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Muley Moloch
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Muley Moloch was a big, impressive colt and better-than-average racehorse with both stamina and speed, that won at all distances. As a stallion he got one exceptional racehorse, Alice Hawthorn, and a number of lesser winners, primarily on the northern turf. Through Alice Hawthorn, he was dam's sire of Epsom Derby winner and leading stallion Thormanby, and another daughter, Peggy, produced Derby winner Musjid. His sons were abysmally unsuccessful as stallions, but many of his daughters produced winners, and a number of them are seen in the tail-female pedigrees of horses running today.
His sire, Muley (1810), was out of the dual classic-winning mare, Eleanor, and by the great stayer and stallion, Orville. A big, 16.1 hand horse with a powerful appearance and good bone, Muley ran for just one year, age three, and won some handicap races at Newmarket over two miles. In the stud, Muley got winners from his first year onward, but it was the impressive seventeen wins of his big son Leviathan (1823) that caught the attention of Alexander Nowell, who was establishing his stud at his newly-built manor, Underley, near Kirby Lonsdale, on the Yorkshire border. Purchased by Nowell in 1827, and supported by Nowell's expenditures on high-class broodmares, Muley became an impressive and influential sire, getting three classic winners in his middle age, and many other good runners. Muley's sons and daughters had an influence on bloodstock breeding in England, France, Australasia and America.
Muley Moloch's dam, Nancy (1813), was bred by former jockey Tom Goodisson. Her sire, Dick Andrews, was a stout, sound, and relatively fast winner of a number of races between two and four miles, including a King's Plate at Newmarket, and beat most of the best horses of his day at one time or another. His offspring included Oaks winner Manuella, St. Leger winner Altisidora, Two Thousand Guineas winner Cwrw, and Tramp, a good four-miler that later got five classic winners and offspring that spread his influence on bloodstock abroad. Nancy bred six foals for F. Walker, including the good runner Longwaist, a winner of many races Fulwar Craven, and a few more for the notorious Jack Mytton. Nowell purchased Nancy in 1825, and bought Longwaist in 1828, at the dispersal of Mytton's stud and stables for Underley. She bred twelve more foals for Nowell, including seven by Muley. Most of her Muley offspring won, and one, the filly Britannia (1834), was sold to Virginia, where she became an important broodmare, but Muley Moloch was by far the best of this cross.
Unlike some of Muley's fillies and colts, the dark rich brown-colored Muley Moloch was a tall horse, standing 16.3 hands when grown, with the powerful, muscular build of his sire, described as "very lengthy, particularly deep in the girth, with shoulders nicely laid back, and has an excellent constitution and temper." John Dilly, a well-known judge of horses, saw him at the yearling sales, commenting "if that horse does not run I am no judge!"
He was purchased at the Doncaster yearling sales for 180 guineas by William Henry Vane (3rd) Earl Darlington (three years later Duke of Cleveland), who also raced St. Leger winner Chorister (1828), the excellent Liverpool (1828), after his three-year-old season, and Trustee (1829) at or near the time Muley Moloch was running. By choice, his owner confined Muley Moloch's first two seasons racing to northern venues, where he was a prominent owner and M.F.H. of his own pack of hounds.
Muley Moloch on the Turf
Muley Moloch was a sturdy staying colt that won at one, two and four miles easily, but like most Muleys, he had speed, and beat most of the day's flyers, as well as stayers; of sixteen races, he won eleven. He was highly thought of by jockeys such as Sam Chifney, and Tommy Lye, who was his jockey in most races, who said he was the best horse he ever rode.
Muley Moloch was sent to John Smith for training. His first race was at York Spring, 1832, where he did not place in the Two Year Old sweepstakes for juveniles, won by a colt by Jerry, "the worst of the lot." In September at the Doncaster meeting, carrying 8 st.-5 lbs. he won the Champagne Stakes by a head, beating Belshazzar, All-Max, and five others, which made him a favorite in early Derby betting. Although nominated for the Epsom Derby, Vane opted to keep hin running in the north, and at age three he came out at the York Spring Meeting to win the 1-1/2 mile York Derby "in a common canter," beating Satan, Lot, and six others. In the fall at Doncaster, "decidedly not fit," he ran seventh in the Doncaster St. Leger, won by Rockingham. There was some talk in Yorkshire that his "...teeth had been so bad that he lived on balls of meal for six weeks before."
The next year, 1834, Muley Moloch went to Newmarket in the spring, and at the Craven Meeting he won the Port Stakes, easily beating Revenge, Musselman (by Muley), and six others. At Newmarket First Spring he took a walk-over for a sweepstakes. At Doncaster, carrying 8 st., he won the two mile Doncaster Stakes, easily beating Despot and Zohrab, and the next day took a walk-over for a sweepstakes for four-year-olds. The third day he ran third in the Doncaster Gold Cup, beaten by Tomboy and Consul, with two others in the field. At Carlisle, carrying 8 st.-4 lbs., he won the 2-1/4 mile Gold Cup, beating a Muley colt, Inheritor, and four others, and at the same meeting, carrying 9 st., he won the King's Plate over four miles, easily beating the more lightly weighted Mayflower and Monitor. He went on to the Caledonian Hunt Meeting where in the four mile King's Guineas, carrying 9 st., he was beaten by Inheritor (7 st.-9 lbs) with three others in the field.
In 1835 Muley Moloch started at Newcastle, where he won the Craven Stakes in a canter, over a mile, beating Shot, The Count, Emigrant, and Chevalier. At the same meeting he won the Newcastle Cup over two miles, beating Hornsea, who would win the Goodwood Cup that year. Back at Doncaster, he won the Doncaster Stakes again, beating Glaucus (winner of The Whip and the Ascot Gold Cup the previous year), each carrying 8 st. 9 lbs. In the Hornby Castle Stakes at the same meeting (two miles), he fell lame in the running, and the race was won by Glaucus. Rather than retire him, Smith and the Duke kept him in training until the Doncaster meeting of 1836, where he started for the Fitzwilliam Stakes (1-1/2 miles), but he broke down during the race, which ended in a dead-heat between General Chassé and Birdlime. That was it for Muley Moloch on the turf.
Muley Moloch in the Stud
Most of Muley Moloch's best runners were bred while he was in the Murton, Yorkshire, stud of Thomas Kirby, a horse dealer and thoroughbred breeder, who purchased Muley Moloch from Lord Cleveland. At the end of the 1841 season Kirby sold him to John Theobold, and the stallion went to Theobald's Stockwell stud near London. He was not exceptionally successful at Stockwell Stud, standing at 20 guineas, with Theobald's goldmine, Camel, Laurel, and several other stallions in the stables, and later The Baron joined the line-up. His best year was 1843, based primarily on horses he had bred while in Yorkshire, when he stood fourth in the leading sires list, behind Touchstone, Velocipede and Bay Middleton. When Theobald died in 1849, Muley Moloch went on the block, along with the rest of the Stockwell stud, and his career thenceforth suffered; in 1856 The Druid noted, "Muley Moloch, the best living representative of the once famed Underley Stud has, of late, been changing hands for £10 and £15!" One of his post-Stockwell stud stops, 1851, was B. Hepplethwaite's stud at Askham Bryan in West Riding, Yorkshire, standing at the lowly fee of 4 guineas.
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Alice Hawthorn
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His best runner, by far, was a mare of great stamina and weight-carrying ability, ALICE HAWTHORN (1838), winner of over fifty races in over seventy starts over five seasons on the turf, with numerous royal plates and cups to her credit. In the stud Alice produced six winners from ten foals, including the best colt of his generation, Thormanby (1857), later a leading sire, Ascot Gold Vase winner Oulston (1852, also winner of Goodwood's Drawing Room Stakes, Stockbridge's Steward's Cup and other races) and several good producing daughters that carried her tail-female line into the present. |
Muley Moloch's other good running daughters included DISCLOSURE (1838, from The Mystery, by Lottery), winner of the Park Hill Stakes at age three, and several distance races and second in the Great Yorkshire Handicap at Doncaster; QUEEN MAB [ELIZA] (1839, from Elizabeth by Waverley), whose wins included Newmarket's Suffolk Stakes and the two-mile Ascot Stakes at age six; MANIA (1840, from Bessy Bedlam by Filho-da-Puta), winner of Newmarket Houghton meeting's Nursery Stakes and a 300 sovereign match against Blue Bonnet (winner of the St. Leger the next year) at Doncaster at age two, and of Goodwood's Nassau Stakes at age three, also running third in the Epsom Oaks that season; PEGGY (1840, from Fanny, by Jerry), who ran on the northern circuit, and won Doncaster's Park Hill Stakes and was second in the Queen's Plate at Northalleron and in the Northallerton Cup at age three, and won some races at age four; CELESTE (1840, from a Velocipede mare), winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at York; KILGRAM (1841, from Jubilee by Catton), a juvenile winner at York; and BUZZ (1841, from Scandal, by Selim), winner of Liverpool's Grand Junction Stakes at age three. All these mares were bred while Muley Moloch was in Yorkshire.
Muley Moloch's winning sons included "the good-looking" GALAOR (1838, from Darioletta by Amadis), winner of the 1-1/2 mile Manchester Cup; MIDDLEHAM (1838, from Olive, by Tarragon), whose wins included the 1841 Liverpool St. Leger; PAGAN (1838, from Fanny, by Jerry, and so brother to PEGGY), winner of the Great Ebor Handicap and other races, and third in the Doncaster St. Leger to Satirist and Coronation; CATTONITE (1839, a brother to KILGRAM from Jubilee, by Catton), who won the Queen's Plate at Shrewsbury and other races; EDMOND (1839, a brother to CELESTE, from a Velocipede mare), winner of some races at Doncaster, including an 100 sovereign plate; TEETOTALLER (1839, from Tesane, by Whisker), who took the two-mile Ascot Stakes at age four. MOLOCH (1838) was imported in-utero to Alabama by E.H. Boardman of Huntsville, when he purchased Moloch's dam, a mare by Teniers ("Sister to Puss") from Edward Mostyn. He proved to be a good runner for Charles McLaren, winning several sweepstakes and purses, including a sweep for three-year-olds at Huntsville (2 mile heats).
None of these Muley Moloch sons, or any others, made much of a mark as a stallion. The best was GALAOR, who got Heir-of-Linne (1853), a winner of Chester's Grosvenor Stakes and the Queen's Plate at Manchester, among other races; he got Lord of Linne (1864), who was imported to Tasmania in 1864, and then sold to New South Wales in 1868. In New South Wales Lord of Linne was pretty successful as a stallion, getting Loup Garou (1869), a winner of the AJC and VRC Derbies; Hyperion (1872), a good juvenile; Baronet (1876), winner of the AJC Craven Plate and Randwick Plate (24 furlongs) and two good races as a juvenile, and Hyacinth (1876), who took the 6 furlong VRC Newmarket Handicap. But as far as the Muley Moloch branch of the Muley sire line, Lord of Linne was the end of the line. PAGAN was sold to the French government stud in 1846, but had little effect. Another son, PUNJAUB (1842, from Deuce by Perion), was sent to Australia, but left nothing of note. MIDDLEHAM was sold to South Africa in 1842, but died shortly after arriving.
Muley Moloch got about twenty mares that bred on in tail-female, some into the present. Of his more immediately successful broodmare daughters, the good runner PEGGY stands at the top; as a broodmare in Richard Lumley-Saville's Tickhill Stud, she produced Epsom Derby winner Musjid (1856, by Newminster), who inherited Muley Moloch's coat color, height, length, shoulder and depth of girth. Purchased as a yearling by Sir Joseph Hawley, he won one race as a juvenile, a match before the Derby, and the Derby, after which he was retired to stud. He died early, at age eleven, leaving behind a few good runners, including Vagabond (1866, Ascot's Trial Stakes), Leybourne (1863, Column Produce Stakes), Wroughton (1864, York's North of England Biennial, Goodwood's Bentinck Memorial Stakes, Doncaster's North of England Biennial), and Islam, a good sprinter. Some of his daughters bred on. PEGGY also produced Musjid's sister, Aurora, a winner of Newmarket's Clearwell Stakes and third in the Criterion Stakes as a juvenile. Peggy's tail-female line continued through the early twentieth century.
Another Yorkshire-bred Muley Moloch daughter, an unnamed MULEY MOLOCH mare (1838, from a Chateau Margaux mare) went into the stud of Sir Tatton Sykes at Sledmere in Yorkshire. She produced Leaconfield (1843, by the Sledmere stallion Hampton), whose wins included the 1846 Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot. Leaconfield's unnamed sister later bred Cambridgeshire winner Odd Trick (1854, by Sleight-of-Hand). Gaspard (1856,by Daniel O'Rourke), a winner of the Wolverhampton Stakes, later a stallion in Austria, the good runner Mazurka (1863, by Fandango), and Leonie (1865, by Newminster), a winner of the Nassau Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks. This tail-female line bred on, with numerous winners, including Ascot Gold Vase winner and stallion Copyright (1918, by Tracery), Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Prix Royal-Oak winner Pan (1947, by Atys), Kentucky Derby winner and sire Reigh Count (1925, by Sunreigh), dual-classic winner Amiable (1881, by St. Simon).
BRANDY SNAP (1838, from Blacklock's good daughter, Belinda (sister to Laurel)), also a Yorkshire-bred Muley Moloch mare, produced the black filly Kilmeny (1848, by Picaroon), a winner of Goodwood's six-furlong Steward's Cup in 1852.
WASP (1839, from an Emilius mare) bred Neasham (1848 by Hetman Platoff), a winner of the two-mile Northumberland Plate; Nettle (1852 by Sweetmeat), a winner of the Gimcrack Stakes, and Shot (1853, by Birdcatcher), a winner. Shot later produced Marksman (1864, by Dundee), a winner of the Stockbridge Cup and other races, and second in the 1867 Epsom Derby. Nettle later bred Thistle (by Scottish Chief), the dam of Triple Crown winner Common (1888), Ascot New Stakes winner Goldfinch (1889, later sire of Guineas winner Chelandry) and Throstle (1891) winner of the Doncaster St. Leger, Coronation Stakes, and Nassau Stakes.
MARTEN CAT (1840, from John Bowe's mare by Comus), a sister to Manchester Cup winner The Swiss Boy (by Lanercost), produced El Hakim (1854, by The Cure), a winner of York's 1-3/4 mile Great Ebor Handicap in 1857 and other races.
BUZZ (1841) bred Apollo (1857, by Pyrrhus the First), a good juvenile. Her daughter, Amazonian (1860, by Orlando), was sold to Austria in 1869, where she established a successful tail-female family successful in Germany, including Deutsches St. Leger winner Marshall Vorwarts (1935) and Deutsches Derby winner Magnat (1938), a leading sire in Germany.
SUNSET (1841, from Vesper, by Velocipede) produced Sunrise (1848, by Emilius), a good juvenile runner, was later to sent to France, where she became the dam of Hospodar (1860 by Monarque), a winner in England of the Clearwell and Criterion Stakes at Newmarket as a juvenile, and Succes (1871, by Gladiator), a winner of the Prix Hocquart. SUNSET'S tail-female line bred on through the mid-twentieth century.
Muley Moloch's daughters MISS JULIA BENNETT (1843) and THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER (1844) were both out of Patty, by Laurel, who died foaling in 1846. MISS JULIA BENNETT later produced Vandermulin (1853, by Van Tromp), a winner of the 1858 Lincolnshire Handicap (one mile), and was second dam of King Olaf, a Gimcrack Stakes winner. THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER became the dam of Speed the Plough (1850, by Cotherstone), who won Newmarket's Criterion Stakes as a juvenile.
EOLINE (1842, from Dryad by Whalebone) was sold to France, where she produced Pedagogue (1851, by Nuncio) for M. Latache de Fay; he was a pretty good juvenile, winning the Premier Criterium, and second to Celebrity in the Grand Criterium; at age three his owner died and he was unable to run in his engagements, but at age four he won the Prix du Printemps at Paris, easily; while training after that race, he injured his leg and was retired to the government stud, where he got Dame de Compagnie, Plaisir des Dames, and other good horses.
MISS SLICK (1843, from a mare by Whisker), became the dam of Brocket (1850, by Melbourne), a winner of the seven-furlong Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot. ZULEIKA (1843, from Corumba, by Filho-da-Puta, produced Ladylike (1858, by Newminster), the dam of Rosebery (1872), winner of the Newmarket fall double (Cambrideshire and Cesarewitch) and later the sire of Amphion; ZULEIKA'S tail-female line has been very successful, with numerous classic winners in many countries up to the present.
VELURE (1845, out of Zenana, by Sultan), bred by trainer Sam King, was sold to France, where she produced Provocateur (1849, by Wormersley), a winner of the Poule des Produits at Longchamp (Prix Daru). Her daughter, Lizzie (1851, by Theon) sent the tail-female family line forward, with winners in Belgium, Germany, Brazil, France, South Africa and Poland; one descendant, Tannhade (1857, a "T" family member) bred two excellent daughters in Germany that were producers of good winners through the 1970s.
Muley Moloch daughters BONNEY BONNET (1839), HOPE (1840), INDIANA (1848), also established long-lived tail-female lines.
--Patricia Erigero
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