Mr Jinks

Mr Jinks was a "massive"{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19290502.2.110.1?end_date=31-05-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-05-1929|title=The Two Thousand|date=2 May 1929|work=The Evening Post |pages=15|via=Papers Past}} grey horse with "big, spreading feet"{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19300830.2.135?end_date=31-12-1930&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-08-1930&type=ARTICLE|title=Sporting.|date=30 August 1930|work=The Press|pages=18|via=Papers Past}} bred in Northern Ireland by Dermot McCalmont who owned the horse during his racing career. He was trained by McCalmont's cousin Henry Seymour "Atty" Persse at Chattis Hill near Stockbridge in Hampshire.{{cite book | last1 = Mortimer|first1=Roger |last2=Onslow|first2=Richard|last3=Willett|first3=Peter| title=Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing|publisher=Macdonald and Jane’s| year=1978|isbn=0-354-08536-0}} As a three-year-old Mr Jinks stood 16 hands high with a girth of 73 inches.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136207706|title=Interesting Table|publisher=The Referee|date=17 July 1929}}

Mr Jinks inherited his grey colour from his sire Tetratema, the leading British two-year-old of 1919 who went on to win the 2000 Guineas and many important sprint races. As a breeding stallion, Tetratema sired many good sprinters and milers including Tiffin and Myrobella and was the British champion sire in 1929.{{cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/HistoricSires/LeadingSires/GBLeadSires.html |title=Leading Sires of Great Britain and Ireland |publisher=Tbheritage.com |access-date=2012-09-08}} Mr Jinks' dam False Piety was a granddaughter of Alicia, whose other female-line descendants included the Nunthorpe Stakes winner Golden Cloud.{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family22d.htm|title=Grand Duchess - Family 22-d|work=Thoroughbred Bloodlines}}

Although a character named Mr Jinks appears in The Pickwick Papers, the horse was reportedly named after John Jinks, a former mayor of Sligo.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19290706.2.166.75?end_date=10-07-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-07-1929&type=ARTICLE|title=General News Items.|date=6 July 1929|work=The New Zealand Herald|pages=18|via=Papers Past}}

Mr Jinks had acquired a considerable reputation before he ever appeared on a racecourse and when he made his debut in the New Stakes at Royal Ascot in June many "eager" spectators crowded the paddock to see the "powerful, strong-quartered, big-limbed colt."{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19280804.2.158?end_date=31-12-1928&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-01-1928&type=ARTICLE|title=Royal Ascot|date=4 August 1928|work=The Evening Post (New Zealand)|pages=23|via=Papers Past}} Ridden by Harry Beasley he duly took the race at odds of 9/4,{{cite book|last1=Abelson|first1=Edward|last2=Tyrrel|first2=John| title=The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records|publisher=Breedon Books Publishing |year=1993|isbn=978-1-873626-15-3}} recovering from a poor start to win "in the stle of an exceedingly useful colt" from Lord Astor's Cragadour.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19280817.2.116?end_date=31-12-1928&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-01-1928&type=ARTICLE|title=Ascot.|date=17 August 1928|work=The Press|pages=14|via=Papers Past}} He was then sent to Sandown to contest the five furlong National Breeders' Produce Stakes, which at the time was the most valuable race of the season for two-year-olds, with prize money of over £7,000. He started joint-favourite but was beaten into second place by the filly Tiffin.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21345483 |title=Turf Topics |publisher=Brisbane Courier |date=19 Sep 1928 |access-date=2012-09-07}} In July at Newmarket Racecourse Mr Jinks returned to winning form when he won the July Stakes at odds of 4/11, beating the Coventry Stakes winner Reflector by half a length, and went on to win the Lavant Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in August by a short head from the filly Turbine, to whom he was conceding 10 pounds.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141354013|title=Sporting Notes from Home |publisher=The Australasian|date=8 September 1928 |access-date=2012-09-07}}

Mr Jinks came back in autumn to take the Prendergast Stakes at Newmarket at odds of 13/8{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16555623|title=The Turf |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=3 May 1929 }} and finished second to Reflector in the Buckenham Post Produce Stakes.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19311228.2.92?end_date=31-12-1931&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-01-1931&type=ARTICLE|title=Auckland Stud Company|date=28 December 1931|work=Otago Daily Times|pages=10|via=Papers Past}} Mr Jinks ended his season by winning the Hurst Park Two-year-old Stakes in November.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19290112.2.130?end_date=31-03-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-01-1929|title=Racing.|date=2 March 2018|work=The New Zealand Herald|pages=15|via=Papers Past}}

He ended the season with earnings of £8,800{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19290503.2.152?end_date=31-05-1929&page=2&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-05-1929|title=Turf in England.|date=3 May 1929|work=The New Zealand Herald|pages=16|via=Papers Past}} and was rated the joint-best juvenile colt of the season, equal with the Middle Park Stakes winner Costaki Pasha and a pound behind Tiffin.{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Tony|last2=Randall|first2=John| title=Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third Edition)|publisher=Guinness Publishing |year=1990|isbn=0-85112-902-1}}

File:Tetratema1921.png

Mr Jinks began his second season by winning the Severals Stakes over five furlongs at Newmarket on 17 April.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19290926.2.23?end_date=30-09-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-09-1929&type=ARTICLE|title=Racing.|date=26 September 1929|work=The New Zealand Herald|pages=9|via=Papers Past}} On 1 May, Mr Jinks, ridden by Beasley, started the 5/2 favourite for the 121st running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. The best fancied of the other 21 runners included Costaki Pasha, Gay Day, Cragadour and the Irish colt Trigo. The final stages saw the race evolve into a struggle between Mr Jinks and Cragadour, who were racing far apart on either side of the wide, straight course. Mr Jinks prevailed by a head from Cragadour, with Gay Day a length and a half away in third.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136206779|title=Mr Jinks' Two Thousand |publisher=The Referee|date=12 June 1929 }} After the race Beasley said "My horse was a bit lively at the post, but once away lie ran as smootha race as possible. I was about three lengths behind the leaders at the Bushes, and moved up to take the lead in the bottom of the Dip. After that I was not headed again".{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166258447|title=The Turf|publisher=Sydney Mail|date=19 June 1929 }}

Mr Jinks was then moved up in distance for the Newmarket Stakes (a trial race for the Epsom Derby) on 15 May. In a very close and "exciting" finish he was beaten a short head by Lord Derby's Hunter's Moon, with Midlothian in third place.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19290517.2.172?end_date=31-05-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-05-1929|title=The Turf in England.|date=17 May 1929|work=The New Zealand Herald|pages=16|via=Papers Past}}

Despite his defeat in the Newmarket Stakes and doubts about his stamina, Mr Jinks started favourite for the Derby over {{frac|1|1|2}} miles at Epsom on 5 June but began to struggle at half way and finished eleventh behind Trigo.{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19290717.2.27?end_date=31-07-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=11-07-1929&type=ARTICLE|title=Surprises in Derby.|date=17 July 1929|work=The New Zealand Herald|pages=9|via=Papers Past}} Later that month at Royal Ascot the colt was dropped back in distance for the one-mile St James's Palace Stakes and won "very comfortaby" from seven opponents{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19290727.2.176.1?end_date=31-07-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=11-07-1929&type=ARTICLE|title=Racing Fixtures.|date=27 July 1929|work=The Evening Post (New Zealand)|pages=23|via=Papers Past}} at odds of 6/4. After his win at Ascot, Mr Jinks began to be described as a "speed specialist".{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19290801.2.54.1?end_date=31-08-1929&phrase=2&query=Mr+Jinks&start_date=01-08-1929&type=ARTICLE|title=Racing Fixtures.|date=1 August 1929|work=The Evening Post (New Zealand)|pages=11|via=Papers Past}} The colt was generally expected to follow up in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and started at odds of 4/7 but finished fourth behind Le Phare.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/141385415|title=Great Britain|publisher=The Australasian|date=7 September 1929 }} In September Mr Jinks finished tailed-off in last behind Trigo in the St Leger Stakes over {{frac|14|1|2}} furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse.

Mr Jinks won one other minor race towards the end of the year and ended the season with earnings of £16,253, making him the second most financially successful racehorse of 1929.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136209780|title=English Racing|publisher=The Referee|date=27 November 1929 }}

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Mr Jinks an "inferior" winner of the 2000 Guineas.{{cite book|last1 = Morris | first1 = Tony |last2=Randall|first2=John|title=A Century of Champions|publisher=Portway Press|year=1999|isbn=1-901570-15-0}}

After his retirement from racing Mr Jinks stood as a breeding stallion. He made a fairly promising start to his stud career, but his later record was disappointing. He died in 1952 at the age of 26.

{{tree list}}

• Mr Jinks{{Cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/HistoricSires/SireLineschts/SireLineBT.html|title=Byerley Turk Line|website=www.tbheritage.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Sirelines/Buzzard.htm|title=Buzzard Sire Line|website=www.bloodlines.net}}
• Maltravers
• Fair William
• Crusader's Horn
• Rogerstone Castle
• The Jigger
• Effervescence

{{tree list/end}}

{{Pedigree

|name = Mr Jinks (GB), grey stallion, 1926

|inf =

|f = Tetratema (GB)
1917

|m = False Piety (GB)
1917

|ff = The Tetrarch (IRE)
1911

|fm = Scotch Gift (GB)
1907

|mf = Lemberg (GB)
1907

|mm = St Begoe (GB)
1910

|fff = Roi Herode (FR)

|ffm = Vahren (GB)

|fmf = Symington

|fmm = Maund

|mff = Cyllene

|mfm = Galicia

|mmf = St Frusquin

|mmm = Alicia

|ffff = Le Samaritain

|fffm = Roxelane

|ffmf = Bona Vista*

|ffmm = Castania

|fmff = Ayrshire

|fmfm = Tarporley

|fmmf = Ianthe

|fmmm = Sandal

|mfff = Bona Vista*

|mffm = Arcadia

|mfmf = Galopin

|mfmm = Isoletta

|mmff = St Simon

|mmfm = Isabel

|mmmf = Bend Or

|mmmm = Alix (Family 22-d)

|}}

* Mr Jinks is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Bona Vista, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

{{Reflist}}

{{2000 Guineas Winners}}

Category:1926 racehorse births

Category:1952 racehorse deaths

Category:Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom

Category:Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom

Category:Thoroughbred family 22-d

Category:2000 Guineas winners