Noble (1783 – after 1796) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from May 1786 to May 1788 he ran at least three times and won two races. He won the seventh running of The Derby as a 30/1 outsider in what was probably his first race. His only other success came at Newmarket later that year. He was retired to stud where he stood as a stallion for several years but made little impact as a sire of winners.

Noble
SireHighflyer
GrandsireHerod
DamBrim
DamsireSquirrel
SexStallion
Foaled1783
CountryKingdom of Great Britain
ColourBay
BreederThomas Panton
OwnerThomas Panton
TrainerFrancis Neale
Record3:2-0-0
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1786)

Background

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Noble was a bay horse standing 15.1 hands high[1] bred by his owner, Thomas Panton. Noble was one of three Derby winners sired by Highflyer a successful racehorse who became an outstanding breeding stallion,[2] winning the title of Champion sire on 13 occasions (1785–1796, 1798).[3] He was the fourth of ten foals produced by Lord Farnham's mare Brim,[4] an important broodmare who was the direct female ancestor of the Derby winners Cedric and Doncaster.[5]

There are few available records for Noble's racing career, and it is likely that he had more races than the three detailed below.

Racing career

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1786: three-year-old season

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There is no record of Noble having run before the Derby, and it seems likely that the Classic was his first racecourse appearance. At Epsom, on 31 May Noble started a 30/1 outsider for the Derby in a field of fifteen runners.[6] Dennis O'Kelly's filly Scota was the 2/1 favourite ahead of Lord Grosvenor's colt Meteor. Ridden by J. White, Noble won from Meteor with Claret finishing third.[7] Following his defeat by Noble, Meteor set a British record by winning his next 21 races.[6]

After a break of almost five months, Noble returned to the racecourse at Newmarket in autumn. At the Second October meeting, Noble ran in a 200 guinea Sweepstakes "Across the Flat" (ten furlongs). He won the race by beating Lord George Cavendish's brother to Steady at level weights.[8]

1788: five-year-old season

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On 7 May 1788, Noble returned to the scene of his most important success when he ran in a race at Epsom. The race was run in a series of four mile heats and Noble started favourite at 5/4. The race was won in three heats by the six-year-old mare Cowslip, the winner of the 1785 St Leger: the placed horses are not recorded.[9]

Stud career

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In 1790 Noble stood as a stallion at Hampton Lodge near Farnham in Surrey at a fee of 2 guineas.[1] By 1793 he had been moved to Mitchen Hall near Godalming. He was described as "a sure foal-getter" whose offspring were "handsome, large and bony".[10] His fee had increased to 3 guineas by 1796, when he was based at Yateley in Hampshire, but he did not appear in subsequent lists of stallions in the Racing Calendar.[11]

Noble has only one recorded foal in the General Stud Book: a colt named Sheet Anchor was registered as being bred by Mr Durand in 1795 sired by Noble out of a mare by Herod.[12] This may suggest that his stud career mainly involved covering non-Thoroughbred mares. A report from 1822 mentions two other foals, Mr Vernon's Young Noble and Mr Whaley's Mary Grey, but notes that "very few of his get were ever trained."[8]

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Noble (GB), bay stallion, 1783
Sire
Highflyer (GB)
1774
Herod
1758
Tartar Partner*
Meliora
Cypron Blaze
Salome
Rachel
1763
Blank* Godolphin Arabian*
Amorett*
Regulus mare Regulus
Soreheels mare
Dam
Brim (GB)
1771
Squirrel
1754
Traveller Partner*
Almanzor mare
Grey Bloody Buttocks Bloody Buttocks
Greyhound mare
Helen
1758
Blank* Godolphin Arabian*
Amorett*
Mab Crab
Miss Jigg (Family:9-d)[5]

* Noble is inbred 3S x 3D to the stallion Blank, meaning that he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

* Noble is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Partner, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

References

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  1. ^ a b Robert Hunter (1789). Racing calendar. 1789. John Whitworth. p. 379. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  2. ^ "Highflyer". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  3. ^ "Leading Sires of Great Britain and Ireland". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  4. ^ The General stud book. J. S. Skinner. 1834. p. 20. Retrieved 2012-02-09. Noble.
  5. ^ a b "Mab - Family 9-d". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  6. ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
  7. ^ "The Blue Ribbon" (PDF). Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 21 May 1882. Retrieved 2012-02-07.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ a b William Pick, R. Johnson (1805). The turf register, and sportsman & breeder's stud-book Volume II. W.Sams. p. 427. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  9. ^ William Pick, R. Johnson (1822). The turf register and sportsman & breeder's stud-book Vol. III. W. Sams. p. 416. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  10. ^ Robert Hunter (1792). "Racing calendar. 1792". John Whitworth. p. 378. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  11. ^ Robert Hunter (1795). "Racing calendar. 1795". John Whitworth. p. 324. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  12. ^ The General stud book. J. S. Skinner. 1834. p. 207. Retrieved 2012-02-09. Noble.