Snurge (12 March 1987 – November 2006), was an Irish-bred British-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 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 career which lasted from September 1989 until September 1994, he ran thirty-four times and won seven races. He recorded his most important success when 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 ...
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 ...
as a three-year-old
maiden
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
in 1990. In the following seasons he won major races in France, Italy and Canada, before retiring as a seven-year-old. At the time of his retirement he held the record for prize money won by a European-trained horse,
although the precise total of his earnings was difficult to determine because of the number of different currencies involved.
Background
Snurge was a chestnut horse with a narrow white
blaze bred at the Kilcarn Stud near
Navan
Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50&nb ...
in
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
, Ireland. Before his racing career began he entered the ownership of the British businessman
Martyn Arbib Martyn may refer to:
*Martyn (surname), one of the Tribes of Galway and others
*Martyn (given name)
See also
*Martin (disambiguation)
*Marten (disambiguation)
A marten is a mammal in the family ''Mustelidae''. Marten, Mårten, or Martén may also ...
, who named the colt after a nickname he received while in school. Snurge was sired by the
winner
Ela-Mana-Mou
Ela-Mana-Mou (1976–2008) was a British Thoroughbred race horse and sire. In a career which lasted from 1978 until October 1980, he ran sixteen times and won ten races. He was one of the best British two-year-olds of 1978, when he defeated T ...
out of the French-bred mare Finlandia. The horse was trained by
Paul Cole
Paul F. I. Cole (born 11 September 1941) is a British racehorse trainer. Since 1987 he has been based at Whatcombe Estate in Berkshire, the former stables of Dick Dawson and Arthur Budgett.
He was British flat racing Champion Trainer in ...
at Whatcombe, near
Wantage
Wantage () is a historic market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. Although within the boundaries of the historic county of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire since 1974. T ...
in
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
and ridden in all but two of his races by
Richard Quinn.
Racing career
1989: two-year-old season
Snurge made his first appearance in the
Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes
The Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it ...
over one mile at
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat ...
on 22 September and finished third of the nine runners behind Tanfith. A month later he ran in a ten
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 hor ...
maiden race at
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
. He took the lead briefly before finishing second to
Blue Stag, a horse who went on to be the runner-up in the 1990
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 ...
. In November, Snurge was sent to France and moved up in class to contest the
Group One Critérium de Saint-Cloud
The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...
. He finished first by three lengths from Intimiste, but was "controversially"
disqualified and placed second by the racecourse stewards.
1990: three-year-old season
Snurge missed the early part of the 1990 season before reappearing at the Ascot Heath meeting after
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 which he contested the
Churchill Stakes, finishing second by a head to Middle Kingdom. After a break of two months, Snurge returned to the racecourse in the
Great Voltigeur Stakes
The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 1 ...
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 ...
. He started the 22/1 outsider of the five horse field, which was headed by the
winner
Belmez. Snurge took the lead in the straight and stayed on strongly before being caught in the last strides and beaten a head by Belmez.
On 15 September 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 ...
, Snurge started second favourite for the St Leger at odds of 7/2, with the
filly Hellenic, the winner of 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 i ...
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 ...
starting favourite at 2/1. The two leading horses in the betting dominated the closing stages of the race with Snurge taking the lead from Hellenic in the straight and running on strongly to beat the filly by three quarters of a length. He was recording his first ever win, becoming the first maiden to win the St Leger for seventy-seven years. In October, Snurge contested 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, the most prestigious race of the European flat-racing season. In a finish dominated by three-year-old colts he finished third, beaten three quarters of a length and half a length by
Saumarez and
Epervier Bleu.
1991: four-year-old season
Snurge began his four-year-old season by winning the
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 ...
Aston Park Stakes at Newbury and was then sent to Italy where he won the Group One
Gran Premio di Milano
The Gran Premio di Milano is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Milan over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The event ...
. After a mid-summer break, Snurge started favourite for the
Grand Prix de Deauville
The Grand Prix de Deauville is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,500 metres (about 1 mile and 4½ fur ...
and won by a neck.
Snurge's three victories led to his being considered a serious contender for the 1991 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and he started the 8/1 fourth favourite behind the three-year-olds
Generous,
Suave Dancer and
Pistolet Bleu. He failed to produce his best form and finished last of the fourteen runners. Later in October, Snurge was sent to Italy where he finished third in the
Gran Premio del Jockey Club
The Gran Premio del Jockey Club is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Milan over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
...
in Milan before winning the Premio Roma Vecchia in Rome.
1992: five-year-old season
Snurge began his five-year-old season by finishing third in
Yorkshire Cup before running unplaced in 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 ...
and the Gran Premio di Milano. He then ran second in four successive races, finishing runner-up in the
Grosser Preis von Berlin
The Großer Preis von Berlin, formerly known as the Deutschland-Preis, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Hoppegarten over a distance of 2,400 metres (a ...
, the
Aral-Pokal, the Grand Prix de Deauville and the
Irish St. Leger
The Irish St Leger is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs (2,816 metres), and it i ...
. He was then sent to Canada to contest the
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is
Since its creatio ...
at
Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The tra ...
on 18 October. Snurge finished second by half a length to the French-trained colt Wiorno, but was awarded the race on a disqualification, after the racecourse stewards' found that Wiorno had repeatedly bumped the third place Ghazi in an "incredibly tight finish". The beaten horses included
Urban Sea
Urban Sea (18 February 1989 – 2 March 2009) was an American bred Thoroughbred racemare best known for winning France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in 1993 and for her importance as a world-class broodmare. She is one ...
and
Mashaallah. The disqualification was appealed but Snurge's victory was confirmed by the
Ontario Racing Commission
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
in November. On his final appearance of the season he returned to Europe and finished unplaced in the Premio Roma Vecchia.
1993–1994: later career
Snurge ran six times as a six-year-old in 1993. His progress was hindered by a viral infection in the early part of the season.
His only success came in August when he defeated Petit Loup by a short head to win the Grand Prix de Deauville for a second time. He finished sixth behind
Vintage Crop
Vintage Crop (1 March 1987 – 14 July 2014) was a British-bred Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for becoming the first northern hemisphere trained runner to win Australia's premier race the Melbourne Cup. The chestnut geldi ...
when favourite for the Irish St. Leger three weeks later.
In 1994, Snurge continued to compete in major middle-distance races but failed to win. His best performances came when he finished second in the Gran Premio di Milano and the
Prix Maurice de Nieuil
The Prix Maurice de Nieuil is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,800 metres (about 1¾ miles), and it is scheduled ...
and third in the Aral-Pokal. He was injured when finishing last of the six runners in the
Cumberland Lodge Stakes
The Cumberland Lodge Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metr ...
at Ascot in September and was retired to stud.
Stud career
Snurge stood as a stallion in France at the Haras du Val Henry and before being moved to Ireland. He was based at the Arctic Tack Stud in
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
and then the Grange Stud in
County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
where he represented the
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...
as a
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: ...
stallion. Snurge sired the winners of more than 300 National Hunt races, but none at the highest level. He died of
colic
Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out. ...
at the age of nineteen in November 2006.
Pedigree
References
{{St Leger Winners
1987 racehorse births
2006 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 1-m
St Leger winners