Morel (horse)

Morel began her racing career on 18 April 1808, the opening day of the Craven meeting at Newmarket Racecourse. The only filly in the field of five runners for a Sweepstakes over the Ditch Mile course, Morel started at odds of 5/2 and finished second to Lord Grosvenor's colt Chester.[7] Over the same course and distance two weeks later, Morel and Chester met again in the Newmarket Stakes. Morel reversed the earlier form to record her first victory, winning "very easy"[8] from Chester with Sunbeam third, taking a prize of 800 guineas.[9]

On Friday, June 3, Morel was one of ten fillies, from an original entry of thirty-one, to contest the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom for a purse of 1550 guineas. Ridden by Bill Clift, she was made the 3/1 favourite ahead of Miranda and Goosander who both started at odds of 5/1. Morel took the lead on the turn into the straight and won by one and a half lengths from Goosander, with Miranda in third place.[10][11] At the Newmarket July meeting Morel defeated Chester again, conceding a pound to the colt who had finished third in The Derby in the July Three-year-old Stakes over ten furlongs. On the following day, Morel contested her first match race and won a 100 guinea purse when beating Lord Stawell's brother to Sir David "in a canter"[12] over the Abington Mile.[13]

Morel returned after a break of almost three months for the autumn meetings at Newmarket, where she had three engagements. On 4 October the Duke received 25 guineas without having to race his filly when her opponent, Mr Gundy, was withdrawn from a five furlong match. Thirteen days later, Morel defeated the seven-year-old horse Bustard in a ten furlong match to win a further 200 guineas.[14] Later that week, Morel started 5/4 favourite for the second class of the Oatlands Stakes, a handicap over the Rowley Mile. Carrying a weight of 109 pounds, she finished second of the six runners to Mr Shakespear's seven-year-old Sir David.

Morel won four of her six races in 1809, all of which took place at Newmarket. At the Craven meeting she successfully conceded ten pounds to Mr Craven's colt Beau Nash in a 200 guinea match over the Abington Mile.[15] Two weeks later she was matched against the 1804 Oaks winner Pelisse in a two mile match race at level weights. Morel started the 5/11 favourite but was defeated by her older rival, sustaining her first defeat against a female horse.[16] At the next meeting on 1 May defeated the colt Clinker at level weights in a 200 guinea match over the Abington Mile.[17]

Four months after her last run, Morel contested the October Trial Stakes, a weight-for-age race over the Ditch Mile course. She started the 5/6 favourite and "won easy"[18] from seven opponents including the 1809 Oaks winner Maid of Orleans.[19] Later that week she was beaten by Sir David in a five furlong match. On 19 October, Morel made her final appearance of the year in a handicap Sweepstakes over the Ditch Mile. Carrying top weight of 126 pounds, she started 4/5 favourite and won "very easy"[20] from Sir Charles Bunbury's filly Agnes and four others.[21]

In a repeat of her 1809 campaign, Morel raced exclusively at Newmarket and won four of her six races. At the Craven meeting her owner "received forfeit" when Lord Lowther's Agnes failed to appear for a 200 guinea match race over the two mile match against his filly. On the following afternoon, over the same course and distance, Morel successfully conceded fourteen pounds to Mr Shakespear's colt Nuncio, winning a prize of 100 guineas.[22] In May, Morel won another 100 guineas when conceding 24 pounds to the three-year-old colt Erebus over five furlongs.[23]

On 1 October, Morel attempted to repeat her previous year's success in the Trial Stakes, but finished second of the seven runners behind Lord Jersey's horse Langton. Sixteen days later, Morel carried top weight of 136 pounds in the October Oatlands Stakes over the Bunbury Mile. She started second favourite at odds of 5/2 and won from Lord Jersey's Anthonio and four others.[24] At the Houghton meeting, Morel contested the Jade Stakes, a sprint handicap in which she was assigned top weight of 133 pounds. She started the 4/5 favourite and won from Sir Charles Bunbury's colt Fair Star.[25] In the Audley End Stakes three days later, Morel, carrying 139 pounds, finished unplaced for the first time in her racing career. The winner of the race, Queen of Sheba, carried 86 pounds.[26]

Following the death of the Duke of Grafton in March 1811, Morel was offered for sale and was bought for 620 guineas[27] by Robert Andrew. She competed for a further two seasons, but failed to reproduce her earlier success, winning one of her eight races at Newmarket.

In 1811 she was beaten in matches against Mr Howorth's Invalid, her old rival Chester, and Sir John Shelley's Derby winner Phantom as well as finishing unpaced in the October Oatlands Stakes. Her only win of the season came on 14 October when she successfully conceded ten pounds to Lord Bentinck's four-year-old Asmodeus.[28]

In 1812, Morel finished last of the three runners in the Chippenham Stakes, was beaten in a match in which she attempted to concede six pounds to the Derby winner Pan over the Abington Mile and ended her career by running fourth in a handicap at the July meeting.[29]