Paulina

Paulina (1804–1819) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1807. In a racing career which lasted from August 1806 until October 1809 she won nine times from fourteen races, all of which took place in Yorkshire. She was undefeated in three races as an unnamed two-year-old, before winning three of her four races in 1807 including the St Leger at Doncaster and a valuable produce sweepstakes at York. She won once from two starts as a four-year-old before winning a Great Subscription Purse at York and a King's Plate at Richmond in 1809. She had a long rivalry with another Yorkshire mare named Thomasina, winning three of their five meetings. Paulina was retired to stud where she became the female-line ancestor of many important winners including Andover and Sir Tatton Sykes. Background Paulina was a bay mare bred by her owner William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. Her sire, Sir Peter Teazle (or simply "Sir Peter") won the Epsom Derby in 1787 and became the most successful stallion of the time, winning the title of Champion sire on ten occasions between 1799 and 1809. Paulina's dam Pewett won the St Leger for Lord Fitzwilliam in 1789 before becoming a highly successful and influential broodmare. Before foaling Paulina she had produced Sir Paul, who won the Craven Stakes and finished third in the 1805 St Leger. Pewett went on to produce the broodmare Clinkerina, whose descendants included the stallion Humphrey Clinker and the double classic winner Exhibitionnist. Racing career 1806: two-year-old season Until 1913, there was no requirement for British racehorses to have official names, and the filly who later became known as Paulina competed in 1806 as Lord Fitzwilliam's b. f., sister to Sir Paul by Sir Peter. She made her debut on 19 August at York Racecourse, where she ran in a sweepstakes for two-year-old colts and fillies. Starting at odds of 8/1, she won by half a neck from Sir Thomas Gascoigne's chestnut filly by Timothy after "a very fine race". At Pontefract Racecourse on 10 September, the sister to Sir Paul defeated her only opponent, Lord Darlington's brother to Bumper in a one-mile sweepstakes. At the St Leger meeting at Doncaster was she matched against the Sir Thomas Gascoigne's chestnut filly by Timothy in a sweepstakes and won at odds of 4/6 to complete her first season unbeaten.