The Peacock family name is prominent in northern racing circles across three generations. Matthew Dobson Peacock, known as Dobson (qv), was the father of Matthew James (known as Matthew) (qv) and Henry, known as Harry (qv).
Then Richard Dobson Peacock took over Manor House Stables at Middleham on the death of his father Matthew James in 1951. Dick was just 26. Some of his father’s owners deserted him in his first few years with a licence, but he proved himself with Tudor Melody, the top two-year-old of 1958, who he’d bought as a yearling for 610 guineas. His stablemate Lindsay won the Cheveley Park that year too.
In the 1960s Sweet Story won the Northumberland Plate and the Yorkshire Cup, but in the main the stable’s horses were run-of-the-mill. He died aged 60 in 1984. His widow Lennie presented a silver salver for a sprint handicap to be run in his name at Thirsk on 1 June of the following year. The Dick Peacock Sprint Handicap was run there until 2017.
For more information about all the Peacocks visit the Middleham Stables History section of John Slusar’s greyhoundderby.com website. http://www.greyhoundderby.com/Middleham/Middleham%20Racing%20Stables.html