Nimbus (1946–1972) 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 Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. In a racing career which lasted from the spring of 1948 until August 1949, he ran nine times and won six races. Nimbus ran successfully as a two-year-old in 1948, 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 it ...

, but reached his peak the following year. He won close finishes in both 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 at ...

and The Derby but was unable to attempt the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

after his career was ended by injury. He had modest success as a breeding stallion.

Background

Nimbus was a bay horse with a white star and snip 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 feet. He was bred by William Hill who would go on to win 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 ...

in 1959 with

Cantelo Cantelo (foaled 1956) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a career which lasted from spring 1958 until September 1959 she ran eleven times and won eight races. Cantelo was unbeaten in five races as a two-year-old including the ...

. He was sired by

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

, one of the most important sires of the 20th century. His dam, Kong, was sprinter whose victories included the

Wokingham Stakes The Wokingham Stakes 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 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is schedule ...

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 addition to Nimbus, Kong also produced Nimbus's three-quarter brother

Grey Sovereign Grey Sovereign (1948–1976) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a racehorse he was a successful sprinter but not a champion, recording his biggest success when he won the Richmond Stakes as a two-year-old in 1950. His career wa ...

(sired by Nearco's son Nasrullah) who won the

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

and became a successful breeding stallion. 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 ...

, Nimbus was sent to the sales where he was bought for 5000

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from t ...

by the trainer George Colling, acting on behalf of Henry Glenister. The colt was trained by Colling at his Hurworth House stable in

Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred hor ...

and raced in the colours of Glenister's wife, Marion.

Racing career

1948: two-year-old season

As a two-year-old in 1948, Nimbus ran five times and won twice. At

he finished second to Royal Forest in the

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

and then won the

at Newmarket. In the Champagne Stakes at

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 ...

in September he finished second by six lengths to Abernant. In the Free Handicap, a rating of the season's best two-year-olds he was given a weight of 123 pounds, ten pounds behind Abernant.

1949: three-year-old season

Nimbus made good physical progress over the winter and began his three-year-old season by winning the Classic Trial Stakes at

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England known for its racecourse; quirky yarnbomber displays, and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological fin ...

. He was then sent to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas, in which he was ridden by the veteran Charlie Elliott, and started at odds of 10/1, with Abernant starting odds-on favourite. Aberant built up a clear lead, but Nimbus made rapid progress in the closing stages and caught the favourite on the line to win by a short-head in the closest finish in the race's history. 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 ...

a month later, Nimbus started at odds of 7/1 for the Derby in field of thirty-two runners, with Royal Forest, ridden by Gordon Richards being made 9/2 favourite. Heavy rain made the ground very soft, but did not deter a crowd of 500,000 which included Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

. With Colling suffering from poor health, Nimbus was saddled by Jack Jarvis. Despite doubts about the colt's stamina, Elliott sent Nimbus to the front almost from the start. Throughout the last half mile he was strongly challenged and briefly headed by Swallow Tail as the two colts went clear of the field. In the closing stages he was also challenged by the fast-finishing French-trained colt Amour Drake, who moved up along the rails as Nimbus and Swallow Tail drifted towards the centre of the course. In a three-way photo-finish, Nimbus prevailed by a head from Amour Drake with Swallow Tail a head away in third. In August, Nimbus walked over in a race 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 ...

. Soon afterwards he sustained an injury which ended his racing career.

Stud career

Retired to

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...

duty for the 1950 season, the offspring of Nimbus met with limited racing success. The best of his offspring were Nucleus, who finished second in the 1955

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 d ...

and 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, ...

winner Nagami. He was also the damsire of

Greek Money Greek Money (foaled 1959 in Virginia) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes. Background Greek Money was a chestnut horse sired by Greek Song whose wins ...

who won the 1962

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

. In 1963, Nimbus was sold and exported to Japan in 1963, where he died in 1972.

Assessment and honours

Nimbus was given a rating of 130 by

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 ...

in 1949. In their book ''A Century of Champions'', John Randall and Tony Morris rated Nimbus an "average" winner of the 2000 Guineas but an "inferior" Derby winner. Following the

London & North Eastern Railway London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

tradition of naming

locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...

s after winning racehorses,

British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...

ways " Deltic" Diesel locomotive no. D9020 (later 55020) was named after the horse on 12 February 1962, and remained in service until 5 January 1980.

Pedigree

References

External links

1949 Derby newsreel from British Pathé
{{Epsom Derby Winners 1946 racehorse births 1972 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 6-f 2000 Guineas winners