- Ormonde (horse)
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Ormonde 
Sire Bend Or Grandsire Doncaster (1870) Dam Lily Agnes Damsire Macaroni Sex Stallion Foaled 1883 Country Great Britain Colour Bay Breeder 1st Duke of Westminster Owner 1st Duke of Westminster Trainer John Porter Record 16: Undefeated Earnings ₤28,465[1] $142,325 Major wins Dewhurst Stakes (1885)
2,000 Guineas (1886)
Epsom Derby (1886)
St. Leger Stakes (1886)
St. James's Palace Stakes (1886)
Champion Stakes (1886)
Hardwicke Stakes (1886 & 1887)
Imperial Gold Cup (1887)Awards 4th U.K. Triple Crown Champion Honours Ormonde Stakes at Chester Racecourse Horse (Equus ferus caballus) Last updated on 19 May 2009 Ormonde (1883-1904) was an English Thoroughbred racehorse, an unbeaten Triple Crown winner, generally considered to be one of the greatest racehorses ever.
Contents
Breeding
He was a bay colt, foaled in 1883 at Eaton Stud in Cheshire. Ormonde's sire was the Epsom Derby winner Bend Or, while his dam, Lily Agnes, was sired by another Derby winner, Macaroni. Ormonde was a brother to Ornament who produced the outstanding Sceptre, the only racehorse to win four British Classic Races outright.[2]
Racing record
Ormonde was trained at Kingsclere by John Porter for the 1st Duke of Westminster. As a two-year-old, Ormonde did not race until the end of the season when he won the Post Stakes, the Criterion Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes in quick succession.
At three he won firstly the 2,000 Guineas, defeating the strongly fancied and previously unbeaten Minting. He went on to beat The Bard (also previously undefeated) in the Epsom Derby and followed up by winning the St. James's Palace Stakes and the Hardwicke Stakes, both at Ascot Racecourse, and then completed the Triple Crown by winning the Doncaster St. Leger Stakes in a canter. He ended a triumphant season with wins in the Great Foal Stakes, the Champion Stakes, the Free Handicap and a walkover in a Private Sweepstakes. Throughout the season his breathing had become progressively louder until he was labelled a roarer.[1]
Despite fears that his career might be over he came out at four with an easy win in the Rous Memorial Stakes at Ascot. The very next day in the Hardwicke Stakes he was made to struggle for the first time and only beat Minting by a neck - his breathing now so loud that it was heard all over the racecourse. His final race was the Imperial Gold Cup at Newmarket.
Stud record
Ormonde went to the Duke of Westminster's stud in 1888. He was then moved to Newmarket, became sick and had reduced fertility, but he produced Orme, sire of another Triple Crown winner, Flying Fox. When he was six Ormonde was sold for ₤12,000 and exported to Argentina.[3] Sold again in 1893, by his Argentinian owner, for ₤31,250 he was sent to California where he sired 16 offspring,[1] including Ormondale who sired Purchase. He died in 1904 at age 21 at Rancho Wikiup in Santa Rosa, California. His disarticulated skeleton/skull were later returned to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London.[4]
His male line survives through Ajax, Flying Fox, Orby, Orme and Teddy.[5]
Ormonde may have been the model for the fictional horse Silver Blaze in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story of the same name.
Tabulated pedigree
Pedigree of Ormonde, bay stallion, 1883 Sire
Bend Or
1877Doncaster
1870Stockwell The Baron Pocahontas Marigold Teddington Ratan Mare Rouge Rose
1865Thormanby Windhound Alice Hawthorn Ellen Horne Redshank Delhi Dam
Lily Agnes
1871Macaroni
1860Sweetmeat Gladiator Lollypop Jocose Pantaloon Banter Polly Agnes
1865The Cure Physician Morsel Miss Agnes Birdcatcher Agnes (Family: 16-h) See also
- List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
References
- ^ a b c Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
- ^ Leicester, Charles (1969). Bloodstock Breeding. London: J.A. Allen & Co.
- ^ Pryor, Peter (1979). The Classic Connection. Luton: Cortney Publications.
- ^ "MUTUAL'S LOSS IN BRITAIN.; Confidence in All American Life Insurance Companies Shaken". The New York Times. 23 June 1906. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D0DE7DB1231E733A25750C2A9609C946797D6CF.
- ^ Craig, Dennis (1964). Breeding Racehorses from Cluster Mares. London: J A Allen.
- Article, "Ormonde was Silver Blaze"
- Bend Or at Thoroughbred Heritage.com
- Ormonde at Thoroughbred Heritage.com
External links
Categories:- 1883 racehorse births
- 1904 racehorse deaths
- Thoroughbred racehorses
- Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
- Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
- Epsom Derby winners
- Undefeated racehorses
- Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winners
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