Ladas, with Jack Watts up

Ladas, a bay colt by Hampton out of Illuminata by Rosicrucian was foaled in 1891. The horse is depicted here in Lord Rosebery's primrose and rose hoops ridden by Jack Watts, as was the case when he won the 1894 Derby. Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847-1929) became Prime Minister in March 1894. Ladas was unbeaten at two years old, winning the Woodcote Stakes, Coventry Stakes, Champagne Stakes, and the Middle Park Plate. At three, Ladas captured both the 2,000 Guineas and Derby and was placed in the Eclipse Stakes, Princess of Wales's Stakes and the St. Leger. His unbeaten start meant that in 1894 he began the Derby as favorite with 9/2 on which was the shortest offered in the entire history of the race. He beat Matchbox whom he had won against earlier in the 2,000 Guineas. His Derby win is the only occasion when the race was won by a Prime Minister when actually in office. He was trained by Mathew Dawson and was thus one of the six winners of the Derby that Dawson produced from 1860 to 1895. Dawson is generally accepted to have been one of the two best trainers of the second half of the 19th Century. Watts rode four Derby winners in the decade from 1887 to 1896 including the great Persimmon. Ladas was retired to the Mentmore Stud and he sired two Classic winners, Gorgos and Troutbeck. Ladas was the first of three Derby winners owned and bred by Lord Rosebery, the other two were Sir Visto (1895) and Cicero (1905).