Otterington

Otterington (also known as Ottrington, foaled 1809) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1812. He was one of the least successful of classic winners, winning only one other race from sixteen starts between May 1812 and June 1815. His St Leger victory was the only one of his three-year-old season, and was achieved at odds of 50/1. He subsequently won one two-runner race in eight attempts in 1813 and after missing the whole of following season he was beaten in all four of his starts as a six-year-old. Otterington's fate after his retirement from racing is unknown. Background Otterington was a bay horse owned for the early part of his racing career by drove business owner and farmer, Ralph Rob of Catton, Yorkshire. He was and sired by Golumpus, a son of Gohanna, whose best offspring was probably the Doncaster Cup winner Catton. Golumpus was unraced, and until the time of Otterington's success, had mainly been used as a sire of hunters and coach-horses. Otterington's dam, an unnamed mare sired by Expectation, later produced a filly by Orville who became a successful broodmare, being the ancestor of the St Leger winner Blue Bonnet. During his first season, the colt's name was usually spelled Ottrington. Racing career 1812: three-year-old season Otterington was unraced as a two-year-old and began his racing career at York Racecourse on 27 May. He started 2/1 second favourite in a field of five for a sweepstakes over one and three quarter mileas and finished third to Mr Brandling's unnamed bay colt. In the following month, Otterington was sent to Newcastle Racecourse in Northumberland where he had two races on 24 June. He was beaten by Mr Baker's bay colt by Emperor in a two mile sweepstakes and then turned out again immediately for the Silver Cup, a race run in a series of two and a quarter mile heats, with the prize going to the first horse to win twice. He finished third to Lord Strathmore's chestnut colt by Remembrancer in the first heat, and was withdrawn from the second, in which Lord Strathmore's colt completed his victory.