Rockingham

Rockingham (1830 – after 1851) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1833. After finishing fourth on his only appearance as a two-year-old, the colt was undefeated in three starts in 1833, winning the St Leger in the harlequin colours of Richard Watt and taking the Doncaster Cup against older horses in the same week. Rockingham remained in training for three further seasons, winning the 1835 Goodwood Cup, four King's Plates, and three consecutive renewals of the Brighton Gold Cup. He was retired from racing for a brief stud career, but had little success as a sire of winners. Background Rockingham was described (by his owners) as "a beautiful rich brown horse... 16 hand high, of great muscular power, bone and substance". The American Turf Register referred to him as being of "very remarkable size and symmetry", while the Sporting Magazine called him "as powerful as a coach-horse" with "all the activity of a "pony". He was bred at Malton in Yorkshire by William Allen (the breeder of the St Leger winner Rowton) and was the ninth live foal produced by the Irish-bred mare Medora, a descendant of Prunella's sister Peppermint. Rockingham was the only classic winner sired by Humphrey Clinker, a successful racehorse who was beginning to make an impact as a stallion when he died in 1834. Racing career 1832: two-year-old season Originally racing in the colours of Mr Vansittart, Rockingham's racing career began on 20 September at the St Leger meeting at Doncaster Racecourse. He started at odds of 6/1 against eleven opponents in a sweepstakes for two-year-olds and finished fourth behind Belshazzar, a colt owned by Richard Watt.