Commotion (1938 – 1960) 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 who raced during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and was 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 ...

Oaks Stakes 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 1941. After racing over sprint distances, she was stepped up in distance the substitute "New Oaks" over one and a half miles 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 ...

. On her next appearance she won the

Falmouth Stakes The Falmouth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,6 ...

and was then retired from racing. She later became a very successful broodmare.

Background

Commotion was a bay filly bred in England by John Arthur Dewar who had inherited his Thoroughbred racehorses from his uncle the Scottish

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...

distiller

Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar Thomas Robert "Tommy" Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar (6 January 1864 – 11 April 1930) was a Scottish whisky distiller who, along with his brother John Dewar, built their family label, Dewar's, into an international success. They blended their whisky ...

. She was from the first crop of foals sired by the French stallion Mieuxce, who won the

Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over ...

and the

Grand Prix de Paris The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and i ...

before his racing career was ended by injury. Commotion's dam Riot was a half-sister to both Sansonnet (who produced

Tudor Minstrel Tudor Minstrel (1944–1971) was a British-bred Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from the spring of 1946 until September 1947 he ran ten times and won eight races. He was unbeaten in four races in 1946, a year in wh ...

) and

Fair Trial A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

as well as being a high-class racehorse in her own right, winning the

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

in 1931. Commotion was sent into training with

Fred Darling Frederick Darling (1884–1953) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who trained a record-equalling seven English Derby winners. Darling's father, Sam Darling senior, was a trainer at Beckhampton, near Avebury in Wiltshire, who train ...

at Beckhampton,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. Commotion's racing career took place during

during which horse racing in Britain was subject to many restrictions. Several major racecourses, including

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

and

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 ...

, were closed for the duration of the conflict, either for safety reasons, or because they were being used by the military. Many important races were rescheduled to new dates and venues, often at short notice, and all five of the Classics were usually run at Newmarket. Wartime austerity also meant that prize money was reduced: Commotion's Oaks was worth £1,939 compared to the £8,043 earned by

Galatea Galatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white". Galatea, Galathea or Gallathea may refer to: In mythology * Galatea (Greek myth), three different mythological figures In the arts * ''Aci, Galatea e Polifemo'', cantata by H ...

in 1939.

Racing career

With

Epsom Racecourse Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse on the hills associated with Epsom in Surrey, England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course, which has a crowd capacity of 13 ...

unavailable in 1941, a substitute "New Oaks" was run over one and a half miles on the July course at

on 19 June. Commotion was well-backed for the race despite never previously having raced beyond six furlongs. Ridden by

Harry Wragg Harry Wragg (10 June 1902 – 20 October 1985) was a British jockey and racehorse trainer, who gained the nickname "The Head Waiter" due to his "come from behind" riding style. In a 27-year riding career, Wragg rode over 1700 winners in Britain ...

, she started at odds of 8/1 with 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 Dancing Time starting odds-on favourite. Wragg, who was a specialist at waiting tactics, restrained the filly in the early stages before producing her with a strong late run. She "threaded her way through the field" to take the lead in the final furlong and won by two lengths from Turkana, with Dancing Time three-quarters of a length away in third. Following the Derby victory of

Owen Tudor Sir Owen Tudor (, 2 February 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Queen Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Background Owe ...

, owned by a member of the Buchanan family, Commotion's success completed what was dubbed a "whisky double". At Newmarket in July Commotion started 6/5 favourite for the

which was run as part of a substitute Royal Ascot meeting. She won narrowly from 1000 Guineas runner-up Beausite with Turkana third.

Assessment

At the end of 1941, Commotion was rated the best three-year-old filly in Britain, three pounds ahead of Dancing Time. In their book ''A Century of Champions'', based on a modified version of the

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 ...

system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Commotion an "average" winner of the Oaks.

Breeding record

Commotion produced eight winners between 1943 and 1958 including three top-class performers before her death in 1960: * Combat, a brown colt, foaled in 1944, sired by Big Game. Undefeated winner of nine races including 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 ...

. *Faux Tirage, bay colt, 1946, by Big Game. Won Newmarket Stakes,

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 ...

*Aristophanes, chestnut colt, 1948, by Hyperion. Champion sire in Argentina, sire of Forli

Pedigree

References

{{Epsom Oaks Winners 1938 racehorse births 1960 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 9-c Epsom Oaks winners