Love in Idleness was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Her diminutive stature and courageous racing style made her one of the most popular horses of her time. She showed very promising form as a two-year-old in 1920 when she won four time from five starts. In the following year she was arguably the best three-year-old filly in England as she won the Epsom Oaks, Sandringham Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks and Park Hill Stakes. After retiring from racing he had some success as a dam of winners.
Background
Love in Idleness was a lop-eared brown mare bred in England by Sir Gilbert Greenall. She was named after one of the common names of the wild pansy flower. During her racing career she was owned by the Yorkshire industrialist Joseph Watson, 1st Baron Manton who bought her as a yearling for 1,500 guineas. He sent the filly into training with Alec Taylor, Jr. at the famous stables at Manton, Wiltshire, recently purchased by Watson from Taylor and after which Watson named his peerage title in 1922. She was unusually small in stature, standing just over 15 hands and being described as "only a pony". She was sired by Bachelor's Double, a top-class performer whose wins included the Railway Stakes, Irish Derby, City and Suburban Handicap and Royal Hunt Cup. She was a half-sister to Corn Cockle, who produced the July Cup winner Golden Corn. Love in Idleness's dam Cornfield was a great-granddaughter of the British broodmare Thistle whose other descendants included the British Classic Race winners Common, Throstle and Witch Elm. She was ridden in most of her races by Joe Childs, who rode some of Watson's other horses including Lemonora, winner of the 1921 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, then the world's highest prize-money race.
Racing career
1920: two-year-old season
In 1920 Love in Idleness won four of her five starts, her only defeat coming when she finished second to Bayonne in the Redfern Plate at Kempton Park Racecourse. She won races at Ascot and Chester and in September she took the Champion Breeders' Foal Stakes at Derby Racecourse, coming from three lengths down to upset the favourite Polly Flinders. At Newmarket in October she won a Rous Memorial Stakes from moderate opposition. She ended the season with earning of £3,719 and was rated the third best juvenile filly of the year behind Pharmacie and Chilosa.
1921: three-year-old season
Love in Idleness was scheduled to contest the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 29 April but was withdrawn from the race, which was won in her absence by Bettina, having been found to be "slightly amiss". In a twenty-two-runner field for the 143rd running of the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom Racecourse on 3 June, Love in Idleness started the 5/1 favourite ahead of Bettina, Pompadour and Hasty Match. Ridden by Childs in a race run in heavy rain she tracked the King's filly Picardy into the straight, took the lead two furlongs out an won "easily" by three lengths from Lady Sleipner with Long Suit a neck away in third. At Royal Ascot Love in Idleness finished unplaced behind The Yellow Dwarf in the Ribbledale Stakes but then returned to the track before the end of June to contest the Sandringham Stakes over 10 furlongs at Sandown Park. Conceding 20 pounds in weight to the promising colt Perfect Knight she produced an exceptionally game performance to win by the narrowest of margins. At York Racecourse in August the filly started at odds of 7/4 and won the Yorkshire Oaks, coming from last place to win by three lengths under a weight of 135 pounds. After the race she was praised for her "indomitable courage" and was reported to be "the popular idol of the English Turf". She was then stepped up in distance for the Park Hill Stakes over fourteen and a half furlong at Doncaster Racecourse in September and won "as she liked" from four opponents at odds of 1/5. In the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October she was matched against male opposition and finished last of the four runners behind Orpheus. Love in Idleness ended the season with earnings of £8,743,making her the second biggest winner of the year in Britain behind the colt Craig an Eran.
Assessment and honours
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Love in Idleness an "average" winner of the Oaks, and the best British-trained filly of her generation.
Breeding record
At the end of her racing career Love in Idleness was retired to become a broodmare. When Lord Manton was killed in a hunting accident in 1922 she passed into the ownership of his son Miles Watson, 2nd Baron Manton. She produced at least six foals and three winners between 1923 and 1937:
Gay Lothario, a chestnut colt, foaled in 1923, sired by Gay Crusader. Won two races.
