Didelot (horse) facts for kids

Didelot was a famous British Thoroughbred racehorse born in 1793. He was a bay stallion, meaning he had a reddish-brown coat with a black mane and tail. Didelot raced from March 1796 to October 1798, competing in ten races and winning two of them. His biggest victory was in 1796 when he won The Derby, a very important horse race. After his racing days, Didelot became a sire, which means he was used for breeding to create more fast racehorses. He was later sent to Russia.

Meet Didelot: A Racehorse Story

Didelot was bred by his owner, Sir Frank Standish. He came from a family of champions! His mother, an unnamed mare, also gave birth to another Derby winner named Spread Eagle in 1795. Didelot's father was a successful stallion named Trumpator, who was known for winning races and later became a top breeding horse in 1803.

Didelot's Racing Adventures

Didelot's racing career began when he was three years old. He showed promise early on, even though he didn't win every race.

Three-Year-Old Season (1796)

Didelot started racing in the spring of 1796 at Newmarket. In his first race on March 28, he finished second. A few weeks later, on April 13, he won his first race, the Prince's Stakes, beating three other horses.

His most famous race was The Derby at Epsom. Didelot wasn't the favorite to win; many people thought his stablemate, a horse named Mr. Teazle, would win. But Didelot, ridden by jockey John Arnull, surprised everyone! He won the race, beating ten other horses, including his more favored stablemate. This was a huge victory for him and his owner.

Later that year, Didelot raced twice more at Newmarket. He competed against a horse named Leviathan and was beaten in both races.

Four-Year-Old Season (1797)

As a four-year-old, Didelot raced three times but didn't win any races. He lost a match race to Stickler, a horse he had raced against before. He also finished last in the Claret Stakes and fourth in a long four-mile race at York.

Five-Year-Old Season (1798)

Didelot raced two more times in 1798. In April, he finished third in a race at Newmarket. His very last race was in October, where he finished third again in a handicap race called the Oatland's Stakes. After this, his racing career came to an end.

Didelot's Life After Racing

After his racing career, Didelot became a stud horse, which means he was used for breeding. There are no records of him having foals in Britain. Instead, he was sent to Russia to continue his breeding career there.

Pedigree