William Wheatley (1786-1848) was a British Classic winning jockey of the early 19th century. His father was the 1795 Derby-winning jockey, Anthony Wheatley.[1]
| Will Wheatley | |
|---|---|
 Will Wheatley, jockey, from a study of Sam Chifney Jr, Will Wheatley and Jem Robinson by Ben Marshall (1818) | |
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 1786 Cambridgeshire |
| Died | 1848 Kingsland, London |
| Major racing wins | |
| British Classic Race wins as jockey: 2,000 Guineas (1817, 1823, 1824) Epsom Derby (1816, 1831) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Mameluke, Manfred, Marcellus, Nicolo, Prince Leopold, Schahriar, Spaniel | |
He was, according to the Sporting Magazine of 1831, "one of the best jockeys in England."[2] He was particularly known for creeping up slowly during a race to win unexpectedly.[3] This was shown to memorable effect in the 1831 Derby. Wheatley was booked to ride 50/1 outsider, Spaniel, a horse known for only possessing one steady pace. The race principals ran together in a tactical battle and appeared to have forgotten about Wheatley on the unfancied Spaniel, who racing at his customary pace, "came up with perfect ease... [and] won in a most triumphant style".[4] Wheatley's ride was deemed "a splendid performance."[5] Despite this, Spaniel has gone down in history as possibly the worst ever Derby winner.[6] He was also known for having an untainted character,[5] and in Spaniel's Derby he had had a £25 bet at odds of 40/1 on his mount winning, only to cancel it at the last minute, thereby missing out on £1000.[6]
Wheatley rode the Derby winner Mameluke in some of his best races (although not the Derby itself). One of his most noted rides was in the "ever-memorable" Ascot Gold Cup when he rode Mameluke against Zinganee, ridden by Sam Chifney, Jr.[3]
His principal patron was Lord Lowther.
William Wheatley lived up to the 1840s at Newmarket where his father and family had settled but died at Kingsland, then a small settlement in Middlesex but now part of Hackney, in February 1848 aged about 62.
Major wins edit
Classic races edit
Great Britain
- 2,000 Guineas – (3) – Manfred (1817), Nicolo (1823), Schahriar (1824)
- Epsom Derby – (2) – Prince Leopold (1816), Spaniel (1831)
Selected other races edit
- Ascot Gold Cup - Marcellus (1823)
References edit
- ^ Mortimer, Onslow & Willett 1978, p. 654.
- ^ Sporting Magazine 1831, p. 37.
- ^ a b The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Art 1833, p. 417.
- ^ Wildrake 1841, p. 10.
- ^ a b Sporting Magazine 1831, p. 77.
- ^ a b "William Wheatley". Jockeypedia. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
Bibliography edit
- Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopaedia of British Racing. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- "Quarterly Review: The Turf". The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Art. 23. Philadelphia: E. Littell & T. Holden. 1833.
- "Newmarket Craven Meeting". Sporting Magazine:Or, Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize, and Spirit. 3 (13). Rogerson & Tuxford: 34–42. May 1831.
- "Epsom Races". Sporting Magazine:Or, Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize, and Spirit. 3 (14). Rogerson & Tuxford: 74–80. June 1831.
- Wildrake, ed. (1841). The Cracks of the Day. George Tattersall.
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