page_title: Zeal (horse)
section_title: 1821: three-year-old season
hierarchical_section_title: Zeal (horse) / Racing career / 1821: three-year-old season
caption_attribution_description: Portrait of George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton (1760-1844)
context_page_description: Zeal was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare, which won the eighth running of the classic 1000 Guineas. As a three-year-old in 1821 won she won her first three races at Newmarket Racecourse including the 1000 Guineas but then finished fourth in The Oaks. As a four-year-old she walked over in the valuable Port Stakes but was beaten in her only other race. She later had a successful career as a broodmare.
context_section_description: Zeal began her racing career at Newmarket's First Spring meeting in May 1821. On the opening day of the meeting she ran in against three other fillies in a Sweepstakes over the Abington Mile course. Starting the 4/7 favourite, she won by half a length from the Duke of Rutland's unnamed chestnut filly to claim a prize of 1,000 guineas. Three days later, Zeal started 6/4 favourite for the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, which despite its name carried a prize of 900 guineas. The race was run over the Ditch Mile course and Zeal "won easy" from Lord Suffield's filly and four others. On the following afternoon she won a further 400 guineas without having to race as she walked-over in a Sweepstakes over the Abington Mile, her rivals having been withdrawn by their owners.
  On 5 June at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Zeal was moved up in distance to contest the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles. She started a 20/1 outsider, suggesting either that her Newmarket form was lightly regarded, or that she was known to be some way below her best. The latter explanation appears more likely as the filly had been disputing favouritism in the lead-up to the race. She finished fourth of the seven runners behind Lord Exeter's filly Augusta who started favourite.
caption: The Duke of Grafton, who bred and owned Zeal
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