Balmerino (11 November 1972 – 30 May 1996) was a bay

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 ...

stallion that was foaled at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

in the

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

region of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. He later became a champion racehorse with many international successes.

Breeding

Balmerino was by Trictrac (FR), his dam was the unraced, Dulcie, who was by Duccio (ITL). Trictrac (FR), sired seven stakes winners that won 33 stakes races. Before Balmerino was foaled Dulcie had already produced Fulmen, Fileur, Gay Philou, Micheline and Mia Bella, all good gallopers by Le Filou (FR). After her death Dulcie was posthumously awarded the 1975-6 New Zealand "Broodmare of the Year".de Bourg, Ross, “The Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbred”, Nelson, West Melbourne, 1980,

Racing career

Balmerino was the champion three-year-old of his year, winning both the

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is he ...

and

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...

. Those wins and his subsequent success against older horses in both the Air New Zealand Stakes and in races in Australia confirmed that he would be a landslide winner of the Horse of the Year award in New Zealand. He also won the Australian Three Year-Old of the Year award for the 1975-76 season. Later in his career he travelled to the Northern Hemisphere and performed very well in some of the best races in

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. He won the Group one (G1) Gran Premio del Jockey Club e Coppa d'Ora in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

before being relegated to second place, and also ran second in the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

and the Eclipse Stakes. Balmerino's best performance was in the

, a race many consider him unlucky not to have won. He was second in a star-studded field to champion racehorse

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.

(Timeform rating 138). During 1977 Balmerino had 39 starts in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, England, Italy and France for 21 wins, 9 seconds, 1 third and stakes winnings for the equivalent of (AUD)$400,000. He was joint Champion Older Horse in both England and France for the 1977 seasons, and was awarded a

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 t ...

rating of 133 in 1977 and 124 in 1978.

Stud career

He was retired to stud in 1979 and stood with moderate success in New Zealand, where he sired 29 stakes winners of 80 stakes races. His group one winners were: *Balciano: winner of the 1987

AJC Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under open handicap conditions, for horses aged three years old and older, over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in early Octo ...

. *Bounty Hawk: winner of the 1983

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourn ...

, WATC Western Mail Classic, 1984

LKS Mackinnon Stakes The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the ''LKS Mackinnon Stakes'', is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on ...

and

Underwood Stakes The Underwood Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions, held at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late September each year. Total prize money for the ra ...

. *Dinky Flyer: winner of

AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, formerly known as the Queen's Plate, AJC Plate, and AJC King's Cup, is is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydne ...

. *Donegal Mist: winner of the 1990

. *Eastern Classic: winner of the 1990

All Aged Stakes The All Aged Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April or May during the ATC Autumn Carnival. Prize money is A$6 ...

. *Linc The Leopard: winner of the 1988

Perth Cup The Perth Cup is a Perth Racing Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race run under quality handicap conditions over a distance of at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Western Australia in January, usually on New Year's Day. The total prize money is $400,000. ...

) Balmerino died at Cambridge on 30 May 1996. He was inducted into the

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame recognises and honours those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand thoroughbred horse racing industry. History The Hall of Fame's first group of honorees were inducted in 2006, and inductions are he ...

in 2008.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Balmerino's pedigree and partial racing stats

Youtube video - Balmerino's classic encounter with Alleged in the Arc.
1972 racehorse births 1996 racehorse deaths New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame horses Racehorses bred in New Zealand Racehorses trained in New Zealand Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 4-d New Zealand Thoroughbred sires

Breeding

Racing career

Stud career

See also

References

External links