Vimy (horse)
Vimy | |
---|---|
Sire | Wild Risk |
Grandsire | Rialto |
Dam | Mimi |
Damsire | Black Devil |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1952 |
Country | France |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Pierre Wertheimer |
Owner | Pierre Wertheimer |
Trainer | Alec Head |
Record | 6: 4–1–0 |
Major wins | |
Prix Noailles (1955) King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1955) | |
Awards | |
Timeform rating 132 |
Vimy (1952 – 11 August 1980) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the 1955 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Racing in France, Vimy won three of his five races including the Prix Noailles as well as finishing second in the Prix du Jockey Club. In July he became the first French horse to win the King George on his first and only race in Britain. He was retired from racing after his win at Ascot and stood as a stallion in Ireland before being exported to Japan in 1964.
Background
Vimy was a bay horse with a narrow white stripe[1] bred in France by this owner, Pierre Wertheimer. His dam, Mimi, also produced Midget, a grey mare who won five races now classed as Group One including the Prix de la Forêt and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and was the grand-dam of the 1000 Guineas winner Ma Biche.[2] His sire Wild Risk, a male-line descendant of St. Simon had his greatest success over hurdles, being a dual winner of the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil. He became a successful stallion,[3] siring Le Fabuleux (Prix du Jockey Club), Balto (Ascot Gold Cup, Grand Prix de Paris) and Worden (Washington, D.C. International Stakes).[4] Wertheimer sent Vimy into training with Alec Head at Chantilly.
Racing career
Vimy ran twice as a two-year-old in 1954. He won one race over 1300 metres and was reportedly unlucky in the other, having been left behind at the start.[5] On his three-year-old debut in April 1955 he was sent to Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse for the Prix Lagrange over 2000m. He ran a dead-heat for first place with Nordic ahead of Zinosca in third.[6] His next race was the Prix Noailles over 2200m at Longchamp Racecourse. Ridden by Jean Massard, Vimy won the race, a trial for the Prix du Jockey Club, beating Zinosca.[7]
At Chantilly Racecourse in June, Vimy was narrowly defeated in the Prix du Jockey Club, beaten a short head by Rapace: Wertheimer claimed that his colt was an unlucky loser,[5] and he was reported to be unsuited by the heavy ground.[8] In July, the colt was sent to England to contest Britain's most prestigious all-aged race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. The prize money of over £23,000[9] made it the most valuable race run in Britain in 1955:[5][8][10] that year's Epsom Derby was worth £18,702. Ridden by Roger Poincelet, the French colt started at odds of 10/1 in a field of ten runners, with the Derby winner Phil Drake starting the odds-on favourite. Doug Smith attempted to make all the running on the British three-year-old Acropolis, and held a clear lead early in the straight, whilst Poincelet appeared to be in a hopeless position[10] on Vimy. Once Vimy obtained a clear run, however, he made rapid progress to catch the leader inside the final furlong, and although Acropolis rallied, the French challenger prevailed by a head, and became the first foreign entry to win the King George.[5]
Future targets mentioned for Vimy after his success at Ascot included the St Leger[9] and the Washington D. C. International but he never raced after Ascot and was retired to stud.
Assessment
The independent Timeform organisation gave Vimy a rating of 132 in 1955, seven pounds below the top-rated Pappa Fourway.[11]
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Vimy an "inferior" winner of the King George.[12]
Stud record
Vimy began his career as a stallion at the Irish National Stud. The best of his European offspring was Khalkis, who won the Eclipse Stakes in 1963 and was narrowly beaten by Relko in the following year's Coronation Cup. His daughters included some good broodmares, and he was the damsire of the British Horse of the Year Busted and the 2000 Guineas winner High Top.[13] In 1964 Vimy was sold and exported to Japan. He died on 11 August 1980.[14]
Pedigree
Sire Wild Risk (FR) 1940 | Rialto 1923 | Rabelais | St. Simon |
---|---|---|---|
Satirical | |||
La Grelee | Helicon | ||
Grignouse | |||
Wild Violet 1935 | Blandford | Swynford | |
Blanche | |||
Wood Violet | Ksar | ||
Pervencheres | |||
Dam Mimi (GB) 1943 | Black Devil 1931 | Sir Gallahad III | Teddy |
Plucky Liege | |||
La Palina | Ambassador | ||
Parthenis | |||
Mignon 1935 | Épinard | Badajoz | |
Epine Blanche | |||
Mammee | Bruleur | ||
Mackwiller (Family:1-u)[2] |
References
- ^ "Vimy image". sporthorse-data. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b "Maid of the Glen - Family 1-u". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ Avalyn Hunter (2003-05-25). American Classic Pedigrees. Blood-Horse Publications. p. 458. ISBN 9781581500950. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ "Darley Arabian Line: St. Simon". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b c d "Phil Drake sixth of ten". Daytona Beach Post. Retrieved 2011-11-06.|
- ^ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1999). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ "Prix Noailles". France-galop.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b "Most valuable British race may go to French colt". Glasgow Herald. 16 July 1955. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b "Vimy Wins King George Vi Stakes". British Pathé. 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b "Vimy would have been a very unlucky loser". The Bulletin. 18 July 1955. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ^ "All Progeny for Vimy". IDSHS. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ Staff. "Vimy (FR)". Japan Race Horse Registry. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Vimy pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- v
- t
- e
- 1951 Supreme Court
- 1952 Tulyar
- 1953 Pinza
- 1954 Aureole
- 1955 Vimy
- 1956 Ribot
- 1957 Montaval
- 1958 Ballymoss
- 1959 Alcide
- 1960 Aggressor
- 1961 Right Royal
- 1962 Match
- 1963 Ragusa
- 1964 Nasram
- 1965 Meadow Court
- 1966 Aunt Edith ♥
- 1967 Busted
- 1968 Royal Palace
- 1969 Park Top ♥
- 1970 Nijinsky
- 1971 Mill Reef
- 1972 Brigadier Gerard
- 1973 Dahlia ♥
- 1974 Dahlia ♥
- 1975 Grundy
- 1976 Pawneese
- 1977 The Minstrel
- 1978 Ile de Bourbon
- 1979 Troy
- 1980 Ela-Mana-Mou
- 1981 Shergar
- 1982 Kalaglow
- 1983 Time Charter ♥
- 1984 Teenoso
- 1985 Petoski
- 1986 Dancing Brave
- 1987 Reference Point
- 1988 Mtoto
- 1989 Nashwan
- 1990 Belmez
- 1991 Generous
- 1992 St Jovite
- 1993 Opera House
- 1994 King's Theatre
- 1995 Lammtarra
- 1996 Pentire
- 1997 Swain
- 1998 Swain
- 1999 Daylami
- 2000 Montjeu
- 2001 Galileo
- 2002 Golan
- 2003 Alamshar
- 2004 Doyen
- 2005 Azamour
- 2006 Hurricane Run
- 2007 Dylan Thomas
- 2008 Duke of Marmalade
- 2009 Conduit
- 2010 Harbinger
- 2011 Nathaniel
- 2012 Danedream ♥
- 2013 Novellist
- 2014 Taghrooda ♥
- 2015 Postponed
- 2016 Highland Reel
- 2017 Enable ♥
- 2018 Poet's Word
- 2019 Enable ♥
- 2020 Enable ♥
- 2021 Adayar
- 2022 Pyledriver
- 2023 Hukum