Bireme (2 May 1977 – 10 January 2002) was a British
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 ...
racehorse and
broodmare best known for winning the
classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
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 ...
in 1980. After winning one of her two starts in 1979, she won the
Musidora Stakes on her three-year-old debut before winning the Oaks in record time. Later that summer she broke loose during a training session and sustained career-ending injuries. She was retired to stud with a record of three wins in four races and has had some influence as a broodmare.
Background
Bireme was a chestnut mare with a white
blaze bred by her owner Richard Dunbavin "Dick" Hollingsworth at his Arches Hall Stud in
Hertfordshire. She was one of the first crop of foals sired by
Grundy, an outstanding racehorse who won
The Derby and the
in 1975. Grundy went on to sire several other good winners, but his stock tended to be slow-maturing stayers and he was sold and exported to Japan in 1983.
Bireme's dam Ripeck was a highly successful broodmare whose other offspring included the
Queen Alexandra Stakes
The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot each June over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 143 yards (4,355 ...
winner Balinger and the
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 ...
winner Buoy. Ripeck was a granddaughter of the Hollingsworth family's influential broodmare Felucca, whose other descendants included
Cut Above (
St Leger Stakes
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
), Sharp Edge (
Irish 2,000 Guineas
The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is ...
), Longboat (
Ascot Gold Cup), Bolas (
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks 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 and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it i ...
), Dash for Cash (
Australian Guineas
The Australian Guineas is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourne, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carn ...
) and Daffodil (
AJC Oaks
The Australian Oaks is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies at set weights run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. The Aus ...
).
The filly was sent into training with
Dick Hern
William Richard Hern (20 January 1921 – 22 May 2002) was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions.
Following his early career ...
at
West Ilsley
West Ilsley is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The population of the village at the 2011 Census was 332.
Location and amenities
It is situated in West Berkshire, north of Newbury on the Berkshire Downs. The companion village ...
in Berkshire, and was ridden by the Scottish jockey
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 ...
.
Racing career
1979: two-year-old season
Bireme did run as a two-year-old, when she won a thirty-runner
maiden race over seven
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 hor ...
s at
Newmarket Racecourse
Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horserac ...
in October. She was then matched against
colts in the Houghton Stakes over the same course and distance later that month and finished third behind Night Alert and
Posse
Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates.
Posse may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Posse'' (1975 ...
.
The first and second both developed into top class milers in 1980: Night Alert won the
Prix Jean Prat
The Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it is sche ...
while Posse won the
St James's Palace Stakes
The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs and 213 yards (1,603 metres). It is sched ...
and the
Sussex Stakes
The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...
.
1980: three-year-old season
On her first appearance as a three-year-old, Bireme was moved up in class and distance for the
Group Three Musidora Stakes over ten and a half furlongs 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 in prize money offered per meeting. It attracts around 350 ...
in May. Ridden by Carson, she started at odds of 4/1 and won from the
Lingfield Oaks Trial
The Oaks Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133 yards () at Lingfield ...
winner Gift Wrapped and 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 (1,60 ...
runner-up Our Home.
On 7 June, Bireme was again moved up in distance to contest the 202nd running of the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at
Epsom Downs Racecourse. She started at odds of 9/2 in a field of eleven fillies which included the 1000 Guineas winner
Quick As Lightning who was made 3/1 favourite. Willie Carson had the choice of three Hern-trained runners and selected Bireme ahead of the partially sighted
May Hill Stakes
The May Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to take place eac ...
winner The Dancer and the
Cheshire Oaks winner Shoot a Line.
Carson settled Bireme in second place behind The Dancer, before moving into the lead two furlongs from the finish and winning by two lengths from Vielle, with The Dancer in third and Quick as Lightning fourth. The win gave Hern and Carson a classic double, having won the Derby with
Henbit three days earlier. After the race Carson said: "She gave me a super ride. I was never in any doubt with her, she is a lovely filly with a long stride who just keeps finding it for me." Her winning time of 2:34.33 broke the race record which had stood since 1927.
Dick Hern intended to aim the filly at the
St Leger Stakes
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
in September, but her training was disrupted by tendon trouble. While still recuperating, and undergoing gentle exercise on the
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in South east England split between the counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. They are part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The western parts of the downs ...
, she sustained a career-ending injury. Recalling the incident, Hern explained that after throwing her rider, Bireme "took off with her tail in the air and went for home as hard as she could leg it, right across the West Ilsley-East Ilsley road before she crashed in the lane. She cut and bruised herself so badly that she never ran again."
Her stablemate Shoot a Line went on to be unbeaten after her Oaks defeat winning the Ribblesdale Stakes, Irish Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks and Park Hill Stakes.
Assessment and honours
In 1980, Bireme was given a rating of 127 by the independent Timeform organisation,
four pounds below the top-rated three-year-old filly
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, the winner of 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 ...
.
In their book, ''A Century of Champions'', based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Bireme an "average" winner of the Oaks.
Dick Hern called her "a very, very good filly who never reached her potential because of injury ... nobody knows quite how good she could have been."
Stud record
Bireme was retired from racing to become a broodmare at her owners stud. She produced at least six winners, the best of whom was the filly Yawl, who won at Listed and Group Three level. Yawl's daughter Prowess produced the 2013 Oaks winner
Talent.
Bireme's winning progeny included:
*Trireme (chestnut colt foaled in 1987, sired by
Rainbow Quest
''Rainbow Quest'' (1965–66) was a U.S. television series devoted to folk music and hosted by Pete Seeger. It was videotaped in black-and-white and featured musicians playing in traditional American music genres such as traditional folk music, ...
), won two races
*Quadrireme (bay colt 1989, sired by
Rousillon), won four races
*Yawl (brown filly 1990, sired by Rainbow Quest), won
Oh So Sharp Stakes and
Rockfel Stakes. Female-line ancestor of
Talent and
Dreamloper.
*Admiral Rous (bay colt 1991, sired by Rousillon), won one race
*Yacht (chestnut colt 1990, sired by
Warning), won two races
*Flagship (GB) : chesnut filly, foaled 18 February 1994, by Rainbow Quest (USA), won one race
and placed once from 5 starts in England 1996–97
Bireme was
euthanised
Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...
at Arches Hall on 10 January 2002 because of "the infirmities of old age".
She was twenty-five years old.
Pedigree
References
{{Epsom Oaks Winners
1977 racehorse births
2002 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 11-d
Epsom Oaks winners