Jockeys in the 1860s and 1870s

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Two Grimshaws emerged in the 1860s and 1870s as prominent jockeys in English and European horseracing. Harry Grimshaw won the triple crown on Gladiateur in 1865, and James ("Jemmy") Grimshaw won the St Legers on Hawthornden in 1870. Jemmy Grimshaw's son, Herbert, was also a jockey. Harry died at the young age of about 25 in a horse-and-carriage accident in 1866, not long after winning the triple crown. James died of cancer in late 1898 or early 1889 in Bohemia. Herbert was unfortunately convicted of a robbery after early career achievements as a jockey. It is not known if the two families were directly related.

Contents:

Webpage Credits

Record of Harry and Jemmy Grimshaw Wins at St. Leger Stakes

Harry Grimshaw, Triple Crown Winner on Gladiateur

Gladiateur

Gladiateur at the Grand Prix in Paris

Biography and Accidental Death of Harry Grimshaw

Jemmy Grimshaw on Frontispiece of Baily's Magazine in 1865

Hawthornden

Death Record of Jemmy Grimshaw

Herbert Grimshaw, Jockey Son of Jemmy Grimshaw

Harry and Jemmy Grimshaw Citations in "Portraits of Celebrated Racehorses"

References

None yet...

Harry Grimshaw won the St Legers - as part of the triple crown - in 1865 on Gladiateur. Jemmy Grimshaw won the St Legers on Hawthornden in 1870. St Leger Stakes is described below from Wikipedia.

St. Leger Stakes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from St Leger Stakes)

The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards (2,937 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

Established in 1776, the St. Leger is the oldest of Britain's five Classics. It is the last of the five to be run each year, and it is raced over a longer distance than any of the previous four.

The St. Leger is the final leg of the English Triple Crown, preceded by the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby. It also completes the Fillies' Triple Crown, which begins with the 1,000 Guineas and continues with the Oaks. In recent decades, however, the St. Leger has rarely featured a Triple Crown contender.

Winners as shown in Wikipedia on St. Leger Stakes are shown below.

The Triple Crown won by Harry Grimshaw is described below from Wapedia.

Wiki: Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (although sometimes shortened to Triple Crown, the full name is used to avoid possible confusion with other sports) consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse. In recent years, the Triple Crown has become a very rare achievement, with most horses specializing on a limited range of distances.

...

In England, where the term Triple Crown originated with West Australian's three wins in 1853, it is made up of:

the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, run over 1 mile (1,609 meters) at Newmarket Racecourse in Newmarket, Suffolk;

the Epsom Derby, run over 1 mile 4 furlongs and 10 yards (2,423 meters) at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Epsom, Surrey;

the St. Leger Stakes, run over 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards (2,937 meters) at Town Moor in Doncaster, Yorkshire.

There is also a Fillies Triple Crown for a filly winning the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes. The last winner of this was Oh So Sharp in 1985. In the past this was not considered a true Triple Crown as the best fillies would run in the Derby and Two Thousand Guineas. As this is no longer the case, the Fillies' Triple Crown would now be considered as comparable as the original.

In the 150 years that these races have been run, only fifteen horses have ever won the English Triple Crown, including the great Nijinsky II in 1970. Nijinsky II was only the second winner of the English Triple Crown since the end of World War I. For many years, it was considered unlikely that any horse would ever win the English Triple Crown again. In the winter of 2006/2007, however, trainer Jim Bolger was training his unbeaten colt Teofilo for the Triple Crown and bookmaker William Hill plc was offering odds of only 12/1 against Teofilo winning the 2007 Triple Crown. However, the horse was withdrawn from the 2000 Guineas two days before the race after suffering a setback.

Since Nijinsky, only Nashwan in 1989 and Sea the Stars in 2009 have won both the Guineas and the Derby, and in addition, no Derby winner (including both Nashwan and Sea the Stars) has even entered the St. Leger since Reference Point in 1987, although this is primarily due to the impact it would have on a horse's stud value, which would not be the case for a horse who had already won the Guineas.

For a list of the annual individual race winners, see English Triple Crown race winners.

Triple Crown Champions as indicated on this website are shown below. Note the 1865 entry of Harry Grimshaw on Gladiateur.

A painting of Harry Grimshaw on Gladiateur that was made by Harry Hall in 1865 is shown below

Title: "Gladiateur" with Harry Grimshaw up and his owner, Count Frederic de Lagrange, 1865

Artist: Harry Hall

Product code: PHD21412

Edition type: Open edition

Copyright: © Bridgeman Art Library / Private Collection, Paris, France

Source: http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/art/175305/Gladiateur_with_Harry_Grimshaw_up_and_his_owner_Count_Frederic 

A "biography" of Gladiateur as shown on "Thoroughbred Heritage" is shown below.

One of the best horses ever to grace the turf in any century, was GLADIATEUR, from the Gladiator daughter, Miss Gladiator, and by Monarque. Born in 1854, Miss Gladiator was out of Taffrail by Sheet Anchor, bred at Thomas Carter's stud in Vineuil. She won once, the Prix de l'Ecole Militarie, and injuring her leg, was retired to the breeding shed, having been purchased by the Comte de Lagrange because of her Gladiator blood. She dropped a filly, Fille-des-Jones by Peu d'Espoir, 1858; and a second daughter, Villa-franca in 1860 by Monarque in 1860. She was sent back to Monarque in 1861, and produced the dark bay colt Gladiateur in the spring of 1862. Miss Gladiator produced a colt, Imperator, in 1864, by Monarque or Father Thames, and an unnamed colt by Monarque in 1865, her last recorded foal. None but Gladiateur did anything on the turf.

Dark Bay colt, 1862.

By Monarque - Miss Gladiator by Gladiator.

Darley Arabian Sire line:

Whalebone Branch.

Family #5 - h.

His sire, Monarque

Gladiateur was a particularly large foal, with, it was reported by French writers, superb symmetry. A later English turf writer, possibly after he had trounced British horses on their own turf to take the English Triple Crown, described him as "a rough-looking, angular horse, without any quality." It was agreed he was tall: "amongst his Derby competitors, he stood out like a giant in the midst of pigmies." A later English turf writer said he had "strength, grace, sweetness and courage."

LeGrange deliberately held off on training Gladiateur; he had nominated him to both the French and English classics soon after he was born, and the count was determined to proceed slowly with the overgrown youngster. In addition, Gladiateur had an enlarged left foreleg from a paddock accident as a youngster, and, although this flaw did not cause him much grief, he did suffer from navicular, and was periodically unsound throughout his career. Gladiateur wasn't started until well into his two year old year, and his first race, in England, under the schooling of Tom Jennings at Newmarket, was in the fall. He won his first event, the Clearwell Stakes at Newmarket, beating Pantaloon and ten others. He dead-heated for third in his next race, the Prendergast Stakes, against a better field, and failed to place in the Criterion. It was a modest beginning.

At age three, "The Avenger of Waterloo" started his season by running in the 2,000 Guineas, winning by a neck in a thrilling four-horse race in the home stretch. He followed that with the Derby, coming from behind to win by two lengths. Shipped back to France to run in the Grand Prix de Paris, he was greeted by a wildly cheering crowd of over 100,000. In the Grand Prix de Paris he put his French-bred opponents away by three lengths, including that year's winner of the Prix du Jockey Club. [Note: see newspaper article below...]

Brought back to England, he ran in Goodwood's Drawing Room Stakes, which he won, followed by a walk-over in the Bentinck Memorial Stakes. The next race was an easy three-length victory, despite being lame, in the Doncaster St. Leger, adding the last jewel to the English Triple Crown, the second horse to win all three classic races. He followed that up by winning the Doncaster Stakes by three lengths. Sent back to France, he won the Prix du Prince Imperial (later the French St. Leger), beating his sole opponent, Vertugadin. Back at Newmarket in October, he won the Newmarket Derby by forty lengths over his sole opponent, Longdown. His winning streak ended when he failed to place in the Cambridgeshire against older horses in heavy going over a distance that did not suit his come-from-behind style of racing, particularly with his near-sighted jockey Harry Grimshaw, and penalized by the heaviest weight, carrying 9 st. 12 lbs. It was won by the Vedette filly Gardevisure. He was then returned to winter quarters in France.

Gladiateur wasn't through, however. At age four he started the season with two walk-overs: the Derby Trial Stakes and the Claret Stakes. He followed that up by winning the Ascot Gold Cup by forty lengths from his two opponents, having come from 300 yards behind the front runner. Back in France, he won the Grand Prix de l'Imperatrice , the Gold Cup at Paris in April, and the four-mile Grand Prix de l'Empereur at Paris in October.

Gladiateur in the Stud

Having won convincingly at all distances over a mile, the French-bred champion of England's most prestigious races and its Triple Crown, was retired to the count's stud, where he proved a disappointment. He had been at stud only four years when France was invaded in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war: Chantilly was occupied by Germans, and Longchamp completely destroyed. Many French studs sent their horses to the south of France, and to Belgium, but primarily to England, where a number were sold at Tattersalls. The Comte de Legrange's stud was disbanded at this time. Some were sold as a group to C.J. Lefevre and were sent to his stud at Dangu. Another large group--thirty-nine-- was shipped to England for sale at Tattersalls on September 3, 1870. Gladiateur was among those sold in England, purchased by William Blenkiron (Jr.) of the Middle Park Stud for 152,250 francs. Suffering severely from navicular disease, he was put down in 1876, a champion without a single meritorious successor on the turf, and nothing in Europe or England that was able to continue his sire line.

Grandmaster

His most successful sire son by far was GRANDMASTER (1868, from Celerima by Stockwell), who never ran in England, having been sold as a yearling to Danger and White, an Australian partnership, and shipped to Australia, where he was entered in the International Exhibition at Sydney and adjuged the "best-conformed" two year colt. His offspring in Australia met with great success, and one, the gelded Paris, a dual winner of the 12 furlong Caufield Cup and other distance races, was even shipped to England to win handicaps there under big weights.

Grandmaster was able to get both high class sprinters and stayers, among them Sting (3 mile Randwick Plate, Adelaide Cup); Espiegle and Folly (both won the 8 furlong A.J.C. Epsom Handicap); V.R.C. Australian Cup winner Highborn; the versatile gelding Bungebah (winner of stakes from 6 to 12 furlongs); the gelded Stanley, winner of the 13 furlong Adelaide Cup; A.J.C. Derby and V.R.C. St Leger winner Gibralter; and Ensign, who beat Carbine in the 12 furlong V.R.C. Derby. Grandmaster was also a superior broodmare sire. One of his daughters, Colors, produced four outstanding winners in Australian Star (Caufield and Eclipse Stakes), Australian Colors (14 furlong Alderman Cup), Tartan (many top distance races, including Sydney Cup, A.J.C. Plate, V.R.C. Champion Stakes, Randwick Plate etc.) and All Green (Queensland Cup). Many of his other daughters were excellent broodmares of top winners. His daughter Grand Lady was fourth dam of the good American runner Double Jay (1944).

LORD GOUGH (1869), in James Daly's stud in Ireland was a source of stamina and influential in steeplechasing. He was out of Battaglia, by Rataplan. His daughter, Daisy (1892), produced Grand National Steeplechase winner Eremon and Christmas Daisy, two-time winner of the Cambrdigeshire Handicap. Another daughter, Kooinur (1881), produced Irish Oaks winner Marievale and other daughters whose descendants produced winners in Czechoslovakia and Brazil. Lady Gough (1888) produced good winners in Daly's stud, and Countess Gough (1885) was second dam of Doncaster Cup winner Willlbrook. His most influential daughter was Hasty Girl (1875, out of Irritation by King of Trumps), who was the dam of the good runner and sire Bendigo (Cambridgeshire, Champion Stakes, Eclipse Stakes); she was also dam of St. Leger winner Kilwarlin, and her daughter Bellinzona bred on.

Gladiateur's son HIGHBORN (1870, from the good winner Fille de l'Air) had some good progeny, most notably the 1876 filly Dresden China (from Fortress by Citadel), winner of the Doncaster Cup, the Great Yorkshire Handicap and the Goodwood Cup. Another one of his winners was Manchester November Handicap winner Parlington.

Of Gladiateur's other sons, there were few successes on the turf on in the stud. IL GLADIATORE (1874, from Scottish Queen) won the Ebor Handicap, and later had a few offspring. LYDON (1868), winner of the Liverpool Spring Cup in 1873, got a filly named Tebro in 1877 (in-bred to Tomyris by Sesotris); she became the dam of three top winners in Poland. KREMLIN (1870) got Kordjan, winner of the Nagroda Derby in Russia, and later a sire whose son, Count Grabowski, and grandson, Kordecki, were also winners of that race. MATADOR (1872), shipped to the U.S., got the filly Madcap, who was second dam of Withers Stakes winner Kilmarnock, also a winner fo the Queen Alexandra Stakes in England and the Prix du Conseil Municipal in France.

Gladiateur's daughters were moderately successful in the breeding shed, and can be seen in the pedigrees of distant tail-female descendants, some of which were classic winners. FAIR MAID OF KENT (1868) produced Grand National Steeplechase winner Frigate (1878, by Gunboat), a great mare that won multiple chases and hurdles; Fair Maid of Kent was also the dam of Irish Derby winner Kentish Fire (1997 by Torpedo). KEAPSAKE (1873) was second dam of French Oaks winner Kasbah, in turn dam of the great race mare Kizil Kourgan (Grand Prix de Paris and French Oaks), the latter later dam of Ksar and Kenilworth. PRETENCE (1872, from Chevisaunce by Stockwell) was the dam of Ascot Gold Vase winner Ambassadress, and tail-female ancestress of Italian Derby winner Pilade and Arc winner Crampon, as well as classic winners in Argentina. LADY EMILY (1874) became the second dam of classic winners in Poland around the turn of the century. NIXETTE (1871) from the French Oaks winner Deliane became the second dam of stakes winners in Russia. MISS LUCY (1869) was dam of Criterion Stakes winner Monsieur Philippe, and a daughter, Lucetta, was the dam of a good winner of French races in Lieutel.

--Patricia Erigero

Source: http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Gladiateur.html

A second biography of Gladiateur from "The American Thoroughbred¹" by Thomas B. Merry (p. 146-150) is shown below.

We now come to Gladiateur, the greatest horse ever foaled on the soil of France and the second one of nine colts that have won "the triple crown" of the English Turf. He was about as ragged looking a specimen as was ever saddled for a race but a perfect galloping machine. Nothing could stand against his long and frictionless stride. He was foaled in the Royal Stud at Dangu in 1862, his dam being Miss Gladiator by Gladiator (son of Partisan) from Taffrail by Sheet Anchor from "the Warwick mare" by Ardrossan. He was 15 hands three inches high at two years, when he went over to England and won the Clearwell stakes (won by Hospodar two years before) and ran a dead heat for third place in the Prendergast Stakes with a very moderate horse called Longdown; and in the Criterion Stakes (won by Hospodar in 1862) he ran unplaced to Chattanooga, who was good but nothing great. Gladiateur therefore retired for the winter with the reputation of "a good colt but not great." Indeed, the best English judges placed him below Hospodar and about equal with Gontran and Le Mandarin, of his own age, little dreaming of the surprise in store for them next year.

The year 1865 will go down to all time as "The French Year." Gladiateur did not take part in any of the early events in France, but showed up at Newmarket in time for the Two Thousand Guineas, for which there were only seven starters, every one being afraid of Liddington, the best two-year-old of 1864, and Bedminster, who was reported to have done a great trial. The latter was therefore made a favorite at 100 to 40, Liddington 3 to 1, Breadalbane (brother to Blair Athol) 5 to 1, Zambesi 10 to 1, and Kangaroo 25 to 1. Grimshaw was on the French colt and came in by a narrow margin, two necks and two heads being all that separated Gladiateur from Breadalbane, who was fifth. The finish did not therefore indicate Gladiateur to be anything great. But in the Derby he showed his true caliber for he was "pocketed" in all the early stages of the race and had to go around all his horses before reaching Tattenham Corner, winning with consummate ease from Christmas Carol and Eltham, whose price was 33 to i, which made people say it was "all wrong" and "an off year" in England. The French spectators kissed one another in their delight and the cry of "Revanche Pour Waterloo" was heard long after the winning jockey had weighed out and the horse had been led away. "When Gladiateur gallops, the other horses seem to stand still," said a London paper, the next day; and the Prince of Wales gave a dinner to Comte de Lagrange, at which Lord Derby, a descendant of the nobleman for whom the great Epsom race was named, made the speech of the evening, in which he warmly congratulated him and his great horse and assured him of England's kindly feelings toward himself and La Belle France.

The Grand Prix de Paris saw a good field assembled to meet the horse with English laurels on his neck. There were Gontran, winner of the French Derby; Vertugadin, brother to Vermont, who had won this race last year, beating the big and bullocky Blair Athol; Tourmalet, winner of the Poule des Produits; Mandarin, winner of the Prix de 1'Empereur, and Todleben, by Muscovite, the only English horse in the race. In order to make the race appear exciting. Grimshaw had orders to hold his horse back until the straight was reached and then set sail for home. The boy obeyed the orders faithfully but deafening roars went up when they saw Gladiateur come on with a whirlwind rush and mow down his horses till he finally got the lead and won in a canter by two lengths from Vertugadin, Tourmalet being third and Gontran fourth. The greatest horse France had ever seen went back to England about a week later but took no part in the Ascot meeting. He came out at Goodwood, however, to win the Drawing Room Stakes by forty lengths, in all but a walk from his old antagonist Longdown; walked over for the Bentinck Memorial at three miles; went back to France again, to beat Longdown one more, "by a town block" for the Newmarket Derby, after that, carried off the St. Leger; and finally started in the Cambridgeshire Handicap, for which he carried 138 pounds. It is quite unnecessary to say that he finished "in the steerage."

In 1866, he had six victories without a defeat. At the Newmarket Spring meeting he w. o. for both the Derby Trial and the Claret Stakes; then went back to Paris where he beat Fumee and Vertugadin sixty yards in the Prix de 1'Imperatrice and La Compe by ten lengths from Le Mandarin, Gontran and Ronce; came back to England to win the Ascot Cup by forty lengths from Regalia (Oaks winner of the previous year) and Breadalbane, who was beaten away off. My mother (now four years dead) saw that race. Gladiateur was very sore forward, so Jennings told Grimshaw to get him down that hill as easily as possible. "It don't matter if you're a quarter of a mile behind them," said Tom, "if you don't break him down, for as soon as he touches the flat, he'll devour 'em." It turned out just as the shrewd trainer had told him. "Grim'' waited and waited until he was nearly 400 yards to the bad when he reached the base of the hill. Count Lagrange and Lord Falmouth sat in front of where my parents sat. Lord Falmouth said:

"He's a great horse, but I fear that Grimshaw has waited too long."

"Cest 1' instruction, monsieur. 11 vent gagne!" replied the Count.

"But look where he is—nearly a quarter of a mile in the rear," said Boscawen.

"N'importe, nion ami—II veut gagne."

Just then Grimshaw shifted his seat and rolled the bit through Gladiateur's mouth and he tore along like a mad horse, on a stride of not less than twenty-four feet. Inch by inch he crawled up till it became yard and yard. He overhauled the fast-fading Breadalbane and then picked up the mare about 300 yards from home, winning in a common canter by forty lengths. If the French were glad of his Derby victory, they were now absolutely frantic. With over 40,000 people on the track, less than one-tenth that number of Frenchmen furnished the noise for the entire crowd. One week from that day, while riding along the Newmarket road with a friend in a dog cart, Harry Grimshaw, as honest a lad as ever sat upon a horse, was thrown out and broke his neck. George Pratt was then selected to ride Gladiateur in what was destined lo be his last race. He was taken back to Paris, where he won the Grand Prix de 1'Empereur (now called the Prix Gladiateur) which he won in hollow style from a good field, Vertugadin being second again. I have heard he carried 153 pounds in this but cannot write understandingly as I have never seen any printed details of the race. He then retired to the stud and was a flat failure, getting no really good performers and only one sire—Grandmaster, sent to Australia—of whom I will speak at length in another department of this work.

"The triple crown" of England has been won nine times. My own belief is that Ormonde, who died in this State, last spring, was the best of the nine, with Gladiateur and Isinglass about tied for second place; and Rock Sand, Lord Lyon and Diamond Jubilee at the foot of the class. Gladiateur was certainly a better horse than West Australian, the first horse to achieve the triple feat: West Australian, at four years, carried 117 pounds, and beat Kingston, 5 years, 126 pounds, and Rataplan, 4 years. 117 pounds, for the Ascot Cup of 1854. Under the present scale of weights, West Australian and Rataplan would have had to carry 126 on each and Kingston 131, which would have given him the race beyond doubt. Contrast this with Gladiateur's defeat (at 122 pounds for himself and Breadalbane and 119 for the mare) of his rivals at Ascot, in which he outran them a quarter of a mile in the last ten furlongs and I don't think "the West" makes any show whatever against the galloping machine from France. At the outbreak (or shortly afterwards) of the Franco-Prussian war, Comte de Lagrange sold all his horses; and Gladiateur became the property of Mr. Blenkiron for 5,800 guineas, to be resold, two years later to Mr. Harcourt for 7,000 guineas, when Blair Athol brought 12,500 guineas and Breadalbane about half that sum. You want to read some articles contributed by Lord Suffolk to the Badminton Library concerning Gladiateur; and you will readily understand how it was that he "donkeylicked" all the best horses of his day and generation. Gladiateur was by long odds the best horse ever foaled in France. No matter what horse was second, the son of Monarque was indisputably first. It is worthy of remark that several of his French competitors completely surpassed him at the stud and this is especially true of Vertugadin, while Gontran, Le Mandarin and Tourmalet, if no better as sires, certainly could not have been so very much worse. Grandmaster was the only son of Gladiateur for whom I would give $200, and he did not resemble his sire in any particular.

It seems to me that the French are outbreeding the English in some directions, more especially in the way of long-distance races. You go to Longchamps and you will see, each day, at least three races above one mile out of the six or seven on the card of the day. In England you hardly ever see two in one day at distances above one mile, while in America we are living in the reign of the sprinter. Again in the matter of horses of the Herod male line they are as far ahead of us as we are ahead of England. I spent three months in England in 1901 and did not hear of nor see a Herod horse that could command a fee of five guineas. In France I saw only Le Sancy, a gray horse sixteen years old, bred from the male line of Pantaloon, through Windhound, Thormanby, and Atlantic (winner of the 2000 guineas) that was a fine horse in any country. He had the best legs and feet I ever saw under a horse of his age, and his daughter, Semendria, had won the Grand Prix de Paris a few weeks before I arrived there.

The fact that the French have won six Ascot Gold Cups and three Alexandra Plates in the last forty years, is not without its significance. Besides the highest weight ever carried to victory in an Alexandra Plate (three miles) was by Trocadero, he by Monarque (sire of Gladiateur) out of Antonia by Epirus, from the Ward of Cheap by Glaucus. Monarque got Henry, who won the Ascot Cup of 18/2, and Gladiateur, who won it in such sensational style that it was a fruitful source of conversation for the next ten years. The following French-bred horses have won the four oldest established cups in England:

Gladiateur's 1865 win at the Grand Prix in Paris won him perhaps as much acclaim as the Triple Crown in England. This win is described below⁴ from Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science in 1880.

The first appearance of Gladiateur upon the race-course was at the Newmarket autumn meeting of 1864, where he won the Clearwell Stakes, beating a field of twelve horses. He was kept sufficiently "shady," however, during the winter to enable his owner to make some advantageous bets upon him, though it required careful management to conceal his extraordinary powers. His training remains a legend in the annals of the stables of Royal-Lieu, where the jockeys will tell you how he completely knocked all the other horses out of time, and how two or three of the very best put in relay to wait upon him were not enough to cover the distance. Fille-de-l'Air herself had to be sacrificed, and it was in one of these terrible gallops that she finished her career as a runner. Mandarin alone stood out, but even he, they say, showed such mortal terror of the trial that when he was led out to accompany his redoubtable brother he trembled from head to foot, bathed in sweat. In 1865, Gladiateur gained the two thousand guineas and the Derby at Epsom, and for the first time the blue ribbon was borne away from the English. "When Gladiateur runs," said the English papers at this time, "the other horses hardly seem to move." The next month he ran for the Grand Prix de Paris. His jockey, Harry Grimshaw, had the coquetry to keep him in the rear of the field almost to the end, as if he were taking a gallop for exercise, and when Vertugadin reached the last turn the favorite, some eight lengths behind, seemed to have forgotten that he was in the race at all. The public had made up its mind that it had been cheated, when all at once the great horse, coming up with a rush, passed all his rivals at a bound, to resume at their head his former easy and tranquil pace. There had not been even a contest: Gladiateur had merely put himself on his legs, and all had been said. These three victories brought in to Comte de Lagrange the sum of four hundred and forty-one thousand seven hundred and twenty-five francs, to say nothing of the bets. Gladiateur afterward won the race of six thousand metres (two miles fourteen furlongs) which now bears his name, and also the Great St. Leger at Doncaster. He was beaten but once--in the Cambridgeshire, where he was weighted at a positively absurd figure, and when, moreover, the track was excessively heavy. After his retirement from the turf he was sold in 1871 for breeding purposes in England for two hundred thousand francs, and died in 1876.

The Illustrated London News published the article below, apparently in June 1865, on Gladiateur winning the Grand Prix.

Source: Ebay seller Prints-4-All.

Description: Old Antique Historical Victorian Prints Maps and Historic Fine Art ----------. 1865 Gladiateur Grand Prix Paris Longchamps Races Horse One Page From The Illustrated London News C1850-1899, The Actual Date Is In The Title Or On The Page Itself. All Are Genuine Antique Victorian Prints And Not Modern Copies. Size Is Approx 15 X 11 Inches (Or 38 X 28 Cm) Or A Little Larger Depending On Year. If This Is Not What You Are Looking For Please Search All My Listings.

The Grand Prix was apparently subsequently named after Gladiateur as described in Wikipedia.

Prix Gladiateur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Group 3 race: Prix Gladiateur

Location: Longchamp Racecourse, Paris, France

Inaugurated 1807

Race type Flat / Thoroughbred

The Prix Gladiateur is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres (about 1 mile and 7½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

The event was established in 1807, and it is considered to be the oldest surviving horse race in France. The original version was called the Grand Prix, and it was run over two circuits of the Champ de Mars – a distance of 4,000 metres. The title was changed to the Grand Prix Royal in 1834, and the race was temporarily switched to Chantilly in 1846. There were two further title changes during its time at the Champ de Mars – it became the Grand Prix National in 1848, and the Grand Prix Impérial in 1853.

The race moved to Longchamp upon the opening of the venue in 1857. At the same time its distance was increased to 6,000 metres – considerably longer than most other flat races. Its title was changed to the Grand Prix de l'Empereur in 1861, and simultaneously it was extended to 6,200 metres. This extreme length, approximately equal to 3 miles and 7 furlongs, was maintained for almost a century thereafter.

The present title, the Prix Gladiateur, was introduced in 1869. This was in honour of the French racehorse Gladiateur, the first foreign winner of the English Triple Crown. He also won this race as a four-year-old in 1866. The newly-titled event was not run in 1870 because of the Franco-Prussian War.

The Prix Gladiateur was run at Chantilly in 1906. It was abandoned throughout World War I, with no running from 1914 to 1918. The race was cancelled twice during World War II, in 1939 and 1940. It was switched to Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944.

The distance of the Prix Gladiateur was cut to 4,800 metres in 1955. It was shortened to 4,000 metres in 1977, and to 3,100 metres in 1991.

A statue of Gladiateur has been erected at the Longchamps track and is shown below.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/appaloosa/3000243866/

A brief description of of Harry Grimshaw may be found on the "Horse Racing History" website as follows:

Grimshaw, Harry (1841 - 1866)

Lancashire-born Harry Grimshaw suffered from short sight. When riding the Triple Crown hero Gladiateur in the Gold Cup at Ascot he allowed his mount to run 300 yards behind the leader at Swinley Bottom. What a horse he must have been to pick up the bit and win by 40 lengths!

Although 1865 was the only year in which the jockey tasted Classic success, Harry Grimshaw also won the Portland, Cambridgeshire and Royal Hunt Cup handicaps, two Ascot Gold Cups and a St James Palace stakes in a short career. He met a premature death in 1866 when involved in a pony and trap accident in the dark, returning from racing at Newmarket.

Important successes:

2000 Guineas – Gladiateur 1865 (J)

Derby – Gladiateur 1865 (J)

St Leger – Gladiateur 1865 (J)

Other major race – Ascot Gold Cup Gladiateur 1866 (J)

Source: http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=901

Harry Grimshaw is also mentioned in "Ashgill: or, The Life and Times of John Osborne"² By John B. Radcliffe:

CHAPTER VII

" And so 'twill be when we are gone,

The Saddling bell will still ring on."

Resuming the tete-a-tete, we come to the closing period of the "fifties," when the Osbornes and the stable were in a flourishing state. The tale is thus continued by the chief actor:—

"So far as concerned Ashgill in '59," continues " Master John," " we had a good year, Red Eagle, ridden by Harry Grimshaw, winning the Cambridgeshire for us. Bred and owned by my father, he was by Birdcatcher out of First Rate, by Melbourne. Grimshaw about this time was connected with my father, and had already made his mark as a light-weight. He came to Ashgill as a boy, and remained there till '61 or '62. The next year Moorcock, ridden by Tom Chaloner, won us the Liverpool Cup, Red Eagle also winning a race or two, afterwards being sold to go to Russia. Tom Chaloner came to the stable in 1852; he was then very light, and rode a lot of our horses for several years. Speaking of jockeys that have been connected with Ashgill, there was William Abdale, Bearpark—he went abroad to ride for Count Henckell; Tom Chaloner, Harry Grimshaw, Whiteley — he went to Germany; Dick and Willie Chaloner (brothers of Tom), Busby; Willie Platt, Mills; Glover, W. Carroll—he began riding in '50; and C. Carroll,, who, I think, began in '54. Both the Carrolls died, Charles was killed at Musselburgh in '67, a horse falling under him as he was coming round the last turn; Bill died after leaving Ashgill. Walter Wood would come to us about 1870; he went to New Zealand and Australia. Then there was George Gates; he was with John Fobert first, and afterwards went to Bill Scott's. William Abdale was here; he was the crack light-weight of his day, and went from my father to Lord George Bentinck, riding a lot for him at Goodwood. George Abdale, too, was a good jockey, but always a little bit heavy. He rode Maid of Masham for all her races as a five and six-year-old. Bearpark rode well, though henever got much riding except on horses in our stable; he was very successful abroad as a jockey. Tom Chaloner was a good jockey—a good light-weight; he was good all through, from a boy upward. So was Harry Grimshaw, who, on leaving Ashgill in '61 or '62, went to ride for Count Lagrange in England at the time the Count came over to race in this country, winning a lot of races for him. Gladiateur was his great mount, but he did not ride him as a two-year-old, Edwards riding him twice that season. Harry Grimshaw was killed on his way home from a race meeting. It was a very dark night, and the trap in which he was riding was upset by some means or other. Poor fellow! he was killed on the spot, and was brought here to be buried in Coverham Churchyard. He was a Lancashire lad, and was married to my sister at Coverham Church. I daresay it was my sister's wish that he was brought here to be buried.

Jemmy Grimshaw was featured on the 1865 Baily's Magazine Frontispiece as shown below.

The following biography and image of Hawthornden is provided in Volume 4 of "Portraits of Celebrated Racehorses"³ by Thomas H. Taunton (p. 376-380).

HAWTHORNDEN was a b. c. foaled in 1867, the property of Mr. Heene. He was got by Lord Clifden, out of Bonny Blink by The Flying Dutchman, out of Prairie Bird by Touchstone, out of Zillah by Reveller, out of Morisca (bred by the Duke of Grafton in 1826), by Morisco, out of Waltz (bred by his Grace in 1822) by Election, out of Penelope by Trumpator, &c., &c.

Hawthornden's Performances.

1869.

At Newmarket (July), for two years old, 8st 551 (J. Adams), won the Gladiateur Stakes, of ¿425, beating Count de Lagrange's b. c. Prince by Monarque, Sst 7lbs (Butler), by a length, The Baron's b. c. Moonstone by North Lincoln, 8st lolbs (Daley), and Lord Calthorpe's b. c. Pibroch by Trumpeter, 8st 7lbs (Fordham). At Reading, 8st lolbs (Adams), won ,£225, beating Mr. Graham's b. f. Stockhausen by Stockwell, Sst 7lbs (Fordham), by a length, and six others. At Huntingdon, gst ¿Ibs—/Ibs extra—(Adams), won ,£360, beating Mr. H. Chaplin's b. f. Pandore (winner of the Biennial at Ascot), by Newminster (Jeffery), by a neck, 8st i jibs, Mr. Graham's b. f. Cestus by Newminster, 8st I3lbs (Fordham), third, Mr. Chaplin's ch. f. Religieuse by Newminster, 8st lib, Count de Lagrange's b. c. Florian by Hospodar, Sst 3lbs, and two others. Florian the favourite. At Newmarket (Second October), 8st i3lbs (Adams), ran third in the Prendergast, of ^950, won by Lord Falmouth's ch. f. Atlantis (winner, also, of the Clcarwell), by Thormanby, Mr. C. Hilton's b. c. Atlas by Asteroid, 8st lolbs (Maidment), being second ; eight ran ; 11 to 8 on Atlantis, gst (T.French), and 9 to2againstHawthornden ; won by a neck.

1870.

At Newmarket (First Spring), 8st lolbs each (Adams), not placed for the 2000 Guineas (val ^4400), won by Mr. Merry's b. c. Macgregor by Macaroni (Daley), beating Lord Stamford's ch. c. Normanby by Thormanby (J. Grimshaw), by five lengths, Lord Falmouth's b. c. Kingcraft (winner of the Derby), (T. French), third ; also, Mr. Merry's ch. c. Sunlight by Stockwell, Mr. Joseph Dawson's b. c. King o'Scots by King Tom, and four others ; 75 to 40 against Kingcraft, lo0 to 30 against Macgregor, 6 to 1 against King o' Scots (winner of the Prince of Wales' Stakes, of ^3275, at Ascot), and lo0 to 6 against Hawthornden, who was fourth, a neck only behind Kingcraft. The race was a hollow one, all the field being spread-eagled. At Ascot, 8st 12lbs (French), not placed for 'the Queen's Stand Plate, of ^340, won by Mr. Merry's b. c. King of the Forest, by Scottish Chief, two years, 6st l2lbs (Hunt), beating Mr. Graham's br. f. Perfume by Buccaneer, four years, gst 2\bs (Lynch), by a length, Mr. Graham's bl. c. Digby Grand (winner of the Cily an;l Suburban in 1872), by Saunterer, two years, 6st 12lbs, third (Rowell), Sir J. Hawley's br. h. Rosicrucian, five years, gst nlbs, fourth (Wells), and three others. At Goodwood, 7st nlbs (Huxtable), not placed for the Stewards' Cup, of ^7g0, won by Count Batthyany's b. h. Typhaeus by Stockwell, five years, 8st lolbs (Morris), beating Mr. Stuart's b. c. Tabernacle, by Newminster, three years, 7st lolbs (Kenyon), by a neck, Mr. Vaughan's b. h. Plaudit (the first to lower the flying Achievement's colours), by Thormanby, six years, 8st 8lbs (J. Snowden), and Mr. Ellis' ch. c. Cymbal by Kettledrum, three years, 7st lolbs (Butler), who ran a dead-heat for third place, and twenty-three others. S. mg., w. o. for the Rous Stakes ; also, 6st l3lbs (Hunt), not placed in the Chichester Stakes, of ^485, won by Prince Soltykoffs bl. h. Tibthorpc by Voltigeur, six years, gst 2lbs (French), beating Mr. J. C. Stuart's ch. f. Cocoanut by Nutbourne, four years, 7st lolbs (Kenyon), by a head, and nine others. At Doncaster (now the property of Mr. T. V. Morgan), colts 8st lolbs, fillies 8st 5lbs (J. Grimshaw), won the Great St. Leger, of ^5500, beating Kingcraft by King Tom (T. French), second, Lord Falmouth's br. f. Wheatear (winner of the two Biennials at Ascot, and the Newmarket Oaks), by Young Melbourne (Webb), third ; also, Mr. W. S. Crawfurd's br. c. Palmerston by Brocket (T. Chakmer), Captain Machell's br. c. Bonny Swell (winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester), by Macaroni (Jeffery), Mr. Graham's b. c. Captivator (winner of the Great Metropolitan in 1871), by Caractacus (Fordham), Mr. Merry's ch. c. Sunlight (J. Snowden), Mr. Johnstone's b. c. Stanley by Knowsley (Osborne), ch. f. Stockhausen (Adams), ch c. Normanby (Parry), Count de Laqrange's ch с Alaric by Monarque (Hunter), Mr. \V. Cartwright's b. c. Ely Appleton, by Ely (distance), Mr. T. Dawson's b. c. Ptarmigan by Blair Athol (Hudson), Mr. W. S. Crawfurd's br. f. Wild Flower by King Tom (Butler), Tabernacle (Goater), and four others ; 2 to i against Kingcraft, 7 to 2 against Palmerston, 8 to i against Sunlight, ю to i against Wheatear, and 1000 to 35 against Hawthornden. After an endless succession of false starts, greatly to the disadvantage of the irritable Sunlight, who tried his best to throw his jockey, they all got well away, Sunlight, with his head well in his chest, rushing to the front, and tearing along at a tremendous pace, followed by Wild Flower, Palmerston, Stockhausen, Hawthornden, and Kingcraft, all in a line. After going about three hundred yards, Sunlight broke his fetlock joint, and was destroyed. This terrible disaster left Wild Flower with the lead, who increased the pace, which Sunlight had already made so severe. After a quarter of a mile had been covered, Ely Appleton, Normanby, Alaric, Wheatear, Captivator, and Palmerston, drew up to Wild Flower and Stockhausen, the leading pair, while Hawthornden and Kingcraft dropped away to the very tail of the ruck. Behind the hill Ptarmigan and Ely Appleton raced past Wild Flower and Stockhausen (the first named having come hot from the ruck), next to whom were Tabernacle, Normanby, Alaric, Palmerston, and Wheatear, Kingcraft and Hawthornden being still several lengths behind. In this order, they descended the incline towards the Rifle Pits, Wild Flower, dead beaten, having gone to the rear. Half a mile from home, the ruck closed up with the l eaders, Ely Appleton being in front. He, however, soon collapsed, when Alaric took up the running, followed by Tabernacle, Normanby, and Palmerston. In this order they came sweeping round the bend ; and, the moment they came into the straight, Alaric, Tabernacle, and Palmerston compounded, as did Normanby shortly after. At this juncture Tom French brought up Kingcraft, going so well and strong that the wildest odds were offered on him. At the distance, Jemmy Grimshaw rushed Hawthornden up to the favourite's girths; and, after a brief and ineffectual effort to shake off the challenge, French was seen to raise his whip, amid the most deafening screams from the fielders, renewed again and again, as Hawthornden was gradually forging ahead ; and, notwithstanding French's resolute riding, he maintained his advantage, winning cleverly by half a length. The result was hailed with tremendous cheering by the Ring. S. mg., 7st lolbs (Hunt), not placed for the Portland Plate, of ^530, won by Mr. W. Day's b. g. Oxonian by Oxford, four years, 7st nlbs (Wyatt), beating Mr. R. C. Naylor's b. f. Stephanotis by Macaroni, three years, 7st 7lbs (Webb), by two lengths, Mr. Fisher's b. c. Tim Weaver by Tim Whiffler, three years, 6st (Newhouse), third, and seventeen others; 3 to 1 against Hawthornden, and 6 to 1 against Oxonian. At Newmarket (Second October), /st l2lbs (T. Chaloner), not placed in the Caesarewitch, of ^1870, won by Mr. Pryor's b. c. Cardinal York, by Newminster, four years, 7st 8lbs (Parry), beating Mr. Myer's ch. c. Not Out (winner of the Stewards' Cup at Chester, and also the Great Ebor Handicap this year), by Umpire, three years, 5st l3lbs (Sopp), by six lengths, General Peel's b. f. Far Away, by Young Melbourne, four years, 6st l2lbs (Covey), third, Mr. Wm. Alington's b. c. Barford by Thormanby, three years, 6st 7lbs, fourth ; also, Mr. T. Smith's b. h. Paganini (winner, this year, of the Goodwood Stakes), by King of Kent, five years, 9st glbs, and twenty-eight others. At Newmarket (Ho.), 8st 7lbs (J. Grimshaw), not placed in the Cambridgeshire, of ^2550, won by Count Renard's ch. c. Adonis by Grimston (son of Stockwell), three years, 6st 3lbs (Lynham), beating Major Stapylton's ch. c. Syrian by Mentmore, three years, 6st 3lbs (Gray), by a length, Captain Machell's Bonny Swell, three years, 7st llb, third ; also, Lord Rendlesham's b. c. Royal Rake (winner, this year, of the Lincolnshire Handicap), by Arthur Wellesley (son of Melbourne), four years, 7st lolbs, Mr. Lyndon's ch. f. Frivolity (winner of the Middle Park Plate in 186g), by Macaroni, three years, 7St 3lbs, and thirty-eight others.

1871.

At Epsom, gst (French), won the High Level Handicap, of ^440, beating Mr. Rup-jrt's b. c. Free Trade by Caractacus, four years, 7st 2lbs (Lynham), and Major Fridolin's ch. c. Finisterre by Cape Flyaway. four years, 7st (Handley), who ran a dead-heat for second place, and four others.

1872.

At Chester, 8st 8lbs (French), not placed for the Cup, of ^1460, won by Mr. W. Nicholl's br. c. Inveresk by Lambton, three years, 5st gibs (Griffiths), beating Mr. Brayley's b. h. Soucar (winner of the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood in 1870), by Dollar, five years, /st (Mordan), after a severe and most exciting race, by half a neck, Lord Wilton's b.c. Napolitain (winner, this year, of the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood), by Hospodar (son of Hetman Platoff), three years, 5st 7lbs, third, and ten others. S. mg., 8st 12lbs (French), won the Cheshire Stakes (Handicap), of ^325, beating Mr. Johnstone's (i. e. Mr. Jardine's) b. c. Columbus by Adventurer, four years, /st 3lbs (Gray), Mr. Laurie's b. f. Pompadour (who when running in the Cambridgeshire in 1875, broke her thigh, and was destroyed on the spot), by Cape Flyaway, three years, 6st 2lbs (Chaloner), third, and Mr. W. J. Legh's b. c. Silverdale, by Colsterdale (son of Lanercost), three years, 5st 1 2lbs, last; even on Hawthornden. Silverdale made the running, followed by Pompadour and Columbus, to the five furlong post, where Hawthornden, who till then had been lying off, joined them. Entering the straight, Hawthornden took the lead, winning easily by two lengths. S. mg., 9st 2\bs (French), ran second for the Stewards' Cup, won by Mr. Douglas' br. f. Day Dream by Crown Prince, three years, /st gibs (Glover); three ran. This was Hawthornden's last race.

THE END.

A second biography of Hawthornden from the Thoroughbred Heritage Portraits website is shown below.

HAWTHORNDEN (1867, out of Bonny Blink, by The Flying Dutchman) was a narrow, leggy, wiry blood bay, 15.3. hands high, a bit upright with a somewhat straight shoulder, and back at the knees; he had good hocks and lots of bone, but like his sire, was weak in the back and loins. American turf writer Thomas Merry said "He was about as long-backed and badly put together a brute as I have ever laid eyes on and how he ever won anything above an over-night selling race passes my comprehension." Bred by Durham farmer George Heslop out of the unraced Bonny Blink, he was sold as a yearling for 250 guineas to Mr. Heene, but Heene fell ill and sold his horses in training, including Hawthornden, at Tattersall's the Thursday before the Derby of 1870. He was knocked down to Newmarket trainer Joseph Dawson for 900 guineas, who purchased the horse for his client, T.V. Morgan. He was a decent juvenile, and an average runner in a year of largely middling animals at age three.

HAWTHORNDEN won three of his four races at age two: Newmarket's Gladiateur Stakes, beating Prince of Monarque and two others; a stakes for juveniles at Reading, beating Stockhausen and six others, and a race for juveniles at Huntingdon, where he triumphed over a pretty good field that included the Ascot Biennial winner Pandore, Cestus, Religieuse, Florian and two others. At Newmarket he was third in the Prendergast Stakes, won by Clearwell Stakes winner Atlantis, with Atlas second, and five others in the field.

At age three he failed to place in Macgregor's Two Thousand Guineas, just a neck out of third, behind Kingcraft, who would win the Derby. He went to Ascot, where he failed to place in the Queen's Stand Plate, won by the two-year-old King of the Forest; future City and Suburban winner Digby Grand was third, and the good horse Rosicrucian was also in the field unplaced. Next was Goodwood, where the five year old Typhaeus won the Stewards' Cup, beating Tabernacle (by Newminster), and Plaudit (by Thormanby) and Cymbal (by Kettledrum) dead-heating for third, Hawthornden unplaced. Hawthornden did, however, take a walk-over for the Rous Stakes at that meeting, but then failed to place in the Chichester Stakes, won by Tibthorpe (by Voltigeur). That was his record when he entered the Doncaster St. Leger as a huge longshot (1000 to 35).

At Doncaster, in a bitterly cold afternoon, where the best horse of the year, Macgregor, was not in evidence, having broken down, and the favorite, Derby winner Kingcraft, was not considered a very good horse, the crowds were sparse. The race, with nineteen runners, was disrupted by numerous false starts, and one horse, Sunlight, broke the bones in his fetlock while leading at a very fast clip, just 300 yards after the much delayed start and had to be shot. Several horses ran out of steam while Kingcraft and Hawthornden's jockeys held back at the end of the pack, biding their time, and then Kingcraft made his move, with Hawthonden close behind. Hawthornden caught Kingcraft in the end, winning by half a length, in an exciting finish where Kingcraft's jockey mericlessly whipped his horse to try to shake off Hawthornden. According to one authority, "The Ring," a betting partnership of more than dubious repute, was delighted with his win, which raises questions regarding its authenticity. It was one of the slowest St. Legers on record.

Hawthornden went to Newmarket in the fall, but failed to place in the Cesarewitch (won by Cardinal York, by Newminster) in a field of over thirty, and likewise did not place in the Cambridgeshire (won by Adonis, by Grimston), in a field of over forty horses.

At age four Hawthornden ran once, winning the High Level Handicap, carrying 9 stone, with six other more lightly weighted modest runners in the field. At age five he failed to place in Inveresk's Chester Cup, "a very moderate field," but did pick up the Cheshire Stakes handicap, beating four others by two lengths. Also at Chester, in his last career start, he was second to a filly, Day Dream (by Crown Prince) in the Steward's Cup, beating one other horse.

HAWTHORNDEN did virtually nothing in the stud in England, getting a few horses that ran as hunters. In 1874 he was purchased by Australian-born Frank Dangar, a British-based livestock agent for his elder brothers, the Dangar Brothers, William John and Albert Augustus. The family had vast holdings in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, and were prominent breeders of both thoroughbreds and arabians. In Australia he was not particularly successful, his only good runner the brown colt, Sunset (1875, out of imported Sunshine, by Weatherbit), that won the VRC Essendon Stakes (16 furlongs). Several of Hawthornden's daughters produced some good winners in Queensland and Perth, notably Algerine, who bred Barbarossa (WATC Perth Stakes and Imperial Stakes) and his gelded brother Massinissa (1894, VATC Toorak Handicap and Memsie Stakes (dead-heat)). Hawthornden was shot at the Dangar stud farm, Neotsfield, in 1891, "being worn out."

Source: http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/LordClifden.htm 

Jemmy Grimshaw's death was reported in the New York Times in January 1889.

Herbert Grimshaw enjoyed a successful early career as a jockey, as indicated by the following article and photo in "Racing Illustrated" in 1895⁵.

The text of the article is as follows:

Racing Illustrated, December 25th, 1895, Page 80

HERBERT GRIMSHAW.  

An interesting feature of the flat racing season of 1895 was the marketing ability displayed by several of the younger generation of jockeys, and none of them showed it in a higher degree HERBERT GRIMSHAW, whose series of successes in the autumn culminated in a notable victory on Ivor in the Manchester November Handicap. If the principle of heredity goes for anything in a matter of jockeys ship, each is certainly not fail of effect in the case of the young writer undergoes, for his father, James Grimshaw, was one of the most brilliant riders of his day, and the doings of "Jemmy," as he was familiarly styled, in the "60s," form a striking chapter in the Turf history of that time. He ultimately settled down as a trainer on the Continent -- he died in Pardubitz, Bohemia, at the end of 1888 -- and Herbert first saw the light in Hungary, on March 25, 1878. The youngster, who is thus in this 18 year, is apprenticed to T. Jennings, jun., and Newmarket, and Phantom House, that turned out such a capable horseman as Bradford, promises to give us quite a worthy compeer in Grimshaw, whose first winning mount was at Hurst Park in August, 1894. There he was entrusted with handling of Sacristy, the property of his master, in the Sheen Handicap, and though the filly was not fancied he managed to squeeze her first past the post in front of Madame Neruda II., who started the favourite. The lad won three races in addition out of the fifty-two in which he took part that year, but during the season that closed last month his services were inconsiderable request, and he had only eight short of two hundred mounts, of which eighteen were winning ones. This does not show a particularly good average, but it is as creditable as that down to the names of other apprentices were riding. For a considerable part of the season his victories were few and far between, but he more than restored the balance of success by the sequence of important wins at its close. His confidence and determination in the saddle, and the art of finishing which he had acquired, caused them to be sought for when a capable light-weight was wanted, and our Irish friends were fortunate in having his aid and bringing of double event with Easter Gilt in the Midland Counties Handicap at Manchester. Grimshaw had previously won the Liverpool Autumn Cup on The Rush, and with other races of lesser note falling to his share he completed a record of the year that jockeys of maturer years and more extended experience might envy. When sport under the auspices of the Jockey Club recommence is in '96 the young writer will take a prominent and assured place among our life-ways, and as the qualities he has displayed in the saddle are not often to be found in one of his years it rests with himself whether the successful and prosperous fortune there seems to be his children fully realised. A certain exuberance of manner that has on some occasions marked his conduct he would do well to check, and he may then be assured of the best.

Herbert Grimshaw apparently later made some poor life choices, as indicated in the following article⁶ in The Adelaide in 1909.

The Advertiser

(Adelaide, SA : 1889-1931)

Friday 12 November 1909

Page 6 of 12

CAFE MONICO ROBBERY.

GRIMSHAW AND HIGGINS

SENTENCED.

LONDON. November 11.

The trial ended yesterday o£ Herbert Grimshaw, aged 34, described as a jockey, and Joseph Higgins, aged 28, a butcher, who were charged with the theft of 1,000 pearls, valued at £40,000, from Mr. Fritz L. Goldschmidt, a Parisian broker in precious stones, at the Cafe Monico, on July 2. The jewels, contained in a leather bag, were snatched by Grimshaw from Mr. Goldschmidt's hands as he was entering the cafe lavatory. Higgins, an accomplice, throwing himself down and blocking the doorway as Mr. Goldschmidt gave chase. Grimshaw, who had been three times previously convicted, was sentenced to three years' penal servitude, and Higgins to 15 months. None of the stolen proparty has been traced.

This book³ is notable for Harry and Jemmy Grimshaw because they are cited no fewer than 70 times as jockeys in various described horse races. The title page of the book is shown below.

¹Author Merry, Thomas B., 1905, The American Thoroughbred: Los Angeles, CA, Commercial Printing House, 244 p.

²Radcliffe, John B., 1900, Ashgill; or, The Life and Times of John Osborne: London, Sands & Company, 500 p.

³Taunton, Thomas H., 1888, "Portraits of Celebrated Racehorses": London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, p. 376-380.

⁴Lejeune, L., 1880, Horse Racing in France: Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, v 26 (September 1880)

⁵Author Unknown, 1895, Herbert Grimshaw: Racing Illustrated, December 25, p. 80. 

⁶Author Unknown, 1909, Cafe Monico Robbery, Grimshaw and Higgins Sentenced: The Advertiser, Adelaide, SA, November 12, page 6.

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Webpage posted November 2009. Completed December 2009 with addition of explanatory text.