Bob's Return
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Bob's Return (1990–2008), was an Irish-bred, British-trained
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
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" an ...
. In a career which lasted from June 1992 until September 1994, he ran fifteen times and won five races. He recorded his most important success when winning the
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
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 ...
as a three-year-old in 1993, the same year in which he won the
Lingfield Derby Trial The Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133& ...
and 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 ...
. In the following season he failed to win in six races, although he finished second in 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 ...
. He later had some success as a sire of
National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...
winners.


Background

Bob's Return was a dark brown horse with a small white
star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
bred by the Baronrath stud at
Straffan Straffan () is a village in County Kildare, Ireland. It is situated on the banks of the River Liffey, 25 km upstream of the Irish capital Dublin. As of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, the village had a population of 1,158, an over ...
in
County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, 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 gove ...
. In colouring and markings, he closely resembled his sire Bob Back, who defeated Pebbles at
Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...
in 1985, and was a successful sire of both flat racers and
jumpers Jumper or Jumpers may refer to: Clothing *Jumper (sweater), is a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater **A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the Uniforms of the United St ...
. Bob's Return was the first foal of his dam, Quality of Life, and was described as being "unfashionably bred". He was sent as a yearling to the Goffs sales in October 1991, where he was bought for
IR£ The pound ( Irish: ) was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the symbol was £ (or £Ir for distinction.) The Irish pound was replaced by the euro on 1 January 1999. Euro currency did not begin circulation until ...
14,500 by Mark Tompkins who trained him at his Flint Cottage stables. The colt was bought by Mr G. A. E. Smith and given as a present to wis wife Jackie, in whose colours he ran during his racing career. Bob's Return, who usually raced in a sheepskin noseband, was ridden in every one of his fifteen races by Philip Robinson.


Racing career


1992: two-year-old season

Bob's Return made his racecourse debut in a five
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 any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
maiden race at
Beverley Beverley is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located north-west of Hull city centre. At the 2021 census the built-up area of the town had a population of 30,930, and the smaller civil parish had ...
in June 1992 in which he finished fourth behind Rock Symphony. He missed the next three months before starting 9/4 favourite for a maiden race at Yarmouth. He finished fourth of the sixteen runners behind Racing Telegraph. In October, Bob's Return was sent to
Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the ...
and recorded his first victory, winning by a length from Brown's and nineteen others. On his final race of the season, Bob's Return was moved up in class and sent to Newmarket to contest the Listed
Zetland Stakes The Zetland Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres), an ...
. He led from the start and won by three quarters of a length from Bobbie Dee.


1993: three-year-old season

Bob's Return began his three-year-old season in the
Derby Trial The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $600,000. Histor ...
at
Lingfield Park Racecourse Lingfield Park Racecourse (commonly referred to as Lingfield) is a horse racing course at Lingfield, Surrey, Lingfield in Surrey, United Kingdom. It is owned by the ARC Racing and Leisure Group, formerly Arena Leisure Plc. Lingfield is best k ...
on 8 May. Robinson took Bob's Return to the lead early on, and the colt went clear in the straight before staying on to win by a neck from Tioman Island at odds of 14/1. Bob's Return made his next appearance in the
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
at
Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...
for which he was made the 15/1 fifth choice in the betting in a field of sixteen colts. He led the field into the straight but weakened in the closing stages and finished sixth, fourteen lengths behind the winner Commander in Chief. Bob's Return was off the course for two and a half months before reappearing in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at
York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot Racecourse, Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It att ...
in August. Although he started a 16/1 outsider he was always among the leaders before taking the lead in the straight and drawing clear of his opponents to win by six lengths from Foresee. In the
Coalite Coalite is a brand of low-temperature coke used as a smokeless fuel. The title refers to the residue left behind when coal is carbonised at . It was invented by Thomas Parker in 1904. In 1936 the Smoke Abatement Society awarded its inventor a ...
-sponsored St Leger at
Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's List of British flat horse races#Group 1, 36 annual Group One, Group 1 flat races, the St Leger ...
on 11 September, Bob's Return started 3/1 favourite ahead of the
Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil (11 January 1943 – 11 June 2013) was a British flat racing horse trainer. Cecil was very successful, becoming Champion Trainer ten times and training 25 domestic Classic winners. These comprised four winners o ...
-trained Armiger. Robinson tracked the leaders, before moving the favourite into the lead three furlongs from the finish. Bob's Return stayed on strongly in the straight to win by three and a half lengths from Armiger. On his final race of the season, Bob's Return was dropped back in distance to contest 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 over a distance ...
at Longchamp. He briefly led the field in the straight but was outpaced in the closing stages and finished sixth, beaten four lengths behind the winner
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 ...
. Bob's Return was the highest rated European three-year-old at distances of fourteen furlongs and above.


1994: four-year-old season

Bob's Return ran six times as a four-year-old without success, beginning with a fourth place behind Romildo in the
Prix Ganay The Prix Ganay is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs) at L ...
. He showed improved form in his next two races, finishing second 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), an ...
at Royal Ascot and second to Ezzoud in the Eclipse stakes at
Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England. The neighbouring resort of Shanklin and the settlement of Lake, Isle of Wight, Lake are sited just to the south of t ...
. His remaining starts were disappointing as he finished unplaced 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 ...
, the
International Stakes The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards ...
and the Irish St. Leger.


Stud career

Bob's Return retired to stand at stud in Britain at a fee of £2,250.
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
described his "bargain basement" fee as being a reflection of the unfashionable status of proven stayers as stallions. He attracted few mares and was transferred to the Kilbarry Lodge Stud in
County Waterford County Waterford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the city of Waterford. ...
in Ireland where he proved more popular. He sired few flat winners, but was more successful as a National Hunt stallion. His most successful offspring was the Irish steeplechaser Joncol, winner of the
Hennessy Gold Cup (Ireland) The Irish Gold Cup (Irish language, Irish: Corn Óir na hÉireann) is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Ireland which is open to Horse racin ...
and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. Bob's Return died in 2008.


Pedigree


References

{{St Leger Winners Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom 1990 racehorse births 2008 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred family 1-w St Leger winners