| Canterbury Pilgrim | |
|---|---|
 Le Sport universel illustré, 28 April 1922 | |
| Sire | Tristan |
| Grandsire | Hermit |
| Dam | Pilgrimage |
| Damsire | The Earlor The Palmer |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 1893[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Caroline, Duchess of Montrose |
| Owner | Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby |
| Trainer | George Lambton |
| Record | 10: 4-0-1 |
| Major wins | |
| Oaks Stakes (1896) Liverpool Summer Cup (1896) Park Hill Stakes (1896) Jockey Club Cup (1896) | |
Canterbury Pilgrim (1893–1917) was a BritishThoroughbred racehorse andbroodmare. She showed some ability as a juvenile but failed to win a race. She won theOaks Stakes on her first run as a three-year-old and went on to win the Liverpool Summer Cup,Park Hill Stakes andJockey Club Cup before being retired at the end of the year. As a broodmare the best of her offspring wasSwynford, a top-class racehorse who was even better as a breeding stallion. She also produced the influential sire Chaucer and several good broodmares. She has been described as "one of the most influential horses, stallion or mare, of the Twentieth Century".[2]
Canterbury Pilgrim was a chestnut mare bred in at the Sefton Stud inNewmarket,Suffolk by Caroline, Duchess of Montrose, the widow ofJames Graham, 4th Duke of Montrose. When the Duchess died in 1894, theyearling filly was put up for sale in July and bought for 1,800guineas byFrederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby.[3] She was trained throughout her racing career byGeorge Lambton at Bedford Lodge stables inNewmarket,Suffolk.[4][5]
She was one of the best horses sired byTristan, a brilliant and durable but highly temperamental performer whose wins included theJuly Cup,Ascot Gold Cup and three editions of theChampion Stakes.[6] Her damPilgrimage was a top-class performer who completed a rare double when winning both the1000 Guineas and2000 Guineas in 1878. As a broodmare he produced several other good winners including theEpsom Derby winnerJeddah.[7]
Canterbury Pilgrim contested four events as a two-year-old in 1894 but failed to win a race. When tried against top-class opposition on her debut in theChampagne Stakes atDoncaster Racecourse on 10 September she came home last of the seven runners behind theDuke of Westminster's filly Omladina.[8] She also finished last of four behind Gulistan, Attainment and Queen's Piper in the Prendergast Stakes atNewmarket Racecourse on 10 October.[9] Her only effort came atLiverpool in early November when she finished third to Arctic in the Knowsley Nursery (ahandicap race for juveniles) carrying a weight of 104 pounds.[4][5] On her final run of the year she ran unplaced under 105 pounds in the Chesterfield Nursery Stakes over fivefurlongs on 14 November atDerby Racecourse.[10]
Canterbury Pilgrim began her second season in the 118th running of theOaks Stakes over one and a half miles atEpsom Racecourse on 5 June. Ridden byFred Rickaby she was made the100/8 fifth choice in the eleven-runner field with thePrince of Wales's 1000 Guineas winnerThais starting the 13/8 favourite. After tracking the leaders for most of the way she moved into second place behind Thais in the straight and then moved alongside the favourite entering the finalfurlong after a brief struggle she broke clear and won by twolengths from Thais, with Proposition a length away in third.[5]
The filly was then dropped back in distance for theCoronation Stakes over one mile at Royal Ascot twelve days later but despite starting 7/4 favourite she came home fourth behind Helm, Thais and Miss Fraser, all of whom had finished behind her at Epsom.[11] Canterbury Pilgrim was matched against older horses in the Liverpool Summer Cup over eleven furlongs on 23 July and was assigned a weight of 103 pounds. Ridden byTommy Loates she won "very cleverly" by a length from the nine-year-old Australiangelding Paris III.[12]
Canterbury Pilgrim faced Helm again Park Hill Stakes over one and three quarter miles on the last day of theSt Leger meeting at theDoncaster. Starting the 10/11 favourite she went to the front entering the final furlong and "forged ahead" to win by two lengths from Jolly Boat with Helm unplaced.[13] On 28 October, carrying a weight of 113 pounds, the filly finished unplaced behind Winkfield's Pride in theCambridgeshire Handicap over nine furlongs at Newmarket.[14] One day later at the same track she started at odds of 20/21[15] for the Jockey Club Cup over two and a quarter miles and won "very easily" from the colt Gulistan.[16]
Canterbury Pilgrim was retired from racing at the end of 1896 to become a broodmare for Lord Derby's stud. On Lord Derby's death in 1896 the mare passed into the ownership of his son the17th Earl. She produced ten foals between 1898 and 1914:
Canterbury Pilgrim died in 1917, at the age of 24.[2]
| Sire Tristan (GB) 1878 | Hermit 1864 | Newminster | Touchstone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beeswing | |||
| Seclusion | Tadmor | ||
| Miss Sellon | |||
| Thrift 1865 | Stockwell | The Baron (IRE) | |
| Pocahontas | |||
| Braxey | Moss Trooper | ||
| Queen Mary | |||
| Dam Pilgrimage (GB) 1875 | The Palmer 1864 | Beadsman | Weatherbit |
| Mendicant | |||
| Madame Eglentine | Cowl | ||
| Diversion | |||
| Lady Audley 1867 | Macaroni | Sweetmeat | |
| Jocose | |||
| Secret | Melbourne | ||
| Mystery (Family: 1-g)[7] |