Jet Ski Lady (foaled 20 February 1988) was an American-bred, Irish-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, best known for winning The Oaks in 1991. In a racing career which lasted from June 1990 to October 1991 the

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

ran ten times and won four races. After winning twice as a two-year-old, Jet Ski Lady competed against

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

s with mixed success in early 1991 before 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 over one and a half miles 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 ...

. Her winning margin of 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 ...

was the second-widest in the race's history and her starting price of 50/1 made her the equal longest-priced winner of the Oaks on record. She subsequently finished second in both the

Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it is s ...

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 ...

and the

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 fu ...

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 ...

. She was retired to stud after finishing unplaced in 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 ...

Background

Jet Ski Lady was a chestnut mare with a white

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

and two 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

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

by the Ryehill Farm stud. Her sire, Vaguely Noble, who was twenty-three years old when she was foaled, won the

in 1968 before becoming a successful breeding stallion. His best progeny included

Dahlia Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...

Exceller Exceller (May 12, 1973 – April 7, 1997) is widely considered one of the best horses to race in the United States not to win a year-end championship. Despite his exemplary achievements as a racehorse, and his unique accomplishment in being the ...

and

Empery Empery (foaled 1973 in Kentucky) was an American-bred, French-trained racehorse best known for winning the 1976 Epsom Derby. In a racing career which lasted from September 1975 until July 1976 he ran eight times and won two races. Empery showed ...

. Jet Ski Lady's dam, Bemissed, was a successful racemare in the United States, winning the

Selima Stakes The Selima Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Raced in late November, it is open to two-year-old fillies and is raced on turf. History Inaugurated in 1926, it is named for ...

in 1982. As a descendant of the broodmare Feola, Jet Ski Lady came from the same branch of thoroughbred family 2-f which produced

Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...

, Pebbles and

Aureole An aureola or aureole (diminutive of Latin ''aurea'', "golden") is the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure. In Romance languages, the noun Aureola is usually more related to the d ...

. Jet Ski Lady was acquired by Maktoum Al Maktoum and sent to race in Europe. She was trained in

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born to an Irish immigrant family in Ōpunake, Taran ...

and was ridden in all but one of her races by

Christy Roche Christy Roche (born 3 December 1949 in Bansha, County Tipperary) is a retired Irish flat racing Champion Jockey and racehorse trainer. Over his thirty-year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Irish Derby three times, in 1982, 1992 and 199 ...

Racing career

1990: two-year-old season

Jet Ski Lady began her career in a six-

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 ...

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 ...

Leopardstown Leopardstown () is a suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. Located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, it is a residential suburb with institutional lands and a large racecourse. It is di ...

in June. She started odds-on favourite and won by three lengths from Tenderene. Nine days later, she was moved up in class to contest a

Listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

race over the same course and distance, but despite starting at odds of 1/2 she finished third of the six runners behind Seneca Reef. In August, Jet Ski Lady stepped up to seven furlongs for a nursery handicap and carried top weight of 131 pounds to a three-quarter-length victory. On her final start of the season the filly was moved up into Group One class as she was sent to France to contest the

Prix Marcel Boussac The Prix Marcel Boussac is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is sched ...

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 ...

. She led the field into the straight but was outpaced in the closing stages and finished seventh of the nine runners behind the unbeaten British filly Shadayid.

1991: three-year-old season

Rather than being aimed at the usual trial races for fillies, Jet Ski Lady began her three-year-old season by running against a field of colts in the ten-furlong

Ballysax Stakes The Ballysax Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardstow ...

at the Curragh in April. She started at odds of 4/1 and won by lengths and a neck from the

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish horse racing, race horse horse trainer, trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in ...

-trained runners Classic Minstrel and Legal Profession. Two weeks later, the filly was again matched against male opponents in the

Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) a ...

and finished fourth behind Runyon, George Augustus and Smooth Performance. In the Oaks at Epsom on 8 June, Jet Ski Lady was the complete outsider of the nine runners, starting at odds of 50/1. Shadayid, who had won 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 ...

was made the even-money favourite ahead of the

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 schedu ...

winner

Shamshir A shamshir ( fa, شمشیر) is a type of Persian/Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the Persian word ''shamshīr'', which means "sword". The curved "scimitar" sword family includes the shamshir, kilij, talwar, pulwar an ...

: no other runner apart from Jet Ski Lady started at longer than 20/1. Christy Roche sent the Irish filly into the lead soon after the start and she turned into the straight with a clear lead over Dartrey and Shadayid. The favourite attempted to challenge the leader, but Jet Ski Lady drew steadily further away from her rivals in the last quarter-mile and won easily by ten lengths. Shamshir stayed on to take second place from Shadayid in the closing stages. The winning margin of ten lengths equaled that of

Noblesse The concept of the Scottish Noblesse, a class of nobles of either peerage or non-peerage rank, was prominently advocated for by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney during his tenure as an officer of arms. Innes of Learney believed that Scottish armigers ...

in 1963 and had been bettered only by

Sun Princess Sun Princess may refer to: * ''Sun Princess'' (ship), various ships * Sun Princess (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse * Sun Princess, the title given to the second place winner of the Sun and Salsa Festival pageant See also * Princess Sun, ...

's twelve-length win in 1983. The winner's price of 50/1 was the biggest in the race since Vespa succeeded at the same odds in 1833. A month after her win at Epsom, Jet Ski Lady was made the 7/4 favourite for the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Roche sent the filly to the front just after half way and she maintained her lead into the straight. In the final furlong she was challenged by the British-trained Possessive Dancer, and despite running on well under pressure she was overtaken and beaten half a length. Jet Ski Lady and Possessive Dancer met again in the Yorkshire Oaks, which also attracted Shamshir and the

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

winner Third Watch. Jet Ski Lady took the lead in the straight and went clear of the field but was caught in the last stride and beaten a short head by the outsider Magnificent Star. On her final appearance Jet Ski Lady started a 40/1 outsider for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October. She was never in contention and finished thirteenth of the fourteen runners behind Suave Dancer.

Assessment and honours

The independent

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 ...

organisation gave Jet Ski Lady a rating of 122. In their book, ''A Century of Champions'', based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Jet Ski Lady an "inferior" winner of the Oaks.

Stud record

Jet Ski Lady was retired to become a broodmare for Maktoum Al Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud. She was bred to several leading stallions including

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...

Rainbow Quest ''Rainbow Quest'' (1965–66) was a U.S. television series devoted to folk music and hosted by Pete Seeger. It was videotaped in black-and-white and featured musicians playing in traditional American music genres such as traditional folk music, ...

and

Green Desert ''Green Desert'' is the twenty-seventh major release and the fifteenth studio album by Electronic music, electronic artists Tangerine Dream. The music was recorded in Berlin in 1973, during a period when Peter Baumann had temporarily left Germany ...

, but made very little impact, with none of her foals succeeding at Group race level. She produced two minor winners, namely Legaya (by

Shirley Heights Shirley Heights (1 March 1975 – 17 March 1997) was a British Thoroughbred race horse and winner of the Derby in 1978. The colt had previously won the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Dante Stakes, and he went on to win the Irish Derby before his ra ...

) and Lucky Lady (by

Nashwan Nashwan (1 March 1986 – 2002) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After winning both his starts as a two-year-old, he developed into an outstanding performer in the spring and summer of 1989, completing a ...

). * 1993 ANSWERED PRAYER (GB) : Bay filly, foaled 26 March, by Green Desert (USA) – unraced, dam of winners * 1994 LEGAYA (GB) : Bay filly, foaled 1 January, by Shirley Heights (GB) – won 1 race and placed 4 times from 8 starts in Ireland 1997 * 1997 LUCKY LADY (GB) : Chesnut filly, foaled 11 February, by Nashwan (USA) – won 1 race and placed 2nd twice from 3 starts in Britain 2000 * 2007 COLORADO SKI (SAF) : Chesnut colt (gelded), by Western Winter (USA) – minor winner in South Africa

Pedigree

References

{{Epsom Oaks Winners 1988 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 2-f Epsom Oaks winners