Orby (1904–1918) was an Anglo-Irish
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 ...
. In a racing career which lasted from 1906 to 1907 he ran seven times and won four races. In 1907 he became the first Irish-trained horse, and the third owned by an American, to win
The Derby. In the same year, he became the first horse to complete the Epsom Derby-
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 of 1 ...
double, but his racing career was ended by training problems after one further race. He went on to become a successful breeding stallion.
Background
Orby, a rangy, well-made chestnut horse with a narrow white
blaze was bred by his owner, the American politician
Richard "Boss" Croker and raised at his Glencairn Stud. Although sometimes referred to as "Irish-bred", Orby was actually born in England and brought back with his mother to Ireland when still a foal. Croker was a controversial figure who based his racing and breeding operations in Ireland after being refused permission by the
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...
to set up in
Newmarket. He was briefly in training with Henry “Atty” Persse, and then with Jim Parkinson at
Maddenstown
Maddenstown () is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, south of The Curragh and east of Kildare town. It is situated in the barony of Offaly West and the parish of Ballysax.
Maddenstown is close to the Curragh race course and is a base for st ...
,
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
before being sent to Fred McCabe at his Glencairn Lodge Stables at
Sandyford
Sandyford () is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland.
Sandyford Business District makes up much of the suburb and encompasses 4 business parks: Sandyford Business Park, Stillorgan Business Park, Central Park and ...
, near
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
.
Orby’s sire, Orme, was a successful racehorse whose victories included the
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...
(twice), and 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 stud he was the
champion sire in 1899, the year in which his best son
Flying Fox
''Pteropus'' (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names.
They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Aust ...
won 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 ...
. Orby’s dam the American-bred Rhoda B., also produced 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 ...
winner
Rhodora
''Rhododendron canadense'', the rhodora or Canada rosebay, is a deciduous flowering shrub that is native to northeastern North America.
Classification
Today's botanists consider the rhodora to be a distant relative of the other North American ...
.
Racing career
1906: two-year-old season
Orby was a backward (immature) two-year-old with fragile hooves and his trainer at the time,
Jim Parkinson
Jim Parkinson (born October 23, 1941, in Oakland, California) is an American type designer in Oakland, California.
Life
Parkinson studied advertising design and painting at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, graduating in 1963 ...
, only raced him at the insistence of the colt’s owner “Boss” Croker. The colt finished third at
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 ...
on hard ground, returning to the paddock with his feet bleeding, and third again in a race 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 ...
.
1907: three-year-old season
Spring
Orby was trained at three by Fred McCabe. Early in the season he was mentioned as a potential Derby contender, being offered at odds of around
20/1 although he had not been entered in 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 ...
. On his debut he was sent to England and won the Earl of Sefton Plate at
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. He then returned to Ireland in May for the Baldoyle Plate over a mile and a half at
Baldoyle
Baldoyle () is a coastal suburb of Dublin's Northside (Dublin), northside. It is located in the southeastern part of the jurisdiction of Fingal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, developed from a former fishing village.
Baldoyle is also a Civil pa ...
Racecourse, north of Dublin. He started at odds of 8/18
against a "useful field"
Orby was an easy and impressive winner and he became regarded as a serious Derby prospect.
Croker backed the colt heavily and spent 2,500
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 ...
to buy a successful racehorse called Hayden to act as Orby's lead horse in training.
When sending the colt to England, Croker arranged for him to be accompanied by a bodyguard consisting of seventeen "stout Irishmen"
to ensure his security.
Summer
On a "cold, wet, windy and miserable"
day at Epsom, Orby started at odds of 100/9 (approximately 11/1) in a field of nine, with 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 ...
winner
Slieve Gallion
Slieve Gallion () is a mountain in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is the easternmost of the Sperrin Mountains. It reaches a height of and dominates the western shore of Lough Neagh. Its prominent northeastern summit has a transmit ...
starting the 8/13 favourite on rain-softened ground. The crowd was reported to be unusually sober and formal; the spectators for this "silk-hatted Derby" including the
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
. Ridden by the American
John Reiff
John "Knickerbocker" Reiff (1885–1974) was an American flat racing jockey, whose greatest successes came in Great Britain where he won three Classics.
Reiff came to England with his older brother Lester to ride for the American trainer Enoch ...
–
Danny Maher
Daniel Aloysius Maher (October 29, 1881 – November 9, 1916) was an American Hall of Fame jockey who also became a Champion jockey in Great Britain.
U.S. riding career
Danny Maher commenced his career at the age of 14, weighing 65 pounds. He ...
had reportedly turned down the ride– Orby was settled in fifth or sixth place in the early stages as first John Bull and then Slieve Gallion led the field. Reiff moved Orby into the third place just after half way and took the lead when Slieve Gallion ran wide entering the straight. Orby opened up a clear lead and stayed on to win "cleverly" by two lengths from
Wool Winder
Wool Winder (5 April 1904–28 November 1928), also known as Woolwinder, was a British-bred and raced Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1907 St. Leger Stakes. Wool Winder excelled as a three-year-old but suffered from health problems in hi ...
with Slieve Gallion finishing third. Although many were of the view that Sleive Gallion had failed to stay, his trainer, Sam Darling offered no excuses and said that he had been "beaten by a better horse." Wool Winder made up a great deal of ground in the straight and was felt by some to have been an unlucky loser. Croker, who reportedly landed bets of £40,000 on the race gave his winning prize money to charity.
Shortly after Orby's win, Croker challenged the owner of Slieve Gallion to a match race between the colts for "a substantial sum" over any distance. The challenge was not accepted. Orby bypassed a possible run 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 ...
and instead became the first Epsom Derby winner to also win the Irish Derby at the Curragh, justifying his position as 1/10 favourite.
Autumn
Before his next race, stories began to circulate that Orby was a "
whistler", suggesting that he was developing respiratory problems ("touched in the wind"). Orby was back in England before the end of July and started 4/7 favourite for the Atlantic Stakes at Liverpool. He finished last of the four runners behind Linacre, a colt who had finished third to
Slieve Gallion
Slieve Gallion () is a mountain in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is the easternmost of the Sperrin Mountains. It reaches a height of and dominates the western shore of Lough Neagh. Its prominent northeastern summit has a transmit ...
in the 2000 Guineas and to whom Orby was conceding eighteen
pounds. A veterinary examination was undertaken, and his owner was advised that the colt needed to be rested. Croker however, insisted on having Orby prepared for the
St Leger
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 ...
, a race in which he was scheduled to have a much-anticipated rematch with Wool Winder.
Shortly before the St Leger, Orby broke down badly in training, sustaining injuries which forced his withdrawal.
One contemporary report suggests that the colt was also suffering from "kidney trouble." At the end of the season it was said to be "improbable" that Orby would return to racing and although there were hopes of a return in the early part of 1908, he was retired to stud.
Assessment
In their book ''A Century of Champions'', John Randall and Tony Morris rated Orby on 133, making him an “average” Derby winner but the best Irish-trained horse of the first half of the 20th century.
Despite Orby's lack of success at two, Jim Parkinson, who trained him in 1906 was reported to have regarded him as "by far and away the best he had ever tried or ever known."
Orby earned £6,717 in win prize money in 1907, placing him seventh in the British list of highest earners behind Lally, Wool Winder, Sancy, Lesbia, Slieve Gallion and White Eagle.
Stud career
Orby stood as a stallion at his owner's Glencairn Stud. He proved to be reasonably successful, siring the Classic winners
Grand Parade (Derby) and
Diadem
A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty.
Overview
The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', "I ...
(1000 Guineas) and being regarded as a good source of speed. He sired the winners of at least seventy races and £30,000 in prize money. Orby died at Sandyford on 6 April 1918.
Pedigree
''Note: b. = Bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
, br. = Brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
'', ch. = Chestnut
The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.
The unrelat ...
* Orby was
inbred
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
4 × 4 to 1873
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...
winner
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 ...
. This means that the stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
References
External links
Press photograph showing "Boss" Croker leading in Orby after the 1907 Derby{{Epsom Derby Winners
1904 racehorse births
1918 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in Ireland
Epsom Derby winners
Irish Classic Race winners
Thoroughbred family 26
Chefs-de-Race