Melton

Melton (1882–1910) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1884 to 1886 he ran eighteen times and won eleven races. In 1885 he won the second two legs of the English Triple Crown, the Derby at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster. At the end of the 1886 season he was retired to stud where he had considerable success in both Italy and Great Britain. Background Melton was a small, but powerful and good-looking bay horse, bred by his owner George Manners Astley, 20th Baron Hastings (1857–1904) a country gentleman who named the colt after the village of Melton Constable in Norfolk. He was trained by Mathew Dawson at his Heath House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Melton was ridden in most of his races by the thirteen-time Champion Jockey Fred Archer. Melton’s sire, Master Kildare, who was also owned by Lord Hastings, was a successful racehorse who won the Alexandra Plate at Royal Ascot and the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom. In his first season at stud he attracted little interest from breeders and sired only three foals: one of these was Melton. Melton’s dam was Violet Melrose a winner of six races. Racing career