page_title: Cotherstone (horse)
section_title: Autumn
hierarchical_section_title: Cotherstone (horse) / Racing career / 1843: three-year-old season / Autumn
caption_attribution_description: English: Cotherstone, winner of the 1843 Epsom Derby. Artist unknown, but given the date, has been dead for well over 100 years.
context_page_description: Cotherstone was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from September 1841 to July 1843 he ran eleven times and won eight races. After being beaten on his debut, Cotherstone won his next six races including the 1843 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. A narrow defeat in the St. Leger Stakes prevented him from being recognised as the first winner of the English Triple Crown. He was regarded by contemporary experts as one of the best British racehorses of his era. After sustaining a serious injury in his only race in 1844 he was retired to stud where he had moderate success.
context_section_description: On 12 September, Cotherstone traveled from Malton to Doncaster where he attempted to become the first horse to win the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger. Although these races were recognised as the most important races of the year for three-year-old colts, the term "Triple Crown" did not come into common use for another thirty years. With Bill Scott injured, Frank Butler took the ride, and Cotherstone started the 4/6 favourite against eight opponents. His odds had drifted out from 1/2 just before the race as a great number of bets were placed on his stable companion Prizefighter. Prizefighter set off in front, set a very strong pace and was still leading in the straight. Cotherstone moved up to contest the lead together with the outsider Nutwith and the three colts raced together throughout the final quarter of a mile. Cotherstone held a slight lead inside the final furlong, but Nutwith, under a strong ride from Job Marson, caught him in the last strides and won by a head with Prizefighter a neck away in third. There was considerable anger after the race among followers of the Scott stable who felt that the race tactics had not suited either of their runners. There were also allegations that Frank Butler, had pulled Cotherstone (held him back to prevent him from winning) on the orders of John Gully, who had wagered heavily on Prizefighter.
  Two days later, Cotherstone reappeared to win the £200 Three Year Old Stakes, easily beating Napier by two lengths. On his final start of the season, Cotherstone ran in the valuable Royal Stakes at Newmarket in October. Carrying a ten pound weight penalty, he won the £1,195 prize "without an effort" by a length from Fakeaway. Cotherstone's seven wins in 1843 earned his owner at least £12,765, making him the most successful horse of the year in Britain: the second highest earner was Gaper with £3,600 Later reports give Cotherstone's winnings as £13,790
caption: Cotherstone with jockey, in the black jacket of John Bowes
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