| Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Sterling |
| Grandsire | Oxford |
| Dam | King Tom mare |
| Damsire | King Tom |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1884[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Yardley Stud |
| Owner | Douglas Baird |
| Trainer | James Ryan |
| Record | 8: 3-3-0 |
| Major wins | |
| New Stakes (1886) July Stakes (1886) 2000 Guineas (1887) | |
Enterprise (1884 – after 1901) was a BritishThoroughbred racehorse andsire. As a two-year-old in 1886 he was one of the best horses of his generation in England, winning theNew Stakes and theJuly Stakes as well as finishing second in theMiddle Park Plate and theDewhurst Plate. In the following spring he recorded his biggest victory when winning the2000 Guineas as the2/1 favourite. He was one of the leading fancies for theEpsom Derby but missed the race after sustaining an injury in training. He remained in training until the end of 1888 but failed to recover his best form. He made no impact as a breeding stallion.
Enterprise was a chestnut horse bred at the Yardley stud nearBirmingham by the Graham brothers. As ayearling he was offered for sale and bought for bought for 2,000guineas by Douglas Baird.[2] He was trained atNewmarket, Suffolk by James Ryan.
His sire,Sterling, was a successful racehorse who became an excellent sire whose other offspring includedIsonomy,Paradox,Enthusiast andHarvester. Enterprise's dam, an unnamed mare sired by King Tom, was a full-sister to theEpsom Derby runner-up King Alfred.[3][4]
On 8 June Enterprise made his racecourse debut in the New Stakes atRoyal Ascot. He was ridden byGeorge Barrett and won at odds of100/12 upsetting the hot favourite Freedom.[5][6] He was expected to follow up in the Royal Plate atWindsor Racecourse but was defeated by George Chetwynd's colt Stetchworth.[7] AtNewmarket Racecourse on 6 July, the colt started 2/1 joint-favourite for theJuly Stakes. Ridden byFred Archer he took the lead soon after the start and despite hanging left just inside the last quarter mile he won "easily" by fourlengths from Hugo.[8] On 13 October at Newmarket Enterprise finished second toLord Calthorpe's colt Florentine in theMiddle Park Plate, a race for which he had been regarded as a near certainty and started at odds of 1/7.[9][10] In theDewhurst Plate two weeks later over seven furlongs at the same track he started 7/2 second favourite behind Phil. After disputing the lead for most of the way he appeared to "cut it" (give up) in the final furlong and was beaten three lengths into second place by theDuke of Beaufort's fillyReve d'Or, a 20/1 outsider.[11]
At the end of year Fred Archer reportedly said "If he hadn't had a touch of thewhite feather, Enterprise would be a secondOrmonde".[12]
On 27 April 1887, Enterprise, ridden byTom Cannon started the 2/1 favourite for the 79th running of the 200 Guineas over the Rowley Mile. Phil (10/1), Florentine (10/1) and Hugo (20/1) were again in opposition but the best fancied of his opponents were Eglamore, Grandison (Windsor Castle Stakes) and Lovegold. Enterprise started well and as the field entered the last quarter mile he moved into third place behind Eglamore and Phil, with the three colts drawing well clear of the rest. Racing in the centre of the trio, he gained the advantage inside the final furlong and won "rather easily"[13] in "capital style"[14] by half a length from Phil with Eglamore the same distance away in third place.[15] Despite the close finish, Cannon always appeared to be in control of the race ensuring that Baird and his associates collected very large sums in winning bets.[16] The winning time of 1:45.6 constituted a new record for the race.[17]
Enterprise was strongly fancied for the Epsom Derby, being quoted at odds of 9/4 a week before the race.[18] When engaged in training on the Limekilns gallop the colt reportedly took fright, jumped a hedge onto a road and had to be retrieved from an adjacent field. Although he "wrenched"[19] himself, the initial prognostications were good, but he was subsequently withdrawn from the contest.[20]
On 27 July 1888 Enterprise started the 100/12 third choice in the betting for theEclipse Stakes atSandown Park but finished sixth behind theDuke of Westminster's coltOrbit.[21] On 22 September the colt started a 33/1 outsider for the £11,000Lancashire Plate over seven furlongs atManchester Racecourse and came home unplaced behindSeabreeze.[22]
After his retirement from racing Enterprise became a breeding stallion but had very little success as a sire of winners. He was the damsire of King James, who won thePrix d'Hédouville in 1907.
| Sire Sterling (GB) 1868 | Oxford 1857 | Birdcatcher | Sir Hercules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guiccioli | |||
| Honey Dear | Plenipotentiary | ||
| My Dear | |||
| Whisper 1857 | Flatcatcher | Touchstone | |
| Decoy | |||
| Silence | Melbourne | ||
| Secret | |||
| Dam King Tom mare (GB) 1868 | King Tom 1851 | Harkaway | Economist |
| Fanny Dawson | |||
| Pocahontas | Glencoe | ||
| Marpessa | |||
| Bay Middleton mare 1856 | Bay Middleton | Sultan | |
| Cobweb | |||
| West Country Lass | Venison | ||
| Margellina (Family 11-g)[3] |