Touchstone (1831–1861) was a British bred Thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland on four occasions. He was owned and bred by Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster, who bought him for the low price, at the time, of 600 guineas at the insistence of his chief stud groom Mr. Thomas Nutting.American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine 1842 vol. 13 p. 101
Background He was a brown colt, foaled in 1831, by Camel, his dam was the good broodmare, Banter, by Master Henry. Touchstone was a full brother to the St. Leger Stakes winner, Launcelot (br c 1837).Bloodlines: Touchstone Retrieved on 2009-9-5 Touchstone was described as a "peculiar horse" (according to The Druid), with an unusual conformation including fleshy legs and a thickened front ankle. He was a frail foal with badly turned hocks that caused him to travel wide when moving. He measured 15 hands 2 inches and had strong hindquarters. Touchstone was unusual in having 19 dorsal vertebrae and a segment of a nineteenth rib on each side, which contributed to his long back.Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), Thoroughbred Breeding of the World, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
He was conditioned for racing by the preeminent trainer of the day, John Scott, although Scott did not lay eyes on Touchstone until mid-way through his Classic season.
Racing career
Early career
Touchstone made his debut at Lichfield in the Produce Stakes, where he walked over. He then ran third to Queen Bess in the Champagne Stakes at the Holywell Hunt Meeting in October.
Classic season
Touchstone improved from his juvenile season to win five of his seven starts as a three-year-old. He debuted in the Dee Stakes at Chester in May, before following up in the Palatine Stakes the next day. In both races he beat Queen Bess, who had beaten him in the Champagne Stakes in 1833.
Touchstone did not run in the Derby (won by Plenipotentiary), and was next seen in the Liverpool St Leger, where he finished second to General Chassé after making the running. Despite this loss, trainer John Scott, who was seeing the horse for the first time, proclaimed that the horse would "carry off the St Leger", and ordered him to be brought to Malton in Yorkshire. Touchstone suffered an eventful journey, after his accompanying groom drank at too many inns and allowed the horse to escape into the wild. He was eventually caught by a seafarer and brought to Sheffield, but he was exhausted and in a bad way when he finally reached Scott's yard. He continued to train so badly that rider William Scott passed over the mount to George Calloway, a "country jockey".
Touchstone was sent off at 40/1 for the St Leger, as he faced not only his conqueror General Chassé, but the outstanding Derby winner Plenipotentiary, who many considered to be unbeatable. However, it was apparent afterwards that that horse had been poisoned, and Touchstone was able to record an easy two length victory. So unexpected was the win, that Calloway "seemed perfectly thunderstruck" and "turned his head right and left to see whether the others had not all been swallowed up". The atmosphere after Touchstone's win was one of complete astonishment.
Touchstone ran three more times that year: winning at Wrexham, then finishing second in the Mostyn Stakes at Holywell Hunt before walking over in the Chieftain Stakes the very same day.
Career as an older horse
Touchstone won six of eight starts as a four-year-old, including a walk over in the Stand Cup at Chester, a Gold Candelabrum worth 300 sovereigns at Doncaster, a Gold Plate and Gold Cup at Heaton, and two races on the same day at the Holywell Hunt in October. He also finished sixth in the Trademen's Cup at Liverpool.
As a five-year-old Touchstone was undefeated, and counted the Ascot Gold Cup, Doncaster Cup and Heaton Park Gold Cup among his wins. In the Ascot Gold Cup, he was ridden by John Day to beat 1833 St Leger winner Rockingham, and in the Doncaster Cup he defeated the great mare Beeswing.
Touchstone made one start as a six-year-old in 1837, and recorded a second win in the Ascot Gold Cup, this time under William Scott. The horse went to front at the turn before drawing away to beat Slane by an easy six lengths as the 1/2 favourite.
This was Touchstone's final race, and he retired to stud as the winner of fifteen of twenty-one starts with earnings of £5,475.
Stud record Touchstone was initially retired to stud duty at Moor Park, near Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, but then was brought to his owner's Eaton Stud in Cheshire. A major success as a stallion, Touchstone sired three Epsom Derby winners and was the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland four times. Of the eight foals from the great racing mare Beeswing, five were sired by Touchstone.
His progeny included: Blue Bonnet (1839) – won the St. Leger Stakes Cotherstone (1840) – won the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby Flatcatcher (1845) – won 2,000 Guineas Stakes Lord of the Isles (1852) – won 2,000 Guineas Mendicant (1843) – a filly who won the 1,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks Newminster (1848) – won St. Leger Stakes, Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1859 and 1863, sire of champion sires: Adventurer, Lord Clifden, and seven-time Leading Sire, Hermit Nunnykirk (1846) – won 2,000 Guineas, 2nd in the St. Leger Stakes Orlando (1841) – won the Epsom Derby, Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland (1851, 1854, 1858) Surplice (1845) – won the Epsom Derby and St. Leger Stakes
As late as 1859 he was described as looking "fresh and well" and his box at Eaton was reported to be one of the attractions for visitors to the Chester agricultural show. Touchstone died in 1861 aged thirty at Eaton Stud.
Sire line tree
TouchstoneDarley Arabian Line: Camel BranchJumpers: Darley Arabian Sire LineSire Line: CamelPortrait: TouchstoneBiography: TouchstoneStudbook: Early L Auckland CotherstonePortrait: CotherstoneBiography: Cotherstone Stilton Speed The Plough Pumicestone Woodcote SpencerThe Farmer's Magazine Glenmasson Vestminster Loeffler IthurielStudbook: Early IJK LongbowBiography: Longbow Toxophilite Young Toxophilite The Admiral MusketAustralian Racing Museum: MusketStudbook: Early M Bay Archer Valois OrlandoPortrait: OrlandoBiography: Orlando TeddingtonPortrait: TeddingtonBiography: Teddington Shillelagh Moulsey King Pepin Orpheus Ninnyhammer Orestes Orest Hollywood Boiardo Barwon Banker Oriflame MarsyasBiography: Marsyas Albert Victor Maskelyne The Sailor Prince George Frederick Frontin Colorado ScythianBiography: Scythian Duke Rollo FazzolettoPortrait: FazzolettoBiography: Fazzoletto Ackworth Blue Riband King Victor Porto Rico King Of The Forest The British Remedy Chevalier d'IndustriePortrait: Chevalier d'IndustrieBiography: Chevalier d'Industrie Friponnier Claude Lorraine Zuyder Zee EclipsePortrait: EclipseBiography: EclipseAmerican Classic Pedigree: Eclipse Throg's Neck Jr Young Eclipse Cambrist Egotist Boaster Narragansett Cavalier Scathelock AlarmPortrait: AlarmAmerican Classic Pedigree: Alarm Danger HimyarAmerican Classic Pedigree: Himyar Gabriel Bruno Panique Pardee Wawekus Catesby Osseo Grandmaster FitzrolandPortrait: FitsrolandBiography: Fitz-Roland Paladin Gin TrumpeterPortrait: TrumpeterBiography: Trumpeter Salpinctes Abergeldie Distin Queens Messenger Plutus FlageoletPortrait: Flageolet Fricandeau Gournay Challenge Hastings Crater Canary Xenophon Seaman Parasang DiophantusPortrait: DiophantusBiography: Diophantus Wrestler ChattanoogaBiography: Chattanooga WellingtoniaStudbook: Early W Clover Clairon Liddington Temple The Knave Annandale BalrownieStudbook: Early B ParagoneStudbook: Early P Poynton Peto William Tell Archer Flatcatcher SurpliceBiography: Surplice Florin Florentin Nunnykirk Potocki The Italian Mountain Deer Drogheda Mount Zion Roebuck Croagh Patrick Young Touchstone VindexStudbook: Early UV Victor The Avenger Claret Scots Grey Lord Of The Isles Dundee Scottish ChiefPortrait: Scottish Chief King Of The Forest Childeric Fitzjames Glengarry Merry Go Round Napsbury Orient Pursebearer Taurus Kantaka Tipstaff Baron Pepper The Crofter MacDonald Gold Hill Artillary Revolver GamecockImage: Gamecock Kyrle Daly Herald Kara Lord Of The Hills GlencoeAustralian Racing Museum: Glencoe TournamentStudbook: Early T Retrousse Sabre Wamba Newminster Darley Arabian Sire Line: Newminster BranchPortrait: NewminsterBiography: NewminsterStudbook: Early NO Daniel MusjidPortrait: Musjid Leybourne Wroughton Islam Vagabond Newcastle Charnwood Sir Hugo Joey Jones Kildonan Oldminster Stanton AdventurerPortrait: Adventurer Argyle Carsethorn Border Knight PretenderPortrait: Pretender Enterprise Dunois Speculation Cork Chivalrous Pirate Blantyre Schwindler Glen Arthur Militant RuperraPortrait: Ruperra Rajita Rajita Achilles Sir Amyas Leigh Bonnie Doon Sportsman Ishmael Privateer Buccaneer Borneo Yorkminster Lord ClifdenPortrait: Lord ClifdenBiography: Lord Clifden His Lordship Falkenberg HawthorndenPortrait: Hawthornden Sunset Moorlands Barefoot Old Joe BuckdenAmerican Classic Pedigree: Buckden Alec Ament Bend Or Jim Guest Babcock Harry Gilmore Mediator Monogram Ascender BuchananAmerican Classic Pedigree: Buchanan Hymenaeus Blue Monkey Battenberg WenlockPortrait: Wenlock Limestone Quicklime Deceiver Cyrus Panzerschiff Abingdon Martenhurst Winslow Roquefort HamptonPortrait: HamptonBiography: Hampton Ladislas Duke Of Richmond Royal Hampton Eothen Grandison Merry HamptonPortrait: Merry Hampton Apollo AyrshirePortrait: AyrshireBiography: Ayrshire Sheen Gay Hampton Lord Lorne Fitz Hampton Balmoral Bushey Park Phocion Cheery Tree LadasPortrait: Ladas Speed Walmsgate Star RubyPortrait: Star RubyAmerican Classic Pedigree: Star Ruby Troon Bay RonaldPortrait: Bay RonaldBiography: Bay Ronald Bay Windham PetrarchPortrait: PetrarchBiography: Petrarch The BardPortrait: The Bard Laureate HacklerPortrait: Hackler LactantiusPortrait: Lactantius Peter Flower The LombardPortrait: The Lombard Florist Kinsman Cyprus El Rey King of Trumps The Rejected Lord Clive Calabrais La Moriniere Reefer Meuzzin Onesander Pratique CambuscanPortrait: CambuscanStudbook: Early C Botheration Onslow Cambuslang Baron Farney Come AwayPortrait: Come Away Billesdon Caesar CamballoPortrait: Camballo Peppermint The Lambkin Eurasian Campanula Claymore Hospodar Nunthorpe Ralph Neville Cavaliero Isolani Frangepan Cambus Paszlor Cathedral Dalham Organist Clocher El Plata Midnight Mass The Beadle Bedminster Heir-At-Law Hurrah Hermit Laseretto Victorious Rosebach Crown Prince Laneret Strathconan Midlothian Bishop Burton Strathern Buchanan Vespasian Bersaglier Eastern Emperor Blairgowrie Touchstone Greywing Grey Gown HermitPortrait: HermitBiography: HermitAmerican Classic Pedigree: Hermit AsceticPortrait: Ascetic St Andrew Anchorite Cenobite Roman Oak Royal MeathPortrait: Royal Meath CloisterPortrait: Cloister Ulysses Abbot Aconite Hermit Koodoo Sir Patrick Riverstown Athletic DrumcreePortrait: Drumcree Hidden Mystery LeinsterPortrait: Leinster Uncle Jack Orange Pat Ascetic's SilverPortrait: Ascetic's Silver Trappist Ambergris Gunnersbury Uram Batyam Galifard Peter Sweetheart Zsupan Peterhof Retreat Father O'Flynn Skedaddle St Louis St Germaine Le Hardy TristanPortrait: TristanBiography: Tristan Le Nord Le Nicham Whipper-InAmerican Classic Pedigree: Whipper-In Malakoff Revancha Cassock St BlaisePortrait: St Blaise St Carlo Potomac Silver Fox St Florian MargraveAmerican Classic Pedigree St Bartholomew Candlemas Irish LadAmerican Classic Pedigree: Irish Lad Gamin Gospodar Gay HermitAmerican Classic Pedigree: Gay Hermit Talma Balcarce Gonin ValeroAmerican Classic Pedigree: Valero Cordon RougeAmerican Classic Pedigree Celso St Mirin Timothy Friar's BalsamPortrait: Friars Balsam Balsamo VoterAmerican Classic Pedigree: Voter Hazelhatch Melanion Toscin Esquileno Guido Reni Heaume Le Roi SoleilPortrait: Le Roi Soleil Orbend Karibo Kidderminster Bogue Homa Cardinal York Havok Conjuror Juggler
Pedigree