Musket (horse)

Musket was an English-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and a Leading sire in Australia and New Zealand.

Breeding

He was sired by Toxophilite, his dam was a bay mare who was a half-sister to General Peel’s dam, by West Australian from Brown Bess by Camel. Musket was inbred to Touchstone in the fourth generation.

Racing record

In England Musket won nine races including the Ascot Stakes before retiring to stud there where he only had limited patronage. In spite of this he managed to sire Petronel winner of the 2,000 Guineas and Brown Bess winner of the Doncaster Cup and Goodwood Stakes.

Stud record

In December 1878 Musket was imported into Victoria by the Auckland Stud Company and then sent to Auckland, New Zealand the following month. Initially he was used here to cover “half-bred” mares to breed coach horses.
He sired 28 stakeswinners which had 107 stakes wins, including:

Cuirassier, won Great Northern Derby
Foul Shot, won Auckland Derby
Fusilade, won New Zealand Cup
Fusileer, won Wanganui Derby
Manton, Derby Stakes, New Zealand Cup, Wanganui Derby
Martini-Henry, Victoria Derby, Melbourne Cup
Nordenfeldt, Victoria Derby, AJC Australian Derby
Trenton, ARC Welcome Stakes, CJC Champagne Stakes, VRC Royal Park Stakes, etc., sire of good racehorses including Wakeful and Auraria.

Musket is best remembered for siring the famous Carbine, Nordenfeldt, Trenton, Martini-Henry and Hotchkiss, all top sires. Carbine in his day was considered one of the greatest horses in the world, whose feats included winning the 1890 Melbourne Cup with the impost of in the record time of 3:28¼. The bloodlines of Musket including Carbine and Trenton, are still evident in many horses racing today.
Musket had his portrait painted by the noted equine artist, Martin Stainforth and it was reproduced in Racehorses in Australia.

Sire line tree

Musket
*Petronel
**Ragimunde
**Son of a Gun
*Martini-Henry
**Rudolph
**Singapore
*Fusileer
*Trenton
**Gerard
**Delaware
**Light Artillary
**Trenchant
**Dreamland
**O'Trigger
**The Merry Boy
**Cydnus
**Onslow
**Resolute
**Aurum
**Majestic
**Reliance
**Revenue
**Tremarden
**Torpoint
**Knight Errant
***Roamer
***Hibler
*Foul Shot
*Fusilade
*Matchlock
*Nordenfeldt
**Crackshot
**Medallion
**Strathmore
**Zalinksi
***Clean Sweep
**Stepniak
***Menschikoff
***Orloff
***All Red
**Carnage
**Havoc
**Johansen
*Maxim
**Maxio
***Rossfenton
*Cuirassier
*Carbine
**Wallace
***Emir
***F J A
***True Scot
***Mountain King
***Trafalgar
***Wolawa
***Kingsburgh
***Patrobas
**Fucile
**Amberite
**Pistol
***Paratoo
****White Nose
**Greatorex
***Nobleman
***Relish
***Dignitary
****Tenon
**Foresight
***Forbra
**Spearmint
***Assagai
****Mint Briar
***Catmint
***Cyklon
****Trivalve
***Polygonum
***Chicle
****Cherry Pie
****Whichone
***Spearhead
****Spearfelt
***Lord Archer
****Master Charlie
***Telephus
***Johren
****Edisto
***Spion Kop
****Felstead
****Kopi
****The Buzzard
****Hill Song
****Landscape Hill
****Battle Song
***Royal Lancer
****Good Citizen
***Spike Island
****Amur
***Spelthorne
***Zionist
****Pomme d'Api
****Scolopax
****Mas d'Antipes
***Steel Point
****Freebooter
***Money Maker
***Wavetop
****Knight's Crest
**Ramrod
**Wax Bullet
***Dog Fox
*Hotchkiss
**True Blue
***Blue Spec
*Manton

Pedigree

Musket is inbred 5S x 5D x 3D to the stallion Camel, meaning that he appears fifth generation on the sire side of his pedigree, and fifth generation and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree.
Musket is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Touchstone, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree, and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.