There are two Matthew Peacocks worthy of remembrance.
The father, Matthew Dobson Peacock (1856-1935) (qv), had ridden from childhood and participated as an amateur jockey on the flat and over jumps, his first winner coming in 1877. He then turned to ownership and a year after his Golden Drop won the 1893 Manchester Cup he decided to set up as a trainer at Manor House in his home town of Middleham. Handicaps were his metier, and he trained six winners of the Northumberland Plate.
He achieved a long-held ambition in 1932 by training a hundred winners, no mean feat in those days of limited numbers of race meetings. He was the first Yorkshireman to do so. By then he was a much-loved veteran, and a pillar of his local community.
When he died aged 79 his elder son, Matthew James Peacock (1879-1951) took over Manor House and the winners continued to flow. He trained more winners than anyone else from 1936-39. In 1945 his colt Dante became the last northern-trained winner of the Derby. It was the last of the wartime Derbys run at Newmarket. When he died one obituary described him as “dour” and “blunt”, perhaps not a chip off the old block.
The first Matthew Peacock race at Haydock was in September 1954. I imagine this was to commemorate Matthew James, although the three-year interval after his death is odd. The race continued until 1996.
Richard Dobson (“Dick”) Peacock (1924-84) took up training in 1951 when his father Matthew James Peacock died. His Tudor Melody was the fastest juvenile of 1958; he was sold to the USA at the end of the season. Dick Peacock’s fortunes suffered compared with his parent and grandparent, but so did most of the northern racing families. Dick’s widow Lenore held the licence briefly after his death but later became known as a breeder, the 2,000 Guineas winner Tirol being her best. She died in 2018 aged 97, ending three generations that spanned 162 years.
See also Harry Peacock (qv), Matthew senior’s second son.
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