Archer (horse)
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| Archer | |
|---|---|
| Sire | William Tell |
| Grandsire | Touchstone |
| Dam | Maid Of The Oaks |
| Damsire | Vagabond |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1856 |
| Country | Australia |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Andrew Badgery & Thomas M. Royds |
| Owner | Etienne L. de Mestre |
| Trainer | Etienne L. de Mestre |
| Record | Not found |
| Earnings | Not found |
| Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours | |
| Major Racing Wins | |
| Melbourne Cup (1861, 1862) Melbourne Town Plate (1861) Queens Plate (1862) |
|
| Infobox last updated on: June 24, 2007. | |
Archer (foaled 1856) was an Australian thoroughbred racehorse who won the first two Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862. He was foaled at Exeter Farm in Jembaicumbene, New South Wales. Bred by Andrew Badgery & Thomas Molyneux Royds, Archer was out of the dam Maid Of The Oaks, he was sired by William Tell.
Acquired and trained by Etienne L. de Mestre, it is not clear how the horse was transported to Melbourne. A lack of railway facilities at the time may have meant he had to be sent from Nowra by ship to race at Flemington in Melbourne. Other sources claim the horse was walked 550 miles over 3 weeks to reach the race.[1]
The inaugural Melbourne Cup of 1861 was an eventful affair when one horse bolted before the start, and three of the seventeen starters fell during the race, two of which died. Trained by owner Etienne L. de Mestre, who would train five cup winners, Archer went on to win easily from Mormon and Prince. Two days later, Archer won another long distance race, the Melbourne Town Plate.
A year later Archer won the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1862) and returned to win his second Melbourne Cup carrying 10st 2 lb. He defeated a field of twenty starters by ten lengths, with Mormon again running second.
Despite his owner's intention to race Archer for a third Melbourne Cup, he was unable to do so because of a technical error. Archer's acceptance nomination to race failed to arrive in time as delivery was delayed due to a public holiday in Melbourne.[1] As a result, owners scratched many horses, in a show of solidarity. This left a starting field of only seven horses that history shows was to be the smallest field of horses to race in the Melbourne Cup.
At ten years of age, Archer fell in a race and was retired to stud at Exeter Stud.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Nowra Police Station". NSW Police Regions and History. Retrieved on 2008-04-29
