Vedette (1854–1881) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2000 Guineas Stakes and two Doncaster Cups. He also sired Epsom Derby winner and Champion sire, Galopin. He was owned by Thomas Dundas, 2nd Earl of Zetland and trained by George Abdale.
Background Vedette was bred by Mr. Chilton and Anthony Harrison and was a brown (almost black) colt foaled in 1854. He was sired by Epsom Derby and St. Leger Stakes winner Voltigeur. His dam was Mrs. Ridgway, a daughter of Birdcatcher.
Racing career
1856: two-year-old season In August 1856 he finished third in the Eglington Stakes over one mile at York. The race was won by the favourite Augury. In October he won the Bedford Stakes at by two lengths from The Western Power, after starting as the 4/6 favourite. At the end of the year he was priced around 7/1 for the 1857 2000 Guineas Stakes.
1857: three-year-old season Vedette returned to the racecourse as a three-year-old in the 2000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. He started the one-mile race as the 5/2 favourite of the eleven strong field. Also near the front of the betting were Loyola at 4/1, Kent at 9/2 and Anton at 5/1. The horses got away to an even break on the second start attempt and Turbit immediately took the lead, with Vedette a few lengths behind in fourth place. As they neared the closing stages Loyola (who was racing with Anton on the other side of the track) and Vedette caught and passed Turbit. Anton was winning by about a length in the final furlong, but Vedette produced a "tremendous rush" and overtook him in the last 50 yards. Vedette won the race by three quarters of a length from Anton, who finished a head in front a third placed Loyola. After winning the 2000 Guineas Vedette was very lame and had to hobble back from the weighing room to his stable. He was unable to run until the Great Yorkshire Stakes at York in August, where he was the 2/5 favourite. He won the race by three lengths from Skirmisher, with Saunterer about three lengths further behind in third place. Vedette then went to Doncaster and won the Fitzwilliam Stakes by a neck from Princess Royal. His final race of the season came in the Doncaster Cup, which he won by a neck from Black Tommy.
1858: four-year-old season Vedette's first race as a four-year-old came on 9 April 1858 in the Port Stakes at Newmarket. The race was over a distance just short of two miles and Vedette started as the 4/6 favourite. He led his only opponent, Odd Trick, in the early stages, but was then overtaken and was beaten by three quarters of a length. Vedette then won the Great Ebor Handicap by half a length from Tunstall Maid, after starting as the 5/2 favourite. Tunstall Maid was a further three lengths clear of third placed Fisherman. Vedette's final race came in the Doncaster Cup. Vedette started as the 1/2 favourite, with Saunterer next in the betting at 6/1, then Fisherman at 7/1 and Black Tommy at 100/8. Vedette won the two and a half mile race by half a length from Saunterer, with Black Tommy a further six lengths behind in third place. His win was thought of as a win for all of Yorkshire and apparently there hadn't been "such cheering and waving of hats" since Voltigeur won the St Leger Stakes and Doncaster Cup in 1850.
Assessment Vedette was generally regarded as the best of the 1854 foals.
Stud record Verdette sired Speculum who won the Goodwood Cup and City and Suburban Handicap. Speculum was also a successful sire, with his progeny including Epsom Derby winner Sefton and becoming British Champion sire in 1878. Verdette's best son was Galopin who won the Epsom Derby in 1875 and was British Champion sire three times. Vedette's sire line survives today mainly through Galopin's son, the undefeated St Simon, who was Champion sire nine times.
Sire line tree
VedetteDarley Arabian Sire Line: King Fergus BranchPortrait: VedetteJumpers: Darley Arabian Sire Line Ashstead ApolloAmerican Classic Pedigree: Apollo SpeculumGoodwood Cup Winners Rosebery Primrose Dalmeny Crowberry King Crow Amphion Rampion Horoscope Isador Dieudonne SundridgePortrait: SundridgeAmerican Classic Pedigree: Sundridge Eminent Ampelion Lally Acclaim Elmstead The Nut Middleham Knight Of The Thistle Worth Castlereagh Why Not Clorane Sefton Aintree Lourdes Sans Pareil Goggles Hagioscope Cotillon Burnaby Queen's Birthday Santoi Claretoi Yentoi Lagos Fiz Yama Santair China Cock Cockpit Shogun Sandow Achtoi Artic Star Baytown Poor Man Poor Jack Achtenan Alcazar Apache Tribe Cariff Sanctum Corn Tassel Glasstoi He Gay Lord Souviens Toi Yutoi Roman Hackle Ballyheron KokoImage: Koko Santorb FurstenbrauchMagyar Derby Sun-Yat-Sen Wot No Sun Howletts Holiday House Lauriscope Quaesitum Lynchnoscope Roughside Flacon Uncle Mac Fair Mac Bohernore Shaun AbooHeroes and Heroines of the Grand National Shaun Goilin Mirthful Mexican Skilful Adanapaar Times Splendor Jeweller Street Arab Almoner Duncombe Gloriation GalopinPortrait: Galopin Fulmen Impuls Galliard Gulliver War Dance PerthPortrait: Perth St Caprais Mordant Griffin Beowulf Grafton Marmiton DonovanPortrait: Donovan MatchmakerPortrait: Matchmaker Handicapper VelasquezPortrait: Velasquez O'Donovan Rossa VeronesePortrait: Veronese Wild Monk Easter Prize Shaun Spadah GaleazzoPortrait: Galeazzo Glacier Saturno Prometeo Flower Boy Hamisi Kibwesi Senecio Kosheni Galloping Lad Cliftonhall Music Hall Disraeli St Gris Glenside100 Years Ago – A Welsh Grand National Winner St SimonDarley Arabian Sire Line: St Simon BranchPortrait: St SimonAmerican Classic Pedigree: St Simon St Andrew St Jude St Serf Cavelry Challacombe Adieu Simonian Nuage D'Arenberg Marcellinus Quidnunc St Damian St Julien Cheri Burgrave LutteurImage: Lutteur Or Duh Rhin The Cellarer The Oak Bill Of PortlandPortrait: Bill Of Portland BobadilAustralian Racing Museum: Bobadil Merriwee MaltsterAustralian Racing Museum: Maltster ChildwickPortrait: Childwick General Symons NegofolAmerican Classic Pedigree: Negofol Haut Brion Raeburn RascalStudbook: Early W SoultLeading Sires of New ZealandThe Stud: Soult Master SoultMaster Soult Wairiki AntagonistStud News Beau Soult St Florian Ard PatrickPortrait: Ard Patrick Florizel IIPortrait: Florizel II DoriclesPortrait: Doricles Mackintosh VolodyovskiPortrait: Volodyovski Royal Arch Vedas Southannon Fulmen Floreal AnmerPortrait: Anmer Matchbox Con Amore St Aiden Moorside Raconteur Blagueur St Bris St Caradec PersimmonPortrait: PersimmonAmerican Classic Pedigree: Persimmon Out Of Reach ZinfandelPortrait: Zinfandel Royal Dream Sea King Your MajestyPortrait: Your MajestyAmerican Classic Pedigree: Your Majesty Comedy King Prince PalatinePortrait: Prince PalatineAmerican Classic Pedigree: Prince Palatine Phoebus Appolo Apologue Positano Lord Cardigan Poseidon Lord Nolan Piastre St FrusquinPortrait: St Frusquin Fortunatus St Alwyne Barcadaile Rydal Head St AmantPortrait: St Amant Frustrum Martin Lightfoot St WolfAmerican Classic Pedigree: Saint Wolf Cipango GreenbackPortrait: Greenback St Just Pietri St Anton Lorenzo Day Comet EcouenPortrait: Ecouen St Cyr Cyrenian DesmondPortrait: Desmond Earla Mor Tamasha Shanid-A-Boo Farasi Land League Machakos The White KnightPortrait: The White Knight Sir ArchibaldPortrait: Sir Archibald Declare Charles O'MalleyPortrait: Charles O'Malley Demosthenes Desman Hall Cross LomondPortrait: Lomond AboyeurPortrait: Aboyeur CraganourPortrait: Craganour Seremond Marchmond Hapsburg StornowayPortrait: Stornoway AthelingPortrait: Atheling LimondPortrait: Limond Sandringham Royal Tourist Diamond JubileePortrait: Diamond JubileeAmerican Classic Pedigree: Diamond Jubilee Bellerophon Sancy Queen's AdvocatePortrait: Queen's Advocate WeberPortrait: Weber Coup De VentPortrait: Coup De Vent As De EspadasAmerican Classic Pedigree Last Reason Mustafa Ricuarte SmasherPortrait: SmasherAmerican Classic Pedigree: Smasher Campanazo Melik Saca Chispas MolochPortrait: Moloch Mehemet AliPortrait: Mehemet Ali Sidus Lauzun Melbourne Gros Papa PietermaritzburgPortrait: PietermaritzburgAmerican Classic Pedigree: Pietermaritzburg Pioneer Amsterdam Brasil Saint Marceaux William The ThirdPortrait: William The Third WillonyxPortrait: Willonyx King WilliamPortrait: King William Sandal Wrinkler Rembrandt Pilliwinkie Beau Bill Winkie NassovianPortrait: Nassovian ChaucerPortrait: Chaucer StedfastPortrait: Stedfast Donnithorne Dan Russell Dansellon Prince ChimayPortrait: Prince Chimay Donzelon Lord Chaucer Rattlin' The Reefer RabelaisPortrait: Rabelais Jacobi VerdunPortrait: Verdun Long Set Rire Aux LarmesPortrait: Rire Aux Larmes DurbarPortrait: Durbar Munibe Haki Lord LorisImage: Empressor Naturalist HavresacPortrait: Havresac Radames Pendennis Ramus BiribiPortrait: Biribi RialtoPortrait: Rialto Fenimore CooperPortrait: Fenimore Cooper Darley Dale St Savin St Charlcote Bright Steel Westcourt Juggernaut St Girons Patron Saint
Pedigree
Note: b. = Bay, blk. = Black, br. = Brown, ch. = Chestnut
* Vedette is inbred 3S x 4D to the stallion Blacklock, meaning that he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.
References