Blink Bonny
Blink Bonny (1854–1862) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a career that lasted from 1856 to 1858, she ran twenty times and won fourteen races. She was the leading British two-year-old of 1856, when she won eight races including the Gimcrack Stakes at York. In 1857 Blink Bonny won five of her seven races and became the second filly, after Eleanor, to defeat the colts in The Derby. In the same season, racing against her own sex, she won The Oaks, the Lancashire Oaks, and the Park Hill Stakes.
| Blink Bonny | |
|---|---|
Blink Bonny. Etching by Charles Hunt & Son | |
| Sire | Melbourne |
| Dam | Queen Mary |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 1854 |
| Country | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | William I'Anson |
| Owner | William I'Anson |
| Trainer | William I'Anson |
| Record | 19:13-1-2 |
| Earnings | £ |
| Major wins | |
| Gimcrack Stakes (1856) Epsom Derby (1857) Epsom Oaks (1857) Lancashire Oaks (1857) Park Hill Stakes (1857) | |
Having retired from racing in 1858, Blink Bonny showed exceptional promise as a broodmare, producing three top class racehorses before her premature death in 1862. Blink Bonny was one of only six fillies to win the Derby, and has been regarded by both contemporary and modern authorities as one of the best fillies in Thoroughbred racing history.