Blue Gown

In 1867, Blue Gown won the Sunning Hill Stakes on his debut at Ascot Racecourse in spring and then finished third to the year's outstanding two-year-old Lady Elizabeth in the Weston Stakes at Bath. At Royal Ascot in June he won the Fern Hill Stakes over half a mile, racing against older horses.[4] After a three month break he returned for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September. He finished first, beating Virtue by half a length, but was disqualified when his jockey, John Wells weighed in more than two pounds over the stipulated weight. Blue Gown finished last in a sweepstakes at the same meeting.[5]

Blue Gown's next race of the season was held in private. In early October, Hawley tried his three best two-year-olds against each other, and Blue Gown finished third behind Rosicrucian and the previously unraced filly Green Sleeve. Blue Gown returned to form to win the Clearwell Stakes at Newmarket's Second October meeting, winning very easily by one and a half lengths from St Ronan.[6] At the same meeting Rosicrucian won the Criterion Stakes and then finished second to Green Sleeve in the Middle Park Stakes.[7]

Blue Gown began the 1868 as Hawley's third-string three-year-old and did not run in the 2000 Guineas, in which Green Sleeve and Rosicrucian ran poorly. At Newmarket in spring Blue Gown dead-heated with to The Earl in a Biennial Stakes[8] and won two minor races. In a supposedly private trial race at Kingsclere (which soon became common knowledge), Blue Gown was beaten a neck by Rosicrucian as part of his preparation for The Derby.[7]

Hawley continued to regard Blue Gown as inferior to his stable companions, but John Wells chose to ride him at Epsom and the colt was heavily supported in the betting. In the Derby he started 7/2 second favourite in a field of eighteen runners behind Lady Elizabeth on 7/4. Before the race he impressed observers with his free, long-striding action. The race began after three or four false starts and it was immediately apparent that Lady Elizabeth, who had not taken part in the pre-race parade, was struggling and had no chance.[9] Wells positioned Blue Gown just behind the leaders and turned into the straight in third place, at which point the outsider King Alfred took the lead and Hawley's other two runners began to struggle. In the final furlong Wells produced Blue Gown with a challenge down the centre of the course, overtaking King Alfred near the finish and winning by half a length. Speculum finished third, Rosicrucian fifth, and Green Sleeve ninth.[10] The Ascot Gold Cup in June saw a near repeat of the Derby result, as Blue Gown won from Speculum and King Alfred.

In autumn, Blue Gown won the Fitzwilliam Stakes at Doncaster[11] before moving on to Newmarket in October. He finished unplaced under a weight of 123 pounds in the two and a quarter mile Cesarewitch and then finished second carrying 126 pounds in the Cambridgeshire Handicap over nine furlongs.[7]

In 1869 Blue Gown won eight of his ten races including the Craven Stakes at Newmarket (a walkover), the Trial Stakes at Epsom and the Newmarket Biennial[1] as well as finishing second to the filly Brigantine in the Ascot Gold Cup.[12] Late in the year he was sold to a syndicate for £5,000[13] and exported to France. It was hoped to run him in major continental races but he made only one appearance, finishing unplaced under a heavy weight in an event at Lyon in 1870[14] before being sold again and returned to England. He failed to recapture his previous form, winning one minor handicap race at Newmarket in five appearances.[7]