Bold Lad (1964–1986) 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 ...

racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from May 1966 until June 1967 he ran nine times and won five races. Bold Lad was unbeaten in 1966 and was the highest-rated two-year-old of the season in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He failed to reproduce his best form in 1967, but went on to be a successful stallion.

Background

Bold Lad was a bay horse with a small white star standing 16 hands high. He was bred in Ireland by American-born Beatrice Mills Forbes, 8th Countess of Granard, sister of

Gladys Mills Phipps Gladys Mills Phipps (June 19, 1883 - October 19, 1970) was a United States socialite, sportsperson, and a thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse owner and horse breeding, breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing. She was ...

and Ogden L. Mills who owned his sire, Bold Ruler, an eight-time Leading sire in North America. Bold Lad's dam, Barn Pride, was a descendant of the mare Edvina, a member of family 2-e and the ancestor of the

2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...

winner Martial. The colt was sent into training with Paddy Prendergast at his stables near 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 ...

in Ireland. In 1962 Bold Ruler had sired another Champion Two-Year-Old Colt named Bold Lad who raced in the United States for owner/breeders Gladys Mills Phipps and Ogden L. Mills.

Racing career

1966:two-year-old season

Bold Lad began his career by winning the Youngsters Stakes in Ireland and was then sent to Royal Ascot to contest the

Coventry Stakes The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place e ...

at Royal Ascot in which he defeated a field which included Royal Palace. He won the Champagne Stakes at

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

defeating the previously unbeaten Ribocco, after which Prendergast described him as the best two-year-old he had ever trained, including Windy City. In September he won the

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

at Newmarket. In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the season's best juveniles, he was rated three pounds clear of runner-up Royal Palace giving him Champion honors in Ireland and England.

1967:three-year-old season

Bold Lad began his three-year-old campaign with a win in the

Tetrarch Stakes The Tetrarch Stakes is a Conditions races, Listed Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...

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 ...

in Ireland. Sent to England, he was the 100/30 joint-favorite with Royal Palace going into 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 ...

2,000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. He finished unplaced behind Royal Palace and Taj Dewan, having been denied a clear run in the closing stages. Bold Lad then started favourite for the

Lockinge Stakes The Lockinge Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at Newbur ...

at Newbury but was beaten three-quarters of a length by the Irish-trained four-year-old Bluerullah. In the last race of his career, ran third to Reform in Ascot's St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Assessment

Bold Lad was given 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 as a two-year-old in 1966. In the same year he finished third in the voting for British Horse of the Year behind the three-year-olds Charlottown and

Sodium Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable ...

Stud career

Retired to stud at a fee of 400

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

, Bold Lad made a "spectacular" start to his breeding career, siring 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 ...

winner Waterloo in his first crop of foals. He also sired the leading sprinters

Boldboy Boldboy (1970 – September 1998) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He raced for eight seasons in the 1970s and was one of the most popular and successful racehorses of his era. As a two-year-old he showed ability, ...

and Never So Bold, the

Richmond Stakes The Richmond Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is sch ...

winner Persian Bold (sire of

Kooyonga Kooyonga was an Irish champion Thoroughbred racehorse who raced from 1990 to 1992. After showing good form as a juvenile, she had a highly successful three-year-old campaign, winning the Group One Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes ...

) and Ballad Rock, the sire of

Chief Singer Chief Singer (19 March 1981 – 2000) was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from June 1983 until September 1984 he ran nine times and won four races. The colt won the Group Thr ...

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 1964 racehorse births 1986 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 2-e