Ashton (horse)
Ashton (1806 – after 1828) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1809. He was undefeated in three races as a three-year-old in 1809, culminating with his classic victory at Doncaster. After missing the whole of the 1810 season he won a Great Subscription Purse at York on his reappearance as a five-year-old but was beaten in his three remaining races. He was then retired to stud, where he had no success as a sire of winners.
Background
Ashton was a bay horse standing 15.2 hands high bred by his owner Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton and was the sixth of the Duke's seven St Leger winners. He was described by his owners as "a horse of great bone and strength... with true shape and corresponding action". Henry Hall Dixon was less flattering, describing Ashton as "a hunter-looking horse with very hairy legs".
Ashton was sired by either Walnut or Serpent, meaning that his dam was covered by two stallions in the year of his conception. Walnut, a son of Highflyer, never raced after an accident which left him with a "wasted" foreleg. He sired several other good horses including Constantia, the dam of the St Leger winner Ebor. Serpent, a son of Eclipse, sired no other horses of consequence. Ashton's dam Miss Haworth was a member of Thoroughbred family 29 and therefore closely related to several notable horses including Rowton and Landscape.