Wildfowler

Wildfowler (1895 – 1917) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed very good form as a two-year-old in 1897 when he won three of his five races and finished third in the Middle Park Plate. In the following year he ran fourth in the 2000 Guineas and was fancied for the Epsom Derby before being scratched from the race. He returned in September to win the St Leger, upsetting the Derby winner Jeddah but did not race again. He stood as a breeding stallion in Ireland and France but was not a great success although he did sire a top-class performer in Llangibby and an influential broodmare in Silver Fowl. Background Wildfowler was a "cobby" chestnut horse with four white socks bred at the Barronstown House stud in Ireland (then part of the United Kingdom) by Henry Greer, who owned the colt during his racing career. Greer sent the colt to be trained by Sam Darling at Beckhampton who took a share in the ownership. Wildfowler's sire Gallinule was an exceptionally fast and precocious horse who won the National Breeders' Produce Stakes as a juvenile in 1886. He later became a very successful breeding stallion whose other offspring included Pretty Polly and Night Hawk. Wildfowler's dam Tragedy won the Irish Derby in 1889 and went on to be an influential broodmare whose other descendants have included Birds Nest, Chelsea Rose, La Lagune, Lagunette and Sicambre. Racing career