1799: three-year-old season Until 1946 British racehorses did not have to be given an official name when racing and the colt who later became Archduke was unnamed for his debut on 10 April 1799. Running as "Sir F. Standish's
c. by Sir Peter out of Horatia", he ran in a 100
guinea Sweepstakes at the
Newmarket Craven meeting. He was made
6/4 favourite and won from
Lord Grosvenor's
John Bull filly and two others. The colt was officially named Archduke when he appeared at
Epsom for the Derby on 9 May. His stable companion, Sir Frank Standish's "Brother to
Spread Eagle" (later named Eagle) was the even money favourite, while Archduke was a relative outsider at odds of 12/1 in a field of eleven runners. Ridden by the veteran jockey John Arnull, Archduke won from
Lord Egremont's Precipitate colt, with Eagle only third and Vivaldi fourth. The result was similar to the 1796 race, in which Standish's
Didelot won the race with his favoured stablemate Mr. Teazle unplaced. After a break of well over four months, Archduke returned for the autumn meetings at Newmarket, where he had three engagements. On 30 September he started favourite for a Sweepstakes over the two mile "Ditch In" course, but finished third of the four runners behind Chippenham and Buzzard. Eagle finished last. Two days later, Archduke ran in the Town Plate over the same course and finished last of the three runners behind Hornby Lass and Humbug. This proved to be his last racecourse appearance: he was withdrawn from a valuable Sweepstakes on 14 October (won by Eagle), and from a scheduled
match race against Mr Heathcote's horse Schedoni at Newmarket the following April. ==Stud career==