Ile de Chypre (25 March 1985 – 2010) 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 c ...

racehorse and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

. After showing some promise as a juvenile he improved to become a leading

handicapper Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which th ...

in 1988, winning two races and being placed in the

Old Newton Cup The Old Newton Cup is a flat Handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses of four-year-old and up. It is run at Haydock over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 175 yards (2,373 metres), a ...

Magnet Cup The John Smith's Cup (known until 1998 as the Magnet Cup) is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 2 furl ...

and Cambridgeshire Handicap. He was also involved in a bizarre incident at

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

in which his unseated his jockey after being allegedly stunned by an "ultrasonic gun". He reached his peak as a four-year-old in 1989 when he won the Tattersalls Rogers Gold Cup in Ireland before recording an upset victory in the International Stakes. In the same year he also finished second in 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, ...

and third in the

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...

. He won one minor race in 1990 and returned after a lengthy absence to race six times without success in 1992.

Background

Ile de Chypre was a "strong, rangy, attractive" bay horse with no white markings bred in England by his owner Athos Christodoulou. His sire,

Ile de Bourbon Ile de Bourbon (1975–1997) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from 1977 until October 1979 he ran twelve times and won five races. His most important success came in July 1978 wh ...

, was a top-class middle-distance performer best known for his win in the 1978 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. As a breeding stallion he also sired The Derby winner

Kahyasi Kahyasi (2 April 1985 – 2008) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. He won the first five races of his seven-race career, including the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby as a three-year-old in 1988. Backg ...

before being exported to Japan. Ile de Chypre's dam Salamina showed some ability as a racehorse, winning three of her nine races in Britain in 1980 and 1981. She was descended from the American broodmare Galaday, making her a distant relative of

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 ...

and Never Say Die. Christodoulou sent the colt into training with Guy Harwood at

Pulborough Pulborough is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north–south ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...

. At the time, Harwood was noted for his modern approach to training, introducing Britain to features such as artificial gallops and barn-style stabling.

Racing career

1987: two-year-old season

After finishing unplaced over seven

furlongs 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 ...

on his racecourse debut, Ile de Chypre finished second to Highbrow in a sixteen-runner

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

over one mile 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. The independent Timeform organisation commented "will be suited by 1¼m+: sure to win a race".

1988: three-year-old season

After finishing second in the April Maiden Stakes on his three-year-old debut over one and a half miles, Ile de Chypre was sent to

to contest the

King George V Stakes The King George V Stakes is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), a ...

over the same distance on 16 June. He led from the start and looked likely to win before swerving abruptly to the left inside the final furlong and unseating his jockey Greville Starkey. It was later claimed that the horse had been targeted by an "ultrasonic gun" as part of a

money laundering Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...

operation by a cocaine-smuggling syndicate. In a trial at Southwark Crown Court in 1989 a car dealer named James Laming claimed that he had carried out the operation and that the device had been disguised as a pair of binoculars but was somewhat vague regarding the details. He continued to compete in major handicap races, finishing second in the

at Haydock Park and third in the

John Smith's Magnet Cup The John Smith's Cup (known until 1998 as the Magnet Cup) is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 2 furl ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

before being dropped back in class and recording his first success as he won a maiden race at Newbury Racecourse on 12 August by ten

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 ...

. In September he finished unplaced in the Garrowby Limited Handicap at York and then won sixteen-runner a handicap at Newbury, beating Quinlan Terry by three lengths. On his final appearance o the season he carried top weight of 134 pounds in the Cambridgeshire Handicap on 1 October. He led for most of the way but was caught in the final strides and beaten a neck by Quinlan Terry who was carrying 117 pounds.

1989: four-year-old season

Ile de Chypre began his third season by finishing unplaced when carrying top weight in the Lincoln and then ran second under 140 pounds in a handicap at Newmarket. He was then stepped up in class and sent to Ireland to contest the

Group Two A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

Tattersalls Rogers Gold Cup at 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 ...

on 20 May. Ridden by the

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

jockey Tony Clark he started at odds of 7/1 behind Executive Perk (

Mooresbridge Stakes The Mooresbridge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at the Curragh in ...

), Per Quod (runner-up in the

Gordon Richards Stakes The Gordon Richards 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, 1 furlong and 209 yards () ...

) and

Carroll House Carroll House (5 March 1985 – 8 February 2008) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1987 until July 1990 he raced twenty times in six countries and won seven races. ...

. He recorded his biggest win up to that time as he won by three lengths from Executive Perk with Carroll House a length and a half back in third. At Epsom in June Ile de Chypre was promoted to Group One class for the

and took the lead a furlong out before being overtaken and beaten half a length by the favourite

Sheriff's Star Sheriff's Star (27 April 1985 – after 1995) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a two-year-old he won his first two races before establishing himself as one of the best British colts of his generation with a close second in ...

. The horse was dropped back in class and distance for the Group Three Scottish Classic over ten furlongs at

Ayr Racecourse Ayr Racecourse at Whitletts Road, Ayr, Scotland,''British Racing and Racecourses'' () by Marion Rose Halpenny – Page 71 was opened in 1907. There are courses for flat and for National Hunt racing. History Horse racing in Ayr dates back to 157 ...

and was beaten by the three-year-old

Scenic Scenic may refer to: * Scenic design * Scenic painting * Scenic overlook * Scenic railroad (disambiguation) * Scenic route * Scenic, South Dakota, United States * Scenic (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse Aviation *Airwave Scenic, an Austrian par ...

. On 22 August Ile de Chypre was ridden by Clark when he was one of seven runners to contest the 18th running of the International Stakes over ten and a half furlongs at York. Cacoethes, also trained by Guy Harwood was made the 2/5 favourite after finishing rthird to Nashwan in The Derby and second to the same horse in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, whilst Ile de Chypre was a relative outsider on 16/1. The other five runners were Two Timing (

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 met ...

), Magic Gleam (

Child 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 (1,60 ...

Shady Heights Shady Heights (12 May 1984 – ca. 1997) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In four seasons on the racecourse he competed in Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan and the United States, winning seven of his twenty-nine contests. He sho ...

, Batshoof and Lapierre ( Prix Jean Prat). After tracking the leader Two Timing in the early stages Clark sent Ile de Chypre into the lead three furlongs from the finish and accelerated clear of the field. Cacoethes emerged as his only challenger but Ile de Chypre stayed on strongly to win by one and a half lengths with a gap of four lengths back to Shady Heights in third. On his retirement from race riding in 2004 Clark said "Ile de Chypre was a horse who took a lot of knowing but he was very game and I don't think he got the credit he deserved - he was a great favourite". After a break of two months, Ile de Chypre returned to the track in the

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...

at Newmarket on 21 October. Ridden by Willie Carson he led for most of the way before being caught in the final strides and finishing third, beaten a head and short head by Legal Case and Dolpour in a three-way photo finish. Ile de Chypre ended his season with a trip to the United States for the

Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

on 4 November in which he finished unplaced behind

Prized Prized (May 20, 1986 – July 20, 2014) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Prized was bred in Florida by Meadowbrook Farm who raced him in partnership with Clover Racing Stable. He was by the very successful sire Kris S., a s ...

1990: five-year-old season

On his first appearance in 1990, Ile de Chypre finished second by a neck to Dolpour in the Gordon Richards Stakes 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 racing ...

in April. Four weeks later he was sent to France and finished sixth of the nine runners behind Creator in the Prix d'Ispahan. In the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July he led for most of the way before being outpaced in the closing stages and finishing third behind

Elmaamul Elmaamul (8 February 1987 – 31 August 2006) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from July 1989 until October 1990 he raced ten times and won five races. After winning both of hi ...

and Terimon. After a break of three months Ile de Chypre returned in a minor race at Warwick Racecourse in October. Starting at odds of 1/6 he won by a length from Riviera Magic.

1992: seven-year-old season

Ile de Chypre missed the whole of the 1991 season before returning as a seven-year-old in 1992. In April he finished third in the Magnolia Stakes at

Kempton Park Racecourse Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, 16 miles south-west of Charing Cross, London and on a border of Greater London. The site has of ...

and then finished unplaced in the Gordon Richards Stakes. In the summer of 1992 he finished fourth in the Scottish Classic and third in a handicap at York. In his last two starts he finished fifth in the September Stakes and unplaced in a handicap at Newbury.

Stud record

Ile de Chypre was retired to stud but attracted little interest from breeders. He sired a few minor winners under National Hunt rules.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist 1985 racehorse births 2010 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 1-n