Family B-23: Extra Number

This family, which may have had its roots in the GSB, was mostly a family of hunters, with occasional forays into flat races, small steeplechases and hurdling events, and a branch that did well showing in hunter classes in England. The one good runner in the family was Golden Drop, a stayer that beat "bred" horses in some important handicaps of the era.

Prior says the taproot mare, Extra Number, ran under the pedigree given below, "It was, however, supposed that the pedigree was a fictitious one, and that the mare was in reality by Leopold (son of Phlegon), out of Molly (1847) a chesntut mare by Pantaloon, her dam Industry (winner of the Oaks) by Priam. (Note.--Molly is returned in the G.S.B., vol. iv, p. 118, as having produced a ch. f. by Leopold in 1859--not 1860--which filly last ran at Houghton Meeting at Newmarket in 1861, as the property of her breeder, Baron Rothschild.)" Extra Number, at age five (or six) won a Maiden Hunters' Plate at Derby, and a Hunter's Plate at Newcastle, and was second in the Thirsk Cup. She was purchased by Tom Wilkinson of Green Mile Farm, Retford, in 1867 from the sale of Major Elwon's horses, with her filly Extract at foot, and after breeding several foals, was sold in the early '70s for £10 and may have been sent to Ireland.

Her unnamed daughter by Cavendish (1868) ran three times at the age of four at Doncaster, finishing third of three in the Yorkshire St. Leger (2 miles). Two sons, Wollaton and Eglamour, were winners, Eglamour winning steeplechases; her daughter, Lucena, who ran unplaced as a juvenile, produced some winners on the flat and over fences, including Eleanor, who ran second in one of her two races as a juvenile, and won three steeplechases later in life.

Extra Number's daughter Extract (1867), bred by Major Elwon, won a hunters' stakes at Scarborough, and at age four won the Thirsk Cup and Rothbury Hunt Cup (over 2-1/2 miles), and placed four times. Her son Echo won eight races worth £785, and son Truthful was a versatile winner of eleven flat races worth £524, eleven hurdle races (£527), and three steeplechases (£122). Her daughter Truth won two flat races over two miles, four hurdle races, and two steeplechases over five seasons, and in the stud produced Labouchere, a winner over fences. Her daughter Tissue, bred by Wilkinson, who ran unplaced in a hunters' race at Liverpool at age four, produced several winners over fences, including Society, a winner of six flat races and seven races over fences, later dam of Grandmaster, a steeplechase winner. Tissue also produced Mrs. Grundy for Wilkinson, a premium and gold medal winner in hunter shows, who produced nine live foals, including Golden Fringe and Gossip.

Notable Descendants