Mackintosh, a bay colt with Sam Loates up, at Newmarket

Born at Parkgate, Chester, Alfred Grenfell Haigh was the fourth son of a cotton broker and the great-grandson of Daniel Haigh, Master of the Surrey Hunt from 1820-1836. Daniel was the subject of equestrian portraits by both Abraham Cooper and J.F. Herring, Senior. He became a successful equestrian painter despite having only received a few weeks of drawing instruction in Paris and no other formal training. He was an intensely private man and as such was averse to the publicity and exhibition of his works. For this reason the majority of his pictures remain in private hands.

The scene of the present work is Newmarket, the race has finished and the horses in the background are walking back to unsaddle. Mackintosh, was by Florizel II out of Cullercoats and in 1901 was a three year old having been foaled in 1898. At two years he had won two of his six races including the valuable Prince of Wales's Nursery at Doncaster. At three was unbeaten in four races and then retired to stud. His main win was the Gold Vase at Royal Ascot. The present work refers to the Payne Stakes at Newmarket run on 16th May, his first race of the season, with eight runners. Here he was ridden by Sam Loates for Sir Blundell Maple in the white and gold stripes and claret cap. He won easily by four lengths against the Duke of Westminster's Grey Bird in yellow with black cap seen in the distance.