Noblesse (1960–1972) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare.

Background

Owned by American Evelyn Olin, she was sired by Mossborough, who also sired the great

Ballymoss Ballymoss (1954–1979) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career that lasted from 1956 until November 1958, he ran seventeen times and won eight races. In 1957, he became the first horse trained in Ireland to win the St Leger ...

, and was out of the

mare 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 fo ...

Duke's Delight (by His Grace). The mating of Mossborough and Duke's Delight was arranged by the mare's owner Stanhope Joel. The pregnant Duke's Delight was sent to the Newmarket sales in December 1959 where she was bought for 1,150

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

by the British Bloodstock Agency on behalf of Mrs P.M. Margetts, who therefore became Noblesse's official breeder when the filly was born in 1960. Having been bought as a yearling for 4,200 guineas by the Anglo-Irish Bloodstock Agency, she went into training with Irish trainer Paddy Prendergast on 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 ...

. Although trained in Ireland, she never raced on Irish soil.

Racing career

1962: two-year-old season

Paddy Prendergast was known as an outstanding trainer of juveniles, and when Noblesse travelled over to England as a two-year-old to make her debut in Ascot's Blue Seal Stakes, she was preceded by a tall reputation. Starting a short-priced favourite, she lived up to the hype with a 5-length victory. This was followed by just one more run that season when taking on the colts in the Timeform Gold Cup (now known as the

Racing Post Trophy The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...

) 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 ...

which, at the time, was the richest two-year-old race in Europe. Noblesse passed the post on a tight rein with a 3-length advantage. She is still the only filly ever to have triumphed in this prestigious race. The performance earned her the title of Champion two-year-old filly for 1962, and she finished the season as ante-post favourite for both the

1,000 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 ...

and

Epsom Oaks 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 ...

in 1963.

1963: three-year-old season

The following spring was one of the coldest on record and as a result, Noblesse was very slow to come to hand, meaning that Prendergast was unable to get her ready in time for the

1,000 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 ...

at Newmarket. She eventually re-appeared at

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 ...

in May for the Musidora Stakes, a recognised trial for the Oaks at Epsom. She quickened away from her rivals inside the final two furlongs to win eased down by six lengths. This resulted in her starting as the 11/4-on favourite for the Oaks a few weeks later. In the Oaks of 1963, Noblesse was asked to quicken by her jockey

Garnet Bougoure Garnet Bougoure (3 March 1923 – 22 November 2008) was an Australian jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who was highly successful competing in South-East Asia and in Europe. Bougoure was a still a boy when he left his home in Dalby, Queensl ...

approaching the final furlong and responded to win by 10 lengths. The performance was described in Tony Morris and John Randall's publication 'A Century Of Champions' as "the crushing Oaks victory which made her Ireland's greatest filly." Noblesse was then expected to run in the

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot o ...

at Ascot the following month. However, she injured a hock and was withdrawn; her stable companion Ragusa deputised for her and won the race. As a result of her hock injury, it was decided to give Noblesse a couple of months rest before preparing her for a tilt at Europe's richest race, 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 ...

at Longchamp in October. Her preparatory race was to be the

Prix Vermeille The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), a ...

which is run over the same course and distance as the 'Arc'. 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 ...

in the 'Vermeille', Noblesse started a short-priced favourite but was beaten into third place and returned lame to the unsaddling enclosure. Since very little time remained to get her back fit and ready to run in the 'Arc', she was retired. Noblesse was named Champion three-year-old filly for 1963.

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 ...

summed her career up as follows:

"The 'sixties saw some lowly-rated Oaks winners but the 1963 winner was one of the best. Noblesse (rated 133) beat her Oaks field by the staggering margin of ten lengths, her fourth race and fourth win....Noblesse is a small, rather lightly-made filly, long and low, strongest behind the saddle, no beauty to look at, except when she is galloping; her action is fluent and effortless, and she has a perfect temperament for racing. She had only five races in her career, but she was not a robust filly, and even if she had kept fit, a more severe programme might have been to her detriment. In the first four of her races she hardly needed to gallop seriously for more than fifty yards, but she won all of them by a wide margin, and her turn of foot was something to marvel at."

Breeding record

Noblesse retired to stud in America and was a very successful broodmare. She had 5 foals before her death in 1972 and all five won races, two of them being stakes winners whilst all of them were stakes placed. Her final foal, Where You Lead (by

Raise A Native Raise a Native (April 18, 1961 – July 28, 1988) was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll and was the highest rated juvenile in the Experimental Free Handicap. He s ...

), emulated her mother by winning the Musidora Stakes at York and finished second in the Oaks at Epsom behind the 1,000 Guineas winner, Mysterious. As a broodmare, Where You Lead produced winners including Slightly Dangerous (by

Roberto The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

), a graded winner who also finished second in the Oaks. She in turn produced English and

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance ...

winner Commander in Chief (by

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 ...

), Champion 2-y-o & 3-y-o colt Warning (by Known Fact) as well as seven other foals who won or were placed in stakes races. Where You Lead also bred I Will Follow (by

Herbager Herbager (1956 – 25 March 1976) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire in both France and the United States. Background Herbager was sired by Vandale, a stayer who won the 1946 Prix du Conseil Municipal and whom Herbag ...

), a stakes winner in France who bred the

and

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

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, ...

(by Blushing Groom), himself a leading sire. Noblesse's name appears in the pedigrees of numerous top-class racehorses today. The

Noblesse Stakes The Noblesse Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Ireland open to mares and fillies aged four years or older. It is run at Cork over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,413 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year i ...

, a Group 3 race for fillies and mares which is run every year over one-and-a-half miles at Cork racecourse, is named in her honor.

References