Will Wheatley
Will Wheatley, jockey, from a study of Sam Chifney Jr, Will Wheatley and Jem Robinson by Ben Marshall (1818)
OccupationJockey
Born1786
Cambridgeshire
Died1848
Kingsland, London
Major racing wins
British Classic Race wins as jockey:
2,000 Guineas (1817, 1823, 1824)
Epsom Derby (1816, 1831)
Significant horses
Mameluke, Manfred, Marcellus, Nicolo, Prince Leopold, Schahriar, Spaniel

William Wheatley (1786-1848) was a British Classic winning jockey of the early 19th century. His father was the 1795 Derby-winning jockey, Anthony Wheatley.[1]

He was, according to the Sporting Magazine of 1831, "one of the best jockeys in England."[2] He was particularly known for creeping up slowly during a race to win unexpectedly.[3] This was shown to memorable effect in the 1831 Derby. Wheatley was booked to ride 50/1 outsider, Spaniel, a horse known for only possessing one steady pace. The race principals ran together in a tactical battle and appeared to have forgotten about Wheatley on the unfancied Spaniel, who racing at his customary pace, "came up with perfect ease... [and] won in a most triumphant style".[4] Wheatley's ride was deemed "a splendid performance."[5] Despite this, Spaniel has gone down in history as possibly the worst ever Derby winner.[6] He was also known for having an untainted character,[5] and in Spaniel's Derby he had had a £25 bet at odds of 40/1 on his mount winning, only to cancel it at the last minute, thereby missing out on £1000.[6]

Wheatley rode the Derby winner Mameluke in some of his best races (although not the Derby itself). One of his most noted rides was in the "ever-memorable" Ascot Gold Cup when he rode Mameluke against Zinganee, ridden by Sam Chifney, Jr.[3]

His principal patron was Lord Lowther.

William Wheatley lived up to the 1840s at Newmarket where his father and family had settled but died at Kingsland, then a small settlement in Middlesex but now part of Hackney, in February 1848 aged about 62.

Major wins

Classic races

United Kingdom Great Britain

Selected other races

References

  1. ↑ Mortimer, Onslow & Willett 1978, p. 654.
  2. ↑ Sporting Magazine 1831, p. 37.
  3. 1 2 The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Art 1833, p. 417.
  4. ↑ Wildrake 1841, p. 10.
  5. 1 2 Sporting Magazine 1831, p. 77.
  6. 1 2 "William Wheatley". Jockeypedia. Retrieved 27 January 2015.

Bibliography

  • Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopaedia of British Racing. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  • "Quarterly Review: The Turf". The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Art. Philadelphia: E. Littell & T. Holden. 23. 1833.
  • "Newmarket Craven Meeting". Sporting Magazine:Or, Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize, and Spirit. Rogerson & Tuxford. 3 (13): 34–42. May 1831.
  • "Epsom Races". Sporting Magazine:Or, Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize, and Spirit. Rogerson & Tuxford. 3 (14): 74–80. June 1831.
  • Wildrake, ed. (1841). The Cracks of the Day. George Tattersall.


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