Blaklion

Last updated

Blaklion
SireKayf Tara
DamFranciscaine
DamsireLegend Of France
Sex Gelding
Foaled3 April 2009
CountryGreat Britain
Colour Bay
BreederMrs M D W Morrison
OwnerDarren & Annaley Yates
TrainerDan Skelton
Record37:11,6,3
Earnings£460,612

Blaklion (born 3 April 2009) is a British thoroughbred racehorse trained by Dan Skelton.

He is best known for winning the Grade 1 2016 RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Career

Blaklion was bred in Britain but started his racing career in Ireland at Loughanmore. He was trained by Colin McKeever and competed in four races, winning at Tinahely before moving to Nigel Twiston-Davies yard in England. [1]

He followed this with a win on first outing at Ffos Las. Of his first six races in Britain, he won five. Including the Grade 2 Persian War Novices Hurdle at Chepstow. [2] He would try to win the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, but was pulled up despite winning two preliminary races at Cheltenham and Doncaster. [3]

For 2016, Blaklion switched to Chase fences and picked up his first win at Cheltenham in December. Following this up with another win at Wetherby, and ultimately his biggest career win to date at the Cheltenham Festival winning the RSA Chase. [4] He would cap the season with third place in the Mildmay Novices Chase at Aintree on Grand National Weekend. [5]

Blaklion wouldn't win again until December 2017, taking the Becher Chase on the Grand National course. [6] By this time, Blaklion was being prepared for a National tilt and wind surgery in February 2018 [7] saw him line up at 14/1 for the National in April. He was brought down at the first fence. [8]

Early in 2019, Blaklion was sold for £300,000 to Darren Yates. [9] He would initially switch training to Philip Kirby, [10] and later to Dan Skelton without a run in between. [11] Following a 623-day break from racing, Blaklion would finish 11 of 14 at Ascot in October 2020. In 2021, he would once again attempt to win the Grand National this time finishing sixth having gone to post at 50/1.

Blaklion would go on to win two races in 2021 at Haydock Park. [12]

Related Research Articles

Aintree Racecourse Horse racing venue in Liverpool, England

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, bordering the city of Liverpool. The racecourse is best known for annually holding the Grand National steeplechase.

Robbie "Puppy" Power, son of Irish show-jumper Con Power, is the National Hunt jockey who rode 33-1 outsider Silver Birch to victory in the 2007 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday 14 April 2007. It was his second Grand National ride after his Grand National debut in 2005. In 2011 he had his first Cheltenham Festival winner in the RSA Chase. In 2017 he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Punchestown Gold Cup on Sizing John. He also won the Irish Grand National on Our Duke.

Anthony Bingham Mildmay, 2nd Baron Mildmay of Flete was a celebrated amateur steeplechaser, who raced in the Grand National. He also inspired the Queen Mother's interest in National Hunt racing.

Timothy James Murphy is a former National Hunt and now current Flat racing jockey who overcame difficult personal problems to win the 2008 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on the horse Comply or Die. He recorded his 1,000th winner at Taunton on 21 January 2010. He won the Scottish Grand National on Merigo in 2010 and 2012. He was the winner of the 2005 Jump Jockey of the Year at the Lester Awards.

The Mildmay Novices' Chase is a Grade One National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Mildmay course at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong, and during its running there are nineteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April.

The 1998 Grand National was the 151st official renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 4 April 1998.

Bobs Worth Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Bobs Worth was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in 2011, the RSA Chase in 2012 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2013 at the Cheltenham Festival, making him the first horse since Flyingbolt in the 1960s to win three different races at consecutive Cheltenham Festivals. In 2012, he also won the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Bobs Worth was trained by Nicky Henderson, owned by the Not Afraid Partnership.

Silviniaco Conti French racehorse

Silviniaco Conti was a French-bred, British-trained Selle Français racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. After winning several important races over hurdles he emerged as a leading long-distance steeplechaser in 2012. After winning both his races in his native country, the horse won his first three races in England, culminating with a success in the two and a half mile Ascot Hurdle. After running poorly over shorter distances he was ruled out of a bid for the Champion Hurdle and was switched to steeplechasing. In his first season as a chaser he won the Mildmay Novices' Chase and finished second in a strong renewal of the Feltham Chase. In the 2012/2013 season he won the Charlie Hall Chase, Betfair Chase and Denman Chase and in the following season he was rated the best jumper in Britain and Ireland after wins in the King George VI Chase and Betfred Bowl. In the 2014/2015 season he recorded repeat victories in the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Betfred Bowl but failed when favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. In the following season he was beaten in his first three races but returned to form in February to win the Grade One Ascot Chase by 20 lengths.

Albertas Run was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. He won two National Hunt Flat races and became a successful hurdler, winning the National Hunt Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final and the John Smith's Extra Cold Handicap Hurdle in 2007. He became more successful as a Steeplechaser, winning four Grade I races: the Royal and SunAlliance Chase, the Melling Chase and two runnings of the Ryanair Chase. His other wins included the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase, the Amlin 1965 Chase and the Old Roan Chase.

Barton was a British racehorse of Thoroughbred and Anglo-Arabian ancestry who competed in National Hunt racing. In a racing career which lasted from October 1997 until November 2003 he won fourteen of his twenty-six races. He had his greatest success in the 1998/1999 National Hunt season when he dominated the novice hurdle division in Britain, winning all seven of his races including the Classic Novices' Hurdle, Winter Novices' Hurdle, River Don Novices' Hurdle, Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle and Mersey Novices' Hurdle. After missing the next season he returned to win the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Aintree Hurdle, easily defeating Best Mate in the latter race. When switched to steeplechasing he won the Dipper Novices' Chase and the Mildmay Novices' Chase but was never as effective as he had been over hurdles.

Pineau de Re French-bred racehorse

Pineau de Re is a French-bred, British-trained AQPS racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Grand National.

Charter Party was an Irish-bred British-trained thoroughbred racehorse, best known for his win in the 1988 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He overcame persistent injury problems to win twelve races under National Hunt rules. He showed promise as a hurdler and as a Novice steeplechaser before recording his first major win in the 1986 National Hunt Handicap Chase. As a ten-year-old in 1988 he defeated Desert Orchid in the Gainsborough Chase, before taking the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March. He never won again, but produced a fine effort to finish third on heavy ground in the 1989 Gold Cup.

Many Clouds Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Many Clouds was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Grand National. After being sold as a foal, he was sent to England and trained for a National Hunt racing career by Oliver Sherwood.

One For Arthur Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

One For Arthur is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. In 2017 he became the second horse trained in Scotland to win the Grand National.

Tiger Roll Thoroughbred racehorse

Tiger Roll is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing and won the Grand National in 2018 and 2019. He has also won five times at the Cheltenham Festival: the Triumph Hurdle in 2014, the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup in 2017 and the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Native River is an Irish-bred, British-trained, Thoroughbred racehorse who races under National Hunt rules. He is a specialist long-distance steeplechaser known for his front-running style and apparently inexhaustible stamina. He won three minor hurdle races but began to show better form in the 2015/16 when taking the Worcester Novices' Chase and the Mildmay Novices' Chase. He emerged as a top-class steeplechaser in the following season when he won the Hennessy Gold Cup, Welsh Grand National and Denman Chase as well as finishing third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. In the spring of 2018 he won a second Denman Chase before recording his biggest win in the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Lisnagar Oscar is an Irish-bred, British-trained racehorse best known for his achievements in National Hunt racing. He won his only Point-to-point race and then showed very promising form as a Novice hurdler in the 2018/19 National Hunt season, winning the Prestige Novices' Hurdle and being placed in both the Prestige Novices' Hurdle and the Sefton Novices' Hurdle. In the following season he raced unsuccessfully in Steeplechases before returning to smaller obstacles and recording his biggest win in the Stayers' Hurdle. He failed to win in his first four start of the 2020/21 season, when he underwent surgery to correct his breathing.

Richard Charles Guest is a retired National Hunt jockey.

Cause of Causes American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Cause Of Causes was an American-bred thoroughbred racehorse.

Might Bite British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Might Bite is a retired Irish-bred, British trained thoroughbred racehorse. He won four Group 1 races before being retired in 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "MARGIE MCLOONE: Blaklion graduate of northern points". The Irish Field. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Blaklion sounds War cry". gg.com. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 2015 Result". Timeform. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  4. ↑ "Cheltenham Festival 2016: Blaklion roars in RSA Chase to restore his trainer's grin". The Independent. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Betfred Mildmay Novices' Chase (Grade 1) (Class 1) (Turf)". Racing TV. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Blaklion romps to victory in the Randox Health Becher Chase at Aintree Racecourse". Liverpool Echo. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Grand National favourite Blaklion has had wind op following Haydock defeat". Racing Post. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  8. ↑ "2018 Grand National Review and Results". Grand National. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "Talking Horses: Blaklion faces fitness struggle for Grand National tilt". The Guardian. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "Phil Kirby targets Grand National with big-money buy Blaklion". Racing Post. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Superstitious Darren Yates searching for better luck as horses join Dan Skelton". Racing Post. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Blaklion rolls back the years in Haydock Veterans' Chase". Racing TV. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.