Old Vic (26 April 1986 – 21 February 2011) was a

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 ...

who won the

French Derby The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over ...

and the

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 ...

in 1989. After retiring from racing he went on to become a top national hunt sire. He was one of the first crop of foals by the influential sire

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 ...

Racing career

Old Vic made his racecourse debut in a maiden at Newmarket in September 1988 and finished sixth. He started once more as a two-year-old, winning a maiden at

Haydock Park 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 ...

. He easily won the Burghclere Stakes at Newbury on his first race of 1989. He then stepped up in class for the

Sandown Classic Trial The Sandown Classic Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 209 yards ...

. He faced only two opponents and won the race by four lengths. He followed this up with a win in the

Chester Vase The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at Che ...

at the May meeting. Old Vic then travelled to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

for the

Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...

. He quickened clear with two furlongs to run and was never challenged, winning by seven lengths from Dancehall. After this performance, he started the hot favourite for the

and won by four lengths despite the presence of a large abscess in the saddle area and the need to have foam pads under the saddle to enable him to run. Old Vic raced as a four-year-old, beginning at Royal Ascot where he started the 4/5 favourite in the

Hardwicke Stakes The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 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 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and ...

. He finished third, a long way behind the surprise winner Assatis. Old Vic's final start came 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 ...

. He led from the start but was overtaken by Belmez with two furlongs to run. Old Vic came back at Belmez again and just failed to win by a neck. The field also included In the Wings and Assatis.

Assessment

At the end of the 1989 season Old Vic was officially rated as the joint best horse with Zilzal.

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 ...

gave Zilzal a rating of 137, with Old Vic on 136 and Nashwan on 135. Old Vic was also officially rated the best older horse of the 1990 season.

Stud career

Old Vic was retired to stud. He failed to produce many top class flat horses, the best being multiple Group 3 winner Orchestra Stall. However he went on to become one of the leading

National Hunt In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

sires and was leading sire for the 2007/08 season.

Notable progeny

''c =

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 ...

, f =

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 ...

'' Old Vic was euthanized on 21 February 2011.

References

{{reflist

External links

Racing Post - Bloodstock

Racing Post - Old Vic
1986 racehorse births 2011 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 11-a French Thoroughbred Classic Race winners