Petronel (horse)

After showing promise when winning the Troy Stakes as a juvenile in 1879, he recorded a major upset when defeating his more fancied opponents to take the 2000 Guineas in the following spring.

"[6] On 28 April Petronel, ridden by George Fordham, was one of seventeen colts to contest the 72nd running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket and started at odds 20/1.

In a "close and exciting struggle" Petronel overhauled Muncaster in the final strides to win by a head, with The Abbot three quarters of a length back in third.

[8] The Duke of Beaufort initially thought that his colt had narrowly failed to catch Muncaster, saying "ten yards farther and I should have won", before the official result was posted.

[10] He returned to the track on the opening day of the Royal Ascot in June where he finished third to Zealot and The Abbot in the Prince of Wales's Stakes conceding fifteen pounds to the winner.

[14] In the Cambridgeshire Handicap two weeks later at the same track the colt started a 50/1 outsider under a weight of 112 pounds and finished unplaced behind the four-year-old filly Lucetta.

[17] Petronel began his third campaign by finishing fourth behind Bend Or, Foxhall and Post Obit in the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom Racecourse on 27 April.

Ridden by Fred Archer he took the lead approaching the final furlong and won "comfortably" by three quarters of a length from Lord Bradford's Retreat.

[20] On 30 June, with Archer in the saddle, he added a win in the Queen's Plate (worth £200) at Stockbridge Racecourse,[21] beating the favourite Exeter by a neck.

[23] On 14 September Petronel carried top weight of 124 pounds in the £300 Great Yorkshire Handicap at Doncaster Racecourse and started the 2/1 favourite against thirteen opponents.

[26] At the same Newmarket meeting however he won the £300 Queen's Plate over two miles, beating Lord Bradford's Chippendale by three quarters of a length at level weight with the pair finishing well clear of the other two runners.

[29] He ended his season at Manchester Racecourse with a "great game" performance to finish third in the November Handicap when conceding more than 50 pounds to the winner Gladstone.

[35] At some point before the autumn of 1882, Petronel appears to have enabled the Duke of Beaufort to gain possession of "The Whip", an unusual challenge trophy said to be fashioned from the tail-hairs of Eclipse and open only to horses owned by members of the Jockey Club.