Rock Sand

Rock Sand (1900–1914) was a British Thoroughbred race horse and sire. In a career which lasted from the spring of 1902 until October 1904 he ran twenty times and won sixteen races. He was a leading British two-year-old of his generation, winning the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, The Derby, and the St. Leger Stakes. Therefore meaning the won the British Triple Crown. He won another series of major races as a four-year-old before being retired to stud, where he had success in both Europe and North America. Background Rock Sand was a small brown horse bred by his owner Sir James Miller at his Hamilton Stud in Newmarket. Rock Sand was sired by Sainfoin, the winner of the 1890 Derby, who was bred by Queen Victoria. He was the first foal of Roquebrune by St. Simon who won two races and was a half-sister to Epsom Oaks winner Seabreeze. Rock Sand was trained throughout his career by George Blackwell at Newmarket, Suffolk. Rock Sand was a notably bad mover in his slower paces: those unfamiliar with his gait frequently assumed that he was lame when he trotted or cantered to the start before his races. He was also criticised early in his career by some observers who felt that he was too small to be a Derby winner. Racing career