Electra (horse)

British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Electra

Sire| Eager
Grandsire| Enthusiast
Dam| Sirenia
Damsire| Gallinule
Sex| Mare
Foaled| 1906[1]
Country| United Kingdom
Colour| Bay or brown
Breeder| Ludwig Neumann
Owner| Ludwig Neumann
Trainer| Peter Gilpin
Record| 16: 6-7-0
Major wins
1000 Guineas (1909)
Park Hill Stakes (1909)

Electra (1906 – 1918) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. A a two-year-old she showed considerable promise as she won four time from eight starts and finished second on three occasions. In the following year she won the 1000 Guineas and the Park Hill Stakes as well as finishing second in the Newmarket Stakes, Coronation Stakes and Free Handicap. She appeared to be most unlucky when running unplaced in the Epsom Oaks. She failed to win as a four-year-old and was retired from racing but later became a very successful broodmare.

## Background

[edit]

Electra was a bay mare with a white blaze and white socks on her hind legs bred and owned by Ludwig Neumann. Throughout her racing career she was trained by Peter Gilpin at his Clarehaven Stable in Newmarket, Suffolk.[2]

Electra's sire Eager was an exceptional sprinter whose wins included the July Cup and the King's Stand Stakes before retiring to stud where his other offspring included Jaeger (runner-up in the Epsom Derby) and Meleager (Wokingham Stakes). Her dam Sirenia was a speedy filly who won the National Breeders' Produce Stakes in 1897. Her other foals included Cellini (National Breeders' Produce Stakes), Siberia, the dam of Snow Marten, and Sourabaya, the dam of Comrade.[3]

## Racing career

[edit]

### 1908: two-year-old season

[edit]

Electra ran eight times as a juvenile in 1908 and won four races. She won the Sandown Park Produce Stakes, the Spring Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse, the Acorn Stakes at Epsom and the Breeders' Foal Plate at Kempton Park.[4] In her other races she finished second in a Rous Memorial Stakes at Goodwood, the Great Lancashire Breeders' Produce Stakes at Liverpool, and the Autumn Breeders' Foal Plate at Manchester.

### 1909: three-year-old season

[edit]

On 30 of April, Electra contested the 96th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile. King Edward VII's filly Princesse de Galles started favourite ahead of Perola, Vivid and Messaouda with Electra starting the 9/1 fifth choice in the betting.[5] Ridden by the Irish jockey Bernard Dillon she won by a length from Princesse de Galles with four lengths back to Perola in third.[6]

On 12 May Electra was matched against male opposition in the ten furlong Newmarket Stakes and finished second to the colt Louviers.[7] Electra was stepped up in distance again and started 5/4 favourite for the Epsom Oaks over 1+1⁄2 miles on 29 May but finished unplaced behind Perola. She lost her chance at the start as she whipped round and was facing in the wrong direction when the tapes went up.[8] At Royal Ascot in June she started favourite for the one-mile Coronation Stakes but was beaten a neck by Princesse de Galles.[9]

Electra and Princesse de Galles met again in the Park Hill Stakes over 14+1⁄2 furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse in September. With Dillon again in the saddle Electra started at odds of 13/8[10] and defeated her rival, to whom she was conceding four pounds in weight, by 1+1⁄2 lengths.[11] On her final start of the season, she was sent to Newmarket in October for the Free Handicap, in which she was beaten a neck by the Derby winner Minoru.[12][13]

Electra ended the season with earnings of £5,140.[14]

### 1910: four-year-old season

[edit]

Electra made at least two appearances as a four-year-old in 1910. In June at Royal Ascot she contested the Royal Hunt Cup but ran unplaced behind Bachelor's Double. At Manchester in September she started favourite for the Prince Edward Handicap over ten furlongs and finished second behind the colt Buckwheat.[15]

## Assessment and honours

[edit]

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Electra an "inferior" winner of the 1000 Guineas.[6]

## Breeding record

[edit]

After her retirement from racing Electra became a broodmare for her owner's stud. She produced at least five foals between 1912 and 1917:

* Elkington, a bay colt, foaled in 1912, sired by Symington. Runner-up in the July Stakes.
* Salamandra, bay filly, 1913, by St Frusquin. Second in the Oaks, third in the 1000 Guineas. Dam of Salmon-Trout and the female-line ancestor of Jeune and Pipalong.[3]
* Elsdon, bay colt (later gelded), 1914, by Symington. Won Adelaide Cup
* Rienzi, bay colt, 1915, by Roi Herode
* Orpheus, brown colt, 1917, by Orby. Won the Champion Stakes.

Electra died in 1918.[16]

## Pedigree

[edit]

Pedigree of Electra (GB), bay mare, 1906[1] Sire
Eager (GB)
1894  | Enthusiast (GB)
1872  | Sterling | Oxford

|
|
|

Whisper
Cherry Duchess  | The Duke
Mirella
Greeba (GB)
1890  | Melton | Master Kildare
Violet Melrose
Sunrise  | Springfield
Sunray
Dam
Sirenia (GB)
1895  | Gallinule (GB)
1884  | Isonomy | Sterling
Isola Bella
Moorhen  | Hermit
Skirmisher mare
Concussion (GB)
1885  | Reverberation  | Thunderbolt
The Golden Horn
Astwith  | Wenlock
Skirmisher mare (Family 19-c)[3]

* Electra was inbred 3 × 4 to Sterling, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of her pedigree. She was also inbred 4 × 4 to the Skirmisher mare.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Electra pedigree". Equineline.
2. ^ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 978-0-354-08536-6.
3. ^ a b c "The Twinkle – Family 19-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
4. ^ "Late Racing". Auckland Star. 1 May 1909. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
5. ^ "Sporting Notes from Home". The Australasian. Melbourne. 5 June 1909. p. 21 – via Trove.
6. ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 978-1-901570-15-1.
7. ^ "English Racing". The Evening Post. 13 May 1909. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
8. ^ "The Turf". The Express (Adelaide). 6 July 1909. p. 3 – via Trove.
9. ^ "Sporting". The New Zealand Herald. 28 July 1909. p. 4 – via Papers Past.
10. ^ Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
11. ^ "Sporting Notes from Home". The Australasian. Melbourne. 23 October 1909. p. 22 – via Trove.
12. ^ "SPORTING NEWS THE TURF". The Advertiser (Adelaide). 2 Dec 1909. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
13. ^ "TO CORRESPONDENTS". Wairarapa Daily Times. 24 December 1909. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
14. ^ "Turf Gossip". Auckland Star. 13 November 1909. p. 15 – via Papers Past.
15. ^ "Sporting Notes from Home". The Australasian. Melbourne. 29 October 1910. p. 24 – via Trove.
16. ^ "Return of mares". The General Stud Book. v.23 (Suppl.2): 33. 1921. hdl:2027/coo.31924066660964.

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1000 Guineas winners

* 1814 Charlotte
* 1815 Filly by Selim
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* 1870 Hester
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* 1901 Aida
* 1902 Sceptre ₩ ‡
* 1903 Quintessence
* 1904 Pretty Polly ₩
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* 1906 Flair
* 1907 Witch Elm
* 1908 Rhodora
* 1909 Electra
* 1910 Winkipop
* 1911 Atmah
* 1912 Tagalie
* 1913 Jest
* 1914 Princess Dorrie
* 1915 Vaucluse
* 1916 Canyon
* 1917 Diadem
* 1918 Ferry
* 1919 Roseway
* 1920 Cinna
* 1921 Bettina
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* 1923 Tranquil
* 1924 Plack
* 1925 Saucy Sue
* 1926 Pillion
* 1927 Cresta Run
* 1928 Scuttle
* 1929 Taj Mah
* 1930 Fair Isle
* 1931 Four Course
* 1932 Kandy
* 1933 Brown Betty
* 1934 Campanula
* 1935 Mesa
* 1936 Tide-way
* 1937 Exhibitionnist
* 1938 Rockfel
* 1939 Galatea II
* 1940 Godiva
* 1941 Dancing Time
* 1942 Sun Chariot ₩
* 1943 Herringbone
* 1944 Picture Play
* 1945 Sun Stream
* 1946 Hypericum
* 1947 Imprudence
* 1948 Queenpot
* 1949 Musidora
* 1950 Camaree
* 1951 Belle of All
* 1952 Zabara
* 1953 Happy Laughter
* 1954 Festoon
* 1955 Meld ₩
* 1956 Honeylight
* 1957 Rose Royale
* 1958 Bella Paola
* 1959 Petite Etoile
* 1960 Never Too Late
* 1961 Sweet Solera
* 1962 Abermaid
* 1963 Hula Dancer
* 1964 Pourparler
* 1965 Night Off
* 1966 Glad Rags
* 1967 Fleet
* 1968 Caergwrle
* 1969 Full Dress
* 1970 Humble Duty
* 1971 Altesse Royale
* 1972 Waterloo
* 1973 Mysterious
* 1974 Highclere
* 1975 Nocturnal Spree
* 1976 Flying Water
* 1977 Mrs McArdy
* 1978 Enstone Spark
* 1979 One in a Million
* 1980 Quick As Lightning
* 1981 Fairy Footsteps
* 1982 On The House
* 1983 Ma Biche
* 1984 Pebbles
* 1985 Oh So Sharp ₩
* 1986 Midway Lady
* 1987 Miesque
* 1988 Ravinella
* 1989 Musical Bliss
* 1990 Salsabil
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* 1995 Harayir
* 1996 Bosra Sham
* 1997 Sleepytime
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* 2003 Russian Rhythm
* 2004 Attraction
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* 2012 Homecoming Queen
* 2013 Sky Lantern
* 2014 Miss France
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* 2016 Minding
* 2017 Winter
* 2018 Billesdon Brook
* 2019 Hermosa
* 2020 Love
* 2021 Mother Earth
* 2022 Cachet
* 2023 Mawj
* 2024 Elmalka
* 2025 Desert Flower

Legend \- ₩ = Fillies Triple Crown winners, † = Epsom Derby winners, ‡ = 2000 Guineas Stakes winners
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