Re:Throwback Thursday

I have decided to have a thread called Throwback Thursday like in social media where you can reflect on a racing event or something related to racing a few years back ideally with a photo or video.

My first Throwback Thursday is on a horse called Admiralty Arch who won the Gold Vase in 1992 beating Proud Pilgrim. I reflect to that race cos in the old winter season of the 1990's the Gold Vase was the last feature of the season run in the last Saturday of August. It was ridden by Robbie Hill and also had to survive an objection in order to keep the race. Other top horses to have won the race include the fillies Respectable (also ran third in the July in 1990) and Arcole, Art de Vivre and Milleverof (won the Gold Cup in 1995) amongst others.

Unfortunately dont have a pic or video to post. Hopefully my next Throwback will include a pic. Grrrrr.

Since its the Travers Stakes on Saturday, the last American Triple Crown winner before American Phoroah, Affirmed was beaten in the Travers Stakes by Aldyar in 1978 albeit on an objection. That was the year I was born

In Kelvin's bar, Big T, hangs a saddle cloth of Proud Pilgrim

naresh was admirality arch trained by the late Michael airey and owned by bill McGregor grandfather of the canoeist hank McGregor and proud pilgrim trained by alec laird?

pirates wrote: naresh was admirality arch trained by the late Michael airey and owned by bill McGregor grandfather of the canoeist hank McGregor and proud pilgrim trained by alec laird?

I was 14 years old at that time and I vaguely remember Admiralty Arch going to the front and wondering how can an objection be lodged for a horse that was in front not knowing the full rules at that time so I dont know why but Herman Brown keeps popping up has the trainer I could be wrong though. Proud Pilgrim was trained by Laird though.

Pirates can you recall a horse named, Sand, it also won the Gold Vase and raced with a peculiar head carriage.

naresh wrote: Pirates can you recall a horse named, Sand, it also won the Gold Vase and raced with a peculiar head carriage.

yes recall him im sure ricky mainguard trained it

Owned by the McGregor's and trained by Herman Brown in the 1992 Gold Vase.

I was at Newmarket and saw Sand when his first race. Was he first not trained by Syd Laird?

03 September 2015 - Throwback Thursday

Normally the first week or second week in September back in the 1990's saw the running of the OK Gold Bowl Trial. This filly Summer Line was one of my favorites horses back then won the OK Gold Bowl Trial if im not mistaken. In the Sprinting Races front there was a Sprint Handicap called Concor, and it was won by Taban, Goldmark and the famous Golden Loom.

Golden Loom




GOLDEN LOOM with his doting trainer Buddy Maroun

`Goofy’ was a superstar

With a top-class field lining up in the Computaform Sprint at Turffontein on Saturday, racing fans might cast their minds back to another great speedster who dominated this race more than a decade ago – Golden Loom. Mike Moon profiles a racing phenomenon.


GOLDEN LOOM twice won the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint; was second once and third twice.

The brilliant brown gelding was the king of speed on the Highveld in a golden age of sprinting. He raced for nine seasons and chalked up his final race victory at the ripe age of 10. In all, he had 78 starts, won 22 of them and was placed 37 times, for a stakes haul of R2.8-million.

Those are the bald statistics, and they’re amazing enough. But the story of Golden Loom is also a human one, featuring three brothers from the East Rand and an extraordinary racehorse trainer.

Raymond, Budwa and Michael Abrosie were born and bred in Benoni and moved a little closer to Johannesburg in 1975 when they bought The Executive, men’s outfitters in Bedfordview.

“We’d always been interested in racing,’’ observes Raymond. “And when we had enough money we decided to get into ownership, in 1978.’’

The brothers’ first horse was Mary Reid, who won a race for them and cemented their love of the game.

If Golden Loom was the horse in a million that would eventually change their lives, it was a modest purchase at the 1981 National Yearling Sale that was the foundation of all that glory.

The Abrosies paid R6,700 for Lumination, a filly bred by George Rowles from the stallion Silverware and the mare Lightning Girl. Trained by Denis Fisher, the filly won first time out in a juvenile Graduation Plate at Scottsville, breaking the 1000m course record.

Although plagued by injury, Lumination won another two races and was second in the SA Nursery and the Morris Lipschitz Memorial Plate.

The Abrosies decided to become breeders, sending Lumination to Zevenbergen Stud in Robertson when she was four.

Her first son was Majestic Light, who won five races, including a Listed race. Then there was Senor Smith, a seven-time winner; then Barberis, who notched up five successes.

World’s Best, foaled by Lumination in 1991, won three races and made a name as a broodmare herself, with every one of her progeny from 1998 onwards being a winner. Raymond and Budwa still own her and race her offspring.

But it was a colt, born in 1992, who was to be Lumination’s greatest legacy to SA racing. He was named Golden Loom by the tailoring brothers.

The Abrosies initially sent their youngster to Ormond Ferraris, but the timing wasn’t the best as the veteran trainer was then in the process of handing his yard over to son David.

Golden Loom had been sent to a spelling farm at Kyalami for gelding, pin-firing and blistering, and the Abrosies dispatched Buddy Maroun there to cast an eye over him.

The up-and-coming young trainer immediately took a liking to the horse and it was agreed that he would transfer to his yard, then at Randjesfontein.

It was there that Golden Loom was first dubbed “Goofy’’ by Buddy, due to his lovely temperament and laid-back demeanour.

His first public outing in 1996 was a racecourse orientation, and though he finished unplaced, eight lengths behind the winner, jockey Anton Marcus was impressed. His second outing was again earmarked as an experience-builder, but Golden Loom burst from the pack to finish second to star sprinter Divine Force. It was third time lucky as he won his next start at odds-on.

That was the start of five wins on the trot, a run in which Golden Loom beat the champion sprinter of the day, Tommy Hotspur.

“Actually, Golden Loom campaigned through a golden age of sprinting, with all of Jet Master, Divine Force, Harry’s Charm, Noble Thatch, Turbo Star and other brilliant horses competing against him,’’ remembers Budwa.

“His first big win was in 1997, in the Grade 2 Concor Technicrete Spring Handicap,” says Raymond. “Over the next two years he raced 36 times and was always in the first three places.’’

In the 1997 season, Buddy took his star to the demanding uphill finish at Scottsville – regarded as the true test of a good sprinter – and he ran second in the Grade 1 Golden Spur. The next year he was third. Then, in 2001, he won the race and the undimmed admiration of all racing experts. Just for good measure, he clocked up another third in 2003.

Inevitably, the handicapper piled on the weight. But it didn’t stop the brown bomber. “He was carrying weights in Top division handicaps that horses hadn’t carried in Joburg for 50 years,’’ notes Raymond. “He carried 65kg to win a few races, including the Listed Syd Laird Handicap.’’

His first Grade 1 Computaform Sprint victory came in 1998 over the 1000m of the old Gosforth Park track. It was a repeat performance the next year.

“We hosted hundreds of people at Germiston for those Computaform Sprint days,’’ says Budwa. “The excitement was unbelievable; by then Golden Loom had caught the public imagination. We turned them into charity days for the Maronite Catholic Church, taking over the old stewards’ enclosure. Those were wonderful days.’’

It was almost seven years to the day after his Maiden Plate win that Golden Loom landed his 22nd, and final victory. He was 10 years old when he claimed the Grade 3 Senor Santa Handicap over the Turffontein 1200m.

Although he raced, and placed, after that, Buddy Maroun noticed that the old fellow was losing interest in racing and it was decided to retire him.

Anton Marcus rode him to 12 of his wins, Rhys van Wyk to six, Sherman Brown to two, and Piere Strydom and Guillermo Figueroa to one each.

“Golden Loom gave us the times of our lives in racing,’’ says Raymond. “We were immensely privileged. Such horses come to very few people – anywhere in the world.’’

Indeed, one can only wonder at the odds of owners who’d never had more than three horses in training and had just one broodmare chancing on a champion like that.

But the Abrosies are quick to give most of the credit to Buddy Maroun.

“We just had out name on the horse. He was really Buddy’s, the apple of his eye. Without Buddy he would never have done what he did,’’ says Budwa.

Buddy Maroun came from a prominent Joburg horseracing family and learnt his trade in the stables of his trainer father, Robert.

There, he and Robert evolved a theory of training that drew scepticism – but was enormously successful. The notable feature of Buddy’s method was running horses frequently. Week in and week out the “Maroun army’’ of sprinters would put best hooves forward on racedays.

And while rivals couldn’t quite fathom it, his horses generally stayed sound and enjoyed racing into advanced age – Golden Loom being a prime example.

Totally engrossed in his craft and eschewing racing politics, Buddy set up a private facility at Putfontein, laying down tracks with special grit and always insisting on driving the harrowing tractor himself.

Though he’d never been a jockey, he rode most of his string in work, often exercising more than 40 horses of a morning. And he did his own hooves and shoeing.

“Golden Loom wasn’t the soundest,’’ recalls Budwa. “But Buddy kept him racing, which wouldn’t have happened with any other trainer. He’d spend four to six hours working on Goofy’s feet, fitting shoes to keep him sound.’’

Just like Golden Loom, Buddy Maroun came to be known as the “Sprint King’’ of the Highveld. He developed a legion of horses into top-grade speedsters – Geordoba, Fov’s Favourite, Al Nitak, All Will Be Well, among many others.

The racing world was devastated when Buddy died suddenly three years ago from infection to a minor wound while on a horse-buying trip to Argentina.

Golden Loom outlived his best friend.

After enjoying his retirement years on a farm at Kyalami, Goofy died in 2010 at the age of 18. He was euthanized after injuring himself in a romp with his paddock companion.

He is fondly remembered by the racing public, many of whom used to send the Abrosies fan mail. One fan wrote poems in his honour. Another regular correspondent was presented with a special “Goofy’’ tie by the outfitters.

The stylish Executive outlet in the Bedford Centre has its walls dotted with framed photos of Golden Loom’s greatest triumphs. In pride of place in the shop’s office boardroom is a large painting of the great horse.

Throwback Thursday 10 September 2015

Since it is St Leger week, the Throwback Thursday goes back to 1970 when Nijinsky was the last horse to win the "English Triple Crown".





[hr]
[]Nijinsky[/]



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sire Northern Dancer
Grandsire Nearctic
Dam Flaming Page
Damsire Bull Page
Sex Stallion


Last updated on 20 July 2011
Nijinsky (21 February 1967 – 15 April 1992), usually known in the United States as Nijinsky II, was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the outstanding two-year-old in Europe in 1969 when he was unbeaten in five races. In the following season he became the first horse for thirty-five years to win the English Triple Crown.

He was also historically important for establishing the international reputation of his sire Northern Dancer. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the Leading broodmare sire in North America.

Contents

1 Background
2 Racing career
2.1 1969: two-year-old season
2.2 1970: three-year-old season
2.2.1 Spring
2.2.2 Summer
2.2.3 Autumn
3 Assessment and honours
4 Stud record
5 Pedigree

Nijinsky, a bay horse with a white star and three white feet, was bred at E. P. Taylor's Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He was from the second crop of foals sired by Northern Dancer, the winner of the 1964 Kentucky Derby who went on to become one of the most influential sires of the 20th century. His dam, Flaming Page, by Bull Page, was a highly successful racemare, winning the 1962 Queen's Plate. At stud, she produced only two other foals, but one of these was Fleur, who produced the 1977 Epsom Derby winner The Minstrel.[1] Nijinsky was a big, powerful horse standing 16.3 hands (67 inches, 170 cm) high, resembling his dam rather than his sire in stature.[2]

He was offered for sale at the Windfields Farm's annual yearling auction where he was bought for $84,000 by the American minerals magnate and industrialist Charles W. Engelhard, Jr., acting on the advice of the Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien. It was Engelhard's wife Jane who decided that the colt should be named after the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.[3] Nijinsky was shipped to Ireland, where he was trained by O'Brien at Ballydoyle, County Tipperary.

Racing career[edit]
1969: two-year-old season[edit]
Nijinsky's first four races were all at the Curragh. In June he started at odds of 4/11 and won a six furlong maiden race by half a length. He followed up with easy wins in the Anglesey Stakes and the Railway Stakes. On his fourth appearance he was extended for the first time in the Beresford Stakes. He won decisively from Decies, a colt who went on to win the Irish 2000 Guineas in 1970. Having proved himself the best of the Irish two-year-olds, he was sent to England in October to contest the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Ridden for the first time by Lester Piggott he was held up at the back of the six horse field before moving through to take the lead inside the final furlong. He was an easy and impressive winner, earning himself top rating in the British Free Handicap.[4][5]

1970: three-year-old season[edit]
Spring[edit]
On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Nijinsky won his prep race by beating Deep Run[6] in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh in April and was then sent back to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas over one mile. He started the 4/7 favourite against thirteen opponents. Nijinsky took the lead two furlongs from the finish, and without being put under any pressure by Piggott,[7] he pulled clear to win by two and a half lengths from Yellow God.

Summer[edit]
Nijinsky's opposition in the Derby at Epsom was stronger and he started at odds of 11/8. His rivals were headed by the French-trained colt Gyr.[8] The veteran French trainer Etienne Pollet had delayed his retirement for a year to guide Gyr, a son of his champion Sea-Bird, through his three-year-old season.[4] Nijinsky was held up by Piggott as usual before moving forward in the straight by which time Gyr was in front and moving clear. Two furlongs from the finish Piggott was forced to use his whip on Nijinsky. The favourite responded immediately, catching Gyr in a few strides and then pulling ahead to win by two and a half lengths. The winning time of 2:34.68 was the fastest Epsom Derby since 1936.[9] Piggott claimed that he was "always cantering" while Bill Williamson, who rode Gyr said that "Nijinsky was just too good."[10]

On 27 June Nijinsky followed up his Epsom win by taking the Irish Derby at the Curragh. Ridden by Liam Ward, he started at odds of 4/11 and produced impressive late acceleration to win by three lengths from Meadowville.[11] In July, Nijinsky raced against older horses for the first time in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. His five opponents included winners of major races including Blakeney (1969 Epsom Derby), Karabas (Washington, D.C. International Stakes), Crepellana (Prix de Diane) and Caliban (Coronation Cup). Without having to be extended, Nijinsky moved through to take the lead a furlong from the finish and won by two lengths from Blakeney despite being eased down to a canter in the closing stages.[12]

In August, Nijinsky contacted ringworm,[13] which delayed his training schedule.

Autumn[edit]
Nijinsky appeared to recover fully after being placed on a "rich" diet including raw eggs and Irish Stout,[14] and was sent to Doncaster for the St. Leger in September. In the one mile and six furlongs race, he was attempting to become the first horse since Bahram 35 years earlier to complete the English Triple Crown. He started the 2/7 favourite and won comfortably,[15] although his margin of victory over Meadowville was only one length. As of 2014, he is the last horse to accomplish the feat of sweeping the English Triple Crown: since 1970 only Reference Point (1987), Nashwan (1989), Sea The Stars (2009) and Camelot (2012) have won two of the three races, but Oh So Sharp won the filly's version of the Triple Crown in 1985.

In his next race, Nijinsky was sent to France for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris in October. Piggott produced Nijinsky in the straight to make his challenge on the wide outside and 150m from the finish he caught the front runners Miss Dan and Sassafras and took a slight lead. In the last strides however, Nijinsky appeared to veer left away from Piggott's whip,[16] and Sassafras, ridden by Yves Saint-Martin, produced a renewed effort to regain the advantage and win by a head. While some felt that Piggott had given Nijinsky too much ground to make up and had left his challenge too late,[17] the jockey responded by saying that in his opinion Nijinsky was past his peak for the year.[18]

Less than two weeks after his defeat in the Arc, Nijinsky ran his last race in the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Newmarket. Although he had been known to sweat freely before some of his previous races, Nijinsky on this occasion appeared to become particularly nervous and anxious before the start. In the race itself he ran well below his best form and was beaten 3/4 length at odds of 4/11 by the five-year-old English horse Lorenzaccio.[19] O'Brien on this occasion concurred with Piggott, saying that Nijinsky appeared to have "lost his fire."[18] Nijinsky was retired to stand at stud at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky having been syndicated in August for $5,440,000.[20]

Assessment and honours[edit]
Nijinsky was given a rating of 138 by Timeform, the second highest for a winner of the Epsom Derby up to that time.[21] He was Timeform's Horse of the Year for 1970. Nijinsky was also voted British Horse of the Year by the Racecourse Association, gaining 38 of the 40 votes.[22] In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Nijinsky as a "great" Derby winner and the best Irish racehorse of the 20th Century.[23] Vincent O'Brien named Nijinsky and Sir Ivor as the best horses he had trained, placing Nijinsky first "for brilliance."[24]

In 1970, a film was made about his racing career entitled A Horse Called Nijinsky. Narrated by Orson Welles, it was released in British cinemas and in 1988 released on VHS video.[25] The Nijinsky team also was voted the 1970 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award.[26] In a poll in 2000, readers of the UK newspaper The Sun voted Nijinsky their "Horse of the Millennium."[27] Among the more unusual tributes, a Cabernet Sauvignon wine[28] and a variety of winter wheat[29] have been named in Nijinsky's honour. A bronze statue of him stands at Ballydoyle.[30][31]

Stud record[edit]
Having been sent to stand at stud in the United States, he was registered there as Nijinsky II.

Nijinsky II sired 155 Stakes/Group winners, and is the only sire to have a winner of the Kentucky and Epsom Derbies in the same year. His notable progeny includes:

Caerleon – Three-Year-Old Champion Colt in France, won the Group One Prix du Jockey Club and International Stakes, Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland (1988, 1991)
Dancing Spree – won 1989 Breeders' Cup Sprint, Suburban Handicap, Carter Handicap, True North Handicap, Churchill Downs Handicap, Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship
Ferdinand – 1986 Kentucky Derby & 1987 Breeders' Cup Classic, United States Horse of the Year
Golden Fleece – won 1982 Epsom Derby, undefeated Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in England & Ireland
Green Dancer – won 1974 Futurity Stakes, 1975 Prix Lupin, Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Leading sire in France in 1991
Ile de Bourbon – won 1978 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Kings Lake - won 1981 Irish 2000 Guineas, Sussex Stakes and Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes
Lammtarra – undefeated, won 1995 Epsom Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Niniski - won 1979 Irish St Leger, Prix Royal Oak
Royal Academy – won July Cup and Breeders' Cup Mile, sired Bullish Luck, Val Royal, and Bel Esprit,sire of Black Caviar
Seattle Dancer – in 1985 the world's most expensive yearling, selling for US$13.1 million[32]
Shadeed – won 1985 2,000 Guineas, sired Alydeed
Shahrastani – won 1986 Epsom Derby, Irish Derby
Sky Classic – Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, US Eclipse Award winner
Solford – winner of the 1983 Eclipse Stakes
Nijinsky was euthanised in April 1992 as a result of "the infirmities of old age"[5] after suffering from laminitis since 1985.[33] He is buried at Claiborne Farm.[34]


Foaled 21 February 1967
Country Canada
Colour Bay
Breeder Windfields Farm
Owner Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
Trainer Vincent O'Brien
Record 13: 11–2–0
Earnings $677,177
Major wins
Railway Stakes (1969)
Anglesey Stakes (1969)
Beresford Stakes (1969)
Dewhurst Stakes (1969)
Gladness Stakes (1970)
2,000 Guineas (1970)
Epsom Derby (1970)
Irish Derby (1970)
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1970)
St. Leger Stakes (1970)
Awards
15th UK Triple Crown Champion (1970)
Timeform Horse of the Year (1970)
British Horse of the Year (1970)
Leading sire in GB & Ireland (1986)
North American leading broodmare sire (1993 & 1994)
Honours
1970 Motion Picture – A Horse Called Nijinsky
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1976)
Sun newspaper – Horse of the Millennium
Nijinsky Stakes (Canada)
Nijinsky Stakes (Ireland)

Throwback Thursday 01 October 2015

Since its the Arc on Sunday, my Throwback goes to a dual undefeated Arc winner Ribot who won the Arc in 1955 and 1956. My profile pic on ABC from the inception has been this undisputed champion. Interestingly Lester Piggot names Ribot has the second best horse he has seen race. From all the horses that I have read about Ribot has me in awe. Criquette who trains Treve, first Arc winner Three Troikas was bred by a South African Artur Pfaff in 1979. I will try to post links later, having a hectic day.