Sarah Siddons (horse)
Sarah Siddons (6 May 1973 – 2000) was a French-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. She was a well-bred mare, being descended from a half-sister of the outstanding Irish racehorse Ragusa. As a two-year-old in 1975 she showed promise when winning her only race of the season. In the following year she was rated the best three-year-old filly trained in the British Isles in a division which was otherwise dominated by French-trained horses. She recorded Group One wins in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Yorkshire Oaks, as well as finishing second to Lagunette in both the Irish Oaks and the Prix Vermeille. She failed to win as a four-year-old, but became a very successful broodmare. Background Sarah Siddons was a "strong, lengthy, attractive" bay mare with a white star bred in France by her owner, Meg Mullion's Ardenode Stud. Her sire was the Seamus McGrath-owned Le Levanstell, who won the Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1961 before a successful stud care ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Levmoss
Levmoss (1965–1977) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse whose career lasted from 1967 to 1969. He was the leading stayer in Europe in 1969, when he won the premier long-distance races in England (Ascot Gold Cup) and France (Prix du Cadran). In October of that year he moved down to middle distances to win Europe's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Background Levmoss was a bay horse bred in Ireland by the McGrath Trust Company, a family breeding organisation headed by Joseph McGrath. His sire was the McGrath-owned Le Levanstell, who won the Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1961 before a successful stud career. Levmoss's dam, Feemoss came from a strong staying family, being a daughter of the Yorkshire Oaks winner Feevagh and a half-sister of the Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Laurence O. After, Levmoss, Feemoss went on to produce the Prix de Diane winner Sweet Mimosa and the champion stayer Le Moss. Racing career Early care ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse -- usually referred to as simply the Curragh -- is one of Ireland's most important Thoroughbred racecourses. It is situated on the Curragh plain in County Kildare, between the towns of Newbridge and Kildare. History The name "Curragh" comes from the Irish language word ''Cuirreach'', meaning "place of the running horse". The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727, but it was used for races before then. The first Derby was held in 1866, and in 1868 the Curragh was officially declared a horse racing and training facility by act of parliament. Racecourse redevelopment Redevelopment of the Curragh grandstand and racecourse facilities began in 2017 with completion due in time for commencement of the 2019 Irish Flat season. A truncated racing fixture list continued to be held at the course during this period with temporary facilities in place for the public. Racing The Curragh is a right-handed track, horseshoe and galloping in nature wit ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Athasi Stakes
The Athasi Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres) at the Curragh in early May. History The event is named after Athasi, a successful broodmare in the 1920s and 1930s. Her progeny included Trigo, the winner of the Derby and St Leger in 1929. The Athasi Stakes was formerly restricted to fillies aged three. Following a period with Group 3 status, it was downgraded to Listed level in 1987. The race was opened to four-year-old fillies in 1993. It was opened to older mares in 2001. It regained Group 3 status in 2003. Records Most successful horse: * ''no horse has won this race more than once'' Leading jockey since 1986 (5 wins): * Michael Kinane – ''Certain Secret (1988), Inishdalla (1991), Market Booster (1992), Asema (1993), Hazariya (2005)'' Leading trainer since 1986 (7 wins): * Dermot Weld ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Phoenix Park Racecourse
Phoenix Park Racecourse is a former horse racing venue in Ireland. It was located in the townlands of Ashtown and Castleknock in the civil parish of Castleknock on the northern edge of the Phoenix Park in Dublin. The course was founded by JHH Peard, and racing began there in 1902. History From 1939 to 1950 the track was managed by Mr Peard's son Harry, and thereafter it was run by his widow Fanny. Mrs Peard retired in 1969, and the track closed for the first time at the end of the 1981 season. The course re-opened for the 1983 season, owned by a consortium that included Vincent O'Brien and Robert Sangster. Due to financial difficulties the track was permanently closed for racing in late 1990. Racing events Several of Ireland's leading flat races, which later were contested at other venues, originally took place at Phoenix Park. These include the Irish Champion Stakes and the Phoenix Stakes. Other races of note held at Phoenix Park include the G III Vauxhall Trial Stakes. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in horse racing, where in many countries it is the standard measurement of race lengths, and agriculture, where is it used to measure rural field lengths and distances. In the United States, some states use older definitions for surveying purposes, leading to variations in the length of the furlong of two parts per million, or about . This variation is too small to have practical consequences in most applications. Using the international definition of the yard as exactly 0.9144 metres, one furlong is 201.168 metres, and five furlongs are about 1 kilometre ( exactly). History The name ''furlong'' derives from the Old English words ' (furrow) and ' (long). Dating back at least to early Anglo-Saxon times, it originally referred to the length o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also located here is Pollardstown Fen, the largest fen in Ireland. This area is of particular interest to botanists and ecologists because of the numerous bird species that nest and visit there. There are also many rare plants that grow there. It is composed of a sandy soil formed after an esker deposited a sand load and as a result, it has excellent drainage characteristics. This makes it a popular location for training racehorses. History Used as a meeting site during Pre-Christian societies, the Curragh is shrouded in mythology. The hill to the north of the Curragh is called the Hill of Allen (Almhain) and is the purported meeting place of the mythical Fianna. Legend has it that in about 480 AD, when St B ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sarah Siddons
Sarah Siddons (''née'' Kemble; 5 July 1755 – 8 June 1831) was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. Contemporaneous critic William Hazlitt dubbed Siddons as "tragedy personified". She was the elder sister of John Philip Kemble, Charles Kemble, Stephen Kemble, Ann Hatton, and Elizabeth Whitlock, and the aunt of Fanny Kemble. She was most famous for her portrayal of the Shakespearean character, Lady Macbeth, a character she made her own, as well as for fainting at the sight of the Elgin Marbles in London. The Sarah Siddons Society, founded in 1952, continues to present the Sarah Siddons Award annually in Chicago to a distinguished actress. Background The 18th-century marked the 'emergence of a recognisably modern celebrity culture' and Siddons was at the heart of it. Portraits depicted actresses in aristocratic dress, the recently industrialised newspapers spread actresses' names and images and gossip about their private lives spread through the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Musidora Stakes
The Musidora Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at York in May. History The event is named after Musidora, the Yorkshire-trained winner of the 1,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks in 1949. Established in 1961, it serves as a leading trial for the Oaks. The first running was won by Ambergris. The present race grading system was introduced in 1971, and the Musidora Stakes was given Group 3 status. In total, seven winners of the race have achieved victory in the Oaks. The first was Noblesse in 1963, and the most recent was Snowfall in 2021. The 2015 winner, Star of Seville, won the Prix de Diane, the French equivalent of the Oaks. The Musidora Stakes is currently held on the opening day of York's three-day Dante Festival meeting. It is run the day before the Dante Stakes. Records L ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fred Darling Stakes
The Fred Darling Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs () at Newbury in April. History The event was established in 1949, and it was initially called the Lambourn Stakes. It was named after Lambourn, a nearby village associated with racehorse training. For a period the race was contested over 7 furlongs and 60 yards. It continued with its original name until 1954, and was given its present title in 1955. It was renamed in memory of Fred Darling, a successful local trainer who died two years earlier. The Dubai Duty Free company started to sponsor the Fred Darling Stakes in 1996. From this point the race was also known as the Dubai Duty Free Stakes. It used to be run on a left-handed course, but it was switched to a straight 7 furlongs in 1999. The race can serve as a trial for various fillies' Classics in Europe. Th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2,420 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June. It is the second-oldest of the five Classic races, after the St Leger. Officially the Cazoo Oaks, it is also popularly known as simply The Oaks. It has increasingly come to be referred to as the Epsom Oaks in both the UK and overseas countries, although 'Epsom' is not part of the official title of the race.) It is the third of Britain's five Classic races to be held during the season, and the second of two restricted to fillies. It can also serve as the middle leg of the Fillies' Triple Crown, preceded by the 1000 Guineas and followed by the St Leger, although the feat of winning all three is rarely attempted. History The event is named after ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pretty Polly Stakes (Ireland)
The Pretty Polly Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July. History The event is named after Pretty Polly, a successful filly foaled in Ireland in 1901. It was originally restricted to fillies aged three, but it was later opened to older horses. For a period it was classed at Group 2 level, and it was promoted to Group 1 status in 2004. The Pretty Polly Stakes was part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series from 2009 to 2012. The winner earned an automatic invitation to compete in the same year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The race is currently held on the final day of the Curragh's three-day Irish Derby meeting. Records Most successful horse (2 wins): * Dance Design – ''1996, 1997'' * Alexander Goldru ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |