Category: Big Races

How many times did Sir Henry Cecil win the 2,000 Guineas?

The late Sir Henry Cecil, who died of cancer aged 70 in June, 2013, was one of the most successful trainers in the history of British Flat racing. After working as assistant trainer to his stepfather, Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, Cecil took out a training licence in his own right in 1969. He won the first of his 25 British Classics with Bolkonski, ridden by Gianfranco Dettori, father of Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori, in the 2,000 Guineas in 1975 and the second with Wollow, ridden by the same jockey, in the same race in 1976.

Cecil won the Flat Trainers’ Championship ten times between 1976 and 1993 but, thereafter, suffered a truly monumental fall from grace. The death of several influential owners and a public disagreement with Sheikh Mohammed led to his once-powerful string dwindling away and, for many years, success at the highest level became the exception, rather than the rule. Indeed, Cecil owed his survival in the training ranks to the loyalty of Khalid Abdullah, owner of Juddmonte Farms.

It was only fitting that, in 2011, Frankel, bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Cecil, produced one of the greatest performances ever seen on a British racecourse when making all to win the 2,000 Guineas by six lengths. His third win in the Newmarket Classic propelled Cecil back to the top of his profession and he went on to enjoy his most successful season for a decade; he was knighted for services to horse racing in the Queen’s Birthday Honours that year.

Which were the top five Derby winners, according to Timeform?

Which were the top five Derby winners, according to Timeform? Timeform ratings first appeared in ‘Racehorses of 1947’, published in 1948, and ever since have provided a matter-of-fact means of comparing racehorses from different generations. Of course, it can be argued that ratings of any description, Timeform or otherwise, are simply a matter of opinion, but the findings make for interesting reading all the same.

According to Timeform, Sea-Bird (145), who won the Derby on his only start in Britain, in 1965, remains the second highest-rated Flat horse since World War II, behind only Frankel (147). Trained in France by Etienne Pollett and ridden by Australian jockey Pat Glennon, Sea-Bird justified favouritism at Epsom in effortless fashion, beating subsequent Irish Derby winner Meadow Court by two lengths, despite being heavily eased in the closing stages.

The 1971 Derby winner Mill Reef (141) was beaten by Brigadier Gerard in the 2,000 Guineas, but proved himself the outstanding middle-distance horse of his generation by also winning the Coral-Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Trained by Ian Badling and ridden by Geoff Lewis, Mill Reef travelled enthusiastically at Epsom and could be called the winner some way from home; at the line, he had two lengths to spare over Linden Tree.

Shergar (140) and Sea The Stars (140) share third place on the all-time list, according to Timeform. In 1981, Shergar, trained by Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn, was sent off the shortest-priced Derby favourite since Sir Ivor in 1968. He turned Tattenham Corner still firmly on the bridle and stretched clear to win, eased down, by a record ten lengths. In 2009, Sea The Stars – who never won any race by more than 2½ lengths – was more workmanlike in his comfortable, 1¾-length defeat of Fame And Glory in the Derby. Nonetheless, he was described, quite rightly, as ‘one of the greats’ by winning jockey Mick Kinane immediately afterwards.

Likewise, Reference Point (139) and Generous (139) share fifth place. Trained by Henry Cecil and ridden by Steve Cauthen, Reference Point was sent off 6/4 favourite for the 1987 Derby and made most of the running, eventually coming home 1½ lengths ahead of Most Welcome in a course record time. Four years later, Generous, trained by Paul Cole and ridden by Alan Munro, was only fifth choice in the betting market, at 9/1, but was always travelling strongly and stormed clear to win by five lengths and seven from Marju and Star Of Gdansk.

 

Who rode Harbinger in the King George?

According to Timeform, Harbinger remains the co-eighth highest rated Flat horse since ratings were first published in 1948. Indeed, his Timeform Annual Rating of 140 – albeit adjudged, effectively, on just race – was the equivalent of that achieved by Shergar, Dancing Brave and Shergar.

A son of Dansili, whose progeny typically progess extremely well, Harbinger won two of his five starts as a 3-year-old, including the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, but did not reach the peak of his powers until his 4-year-old campaign, in 2010. That season, he reappeared with an impressive, 3-length win in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury, followed up in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester and completed a hat-trick in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having been ridden, exclusively, by Ryan Moore on his first eight starts, Harbinger was passed over by his regular jockey on his first attempt at Group 1 level, in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Perhaps understandably, Moore, who chose to ride his Derby-winning stable companion, Workforce, instead, with French jockey Olivier Peslier picking up the spare ride on Harbinger.

Some ‘spare’ it proved, too. Sent off at 4/1 second favourite behind Workforce, Harbinger was held up fourth of the six runners in the early stages, but was travelling best of all turning for home and when he ranged alongside his toiling rivals at the two-furlong marker the race was all but over. In the closing stages, he cruised clear to beat the Irish Derby winner, Cape Blanco by a record 11 lengths.

 

Has the Lockinge Stakes always been a Group One race?

Nowadays, the Lockinge Stakes, run over a mile at Newbury in May, is a Group One race open to four-year-olds and older horses. However, that has not always been the case. The Lockinge Stakes was established in 1958 and for much of its existence was open to three-year-olds. Indeed, the inaugural winner, Pall Mall, was a three-year-old owned by Queen Elizabeth II and trained by Cecil Boyd-Rochfort

Following the introduction of the European Pattern in 1971, the Lockinge Stakes was assigned Group Two status but, based on a rolling three-year average of the ratings of the first four finishers, was downgraded to Group Three status in 1983, before being upgraded again in 1985. In 1995, the race was upgraded again, to Group One status, and closed to three-year-olds.

Since the inauguration of the British Champion Series, in 2011, the Lockinge Stakes has been the second race of the season in the Mile category, which starts with the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and ends with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. The most notable recent winner was undoubtedly Frankel, who cruised to a 5-length victory, at odds of 2/7, in 2012.

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