In 1830 Lord Veralum’s bay colt Albert (b.1827) and jockey Patrick Conolly (1807-1842) were genuine Newmarket heroes and their place in Newmarket folklore should be respected and maintained. Albert was unbeaten in 5 races at Newmarket ridden by Conolly, who that year had also won the 2000 Guineas on Augustus and the St Leger on Birmingham.
This engraving of Albert, with Patrick Conolly up, is from a painting by Lambert Marshall (Ben’s son) that featured in the Sporting Magazine in September 1831. Horse and jockey are attended by a handler who is thought to be the trainer Henry Neale who trained for Lord Verulam.
The Sporting Magazine reported that ‘Albert ran only five times, but won all in brilliant style. Conolly rode him on every occasion, which he could have done successfully without whip or spur…This very fine animal made his debut at the Newmarket Craven Meeting 1830 where he beat very easily Lord Cleveland’s colt by Morisco out of Waltz.’ Albert did not appear again until the October Meeting which does suggest that he was not a particularly sound horse. He did however win twice in October and was clearly primed and ready for a demanding day at the Houghton Meeting.
On November 5th 1830 Albert gave 5lbs and a beating to Mr Roberts’s Cloudesley and later that same day lined up in the Audley End Stakes over one mile and three quarters against the Duke of Rutland’s 5-y-olds Cadland (1828 Derby winner) and Oppidan. Albert, with his weight for age allowance, was too strong for his elders and beat Oppidan with Cadland third.
Expectations for Albert’s four year old career must have been high but tragically hopes were dashed before he could get to the racecourse in 1831. On the morning of Monday March 7th Albert took part in a trial gallop on Newmarket Heath with Patrick Conolly aboard and Lord Verulam in attendance. The Sporting Magazine correspondent describes what followed: ‘A very remarkable accident happened as the horses engaged in the trial were running down the fall of the New Ground, Across the Flat; Conolly told me that life became so instantaneously extinct, that Albert was dead while yet he was in stride.’ It appears Albert had suffered a catastrophic and fatal burst blood vessel.
Lord Verulam was so moved by this tragedy that he had a plaque erected as a lasting memorial to Albert that also seems evocative of all thoroughbreds that strive to give their all. A most appropiate Newmarket memorial.
- A reconstruction of Lord Verulam’s plaque: ‘ALBERT, alas! thy race is run, untimely sunk thy setting sun but spotless is thy racing fame, unconquer’d is thy name. When other steeds forgotten be, still must my memory rest on thee. I saw thee heave thy latest sigh. I saw thee struggle fall and die.’
This plaque is to be found today in the east wall of the gardens behind the Edward VII Memorial Hall in Newmarket. Sadly it has been neglected and bears the ravages of time, vandalism and grafitti. It is no longer legible except for the odd word. Newmarket based writer and journalist Tony Morris raised the sad fate of this memorial in the Racing Post newspaper in early April this year and for a couple of years I have included a visit to it when I have done the historical tours of Newmarket run by the Museum. Here is the sad sight of Albert’s memorial plaque today.
In close-up you can make out a few words - just
But Albert is only half of my story of heroism and subsequent neglect.
In 1821 Patrick Conolly was brought to England from Ireland by Mr Prendergast and through his mediation and influence Conolly obtained the patronage of Lord Exeter, Lord Chesterfield, Lord Verulam and ‘many other prominent men of the Turf, to each and all of whom he proved himself to be a most faithful servant’. Prendergast’s horses were trained by Mr Henry Neale ‘under whose direction young Conolly came as a matter of course.’ During his time with Neale a particular incident had a significant impact on his destiny. The Sporting Magazine correspondent reported that ‘Conolly, just at this period, had been riding a trial, at the conclusion of which he was asked by Neale if he had ever ridden in a race, to which he replied in the affirmative. “By G-d, I thought so!’” said Neale, in his usual blunt good-natured manner: “you shall go to Chelmsford, and ride Vaurien for the Gold Cup”, which he did, and fortunately won’. This was in 1823 and significantly Lord Verulam owned the horse. The foundation of an association between Neale, Verulam and Conolly was formed.
This portrait of Patrick Conolly is an engraving from a painting by Robert Crane of Newmarket and shows Conolly in Lord Verulam’s colours: white satin, trimmed with yellow, edged with black, and black cap and gold tassel.
A contemporary profile of Conolly appeared in the Sporting Magazine in 1835:
‘As a jockey Conolly now ranks high, and his popularity is not unmerited; for it would be difficult to name any great Stakes which he has not at some time or other won. His firm seat, quickness in difficulties, united with a readiness to take advantage of the momentary changes which occur in a race, leave him almost without a superior. Conolly’s character for integrity (the keystone in the arch of life) has, by his upright conduct, become firmly fixed in the minds of all who know him.’
In 1834 Conolly was selected by Mr Baston to ride Plenipotentiary (popularly known as ‘Plenipo’ at the time) in the Derby. Against Plenipo was the Earl of Jersey’s 2000 Guineas winner Glencoe ridden by Sam Chifney junior and the Duke of Cleveland’s Shilelagh ridden by Jem Robinson. In the race Plenipo and Glencoe were very fast away but after a couple of furlongs Conolly eased Plenipo right back and left Glencoe and Shilelagh up with the leaders. Conolly now had to decide whether he would go round horses or wait for a gap. He decided to wait. The tactic worked as the gap came after Tattenham Corner and Plenipo surged forward and drew up to a tiring Glencoe at the distance and ‘bounded to the front to win in a canter by two lengths’. This was probably the high point of Conolly’s riding career and the polar opposite of that fateful Albert gallop.
Patrick Conolly and 1834 Derby winner Plenipotentiary
In all Conolly won six English Classics in between 1830 and 1841:
In 1830: The 2000 Guineas on Augustus. Trained by C Marson and owned by Lord Exeter. The St Leger on Birmingham. Trained by T Flintoff and owned by J Beardsworth.
1831: The 1000 Guineas on Galatine. Trained by H Scott and owned by Sir M Wood.
1832: The Oaks on Galata. Trained by C Marson and owned by Lord Exeter.
1834: The Derby on Plenipotentiary. Trained by G Payne and owned by S Batson.
1841: The Derby on Coronation. Trained by Painter and owned by A T Rawlinson.
Success as a jockey was to be cut short. In late 1841 and early 1842 Conolly suffered from ‘a long and painfull illness’ and in the Spring of 1842 the Sporting Magazine announced his death in Newmarket on Saturday 9th April, aged 35. He was buried on the east side of All Saints Church close by the east entrance to the church. The headstone of his grave has, like Albert’s plaque, suffered from the ravages of time and vandalism. It is virtually illegible and is lying flat.
A few letters can be made out: P, A, K and LLY but not much else
It surely cannot be right for these two memorials to gradually fade into obscurity taking with them the presence of Albert and Conolly in Newmarket. Tony Morris raised the issue in April and I hope this rallying cry adds urgency to the need for restoration.
Alan Grundy
NHRM
Acknowledgements to The Cox Library for assistance in research.
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To complement the iminent July Festival meeting at Newmarket here are some facts and images relating to the first runnings of the major races of the meeting.
The July Stakes – first running 1786
The July Stakes is the oldest two-year-old race in the Racing Calendar. The original conditions of the race stipulated that horses sired by Eclipse and Highflyer should carry three pounds extra. First run in 1786 it was run over an extended five furlongs of the Bunbury Course.
The first winner was Bullfinch, a chesnut colt by Woodpecker out of Flirt. Ridden by John Pratt and owned by Lord Clermont.
Racing Calendar 1786
Lord Clermont (1722-1806) was a close friend of the Prince of Wales and a person of some consequence in the racing world. One of the courses at Newmarket was named after him for a time. Two other close associates of Clermont were Charles Fox and Lord Foley. Bullfinch spent most of the remaining part of his career running in matches (with mixed success) against horses owned by Fox, Foley and others.
Redevelopment of the July Racecourse – 22nd September 1931
The Cherry Hinton Stakes – first running 1947
The first running of the Cherry Hinton Stakes in 1947 was won by Sir Humphrey de Trafford’s Great Fun. A brown filly by Big Game out of Merry Devon, trained by Capt Boyd-Rochfort and ridden by Harry Carr.
Great Fun brown filly, b.1945
Meyrick Good wrote in Winners for 1948 that ‘one glance at Great Fun is enough to show why she was raced but little in her first season…Even in winning the Cherry Hinton she displayed unmistakable signs of greeness and stood higher behind than in front of the saddle. She should, however grow into a filly above the average in size…The ability is there all right. It is quite within range of possibility that she will make for her sporting owner a better three than two-year-old.’
Unfortunately that was not to be. Her connections clearly thought a lot of her as she ran in the 1000 Guineas trial Stakes, the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks but was down the field in all of them and her other few races. It seems she did not develop in the right way.
July Racecourse redevelopment – 14th October 1931
The Princess of Wales’s Stakes – first running 1894
The race was founded in 1894 to honour Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who became Princess of Wales on her marriage to the future King Edward VII in 1862. The first winner of the race was the 1893 Triple Crown winner Isinglass, owned by Col. Harry McCalmont of Cheveley Park and ridden by Tommy Loates. Interestingly from 1894 to 1904 the race was won by three Triple Crown winners:
1894 PoWs winner Isinglass
1899 PoWs winner Flying Fox in training
1899 PoWs winner Flying Fox at stud
1904 PoWs winner Rock Sand
A trio of great racehorses. They liked to be able to count their ribs in those days!
July Racecourse development – 2nd November 1931
The Falmouth Stakes – first running 1911
This mile race for fillies was named in honour of the 6th Viscount Falmouth (1819-1889) who was one of the most respected and successful owner-breeders of the Victorian era. He had success in no less than sixteen Classics from 1862 until he retired from the Turf in 1883. Falmouth was a genuine sportsman without being a bettor. He raced for the love of racing.
6th Viscount Falmouth
The first running of the Falmouth Stakes was won by Alice, owned by the Viscount’s descendant Lord Falmouth and ridden by Herbert Jones. It looks like the running of Alice in the race was contrived to result in a ‘family’ win. Her odds were 1/10 ! Alice went on to win the Yorkshire Oaks later that year.
1911 Racing Calendar
July Racecourse redevelopment – 19th November 1931
The July Cup – first running 1876
Queen Victoria bred the first winner of the July Cup, a fine big bay colt called Springfield. He was bought out of the Hampton Court Stud by Mr J H Houldsworth and was sent to Jimmy Ryan at Green Lodge Stables at Newmarket. Ryan was great-great uncle to present Newmarket trainer William Jarvis.
1876 and 1877 winner Springfield with Jimmy Ryan
The intial running in 1876 was a curious affair. There were only three runners, the three-year-old Springfield, Crann Tair and Echanson, both two-year-olds [eligible at that time]. Echanson bolted and it was left to Springfield to beat Crann Tair by 12 lengths. Springfield did however win a more competitive renewal the next year. In all Springfield won 17 of his 19 races including the Gimcrack Stakes and Champion Stakes.
The July Racecourse in the 1930s
Well it’s onward now to Wednesday July 7th 2010 ! See you there.
Alan Grundy
NHRM.
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