Studio of John Wootton (Snitterfield 1682-1764 London)


Flying Childers and other horses being rubbed down at Newmarket with William, 2nd Duke of Devonshire looking on oil on canvas101.8 x 126.8cm (40 1/16 x 49 15/16in).
|ProvenanceProbably, The Collection of John Jolliffe, MP., UK, circa 1720, and thence by descent toThe Collection of the Lords Hylton, Ammerdown Park (according to a label on the reverse)With Pawsey and Payne, London, 1924, where probably purchased by Marshall Sewall, USA, by whom bequeathed toThe Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Gainsville, by whom offeredSale, Christie's, New York, 6 December, 1996, lot 14, where purchased by the present ownerFlying Childers, bred by Colonel Leonard Childers, sired by the Darley Arabian and out of Betty Leedes, was foaled in 1715 and sold to the Duke of Devonshire as a yearling. He went on to become one of the most celebrated horses in early racing history and was famously undefeated.Flying Childers ran a trial run over the 3 mile 6 furlong and 93 yard Round Course at Newmarket in 1721. Childers, carrying the most weight, defeated Almanzor (also a son of the Darley Arabian) and the Duke of Rutland's Brown Betty and is said to have covered the course in a remarkable time of 6 minutes 40 seconds, which is almost a mile a minute.