Connaught (1965–1987) 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
sire. Noted for his difficult temperament and front-running style, he won seven of his sixteen races in a track career which lasted from October 1967 to July 1970. Owned and bred by
Jim Joel, he was trained by
Noel Murless
Sir Charles Francis Noel Murless (24 March 19109 May 1987) was an English racehorse trainer who one of the most successful of the twentieth century. Murless began his career as a trainer in 1935 at Hambleton Lodge in Yorkshire before moving to H ...
and ridden in most of his races by
Sandy Barclay
Sandy may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Sandy (surname), a list of people
*Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983)
*(Sandy) A ...
.
As a two-year-old he showed great promise at home but refused to enter the
starting stalls on his scheduled debut before finishing fifth in the
Observer Gold Cup. In 1968 he ran poorly in 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 ...
but proved himself a top-class colt by running second to
Sir Ivor
Sir Ivor (May 5, 1965 – November 10, 1995) was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from July 1967 to October 1968 he ran thirteen times and won eight races. He won major races in ...
in
The Derby after looking likely to win entering the final furlong. Later that year he won the
King Edward VII Stakes
The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 met ...
and
Great Voltigeur Stakes
The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 1 ...
but ran badly when favourite for 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 ...
. As a four-year-old he won the
Brigadier Gerard Stakes,
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 ...
and
Prince of Wales's Stakes
The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 ...
in the first half of the season before succumbing to a respiratory infection. At five he was unbeaten in three races, taking the
Westbury Stakes
The Gordon Richards Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile ...
and a second Prince of Wales's Stakes before ending his racing career with a win in the
Eclipse Stakes.
After his retirement from racing he had steady success as a breeding stallion. He died in 1987.
Background
Connaught was a "big, burly, immensely powerful"
bay horse with a white
blaze and white
socks
A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...
on his hind legs bred in the United Kingdom by his owner Jim Joel. He was sired by
St. Paddy
St. Paddy (1957–1984) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1960, he won both the Epsom Derby and the St Leger. His performances in both 1960 and 1961 were instrumental in making his sire Aureole the Leading sire in Great Br ...
the winner of
The Derby and
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 1960. His dam Nagaika won the
Solario Stakes as a two-year-old in 1956 and was bought by Joel a year later. As a broodmare she had already produced Court Sentence, who 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 ...
in 1962. Nagaika was the great-granddaughter of Neomenie, a mare whose other descendants included 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 ...
winner Nikellora.
The colt was sent into training with
Noel Murless
Sir Charles Francis Noel Murless (24 March 19109 May 1987) was an English racehorse trainer who one of the most successful of the twentieth century. Murless began his career as a trainer in 1935 at Hambleton Lodge in Yorkshire before moving to H ...
at his Warren Place Stable in
Newmarket, Suffolk. Murless had been
British flat racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of flat racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each year since 1896. The Championship was originally run from November ...
on five occasions before taking charge of Connaught and went on to win the four more championships. The horse was ridden in all of his major races by the young Scottish jockey
Sandy Barclay
Sandy may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Sandy (surname), a list of people
*Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983)
*(Sandy) A ...
who had been
Champion Apprentice in 1966, before becoming Murless's stable jockey in 1968.
Racing career
1967: two-year-old season
Connaught built up a big reputation in training gallops but his first racecourse appearance a complete failure. He was scheduled to make his debut in the Convivial Maiden Stakes 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 August 1967 but refused to enter the
starting stalls and was withdrawn from the race. In October he was entered in the
Observer Gold Cup at
Doncaster Racecourse (the most valuable event for two-year-olds run in Britain) and finished fifth behind
Vaguely Noble
Vaguely Noble (1965–1989) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and France. The colt is best known as the winner of the 1968 Group One Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he defeated the best horses from Engla ...
.
1968: three-year-old season
Connaught made good progress in the winter of 1967/1968 and was expected to run well in his seasonal debut in the
Greenham Stakes
The Greenham Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs () at Newbury in ...
but again refused to enter the stalls and did not take part. Despite his temperamental problems he was well backed for 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 ...
and started at odds of 13/2 but after showing good speed in the early stages he faded to finish ninth of the ten runners behind
Sir Ivor
Sir Ivor (May 5, 1965 – November 10, 1995) was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from July 1967 to October 1968 he ran thirteen times and won eight races. He won major races in ...
. When moved up in distance for the
Chester Vase
The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at Che ...
over one and a half miles he showed better form when finishing second to Remand.
At
Epsom Downs Racecourse he started at odds of 100/9 for the 189th running of the
Derby Stakes
The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey ...
, for which Sir Ivor started 4/5 favourite in a field of thirteen colts. Attempting to become the first
maiden
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
to win the race since
Merry Hampton
Merry Hampton (foaled 1884) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1887 to 1888 he ran four times and won once in a career that was restricted by injuries and training difficulties. His sole victory came on ...
in 1887,
Connaught was positioned in second by Barclay before taking the lead at half way. In the straight, the colt opened up a clear lead over his opponents and looked certain to win before
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...
produced Sir Ivor with a late run on the outside. Connaught was overtaken well inside the final furlong and finished second, beaten one and a half
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 ...
. Commenting on the race more than forty years later, Barclay said "The Derby on Connaught was a shattering, bone-crushing moment but, to finish so close, still opened a lot of doors for a 20-year-old. Riding at Epsom like that was a childhood dream and within sight of the post I'd won the Derby. I'm thinking to myself: `dreams must come true after all' and then all of a sudden this thing flies past me as if I was in a different race".
At
Royal Ascot, later in June he started the 1/2 favourite
for the King Edward VII Stakes and recorded his first win, beating
Ribero by twelve lengths. He was scheduled to run in the
Gordon Stakes
The Gordon Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run at Goodwood Racecourse, Goodwood over a distance ...
at
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House. It hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meeting in la ...
in July but broke away from his handler, galloped away and was subsequently withdrawn from the race.
Connaught appeared to be short of full fitness when reappearing in the Great Voltigeur Stakes 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 August but was nevertheless made the 1/3 favourite.
After being held up by Barclay in the early stages he was beaten a neck by Riboccare in a rough finish, but was awarded the race after an inquiry by the racecourse stewards. In September, Connaught started 10/11 favourite for the 192nd running of 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 ...
at Doncaster. Racing on heavy ground, he failed to reproduce his best form and finished fifth of the eight runners behind Ribero. After the race, Barclay commented that "the ground did not suit him at all".
1969: four-year-old season
On his first appearance as a four-year-old Connaught started the 6/5 favourite
for the Coronation Stakes (now the
Brigadier Gerard Stakes) over ten furlongs at
Sandown Park Racecourse
Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse rac ...
in May and won by six lengths from
Jimmy Reppin, who finished lame.
A year after his run in the Derby, Connaught returned to Epsom for 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 ...
over the same course and distance. He started favourite, but after taking the lead at half way he faded in the closing stages and finished third behind
Park Top and Mount Athos. He never raced over one and a half miles again, with Murless being convinced that he did not stay the distance.
At Royal Ascot he started 11/10 favourite
for the ten furlong Prince of Wales's Stakes and won by five lengths from
Wolver Hollow
Wolver Hollow (1964–1987) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. In a career spanning four seasons, his performances in handicaps and top class company, including victory in the 1969 Eclipse Stakes, established him as a talented ...
, breaking the track record by four seconds. The colt then developed a respiratory infection and was off the course for three months.
Connaught returned in the Scarborough Stakes over ten furlongs at Doncaster in September. His temperamental problems resurfaced as he was very reluctant to leave the pre-race paddock before finishing third to
Karabas and Hotfoot. Later that month he was dropped down in distance to a mile and finished second to Jimmy Reppin in the
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...
. On his final appearance of the year he ran poorly when finishing sixth to
Flossy in the
Champion Stakes.
1970: five-year-old season
Connaught began his fourth season by winning the Westbury Stakes (now the
Gordon Richards Stakes) at Sandown in May at odds of 1/2
in "most convincing" style from Royal Rocket.
In June he attempted repeat his 1969 success the Prince of Wales's for a second time. Starting the 10/11 favourite,
he won by four lengths from Hotfoot and broke his own course record. In the Eclipse Stakes he started at odds of 5/4
against two opponents; Karabas and Nor. He delayed the race for some time as he was once again very reluctant to enter the stalls, and then almost unseated Barclay when swerving at the start. He soon recovered, took the lead after a furlong and never looked in danger of defeat, winning by two and a half lengths from Karabas. His winning time established a new course record, bettering the mark set by his sire St Paddy in 1961.
Assessment
Connaught was given a peak
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 130 in 1970.
Stud record
Connaught was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion and produced a steady stream of stakes winners before being pensioned from stud duty in the mid 1980s. He died in 1987 at the age of twenty-two.
Connaught's best winners included;
*Sauceboat (1972), won
Child Stakes
*Sir Montagu (1973), won
Ebor Handicap
The Ebor Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 5 furlongs and 188 yards (2,787 metres). It is ...
*Connaught Ranger (1974), won
Triumph Hurdle
The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 f ...
,
Ascot Hurdle
The Ascot Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 3½ furlongs (2 mi ...
*Miss Pinkie (1974), won
Fillies' Mile
The Fillies' Mile 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 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is sche ...
*Centurion (1975), won
Cesarewitch Handicap
The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs (3,621 metres ...
*Remainder Man (1975), won
Ormonde Stakes
The Ormonde Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 84 yards () at Ch ...
, second 2000 Guineas, third Derby sire of
One Man
*
Connaught Bridge
Connaught Bridge (2 May 1976 – after 1994) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained in the United Kingdom by Henry Cecil she raced for two seasons, winning five of her nine races. As a two-year-old she showed some promise, winning ...
(1976), won
Yorkshire Oaks
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 ...
,
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong ...
*La Dolce (1976), dam of
Pebbles
*Dukedom (1977), on
White Rose Stakes
*Playboy Jubilee (1977), won
Dee Stakes
*Buffavento (1978), won
Grosser Preis von Dortmund
*Clare Island (1979), won
Princess Elizabeth Stakes
The Princess Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile and 113 yards (1,713 ...
*Lirung (1982), won
Prix Jacques Le Marois
Pedigree
References
{{reflist, 2
1965 racehorse births
1987 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 4-h