Oxygen (horse)

British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Oxygen

Sire| Emilius
Grandsire| Orville
Dam| Whizgig
Damsire| Rubens
Sex| Mare
Foaled| 1828
Country| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour| Bay
Breeder| George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton
Owner| Duke of Grafton
Trainer| Robert Stephenson
Record| 15:8-5-1
Major wins
Anson Stakes (1830)
Clearwell Stakes (1830)
Oaks Stakes (1831)
Oatlands Stakes (1832)
King's Plate at Newmarket (1832)

Oxygen (foaled 1828, died in winter 1854-1855) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1831. In a racing career which lasted from July 1830 until April 1833 she won eight of her fifteen races and finished second on five occasions. Oxygen's Oaks was the last of twenty classic wins for her owner George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton.[1]

Oxygen was regarded the leading two-year-old filly in the South of England in 1830, when she won two of her three races. At three she was beaten in a controversial race when odds-on favourite for the 1000 Guineas but returned to form to win the Oaks a month later. In the following year she won an important handicap race at Newmarket and defeated the leading stayer Lucetta in a King's Plate over three and a half miles. She was retired from racing after a single unsuccessful race as a five-year-old and was retired to stud, where she had some success as a broodmare.

## Background

[edit]

Oxygen was a bay mare with a white star bred by her owner the 4th Duke of Grafton at his stud at Euston Hall in Suffolk. Oxygen's sire, Emilius, won the Derby in 1823 and went on to become a successful stallion at the Riddlesworth stud which was owned and run by Thomas Thornhill. Apart from Oxygen, Emilius’s best winners included Priam, Plenipotentiary, Riddlesworth (2000 Guineas) and Mango (St Leger) and he was British Champion sire in 1830 and 1831.[1]

Oxygen's dam, Whizgig was a daughter of the Duke of Grafton's outstanding broodmare Penelope, making her a half-sister to Derby winners Whalebone and Whisker.[2] Whizgig was a top-class racemare who won seven races including the 1822 1000 Guineas. Oxygen was her third foal.[3]

## Racing career

[edit]

### 1830: two-year-old season

[edit]

The Duke of Grafton, who bred and owned Oxygen

In the early 19th century most horses began their careers at the age of three and there were relatively few races for two-year-olds. One of the most important and longest established races for juveniles was the July Stakes which had been run at Newmarket Racecourse since 1786.[4] Oxygen made her debut in this race on 12 July 1830 and finished second of the eight runners, two lengths behind a colt named Zany, with the future Derby winner Spaniel among the unplaced horses.[5]

Oxygen returned to action at the Newmarket First October meeting. She recorded her first success in the £300 Anson Stakes, over five furlongs, winning comfortably by a length from the colts Bohemian and Morisco.[6] At the Second October meeting, she started the 11/8 against twelve opponents in the Clearwell Stakes. Ridden by John Barham Day, Oxygen won the five furlong race impressively by two or three lengths from Lord Egremont's unnamed black filly. The unplaced runners included a filly sired by Reveller out of Snowdrop who was later named Galantine.[7] According to one observer, the winner displayed "an Eclipse-like superiority"[8] over the opposition. After her win in the Clearwell Stakes Oxygen was made favourite for the following year's Oaks ahead of the Yorkshire-trained Circassian, with the two fillies dominating the betting markets.[9]

### 1831: three-year-old season

[edit]

Oxygen was scheduled to begin her three-year-old season in a £100 Sweepstakes at Newmarket on 18 April. She did not have to compete, however, as the other eight horses entered for the race were withdrawn by their owners, leaving Oxygen to walk over the course to claim the prize money.[10] Three days later in the 1000 Guineas Oxygen was made the favourite at 2/5, the same odds at which her mother Whizgig had started when winning the race nine years earlier. She failed to emulate her dam as she finished third (officially "unplaced") behind the upset winner Galantine after an extremely slow early pace resulted in the race developing into sprint over the last furlong.[11] The Sporting Magazine criticised the "stupid"[12] tactics of the jockeys and described the winner as "a paltry, scratching thing" at least a stone inferior to Oxygen at her best.[13]

On 20 May Oxygen started at odds of 12/1 for the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom. The race attracted 83 entries and a final field of twenty-one runners, the largest in the race's history. Ridden as usual by Day, Oxygen overtook the front-running Delight in the straight and won by a neck[13] from Lord Exeter's filly Marmora, with Guitar third and the favourite Circassian in fourth.[14] The first three finishers in the Oaks met again in a Sweepstakes over one mile at Ascot on 1 June, the other nine entries having been withdrawn by their owners. The result was the more emphatic than at Epsom, with Oxygen leading from the start and winning very easily[15] from Marmora and Guitar.[16]

After a break of four months, Oxygen returned in October for the Newmarket St Leger over two miles. She proved too good for the four colts who opposed her but was beaten by Camarine, a filly who went on to win the following year's Ascot Gold Cup.[17] Two weeks later, Oxygen's season ended as it had begun, as she recorded a walkover victory in a ten-furlong subscription race.[18]

### 1832: four-year-old season

[edit]

Oxygen ran three times at Newmarket in the spring of 1832. At the Craven meeting in April, she began her season in a division of the Oatlands Stakes, a handicap over the two-mile "Ditch In" course. Carrying a weight of 107 pounds and ridden by Patrick Conolly, she started the 2/1 favourite and demonstrated a "game heart"[19] to win by a length from the colts Mazeppa and Sarpedon.[20] Until 1834, racehorses' ages advanced by a year on 1 May rather than 1 January, meaning that Oxygen was officially a three-year-old at this time.[1] At the next meeting Oxygen contested a 100 guinea King's Plate over the three and a half mile Round Course against the 1830 Ascot Gold Cup winner Lucetta, from whom she was receiving twenty pounds.[21] Day sent Oxygen into the lead from the start and she held off repeated challenges from the older mare to win by a length.[22] Two weeks later, Oxygen and Lucetta met again in the Jockey Club Plate over the four mile Beacon Course and Lucetta reversed the form with her younger rival to win a prize of £50.[23]

Oxygen failed to reproduce her best form at Newmarket in the autumn. At the Second October meeting she finished last of the three runners behind Margaret and Naiad in a Sweepstakes over the Rowley Mile. At the Houghton meeting two weeks later she was beaten in a two-mile match race by Mr Vansittart's colt Rubini from whom she was receiving six pounds.[24]

### 1833: five-year-old season

[edit]

Oxygen remained in training in 1833, but ran only once. In a division of the Oatlands Stakes in April she started 4/6 favourite, but was beaten by her only opponent, a mare named Dinah.[25]

## Stud record

[edit]

Oxygen was retired to become a broodmare at the Duke of Grafton's stud. In 1837 she produced a filly foal named Currency, sired by St Patrick. Currency became a successful broodmare, producing the Prix du Jockey Club winners Jouvence and Saint Germain. Oxygen produced ten foals between 1835 and 1849 and was euthanized in the winter of 1854-1855 after being barren for five years.[26]

## Pedigree

[edit]

Pedigree of Oxygen (GB), bay mare, 1828[27] Sire
Emilius (GB)
1820  | Orville
1799  | Beningbrough | King Fergus

|
|
|

Fenwick's Herod mare
Evelina  | Highflyer
Termagant
Emily
1810  | Stamford  | Sir Peter Teazle
Horatia
Whiskey mare  | Whiskey
Grey Dorimant
Dam
Whizgig (GB)
1819  | Rubens
1805  | Buzzard | Woodpecker
Misfortune
Alexander mare  | Alexander
Highflyer mare
Penelope
1798  | Trumpator  | Conductor
Brunette
Prunella | Highflyer
Promise (Family:1-o)[28]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
2. ^ Weatherby (1834). "Prunella". The General Stud Book. 1: 466.
3. ^ Charles Weatherby (1832). The General Stud Book. C & W Reynell. p. 464. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
4. ^ Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.
5. ^ Sporting magazine (May-Aug. 1830). Rogerson and Tuxford. 1830. p. 54. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
6. ^ Sporting magazine (Nov. 1830-Apr. 1831). Babel.hathitrust.org. 1831. p. 65. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
7. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1831). Racing calendar. 1830. C H Reynell. p. 216. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
8. ^ Sporting magazine (Nov. 1830-Apr. 1831). Babel.hathitrust.org. 1831. p. 49. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
9. ^ Sporting magazine (Nov. 1830-Apr. 1831). Babel.hathitrust.org. 1831. p. 8. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
10. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C H Reynell. p. 24. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
11. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C H Reynell. p. 27. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
12. ^ Sporting magazine (May -Oct. 1831). Rogerson and Tuxford. 1832. p. 69. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
13. ^ a b Sporting magazine (May -Oct. 1831). Rogerson and Tuxford. 1832. p. 78. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
14. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C H Reynell. p. 56. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
15. ^ Sporting magazine (May–Oct. 1831). Rogerson and Tuxford. 1832. p. 211. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
16. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C H Reynell. p. 61. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
17. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C H Reynell. p. 215. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
18. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C H Reynell. p. 231. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
19. ^ "Sporting magazine (1832)". Rogerson and Tuxford. 1833. p. 5. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
20. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1833). Racing calendar. 1832. C H Reynell. p. 16. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
21. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1833). Racing calendar. 1832. C H Reynell. p. 28. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
22. ^ "Sporting magazine (1832)". Rogerson and Tuxford. 1833. p. 132. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
23. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1833). Racing calendar. 1832. C H Reynell. p. 48. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
24. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1833). Racing calendar. 1832. C H Reynell. p. 224. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
25. ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1833). Racing calendar. 1833. C H Reynell. p. 13. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
26. ^ Weatherby (1857). "Oxygen". The General Stud Book. 6: 144. hdl:2027/coo.31924066667092.
27. ^ "Oxygen pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
28. ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Penelope - Family 1-o". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-11-02.

* v
* t
* e

Epsom Oaks winners

* 1779 Bridget
* 1780 Tetotum
* 1781 Faith
* 1782 Ceres
* 1783 Maid of the Oaks
* 1784 Stella
* 1785 Trifle
* 1786 Yellow Filly
* 1787 Annette
* 1788 Nightshade
* 1789 Tag
* 1790 Hippolyta
* 1791 Portia
* 1792 Volante
* 1793 Caelia
* 1794 Hermione
* 1795 Platina
* 1796 Parisot
* 1797 Nike
* 1798 Bellissima
* 1799 Bellina
* 1800 Ephemera
* 1801 Eleanor †
* 1802 Scotia
* 1803 Theophania
* 1804 Pelisse
* 1805 Meteora
* 1806 Bronze
* 1807 Briseis
* 1808 Morel
* 1809 Maid of Orleans
* 1810 Oriana
* 1811 Sorcery
* 1812 Manuella
* 1813 Music
* 1814 Medora
* 1815 Minuet
* 1816 Landscape
* 1817 Neva
* 1818 Corinne
* 1819 Shoveler
* 1820 Caroline
* 1821 Augusta
* 1822 Pastille ‡
* 1823 Zinc
* 1824 Cobweb
* 1825 Wings
* 1826 Lilias
* 1827 Gulnare
* 1828 Turquoise
* 1829 Green Mantle
* 1830 Variation
* 1831 Oxygen
* 1832 Galata
* 1833 Vespa
* 1834 Pussy
* 1835 Queen of Trumps
* 1836 Cyprian
* 1837 Miss Letty
* 1838 Industry
* 1839 Deception
* 1840 Crucifix ‡
* 1841 Ghuznee
* 1842 Our Nell
* 1843 Poison
* 1844 The Princess
* 1845 Refraction
* 1846 Mendicant
* 1847 Miami
* 1848 Cymba
* 1849 Lady Evelyn
* 1850 Rhedycina
* 1851 Iris
* 1852 Songstress
* 1853 Catherine Hayes
* 1854 Mincemeat
* 1855 Marchioness
* 1856 Mincepie
* 1857 Blink Bonny †
* 1858 Governess
* 1859 Summerside
* 1860 Butterfly
* 1861 Brown Duchess
* 1862 Feu de Joie
* 1863 Queen Bertha
* 1864 Fille de l'Air
* 1865 Regalia
* 1866 Tormentor
* 1867 Hippia
* 1868 Formosa ₩ ‡
* 1869 Brigantine
* 1870 Gamos
* 1871 Hannah ₩
* 1872 Reine
* 1873 Marie Stuart
* 1874 Apology ₩
* 1875 Spinaway
* 1876 Camelia (dh)
* 1876 Enguerrande (dh)
* 1877 Placida
* 1878 Jannette
* 1879 Wheel of Fortune
* 1880 Jenny Howlet
* 1881 Thebais
* 1882 Geheimniss
* 1883 Bonny Jean
* 1884 Busybody
* 1885 Lonely
* 1886 Miss Jummy
* 1887 Reve d'Or
* 1888 Seabreeze
* 1889 L'Abbesse de Jouarre
* 1890 Memoir
* 1891 Mimi
* 1892 La Fleche ₩
* 1893 Mrs Butterwick
* 1894 Amiable
* 1895 La Sagesse
* 1896 Canterbury Pilgrim
* 1897 Limasol
* 1898 Airs and Graces
* 1899 Musa
* 1900 La Roche
* 1901 Cap and Bells II
* 1902 Sceptre ₩ ‡
* 1903 Our Lassie
* 1904 Pretty Polly ₩
* 1905 Cherry Lass
* 1906 Keystone
* 1907 Glass Doll
* 1908 Signorinetta †
* 1909 Perola
* 1910 Rosedrop
* 1911 Cherimoya
* 1912 Mirska
* 1913 Jest
* 1914 Princess Dorrie
* 1915 Snow Marten
* 1916 Fifinella †
* 1917 Sunny Jane
* 1918 My Dear
* 1919 Bayuda
* 1920 Charlebelle
* 1921 Love in Idleness
* 1922 Pogrom
* 1923 Brownhylda
* 1924 Straitlace
* 1925 Saucy Sue
* 1926 Short Story
* 1927 Beam
* 1928 Toboggan
* 1929 Pennycomequick
* 1930 Rose of England
* 1931 Brulette
* 1932 Udaipur
* 1933 Chatelaine
* 1934 Light Brocade
* 1935 Quashed
* 1936 Lovely Rosa
* 1937 Exhibitionnist
* 1938 Rockfel
* 1939 Galatea
* 1940 Godiva
* 1941 Commotion
* 1942 Sun Chariot ₩
* 1943 Why Hurry
* 1944 Hycilla
* 1945 Sun Stream
* 1946 Steady Aim
* 1947 Imprudence
* 1948 Masaka
* 1949 Musidora
* 1950 Asmena
* 1951 Neasham Belle
* 1952 Frieze
* 1953 Ambiguity
* 1954 Sun Cap
* 1955 Meld ₩
* 1956 Sicarelle
* 1957 Carrozza
* 1958 Bella Paola
* 1959 Petite Etoile
* 1960 Never Too Late
* 1961 Sweet Solera
* 1962 Monade
* 1963 Noblesse
* 1964 Homeward Bound
* 1965 Long Look
* 1966 Valoris
* 1967 Pia
* 1968 La Lagune
* 1969 Sleeping Partner
* 1970 Lupe
* 1971 Altesse Royale
* 1972 Ginevra
* 1973 Mysterious
* 1974 Polygamy
* 1975 Juliette Marny
* 1976 Pawneese
* 1977 Dunfermline
* 1978 Fair Salinia
* 1979 Scintillate
* 1980 Bireme
* 1981 Blue Wind
* 1982 Time Charter
* 1983 Sun Princess
* 1984 Circus Plume
* 1985 Oh So Sharp ₩
* 1986 Midway Lady
* 1987 Unite
* 1988 Diminuendo
* 1989 Snow Bride
* 1990 Salsabil
* 1991 Jet Ski Lady
* 1992 User Friendly
* 1993 Intrepidity
* 1994 Balanchine
* 1995 Moonshell
* 1996 Lady Carla
* 1997 Reams of Verse
* 1998 Shahtoush
* 1999 Ramruma
* 2000 Love Divine
* 2001 Imagine
* 2002 Kazzia
* 2003 Casual Look
* 2004 Ouija Board
* 2005 Eswarah
* 2006 Alexandrova
* 2007 Light Shift
* 2008 Look Here
* 2009 Sariska
* 2010 Snow Fairy
* 2011 Dancing Rain
* 2012 Was
* 2013 Talent
* 2014 Taghrooda
* 2015 Qualify
* 2016 Minding
* 2017 Enable
* 2018 Forever Together
* 2019 Anapurna
* 2020 Love
* 2021 Snowfall
* 2022 Tuesday
* 2023 Soul Sister
* 2024 Ezeliya
* 2025 Minnie Hauk

Legend \- ₩ = Fillies Triple Crown Winners, † = Epsom Derby Winners, ‡ = 2,000 Guineas Stakes Winners
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template