Rowton (1826–1841) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the St Leger Stakes in 1829. He was lightly campaigned during his racing career, competing in eleven races in five seasons and winning seven times. Until his last competitive season he was raced exclusively in Yorkshire running only at the meetings at York in August and Doncaster in September. Apart from the St Leger, his wins included the York Two-year-old Stake, the Great Subscription Purse and a division of the Oatlands Stakes. On his final appearance he ran a dead heat for the Ascot Gold Cup before being beaten in a run-off by the filly Camarine. After three seasons at stud in England he was exported to the United States where he died in 1841.
Background
Rowton was a dark-coated chestnut horse with no white markings who stood 15.2 hands high when fully grown. Henry Hall Dixon described him as being "as nearly perfection as possible", with "beautiful quarters", a "deer-like" head and an "exquisitely expressive eye".
He was owned and bred by Edward Petre (1794–1848), a free-spending sportsman and gambler, who was a younger son of Robert Petre, 9th Baron Petre. Like the rest of Petre's horses, Rowton was trained by John Scott, who sent out the winners of 41 classics, from his Whitewall Stables at Malton in North Yorkshire. Rowton was ridden in most of his races by his trainer's younger brother Bill Scott.
Rowton was the only classic winner sired by Oiseau (1809–1826), a horse who was undefeated in a five race career, and who stood as a breeding stallion in both Ireland and England. Rowton's dam Katherina (also known as Perspective) was a daughter of the Oaks winner Landscape and was also closely related to the St Leger winner Ashton.
Racing career
1828: two-year-old season
Rowton began his racing career at York Racecourse in August 1828. He started the 5/4 favourite for the Two-year-old Stake against eleven opponents. He was ridden in aggressive style by Bill Scott, who made use of the whip and at one point barged another runner into the rails before Rowton won "rather cleverly" by one and a half lengths. The Sporting Magazine's correspondent was not impressed by Rowton's physical appearance, describing him as having "a very long carcase" and showing "too much daylight underneath him to go a long distance".
At the St Leger meeting at Doncaster Racecourse in September, Rowton ran in the Champagne Stakes, a race which attracted many of the best two-year-olds seen in the North of England that season. Bill Scott was taken ill just before the start of the race and was replaced by Bill Arnull. Rowton finished third of the nine runners behind Cant, a small but "pretty" colt owned by Lord Sligo. Three days later, Rowton contested the Two-year-old Stake at the same course. He was reunited with Bill Scott and started favourite, but after "a most excellent race" he was beaten a head by the filly Lady Sarah.
1829: three-year-old season
Rowton did not run as a three-year-old before his run in the Great St Leger Stakes at Doncaster on 15 September, although he had been strongly supported in the betting for the race since early in the year. Despite his lack of a recent run he was made 7/2 favourite in a field of nineteen runners which included The Derby winner Frederick and the previously undefeated colts Voltaire and Sir Hercules. Ridden by Bill Scott, Rowton led from the start and set an extremely strong pace. In the closing stages he was challenged by Voltaire, who had come from well back in the field, but under a "severe" ride from Scott, Rowton held on to win by half a length, with Sir Hercules in third. Voltaire was considered by some to have been an unlucky loser, with his jockey, Sam Chifney being criticised for his exaggerated waiting tactics. His owner, Lord Darlington however, declined the offer of a match race between the two colts, even when Rowton's connections offered to run the race with the St Leger winner carrying seven pounds more than his rival. Rowton's success was a third consecutive win in the race for John Scott and Edward Petre following Matilda in 1827 and The Colonel in 1828. On the following afternoon, Rowton was able to claim a £350 prize for his owner without having to race when he was allowed to walk over in the Foal Stakes, the other five entrants having been withdrawn.