Herod (originally King Herod; April 1758 – 12 May 1780) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. Herod was the foundation sire responsible for keeping the Byerley Turk sire-line alive.Craig, Dennis, Breeding Racehorses from Cluster Mares, J A Allen, London, 1964

Background Bred by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, he was by the stallion Tartar, a very good racehorse, who won many races including the King's plate at Litchfield, the King's plate at Guildford, and the King's plate at Newmarket. In addition to Herod, Tartar sired Thais (dam of Silvertail), Fanny (second dam of King Fergus), the O'Kelly Old Tartar mare (dam of Volunteer), and others. Herod's dam, Cypron (1750 bay filly), was bred by Sir W. St Quintin. Herod was a half-brother Lady Bolingbroke (dam of Tetotum, Epsom Oaks) and a mare (1757) (dam of Clay Hall Marske) by Regulus.ASB – Cypron Retrieved on 2009-8-14

Description Herod was a bay horse standing 15.3 hands high with a small star and no white on his legs.Montgomery, E.S, "The Thoroughbred", Arco, New York, 1973 He was good at four-mile distances.Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), "Thoroughbred Breeding of the World", Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970

Racing career Herod began racing at five, the usual age to begin training for this period, in October 1763 winning a race on the four mile Beacon course at Newmarket. At age six, he won another race at Newmarket, followed by a four-miler at Ascot and a match against Antinous over the Beacon course. When he was seven, his owner died and he was sold in a dispersal sale to Sir John Moore, and it wasn't until 1766 that he returned to the track, where he won again against Antinous in a match over the same course.

His career began to close at this point, as he lost to Ascham, then to Turf, and then finished last in a race at York, after a bleeding attack. He started twice the following year, before retiring to stud.

Breeding career Herod retired in 1770 and stood at the stud of Sir John Moore at Neather Hall, for a fee of 10 guineas, later raised to 25 guineas. He was the leading sire in Great Britain eight times, (1777 to 1784), before his son, Highflyer (1785 to 1796, 1798) and grandson Sir Peter Teazle (1799 to 1802, and 1804 to 1809) took over. Herod's male line continues today in the pedigree of the 2007 Eclipse Stakes winner, Notnowcato. His most important offspring include:

Florizel: 1768 bay colt, won 16 races out of 23 starts. Sired Diomed, winner of the first Derby and incredibly influential sire in America. Fortitude: sire of John Bull Highflyer: 1774 bay colt, the most important son of Herod. Unbeaten in 14 races, leading sire several times, one of the 4 foundation lines of the classic Thoroughbred. Got Sir Peter Teazle, Rockingham, Delpini, Escape, St George, and broodmare Prunella. Justice: sired Rhadamanthus, Daedalus, and Trifle Phoenomenon: won the St. Leger, leading sire Woodpecker: 1773 chestnut colt, won the Craven Stakes in 1778, 1779 and 1781, and a 1,400 guineas handicap sweep in 1780 and 140 guineas purse at Newmarket in 1781, both times beating Potoooooooo (pronounced "Pot eight oes"). Although Woodpecker was initially overshadowed by the success of Highflyer, it is Woodpecker who is responsible for the continuation of the Herod sire line to the present day. Woodpecker sired Buzzard, sire of Selim who in turn sired Sultan, six time leading sire, who in turn sired Bay Middleton, another leading sire in the mid-1800s.

Herod sired the winners of 497 races worth £201,505.

He was still covering mares until his death, at age 22, at Netherhall (written as Neather Hall in the old calendars) on 12 May 1780.Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 – Stallions of the World

Sire line tree

HerodByerley Turk LinePortrait: Herod FlorizelFoundation Sire: Florizel Moustrap Crookshanks DiomedPortrait: Diomed Grey Diomed Glaucus Anthony Cedar Greyhound Wrangler Poplar Albemarle Peacemaker Top Gallant Truxton Wonder Tennessee Oscar Florizel (Ball) Vingt'un Stump-the-Dealer Potomac Sir ArchyPortrait: Sir ArchyHall of Fame: Sir ArchyThe Bloodlines ChartVirginia Horse: Sir ArchyMemoir of Sir Archy/Archie, the Godolphin Arabian of America Cicero Sir Arthur Director Grey Archy Spring Hill Tecumseh Young Sir Archy Columbus Reap Hook Warbler Walk-In-The-Water Timoleon Lawrence Carolinian Contention Kosciusko Napoleon Virginian Sir Solomon Rattler Sir Charles Sir William Childers Roanoke Muckle John Sumpter Henry John Richards Stockholder Arab BertrandPortrait: Bertrand Cherokee Marion Phoenomenon Sir Richard Sir William of Transport Janus Rinaldo Robin Adair Gohanna Occupant Pacific Saxe Weimer Crusader Pirate Sir Archy Montorio Giles Scroggins Industry Merlin Red Gauntlet Tariff Hyazim Wild Bill Copperbottom Longwaist Zinganee DurocPortrait: Duroc Sir Lovell Trouble Marshal Duroc American EclipsePortrait: American EclipseHall of Fame: American Eclipse Cock of the Rock Romp Messenger DurocAmerican Bloodstock American Star (Stockholm) Hampton UlyssesFoundation Sire: Ulysses Play or PayFoundation Sire: Play or Pay King William Admiral Fortunio King Bladud Prince Frederick Slender Punch Fidget Fidget Colt Brilliant Bustler Florizel Prizefighter Swordsman Spartacus Buffer Lenox Abundance The Curragh Guide Master Robert Eager Slapbang Tartar Ninety-three MagnetFoundation sire: Magnet Ringwood Poker Shoveler Dare Devil Magnetic Needle PlunderFoundation sire: Plunder Oak PostmasterFoundation sire: Postmaster Express Fitzherod MuftiFoundation sire: Mufti Earby Trafalgar WoodpeckerFoundation sire: WoodpeckerBiography: Woodpecker BuzzardFoundation sire: Buzzard Poppinjay Dotterel QuizFoundation sire: Quiz Tigris Roller Euphrates Brainstorm Glow-Worm Bustard CastrelPortrait: CastrelStudbook: Early C Bustard Heron FishermanHerod's Vanishing Sire Line MerlinStudbook: Early M Lamplighter Phosphorus Theorem PantaloonPortrait: Pantaloon SelimFoundation sire: Selim Champion Fandango Azor SultanPortrait: SultanSultan's huge influence has been overlooked for too long FeramorzStudbook: Early EF LangarPortrait: LangarStudbook: Early L Marcellus Nicolo Saracen The Moslem Turcoman Deceiver Pantaloon Rubens Raphael Bobadil Gainsborough Sovereign Strephon Doctor Eady Tandem Taniers Peter Lely Titian Holbein Wiseacre Roderick Sir Edward Codrington Hephestion Junius Buzzard (Blackburn) ChanticleerFoundation sire: Chanticleer Traveller Fitz Emily Bob Booty Dunkellin Byron Napoleon DragonFoundation sire: Dragon Speculator Phoenix Tom Tough Dragon (Cage) Young Woodpecker Slender Billy Bourdeaux Highlander HighflyerPortrait: Highflyer DelpiniFoundation sire: Delpini Timothy Symmetry Lenox DeserterCHAPTER XVII. MESSENGER AND HIS ANCESTORS EvanderFoundation sire: Evander Pericles Seymour Moses Young SeymourNorfolk Pedgiree Pharamond RockinghamFoundation sire: Rockingham Highflyer (Hyde) Slope NobleGeneral Stud BookFoundation sire: Noble Sheet Anchor Sir Peter TeazlePortrait: Sir Peter Teazle Young Sir Peter Teazle Ambrosio Old England Brown Bread Honest John Stamford Viscount Knowsley Sir HarryPortrait: Sir Harry Sir Alfred Sir Hal Moses Archduke Roseden Grand Duke Expectation Robin Redbreast Sir Solomon AgonistesStudbook: Early A Whitworth HaphazardFoundation sire: Haphazard X Y ZStudbook: Early XYZ Don Cossack Filho da Puta Antar Reginald Figaro Pipylin WaltonPortrait: Walton Phantom Vandyke Junior RainbowStudbook: Early QR Partisan Nectar Waterloo Arbutus St PatrickPortrait: St Patrick Ditto Luzborough Sir Oliver Olive Doge of Venice Barbarossa Caleb Quot'em Milo Sir Paul Otho PaulowitzPortrait: Paulowitz FyldenerRacing Calendar 1817 Tozer Buffalo Bramshill Paris Trafalgar Cardinal York Advance Petronius Poulton SpadilleFoundation sire: Spadille Dion Quatorze Vole Manilla Spindleshanks EscapeFoundation sire: Escape Emigrant Jonah TravellerFoundation sires: T Skylark SkyscraperFoundation sire: Skyscraper Skyrocket Sourcrout WalnutFoundation sire: WalnutStudbook: Early W Gamenut Lignum Vitae Merry Andrew Sowerby True Blue Archibald Ashton Lambinos St George Zodiac Sweetwilliam Pan Oberon Exton MoorcockFoundation sire: Moorcock Ptarmigan Heathpoult Plunder DiamondFoundation sire: Diamond Highflyer (Hyde) JusticeFoundation sire: Justice Mentor RhadamanthusFoundation sire: Rhadamanthus Daedalus Il' MioFoundation sire: Il' Mio Blandish Minos Weazle Whipcord AnvilFoundation sire: Anvil St George Cymbeline O' Kelly Drone Arra Kooker Lounger Fortitude John BullFoundation Sire: John Bull Admiral Nelson Alfred Fortitude Muley Moloch Cesario Gauntlet Paddy Bull Ardrossan Sir Malichi Malagrowther Tom Tug(g) Commodore Escape Rugantino Nabocklish Antagonist Bagot Master Bagot PhoenomenonFoundation sire: PhoenomenonStudbook: Early P Ambidexter Boreas Idas Lizard Diomed (Tate) Huby Restless Freeholder Roman Spunk Gay Deceiver Brilliant Hydaspes Tygress Hero Wonder Conqueror Firetail Stripling OctavianStudbook: Early NO Antonio Stotforth Brother to VivaldiFoundation sires: B

Pedigree

References

External links Thoroughbred Bloodlines: King Herod (GB) Thoroughbred Heritage: Herod