Waxy (horse)

Waxy
Engraving of Waxy based on a painting by Francis Sartorius.
SirePotoooooooo
GrandsireEclipse
DamMaria
DamsireHerod
SexStallion
Foaled1790
CountryKingdom of Great Britain
ColourBay
BreederSir Ferdinando Poole
Owner1) Sir Ferdinando Poole (1790–1804)
2) 3rd Duke of Grafton (1804–1811)
3) 4th Duke of Grafton (1811–1818)
TrainerRobert Robson
Record15: 9-3-2
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1793)
Honours
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland (1810)

Waxy (1790 – 18 April 1818) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1793 Epsom Derby and was an influential sire in the late eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century. Waxy was bred by Sir Ferdinando Poole and was foaled at Lewes in 1790. He was sired by Pot-8-Os, a son of the foundation stallion Eclipse, whose genetic lineage traced to the Darley Arabian. Waxy's dam, Maria, was sired by the influential stallion Herod and produced one full-brother to Waxy, who was named Worthy. Waxy derived his name from a variety of potato, a choice that was inspired by his sire's name. Trained by Robert Robson, Waxy won nine races out of 15 starts during his four-year racing career, retiring from racing at the age of seven in 1797 after sustaining an injury during his last start.

Beginning in 1798, Waxy stood at stud at Sir Poole's estate in Lewes and remained there until Poole's death in 1804. After Poole's death, Waxy was acquired by the 3rd Duke of Grafton and stood at his Euston Hall stud. Waxy remained at Euston Hall for the remainder of his life and was used as a breeding stallion until his death on 18 April 1818. His most notable offspring were produced under the ownership of the 3rd Duke of Grafton and his son. Waxy produced 190 winners of races during his stud career, siring four Epsom Derby and three Epsom Oaks winners, becoming a leading sire in 1810. His most notable sons that achieved success in the stud were Whalebone and Whisker. Through the produce of these two sons, Waxy became the paternal ancestor of most of the world's male Thoroughbreds by the mid-twentieth century.