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John Porter Stakes
The John Porter Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs () at Newbury in April. History The event is named after John Porter (1838–1922), a successful horse trainer who co-founded Newbury Racecourse. The race was established in 1928, and it was originally held in late September. It was initially restricted to three-year-olds and run over 1 mile and 5 furlongs. It was opened to four-year-olds in 1929, and cut to 1¼ miles in 1936. The present version of the John Porter Stakes was introduced in 1949. From this point it was staged in April, and contested by older horses over 1½ miles. The John Porter Stakes is currently sponsored by Dubai Duty Free. Its sponsored title promotes the company's Finest Surprise lottery. Records Most successful horse: * ''no horse has won this ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the Lockinge Stakes. History The racecourse held its first race meeting on 26/27 September 1905 at its current location, in the Greenham area on the south-east side of Newbury, West Berkshire. The first recorded racing at Newbury took place in 1805 with "Newbury Races", an annual two-day race meeting at Enborne Heath. The meeting lasted until 1811 when it transferred to Woodhay Heath until 1815. Newbury Racecourse didn't come into existence for another 90 years when Kingsclere trainer, John Porter proposed a new racecourse at Newbury. The Jockey Club had laid down strict qualifications for new racecourses and after Porter's plans were rejected several times, a chance meeting with King Edward VII brought about a further applic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Jarvis
Michael Jarvis (14 August 1938 – 20 September 2011) was a Thoroughbred horse trainer in England. Based in Newmarket, Jarvis trained numerous Group One winners including three winners of the British Haydock Sprint Cup. Jarvis's horses also won important races in Ireland, Germany and Italy. He kept approximately 80 horses in training, and his main jockey was Philip Robinson. Jarvis's career spanned almost 40 years from his first win at the top-rated Haydock Sprint Cup in 1969 to his 2007 win of the Italian Premio Roma. He announced his decision to retire on 22 February 2011 with almost immediate effect, handing over the yard to his long-time assistant Roger Varian. This was due to ill health – Jarvis had undergone surgery for a heart condition and was also suffering from prostate cancer, and said in the months running up to his retirement that his health had deteriorated. He died on 20 September 2011 at the age of 73. Major wins France * Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niniski
Niniski (15 February 1976 – November 1998) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from October 1978 until October 1980, he ran fourteen times and won six races. After showing some promise in his early races he emerged as a top-class stayer in the autumn on 1979, winning the Geoffrey Freer Stakes, Irish St. Leger and Prix Royal-Oak. In the spring of 1981 he won the John Porter Stakes and the Ormonde Stakes but was beaten in his three remaining races. He was retired to stud where he became a very successful breeding stallion. Background Niniski was a bay horse with a white blaze and three white socks, bred in Kentucky by Caper Hill Farm Inc. Niniski was sired by Nijinsky, the Canadian-bred winner of the English Triple Crown in 1970 who went on to become an important breeding stallion, siring horses such as Ferdinand, Lammtarra, Sky Classic and Shahrastani. Niniski's dam Virginia Hills was a granddaughter of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paddy Prendergast (racehorse Trainer)
Patrick Joseph Prendergast (1910–1980), known as Paddy "Darkie" Prendergast was an Irish trainer of racehorses. He won seventeen Irish classics and became the first Irish trainer to have a major impact on British flat racing. He trained the first Irish winners of the 2000 Guineas and The Oaks and was British champion trainer for three successive seasons. Early career Paddy Prendergast was born at Carlow in County Carlow, the eldest of a brotherhood of jockeys, but moved to Athy in County Kildare when very young. His father, Pat, was a horse trader and was known "as a good judge of hunters and other breeds". He was apprenticed to Roderic More O'Ferrall at Kildangan, County Kildare, but soon moved to Epsom where he rode under both rules but principally National Hunt. In August 1931 with his young bride he moved to Melbourne and obtained a licence to ride the following month. Their eldest son was born in Australia but though he rode there for a year he failed to ride any win ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christy Roche
Christy Roche (born 3 December 1949 in Bansha, County Tipperary) is a retired Irish flat racing Champion Jockey and racehorse trainer. Over his thirty-year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Irish Derby three times, in 1982, 1992 and 1997. His 1997 victory was on Desert King. In Britain he won the Epsom Derby on Secreto in 1984 and the Epsom Oaks on Jet Ski Lady in 1991. By the time of his retirement as a jockey Roche had already begun a career as a trainer. Amongst the major winners he trained were Like-A-Butterfly in the 2002 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Grimes in the 2001 Galway Plate. He retired as a trainer in January 2018 and handed over his training licence to his son, Padraig. Major wins (as a jockey) Great Britain * Derby Stakes - '' Secreto (1984)'' * Fillies' Mile - ''Icing (1975)'' * International Stakes - ''Ivory Frontier (1993)'' * Oaks Stakes - '' Jet Ski Lady (1991)'' * William Hill Futurity - '' Sandy Creek (1978)'' * Yorkshire Oaks - ''Sarah S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toby Balding
Gerald Barnard Balding Jr. OBE (23 September 1936 – 25 September 2014), known as Toby Balding, was a British racehorse trainer, one of the few to have won the "big three" British jump races—the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. Biography He was born in the United States where his father, Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr., ran a polo team. The family returned to the UK in 1945 and Toby was educated at Marlborough College. His brother, Ian Balding, also a retired trainer, trained Mill Reef to win the Epsom Derby. TV presenter Clare Balding is his niece and trainer Andrew Balding his nephew. He achieved success with both flat and National Hunt horses. He first began training in 1956, aged 19, and his first winners were Bower Chalk at Ascot Racecourse on the flat and The Quiet Man at Wincanton Racecourse over jumps. In 1969, Balding won his first Grand National with Highland Wedding, following up twenty years later with the gelding Little Polveir. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeremy Tree
Arthur Jeremy Tree (21 December 1925 – 7 March 1993) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Background Born into a prominent London family, Tree was always known by his middle name, Jeremy. His father was Ronald Tree, an American-born British journalist, investor and Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Harborough in Leicestershire. His mother, Nancy Lancaster, was a niece of the MP Nancy Astor, through whom young Jeremy would be introduced to the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Jeremy Tree was a paternal half-brother of the model Penelope Tree and full-brother of Michael Lambert Tree. Racing career Jeremy Tree embarked on a career in racing in 1947 after inheriting the bloodstock of his uncle, Peter Beatty, and initially worked as assistant to the trainer Richard Warden. He began training on his own at Newmarket Racecourse in 1952, then the following year relocated to stables at Beckhampton, Wiltshire. He won his first Classic in 1963 when Only for Lif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quiet Fling
Quiet Fling (foaled 1972) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After finishing second on his only start as a two-year-old he developed into a high-class stayer in the following year when he won two handicap races and finished second in the Irish St. Leger. In 1976 he won the John Porter Stakes and then recorded his biggest win in the Coronation Cup. He failed to win in five subsequent races and was retired to stud at the end of the 1977 season. He had limited success as a breeding stallion. Background Quiet Fling was a "big, tall, rangy" bay horse, with a white star and snip and three white socks bred in Kentucky by his owner John Hay "Jock" Whitney. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Nijinsky, the Canadian-bred winner of the 1970 English Triple Crown. Nijinsky went on to become an important breeding stallion, siring horses such as Ferdinand, Lammtarra, Sky Classic and Shahrastani. Quiet Fling's dam Peace showed good racing ability ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Willie Carson
William Fisher Hunter Carson, OBE (born 16 November 1942) is a retired jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. Life and career Best known as "Willie", Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland in 1942. He was apprenticed to Captain Gerald Armstrong at his stables at Tupgill, North Yorkshire. His first winner in Britain was Pinker's Pond in a seven-furlong apprentice handicap at Catterick Bridge Racecourse on 19 July 1962. He was British Champion Jockey five times (1972, 1973, 1978, 1980 and 1983), won 17 British Classic Races, and passed 100 winners in a season 23 times for a total of 3,828 wins, making him the fourth most successful jockey in Great Britain. Willie Carson's best season as a jockey came in 1990 when he rode 187 winners. This included riding six winners at Newcastle Racecourse on 30 June, making Carson one of only four jockeys to ride six winners at one meeting during the 20th century. However, he came second in the 1990 jockeys' champ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Wragg
Harry Wragg (10 June 1902 – 20 October 1985) was a British jockey and racehorse trainer, who gained the nickname "The Head Waiter" due to his "come from behind" riding style. In a 27-year riding career, Wragg rode over 1700 winners in Britain and Ireland, including three victories in The Derby and ten in other British Classic Races. He then embarked on a successful 36-year training career, in which he trained many important winners including five more classics. He retired in 1982 and died three years later. Background and family Harry Wragg was born on 10 June 1902 at Sheffield in Yorkshire. Although his family had no direct links with horse racing, Wragg's father, Arthur, had had some success as an amateur boxer and athlete. Two of Wragg's younger brothers became successful jockeys: Sam Wragg (1909–83) won three classics including the Derby on Pont l'Eveque, while Arthur Wragg (1912–54) finished sixth in the jockey's championship in 1944. Riding career Wragg took up ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time and the originator of a much imitated style. Popularly called "The Long Fellow", he was known for his competitive personality, restricting his weight and, on occasion, not sparing the whip, such as in the 1972 Derby. Piggott was convicted of tax fraud in 1987 and sentenced to three years in prison. He served just over one year. Early life Piggott was born in Wantage, Berkshire, to a family that could trace its roots as jockeys and trainers back to the 18th century.p45, David Boyd, A Bibliographical Dictionary of Racehorse Trainers in Berkshire 1850–1939 (1998) The Piggotts were a Cheshire farming family who from the 1870s ran the Crown Inn in Nantwich for over 30 years. Piggott's grandfather, Ernest P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry Hills
Barry Hills (born 2 April 1937) is a retired British thoroughbred horse trainer. He lives in Lambourn, England. Biography Barry Hills had three sons in his first marriage, to Maureen Newson: John, Michael, and Richard. John (died 2014) was a horse trainer, while the twins Michael and Richard are retired jockeys both of whom are still active in the horse racing industry, After his divorce, he married Penny Hills, and had two more sons, Charles and George. Charles is a current trainer and George provides bloodstock insurance in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Career In the mid-1950s, Barry Hills was an apprentice jockey to, among others, Fred Rimell. In 1959, he was the head lad of John Oxley. In 1969, he acquired a horse training license and began training horses at South Bank Stables in Lambourn. In 1986, he moved to Robert Sangster's Manton Yard where he remained until 1990, when he moved back to South Bank. By the end of 2000, he had trained 2166 winning horses in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
