start for the Doncaster Gold Cup, 1825 (Christie's, London, 13 July 1984, lot 21); two versions of the Finish of the Doncaster Gold Cup of 1826 (collection of Doncaster Art Gallery, see O. Beckett, J.F. Herring & Sons, 1981, p. 99, no. 33; and Paul Mellon Collection); Start of St Leger 1828 (op. cit., p. 100, no. 45).