Touchstone (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Touchstone


caption =
sire = Camel
grandsire = Whalebone
dam = Banter
damsire = Master Henry
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1831
country = Great Britain flagicon|UK
colour = Brown
breeder = Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster
owner = Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster
trainer = John Scott
record = 20: 15-2-2
earnings = Not found
race = Doncaster Gold Cup (1835, 1836)
Ascot Gold Cup (1836, 1837)

British Classic Race wins:
St. Leger Stakes (1834)
awards= Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
(1842, 1843, 1848, 1855)
honours =
updated= October 12, 2007

Touchstone (1831-1861) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and champion sire. Owned and bred by Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster, he was conditioned for racing by the preeminent trainer of the day, John Scott.

His most important win as a three-year-old came in the 1834 Classc, the St. Leger Stakes. He went on to win the Doncaster and Ascot Gold Cups twice, retiring having won fifteen of his twenty starts, including six walk-overs.

A Champion sire

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 & Ireland four times. Of the eight foals from the great racing mare Beeswing, five were sired by Touchstone. His progeny includes:

* Blue Bonnet (b. 1839) - won the St. Leger Stakes
* Cotherstone (b. 1840) - won the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby
* Orlando (b. 1841) - won the Epsom Derby and the St. Leger Stakes, Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland (1851, 1854, 1858)
* Mendicant (b. 1843) - a filly who won the 1,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks
* Surplice (b. 1845) - won the Epsom Derby and St. Leger Stakes
* Flatcatcher (b. 1845) - won 2,000 Guineas
* Nunnykirk (b. 1846) - won 2,000 Guineas, 2nd in the St. Leger Stakes
* Newminster (b. 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
* Lord of the Isles (b. 1852) - won 2,000 Guineas

Touchstone died at Eaton Stud in 1861 at age thirty.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/touchstone Touchstone's pedigree and partial racing stats]
* [http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Bios2/Touchstone.htm Profile of Touchstone at Thoroughbred Heritage]