Aviance (6 May 1982 – after 2006) was an Irish

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

. She was unbeaten in two races as a juvenile in 1984, including the

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...

Phoenix Stakes The Phoenix Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is sch ...

. In 1985 she failed to win or place in four races but ran well in defeat in several top-class races including the

1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

and the

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres ...

. After retiring at the end of the season she became a very successful broodmare, and is the female-line ancestor of many good winners.

Background

Aviance was a small, "lightly-built" chestnut mare with a narrow white blaze bred in Ireland by the Ballydoyle Stud. She raced for most of her career in the colours of the British businessman

Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004)

and was trained in Ireland by David O'Brien. She was sired by Northfields, an American horse whose biggest win came in the

Louisiana Derby The Louisiana Derby is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Run in late March, the race is open to horses, age three, willing to race miles on the dirt. It currently o ...

in 1971, before spending most of his stud career in Europe. His other winners included

Northjet Northjet (foaled 22 May 1977) was an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed useful form in his early career, winning five races in Italy including the Group Two Premio Melton before being transferred to race in F ...

Oats The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human con ...

, North Stoke and

Northern Treasure Northern Treasure (foaled 18 February 1973) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a two-year-old in 1975 he won twice, finished second six times and third once from nine races, showing consistent form but appearing to be some way sh ...

. Aviance's dam Minnie Hauk was a daughter of the influential broodmare Best In Show, whose other descendants included

El Gran Senor El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – 18 October 2006) was a champion American-bred Thoroughbred race horse, foaled at Windfields Farm (Maryland). He was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and three years of age, ahead of an o ...

Try My Best Try My Best (1975–1993) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A son of Northern Dancer, he won the Dewhurst Stakes in 1978 and was the top-rated two-year-old in Britain and Ireland that year. Background Try M ...

Xaar Xaar (foaled 1995) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his performances as a two-year-old in 1997. In his juvenile season, he won four of his five races, including the Prix de Cabourg and Prix de la Salamandre in F ...

Jazil Jazil (February 11, 2003 – October 11, 2014) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2006, Jazil dead-heated for fourth place in the Kentucky Derby but then won the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown. Connections Ja ...

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

and

Redoute's Choice Redoute's Choice (15 August 1996 – 26 March 2019) was a multiple Group One-winning Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and also a champion sire. He is by the phenomenal international sire Danehill (USA) out of the lightly raced mare Shantha' ...

Racing career

1984: two-year-old season

Aviance began her racing career in a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

over seven

furlongs 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 hors ...

Leopardstown Racecourse Leopardstown Racecourse is an Ireland, Irish horse-racing venue, located in Leopardstown, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, 8 km south of the Dublin city centre. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Th ...

in July. She started the odds-on favourite and won "impressively" by six

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

from twelve opponents. On her second, and only subsequent run as a two-year-old, the filly was stepped up to

class for the Phoenix Stakes over six furlongs at

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 ...

in August. Ridden by Declan Gillespie she started the 7/4 second favourite behind the

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish horse racing, race horse horse trainer, trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in ...

-trained colt Magic Mirror, who had won the Norfolk Stakes at

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

in June. The best fancied of the other six runners were the unbeaten filly La Escala and the colt Beginners Luck. Aviance was among the leaders from the start, went clear of her rivals approaching the last quarter mile and won by three lengths from Well Related, with La Escala and Magic Mirror in third and fourth. Plans to bring the filly back for a run in the

Cheveley Park Stakes The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it i ...

were abandoned as she had "gone in her coat". In the official International Classification of two-year-olds for 1984 Aviance was given a rating of 75, seven pounds behind the top-rated filly

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

. She was rated the third-best Irish filly behind

Park Appeal A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

and Alydar's Best. The independent

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by ...

organisation gave her a rating of 111 p (the "p" meaning that she was expected to make more than usual improvement) making her fourteen pounds inferior to Triptych. In their annual "Racehorses of 1984", Timeform described her as "a filly of considerable potential".

1985: three-year-old season

Aviance began her second campaign in the

1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket on 2 May. Ridden by

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 199 ...

she started at odds of 9/1 in a seventeen-runner field and finished well to take sixth place, three lengths behind the winner

Oh So Sharp Oh So Sharp (1982–2001) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the English Fillies' Triple Crown in 1985. In a racing career which lasted from August 1984 until September 1985, she won seven of ...

. In the

Irish 1,000 Guineas The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

at the

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 ...

three weeks later she failed to reproduce her best form and finished eleventh behind

Al Bahathri Al Bahathri (15 March 1982 – 7 May 2014) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old she was one of the best of her generation in Europe, winning three of her five races including the Princ ...

. The filly was then dropped back to sprint distances and matched against older horses in the

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres ...

at Newmarket on 11 July. She ran well and disputed the lead for most of the way but faded in the final furlong and came home sixth of the nine runners behind

Never So Bold Never So Bold (26 April 1980 – 8 February 2000) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a specialist sprinter who recorded all his important wins at distances between five and six and a half furlongs. After finishing unplaced ...

. After the July Cup Aviance was formally transferred to the ownership of the Greek shipping magnate

Stavros Niarchos Stavros Spyrou Niarchos ( el, Σταύρος Σπύρου Νιάρχος, ; 3 July 1909 – 15 April 1996) was a Greek billionaire shipping tycoon. Starting in 1952, he had the world's biggest supertankers built for his fleet. Propelled by both ...

, whose colours she carried in the five furlong William Hill Sprint Championship at

York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot Racecourse, Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It att ...

. Ridden by Roche and starting at odds of 10/1 she was in contention in the first half of the race but faded in the last quarter mile to finish seventh behin Never So Bold. Her performances in 1985 saw her awarded a 112 rating by Timeform, 19 pounds behind Oh So Sharp who was the top-rated three-year-old filly.

Breeding record

Aviance was retired to become a broodmare for her owner's stud. After the death of Niarchos in 1996 she passed into the ownership of Flaxman Holdings, the breeding company of the Niarchos family. She produced at least fourteen foals and nine winners between 1987 and 2006. * Chimes of Freedom, a chestnut filly, foaled in 1987, sired by

Private Account Private Account (April 26, 1976 – November 25, 2004) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Private Account was sired by Hall of Fame inductee Damascus, a son of another Hall of Fame horse, Sword Dancer. His dam was Numbered Acco ...

. Won six races including the

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled ...

and

Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is schedul ...

. Dam of the

American Champion Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races (usually those run at a distance ...

Aldebaran. *Imperfect Circle, brown filly, 1988, by

Riverman Riverman (1969–1999) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Background Foaled in Kentucky, Riverman was bred by Harry F. Guggenheim of the prominent American Guggenheim family. Riverman was from the mare (horse), mare River Lady ...

. Won two races including

Firth of Clyde Stakes The Firth of Clyde Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Ayr over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place ...

. Dam of

Spinning World Spinning World (foaled 1993 in Kentucky, United States) is a French thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the top European milers during the 1990s. After winning the 1996 Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh in Ireland, the first French horse eve ...

and grand-dam of both Pathfork (

National Stakes The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...

) and

War of Will ''War of Will'' is the second studio album by American extreme metal band Battlecross. Produced at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, FL, the work was released on July 9, 2013 via Metal Blade Records peaking at No. 2 on Heatseekers Albums durin ...

( 2019 Preakness Stakes). *Binkhaldoun, colt, 1989, by

Roberto The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. Won two races. *Ledge of Night, bay colt, 1990, by

Alleged In law, an allegation is a claim of an unproven fact by a party in a pleading, charge, or defense. Until they can be proved, allegations remain merely assertions.

. Unraced. *Piquetnol, chestnut filly, 1992, by Private Account. Failed to win in five races. Dam of Dietrich (

King George Stakes The King George Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is sc ...

). *Privately Held, bay colt, 1994, by Private Account. Won eight races. *Prehistoric, bay colt, 1995, by

Pleasant Colony Pleasant Colony (May 4, 1978 – December 31, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was named the 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old. Background A big, gangly horse stan ...

. Unraced. *Remote Romance, chestnut filly, 1997, by

Irish River {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Irish River , image = , caption = , sire = Riverman , grandsire = Never Bend , dam = Irish Star , damsire = Klairon , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1976 , country = France , colour = Chestnut , breede ...

. Won two races. Dam of Saddex (

Rheinland-Pokal The Grosser Preis von Bayern is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Munich Racecourse over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year ...

, Premio Presidente della Repubblica). *Denon, bay colt, 1998, by Pleasant Colony. Won six races including

Hollywood Derby The Hollywood Derby is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November/early December. Now held at Del Mar racetrack in San Diego, California, until 2014 it was held at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. T ...

Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap The Charles Whittingham Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event curre ...

, Turf Classic,

Manhattan Handicap The Manhattan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is named for Manhattan, the principal borough of the City of New York. Currently offering a purse of $1,000,000, the Grade I Manh ...

. *Telesto, bay colt, 1999, by Mr. Prospector. Won one race. *Everchanging, bay filly, 2000, by

Kingmambo Kingmambo (February 19, 1990 – January 20, 2016) was an American-bred, French-trained thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Background He was sired by the leading stallion, Mr. Prospector, who in turn was a son of Raise a Native, out of the 1999 ...

*Vitruvian, chestnut colt, 2002, by

Lemon Drop Kid Lemon Drop Kid (foaled May 26, 1996) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Best known for winning the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was also the champion older horse of 2000 after winning the Brooklyn, Suburban, Whitney Handicaps and the ...

. Won one race. *Bellerophon, chestnut colt, 2003, by

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of ...

. Unraced. *Anticenter, chestnut colt, 2006, by Kingmambo. Won one race.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist 1982 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 8-f