Cobweb was a bay mare bred by her owner George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey at his stud at Middleton Stoney in Oxfordshire.

Filagree was a daughter of Web, the foundation mare of Thoroughbred family 1-s, and a sister of the Derby winner Middleton and the leading broodmare Trampoline.

In a Sweepstakes over the Ditch Mile course she was ridden by Sam Barnard and won at odds of 1/4 from her only rival, a "black" filly (later named Grey Helen) owned by the Duke of Portland.

Only three fillies appeared to oppose her, but they included the Duke of Grafton's Rebecca, who had won the Riddlesworth Stakes and then defeated the future Derby winner Cedric at the Craven meeting.

He was not a champion racehorse, but was later exported to France where he became a highly successful breeding stallion, siring the Prix du Jockey Club winners Renonce, Fitz-Emilius, Gambetti and Amalfi.

Cobweb's second colt was unraced, but her third, Lucius won the 1833 Riddlesworth Stakes, a race for three-year-olds which at the time was ranked alongside the classics in importance.

In 1834 Cobweb produced Bay Middleton's full brother Achmet who partially emulated his older sibling by winning the Riddlesworth Stakes and the 2000 Guineas in 1835.

Clementina was a highly successful racehorse who won the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Nassau Stakes in 1847 and it is through her descendants that Cobweb's direct line of descent continues to the present day.

Absurdity produced two classic winners in Jest and Black Jester and was the ancestor of several others including Humorist, User Friendly, Royal Palace and Moonshell.

[3] La Troienne is one of the most influential broodmares in North American breeding, being the ancestor of such notable horses as Black Helen, Bimelech, Personality, Easy Goer, Smarty Jones, Super Saver, Prairie Bayou, Go For Gin, Sea Hero and Princess Rooney.