John Frederick Herring Sr.

Oscar and Peter Johnson Ltd, London (1969)
Sale: Christie's, London, May 24, 2004, lot 47, illustrated
Private Collection, United States

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work is in particularly good condition. The canvas has a good English glue lining. The paint layer seems to be cleaned. The only area of retouching of any note is above and below the horizontal railing of the fence on the left hand side in front of the horse's nose. There are essentially no other retouches of any note anywhere in the painting. This certainly is a beautifully preserved picture, and it can be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The 1827 St. Leger was particularly well-known for the duel in the long-running battle between the North of England (here represented by Matilda) and the South (represented by Mameluke). Going into the race, Matilda’s odds were 10-1, while the much larger Mameluke was the favourite at 5-2. Thomas Henry Taunton writes: "A handsomer little filly than Matilda, and a finer and more slashing colt than Mameluke, never met together on any race-course" (Thomas Henry Taunton, Portraits of Celebrated Racehorses, London, 1887, vol. II, p. 289).

Matilda was bred by the Hon. Edward Petre of Stapleton Park, Yorkshire, scion of an old Catholic family who also owned Ingatestone Hall in Essex. He eventually bankrupted himself through his enthusiasm for the Turf, but not before chalking up many winners. Matilda was by Comus out of Juliana. Her jockey, James Robinson, rode her without spurs, as Herring shows in the present painting.

Matilda’s adversary Mameluke, by Partisan out of Miss Sophia, was bred by Mr Elwes. He was sold to the Earl of Jersey, for whom he won the 1827 Derby with Robinson up. He was then sold to Mr John Gully, the famous ex-prizefighter, for the huge sum of 4,000 gns, and ridden by Sam Chifney in the 1827 St. Leger. He was unsettled by a series of fiendishly engineered false starts and eventually started at 100-30, to much muttering from the crowd, "as the jealousy of a south-country horse winning the St Leger is too well-known to be enlarged upon" (Taunton, p. 283).

Normally even tempered, Mameluke became almost unmanageable and Chifney had great difficulty getting him to the Post. Matilda shot away and was on the top of the hill before Mameluke was half-way. Mameluke staged a magnificent comeback, but Matilda won by half a length, preserving the honor of the North.

Matilda was in fact Petre’s second string as he also owned Granby (who started as favorite after the false starts), ridden by Will Scott and trained by John Scott. Herring shows Matilda carrying Petre’s normal colors of black and pink, although in the actual race she carried black, white sleeves, white cap.

Herring painted several portraits of Petre’s gallant little filly, including one in the collection of the Jockey Club.