Blue Gown

Blue Gown (1865 – November 25, 1880) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse that was the winner of the 1868 Epsom Derby and Ascot Gold Cup. He was one of the best colts of his generation at two, three years and four of age, but his form declined in 1870 after an unsuccessful period in France. He was retired to stud, where he had considerable success as a sire of winners in Germany. Blue Gown died in 1880 while being shipped to the United States. Background Blue Gown was a bay horse standing 15.3 hands high, sired by the 1858 Epsom Derby winner Beadsman out of the Stockwell bred mare Bas Bleu. Blue Gown derived his name from the residents of medieval hospitals. The Beadsman sometimes wore blue gowns. Royal beadsmen received their alms from the reigning monarch in Scotland. Blue Gown was bred and owned by Sir Joseph Hawley. The colt was trained by John Porter, first at Cannon's Heath and then at Kingsclere. Racing career 1867: two-year-old season In 1867, Blue Gown won the Sunning Hill Stakes on his debut at Ascot Racecourse in spring and then finished third to the year's outstanding two-year-old Lady Elizabeth in the Weston Stakes at Bath. At Royal Ascot in June he won the Fern Hill Stakes over half a mile, racing against older horses. After a three month break he returned for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September. He finished first, beating Virtue by half a length, but was disqualified when his jockey, John Wells weighed in more than two pounds over the stipulated weight. Blue Gown finished last in a sweepstakes at the same meeting.