Binocular | |
---|---|
| |
Sire | Enrique |
Grandsire | Barathea |
Dam | Bleu Ciel Et Blanc |
Damsire | Pistolet Bleu |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | 2004 |
Country | France |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Élie Lellouche |
Owner | J. P. McManus |
Trainer | Nicky Henderson |
Record | 9-3-2 (18 starts) |
Earnings | £583,478 |
Major wins | |
Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle (2008) Champion Hurdle (2010) Christmas Hurdle (2010 – run in 2011, 2011) | |
Last updated on 29 December 2011 |
Binocular, foaled on 17 March 2004 in France, is a French thoroughbred retired racehorse. He was sired by Enrique out of the mare Bleu Ciel Et Blanc. [1] He is owned by J. P. McManus and trained by Nicky Henderson. His primary jockey is Tony McCoy. [2]
Binocular started racing as a two-year-old when he was entered into the Prix de Belleville – for unraced colt (horse) and geldings – in October 2006. In that race, he bested 10 other horses en route to his first victory. [2] His first notable win came in February 2008 at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England where he won the Adonis Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, a Grade 2 National Hunt race. Although he won the race, McManus was disappointed. He said of Binocular; "It seemed that the horse didn't jump as well as he can, but Kempton is a quick track, and maybe he was not suited to it." [3]
Binocular's first major win in a Grade 1 race came in April 2008. With jockey McCoy at the helm, he went on to win the 2008 Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England where he beat Celestial Halo by 7 lengths. [4] Binocular's other major Grade 1 National Hunt win came in the Champion Hurdle in March 2010 at Cheltenham Racecourse when he beat Khyber Kim by 3.5 lengths. [5] Binocular had originally been ruled out of the Champion Hurdle due to a muscle problem, [6] and he drifted out to as high as 999–1 to win the race. [7] However, McManus and McCoy later decided he was fit to run. [8] By winning the Champion Hurdle, he denied 4-1 race favourite [9] Go Native the chance to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown of Hurdling. [7]
Binocular's career record reads 9 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds, with 2 of his wins coming in Grade 1 races. [2]
On 10 December 2013 it was announced that Binocular was retired due to a heart problem. [10]
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