Durtal (9 April 1974 – 1996) was an Irish-bred, British-trained

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 c ...

racehorse and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

. She was the best British-trained two-year-old filly of 1976 when she won three of her five races including the

Cheveley Park Stakes The Cheveley Park Stakes 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 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it i ...

, and finished second in both the

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

and the Champagne Stakes. In the following year she won the

Fred Darling Stakes The Fred Darling Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs () at Newbury in April. History The eve ...

and finished second in the

Poule d'Essai des Pouliches The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at ...

before being injured shortly before the start of the

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 (2 ...

, a race for which she had been favourite. After one more race she was retired from racing and became a successful broodmare, producing the dual

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup 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 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

winner

Gildoran Gildoran (foaled 6 June 1980) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A specialist stayer he won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1984 and 1985. His other wins included the Sagaro Stakes and the Goodwood Cup. In all, he won ...

and the

Royal Hunt Cup The Royal Hunt Cup is a flat handicap 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 scheduled to t ...

winner True Panache.

Background

Durtal was a bay mare with a white blaze and three 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 ...

bred in Ireland by Ecurie Aland, a breeding operation owned by the Head family. She was from the first crop of foals sired by

Lyphard Lyphard (10 May 1969 – 10 June 2005) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire. Background American bred in Pennsylvania, Lyphard was a son of Northern Dancer out of the mare Goofed. He was auctioned ...

, an American-bred stallion who raced in France, winning the

Prix Jacques Le Marois The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile ...

and

Prix de la Forêt The Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it is ...

in 1972. Lyphard went on to become a very successful breeding stallion in both Europe and North America, siring

Three Troikas Three Troikas (foaled 1976) was a French Thoroughbred champion racehorse who was owned, trained, and raced by three members of the famous Head family. The highlight of her career came in an impressive victory in the 1979 Prix de l'Arc de Triomp ...

Dancing Brave Dancing Brave (11 May 1983 – 2 August 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from the autumn of 1985 until October 1986, he ran ten times and won eight races. Dancing Brave was the ou ...

and

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. Durtal's dam Derna, failed to win a race, but was a highly successful broodmare who had already produced Valderna, the grand-dam of

Zabeel Zabeel (25 October 1986 – 25 September 2015) was a New Zealand-bred racehorse who predominantly raced in Australia. He was retired to stud and became a champion sire. He is a bay son of Sir Tristram (IRE) from the Nureyev mare Lady Gisell ...

and later produced 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

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 th ...

. As a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

, Durtal was sent to the sales and bought for

₣ The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centur ...

145,000 by the British businessman

Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004)

, the filly was sent into training with

Barry Hills Barry Hills (born 2 April 1937) is a retired British thoroughbred horse trainer. He lives in Lambourn, England. Biography Barry Hills had three sons in his first marriage, to Maureen Newson: John, Michael, and Richard. John (died 2014) was a ho ...

Lambourn Lambourn is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies just north of the M4 Motorway between Swindon and Newbury, and borders Wiltshire to the west and Oxfordshire to the north. After Newmarket it is the largest centre of ra ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

. The filly was named after

Durtal Durtal is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. It is around 32 km north-east of Angers the department capital. See also *Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 177 communes of th ...

, a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-e ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in western France.

Racing career

1976: two-year-old season

Durtal began her racing career in a maiden race over five

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 hors ...

s at

Newcastle Racecourse Newcastle Racecourse is a horse racing course located at Gosforth Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, owned by Arena Racing Company. It stages both flat and National Hunt racing, with its biggest meeting being the Northumberland Plate held annu ...

in June and won by four

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 ...

from Hand Canter. Only one horse, a filly named Grain of Truth, opposed Durtal when she ran in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes over six furlongs at

Haydock Park Racecourse Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield ...

. She won easily by seven lengths, staying on so strongly that her jockey had great difficulty pulling her up after the finish. 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 Racecourse, Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It att ...

in August, Durtal was moved up in class to contest the

. The field split into two groups, and although Durtal finished ahead of the stands side group (on the right-hand side from the jockeys' viewpoint) she was beaten half a length by Icena, who was racing on the opposite side of the course. In September, Durtal was moved up in distance and matched against colts in the Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs at

Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy. History Doncas ...

. After setting the early pace she proved no match for the colt

J O Tobin J. O. Tobin (March 28, 1974 – May 22, 1994) was an American-bred thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was sent to Europe, where he won his first three races, including the Richmond Stakes and Champagne Stakes, and was the highest-rated ...

, who beat her by four lengths, but she finished seven lengths clear of the other runners. At

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

in October, Durtal, ridden by

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 f ...

started at odds of 5/1 for the

, then the only

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

race of the season in the United Kingdom restricted to two-year-old fillies. The French-trained Haneena, disqualified after winning the

Prix d'Arenberg The Prix d'Arenberg is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,100 metres (about 5½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place ...

, started favourite, whilst the other leading contenders included Regal Ray (

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled ...

), Be Easy (

Molecomb Stakes The Molecomb Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled to take place ...

) and Piney Ridge (National Stakes). Piggott sent Durtal into the lead from the start and she was never seriously challenged, winning by three lengths and two lengths from Be Easy and Rings, with Haneena in fourth.

1977: three-year-old season

On her three-year-old debut, Durtal started 8/13 favourite for the Fred Darling Stakes over seven furlongs at

Newbury Racecourse Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat r ...

. She was restrained by Piggott until the final quarter mile when she went to the front and quickly went clear of her rivals to win impressively by five lengths from Miss Pinkie. Timeform described her win as "one of the most impressive performances we saw all year". Durtal did not run in 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 (1,609 ...

, being aimed instead at the French equivalent, the

over 1600 metres at

Longchamp Racecourse The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tr ...

, a race which offered a large bonus for horses bred by French-based breeders. Durtal turned into the straight in fifth place before moving up to take the lead but was overtaken in the closing stages by Madelia and dead-heated with Beaune for second place, three lengths behind the winner. At

Epsom Downs 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 ...

, Durtal was made favourite for the 199th running of the Oaks over one and a half miles. Durtal appeared agitated in the paddock, and on moving onto the racecourse she

bolted The BOLT Browser was a web browser for mobile phones including feature phones and smartphones that can run Java ME applications. The BOLT Browser was offered free of charge to consumers and by license to mobile network operators and handset manu ...

and her saddle slipped sideways. Piggott was unseated after being "hung up" by the

stirrup A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a ''stirrup leather''. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a riding animal ( ...

and the filly crashed into a rail sustaining injuries which necessitated her withdrawal from the race, which was won in her absence by

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

. Durtal never fully recovered from her injuries, and in her only subsequent appearance she finished last of the three runners behind Noirima and No Cards in the Marlborough House Stakes over one mile at Ascot Racecourse in October.

Assessment

There was no International Classification of European two-year-olds in 1976: the official handicappers of Britain, Ireland and France compiled separate rankings for horses which competed in those countries. In the British Free Handicap, Durtal was allotted a weight of 120 pounds, making her the best filly of the season, thirteen pounds behind the top colt J O Tobin. The independent Timeform organisation gave her a rating of 120, ten pounds behind the Irish-trained filly

Cloonlara Clonlara, officially Cloonlara (), is a village in County Clare, Ireland, and a Roman Catholic parish of the same name. Village and parish Clonlara is in the east of County Clare in the civil parish of Kiltonanlea or Doonass, barony of Tulla L ...

. In their annual ''Racehorses of 1976'' Timeform described her as "sure to figure prominently in the classics, especially the Oaks". In the following year, Durtal was given a rating of 121 by Timeform, twelve pounds below their top three-year-old filly Dunfermline. In the official International Classification, Durtal was rated eight pounds behind the leading three-year-old fillies Dunfermline and Madelia.

Breeding career

Durtal produced at least eleven foals between 1980 and 1995: *

(bay colt, foaled in 1980, sired by Rheingold), won seven races including the

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup 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 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

in 1984 and 1985 *Well Defined (chestnut filly, 1982, by

Hello Gorgeous Hello Gorgeous (11 March 1977 – after 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained thoroughbred racehorse and sire. From the second crop of foals sired by Mr. Prospector, he was exported to Europe where he was one of the leading colts of hi ...

) *Follies Bergeres (bay filly, 1984, by Pas de Seul), failed to win in England, later a broodmare in Australia and New Zealand *True Panache (bay colt, 1985, by Mr. Prospector), won the

in 1989 *Warring Nations (bay colt, 1986, by

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who became the tenth winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only ...

), failed to win in six races *Regimental Arms (bay colt, 1987, by

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 ...

), won one race *Lady Isis (brown filly, 1988, by

Riverman Riverman (1969–1999) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Background Foaled in Kentucky, Riverman was bred by Harry F. Guggenheim of the prominent American Guggenheim family. Riverman was from the mare (horse), mare River Lady ...

), won one race *River Defences (bay colt, 1989, by

), won one race *Porte des Iles (chestnut filly, 1991, by

Kris The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its disti ...

), failed to win in eight races *Chalamont (chestnut filly, 1993, by

), won two races, grand-dam of Roderic O'Connor *Charroux (bay filly, 1995, by

Darshaan Darshaan (18 April 1981 – 21 May 2001) was a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and a Champion sire and broodmare sire. Background Darshaan was a brown horse bred by his owner Aga Khan IV. He was sired by the British stallion ...

) failed to win in three races – dam of winners

Pedigree

References

{{reflist, 2 1974 racehorse births 1996 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 16-c