Group-class
A-Z of Horse Racing (Part 2)
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Half A Guinea - at the time Eclipse was foaled in 1764 the stud fee of his sire Marske was 52½ pence.
(This, amid several other points of interest concerning horse racing in the 18th century, has been gleaned from the 2011 book Eclipse by Nicholas Clee.)
(This, amid several other points of interest concerning horse racing in the 18th century, has been gleaned from the 2011 book Eclipse by Nicholas Clee.)
Ivano....one of HC's horses mentioned in Brough Scott's biography of the great man I'm currently reading....
Jockey Paddy Broderick is probably best known as the man aboard Night Nurse for his two Champion Hurdle wins. The horse also ended Broderick's career when falling in the 1978 Christmas Hurdle.
Broderick was always easy to spot in a race due to a riding style best described as eccentric but effective. He rode long in the stirrups with an upright stance and used a long rein, as evidenced by this video (1:06) which shows the 1977 Champion Hurdle from the third last.
Broderick was always easy to spot in a race due to a riding style best described as eccentric but effective. He rode long in the stirrups with an upright stance and used a long rein, as evidenced by this video (1:06) which shows the 1977 Champion Hurdle from the third last.
Kahyasi. 1998 Epsom and Irish Derby winner who was a success at stud siring over 55 grade stakes winners and was the damsire of Zarkava. In the year he died, 2008, he was the French champion broodmare sire ahead of Sadler's Wells.
Morny Wing, not a horse but a Yorkshire jockey, Mornington Albert Wing, who moved to Ireland in the early 1900s to, it is rumoured, avoid conscription in WWI. He was Irish champion jockey 9 times and holds the record for the highest number of wins in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Irish Derby and in all rode 23 Irish classics.
Oatlands Stakes - handicaps didn't feature in the racing calendar until the late 18th century. One of the first, if not the first, was the Oatlands Stakes run at Ascot in 1791.
The weight range was 9st 10lb down to 5st 3lb.
The race was won by the virtually unbacked 20/1 chance Baronet, a skinner for the book that left most punters wishing handicaps had never been invented in the first place.
The weight range was 9st 10lb down to 5st 3lb.
The race was won by the virtually unbacked 20/1 chance Baronet, a skinner for the book that left most punters wishing handicaps had never been invented in the first place.
HeadQuarters (or HQ) - Newmarket is often referred to as Headquarters. Appropriately enough the name comprises two parts of a horse's anatomy.
Sandown Park - another racecourse grandstand masquerading as an airport terminal in films.
Sandown played the role of Milwaukee airport in Love Actually and in Green Zone it filled in for Baghdad airport.
Sandown played the role of Milwaukee airport in Love Actually and in Green Zone it filled in for Baghdad airport.
Under 2 minutes. Only two horses have ever won the Kentucky Derby in such a time, Secretariat in 1973 and Monarchos in 2009, the former still holds the record.
W Six Times - good chaser trained by Michael Dickinson in the early 1980s.
Legend has it that before the horse was named the trainer sent a telegram to the owner saying, "Worked Well. Will Win. When Wanted". Hence W Six Times.
The story might even be true.
Legend has it that before the horse was named the trainer sent a telegram to the owner saying, "Worked Well. Will Win. When Wanted". Hence W Six Times.
The story might even be true.
Xaar. UK bred son of Zafonic who was the highest rated 2yo in 1997 in England and France. His pedigree has only one horse who appears more than once over 5 generations, Something Royal, who was the dam of Secretariat and Sir Gaylord who sired Sir Ivor and Habitat.
Yarmy....nickname of Steve Dyble, member of Henry Cecil team renowned for dealing with quirky horses
Arrrrr- yes someone named their horse this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0RSHFoRbiE
Bessone, Raymond - better known as 'Mr Teasy-Weasy', a celebrity hairdresser of the 1950s-1970s.
Owned 50% of two Grand National winners in Ayala (1963) and Rag Trade (1976).
Owned 50% of two Grand National winners in Ayala (1963) and Rag Trade (1976).
Ditta, Frederic - French jockey imprisoned for driving offences in November 2011. Allowed out 10 days later to ride La Segnora in a €175,000 hurdle race at Auteuil.
The horse won. Back in jail Ditta was placed into solitary confinement to protect him from fellow prisoners trying to extract money.from him in various nefarious ways.
The horse won. Back in jail Ditta was placed into solitary confinement to protect him from fellow prisoners trying to extract money.from him in various nefarious ways.
Ela-Mana-Mou. Higest rated European older horse in 1980 at 4 when he won the Prince of Wales, The Eclipse, the King George and ran 3rd in the Arc. His name translated from Greek means "come on my darling" and his best known son is Double Trigger.
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