The John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock is, appropriately, one of Lancashire’s premier races. John of Gaunt (1340-99) was awarded the first Duchy of Lancaster by his father Edward III. He was born in Ghent, Belgium, a town pronounced “Gaunt” in England. As his father aged and became less able to rule, John in effect became the most powerful man in the country, which continued when Edward’s son Richard II succeeded to the throne aged ten. John’s younger brother was made Duke of York. Royal family squabbles brewed for generations and the Lancasters ruled until the Wars of the Roses in the second half of the 15th century, when they were supplanted by the Yorkists.
In Shakespeare’s play Richard II John of Gaunt is given a marvellous uplifting speech, beginning with these famous lines.
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea…
The manor of Hungerford was possessed by the Lancasters in medieval times, and John granted the Berkshire town the right to fish in the river Kennet. There had been a John of Gaunt Stakes at Hungerford races between 1840-44. It may have been in honour of the local pub of that name rather than the man himself.
HAYDOCK
Surprisingly, Manchester racecourse didn’t get round to staging a John of Gaunt Stakes until 1875, when it was part of a three or four day meeting that would nowadays be called a Festival. It was a race for two-year-olds then, and so it was in July 1963, the year that racing in the city ended. Haydock didn’t take the name on until 1976, when it was introduced as a seven furlong conditions race in June. It’s still there, by now a Group 3.
LEICESTER
Within three weeks of each other in November 1982 Leicester staged a John O’ Gaunt nursery over seven furlongs and a three mile novice chase. Lack of originality aside, the use of O’ rather than Of gives a clue that there is something odd about this. John O’ Gaunt is a village about ten miles east of Leicester. Its name is apparently taken from a covert in the vicinity. That in turn must stem from one of John’s titles being Earl of Leicester and the fact that he is buried at Leicester Castle. The nursery ended in October 1997. The chases resumed at the November 1995 meeting and was last run as a mares’ novices’ handicap in 2020.
As an aside, a horse called John o’Gaunt finished second in the 1904 Derby ridden by Mr George Thursby, who I believe was the last amateur to be placed in it; he was second again in 1905. Apparently the horse disliked being out in the rain, and Thursby knew his chance was gone when it rained on Derby Day.