2000 GUINEAS 1877

The 69th winner of the 2000 Guineas, held on Wednesday 2nd May 1877 over the Rowley Mile, was Chamant (2/1 joint fav), a bay colt by Mortemer out of Araucaru, owned by Count Frederic de Lagrange. The winner won by a length in 1 minute 51 secs, with 3/4 length back to the third. A field of 11 runners contested the race which was worth £5,200 (Equivalent to £551,200 in 2017)

CHAMANT SR 1933
Horse Jockey Trainer Owner/Betting
CHAMANT Jem Goater Tom Jennings snr Count Frederic de Lagrange 2/1
BROWN PRINCE Custance Mr H H Sanford 50/1
SILVIO Fred Archer Lord Falmouth 100/7
THUNDERSTONE Tom Chaloner Mr C Alexander 100/8
UNNAMED COLT BY BUCCANEER Charlie Maidment Mr A Baltazzi 66/1
MONACHUS C Archer Lord Calthorpe 66/1
MONK Tom Cannon Mr F Gretton 33/1
KINGSCLERE T Osborne Mr F Gretton 100/1
WARREN HASTINGS Morris Mr C Rayner 50/1
STRACHINO John Osborne Baron Rothschild 7/1
MORLER F Webb Duke of Westminster 2/1
Note: The image above is shown courtesy of the Illustrated Sporting News 1875. Over Round 105%
The engraving above, of the French racehorse Chamant, winner of the 1877 2000 Guineas held on 2nd May 1877, was shown in the Illustrated London News, May 1877 and is in the public domain because its artist, John Sturgess (d. 1903) has been dead for over 70 years.

I am grateful to Robert Melrose for the cross shown above. When he moved into Eastbridge House, Hythe, Kent he found the cross which is inscribed in French and marks the grave of a black dog named Tippo who was allegedly a companion of Chamant for some time. It is thought that the dog's owner was a French lady, hence why the inscription is in French. Furthermore, it is believed that Tippo and Chamant were companions at the Haras Dangu Stud owned by Count Frederic de Lagrange where Chamant was foaled and spent his early years. The colt was actually owned by Claude (Charles) Joachim Lefebvre but ran in the name of Count Frederic de Lagrange. It was trained in England by Tom Jennings senior who initially trained at Phantom House Stables before building his own stables which he named La Grange.

A question remained as to how the French lady came to England and what relation she was to either De Lagrange or Lefebvre? Count de Lagrange was the only son of General Lagrange, but he did marry twice, although he died without issue. Hence, it was not his sister or daughter, but might have been one of his two wives. Maybe the lady was related to Lefebvre?

In the end Robert Melrose carried out meticulous research and found details of the painting shown opposite.

The painting shows Marie-Anne d’Escoubleau de Sourdis, wife of Charles Joachim Lefevre, holding her black dog named Tippo. She was born in 1853 and died in 1938. The painting is by the French artist Jean-Leon Gerome who died in 1904 and is in the public domain because the artists died more than 70 years ago.