This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2014) |
C'est La Guerre | |
---|---|
Sire | Shinko King |
Grandsire | Fairy King |
Dam | La Magnifique |
Damsire | Kampala |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | 8 October 2004 |
Country | New Zealand |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | A & Mrs B C Smith |
Owner | Lloyd Williams |
Trainer | (1) Kevin Myers (2) John Sadler |
Record | 9:5–2-0 |
Earnings | $466,700 |
Major wins | |
New Zealand Derby (2008), Craven Plate (2010) | |
Last updated on 12 June 2022 |
C'est La Guerre (foaled 8 October 2004) [1] is a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who on 1 March 2008 won the New Zealand Derby by four lengths, the largest winning margin of the race in ten years.
A son of Shinko King, C'est La Guerre was trained in Wanganui by part-owner Kevin Myers, who deserves plenty of the credit for the horse's Derby triumph. Myers trained and placed the horse brilliantly throughout the Derby campaign, having the horse at his absolute peak on Derby day after raising some eyebrows with a route that was unconventional to say the least. As the horse passed the finish line in the Derby, the astute trainer was vindicated as commentator George Simon labelled him a "deadset genius".
C'est La Guerre had his first start at Woodville on 22 October, winning a maiden three-year-old event over 1400m comfortably. In mid-November he appeared again, this time in a premier-quality race during New Zealand Cup Week at Riccarton Park, and again impressively won over 1400m.
After the perfect start to his career, things went slightly wrong in his Derby campaign. In his next start at Awapuni he was blocked 250m from home when making what looked like potentially a winning late run, and suffered the same fate in the Group 2 Great Northern Guineas on Boxing Day when finishing 2.9 lengths behind Prince Kaapstad (who two months later was runner-up to C'est La Guerre in the Derby). As a result, he had an 8th and a 7th in his formline that did no justice to the horse's performances.
He went back to his winning way at Hastings on 25 January, and then somewhat surprisingly was taken to the country track Wairoa for his next start on 13 February. His win in the $20,000 Wairoa Cup was disturbingly narrow for a Derby contender, but in hindsight the horse was probably well short of the peak he eventually reached on 1 March.
With another run over distance (for second against older horses at Otaki) under his belt, he travelled to Ellerslie for the Derby and was rated a $15 chance. That dropped to $10 when there was some substantial rain on the morning of the race, as he had proven himself to be proficient on rain-affected ground earlier in his career.
Given a perfect ride by regular rider David Walker, C'est La Guerre exploded to the lead early in the home straight and raced clear of Prince Kaapstad and Fritzy Boy, passing the line with ears pricked four lengths clear of the runner-up. It was a spectacular performance against a field rated among the best Derby fields in recent years.
C'est La Guerre's first run since the Derby was in another unusual race, finishing second over 1400m in an $11,000 open handicap at another country track in Blenheim. Ironically, the following day saw two horses who were unplaced in the New Zealand Derby, Nom du Jeu and Red Ruler, quinella the Australian Derby on a wet track.
In 2008 C'est La Guerre was sold to LLoyd Williams, the owner of 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient, and moved to the Melbourne stable of John Sadler.
His first run in Australia was in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, in which he finished seventh behind Weekend Hussler. The run was good enough for some people to suggest he would be a Melbourne Cup contender for 2008. Two subsequent starts produced a disappointing run in the JRA Cup and a fast-finishing fourth in the Yalumba Stakes. In his last run before the Melbourne Cup, he caught the eye with his late finish when running sixth in the Cox Plate.
In the 2008 Melbourne Cup, ridden by Brett Prebble he finished strongly down the outside to finish third behind Viewed and Bauer.
C'est La Guerre ran eighth behind Shocking in the 2009 Melbourne Cup.
Returning in the spring of 2010 in his second start back, he had his first Australian victory in the Craven Plate at Randwick, beating Purple and Triple Honour.
He finished 3rd in the 2011 Chairman's Handicap (ATC) behind Once Were Wild and Anudjawun and then 4th in the 2011 Sydney Cup behind Stand to Gain and Older Than Time.
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in the UK and steeplechasing in the US. Jump racing can be further divided into hurdling and steeplechasing.
Makybe Diva is a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who is the only horse to win three Melbourne Cups and the only mare to win it more than once. She achieved the feat in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She also won the 2005 Cox Plate. She was the highest stakes-earner in Australian history, winning more than A$ 14 million.
Might and Power was a New Zealand bred, Australian owned and trained Thoroughbred racehorse who was named Australian Horse of the Year in 1998 and 1999. As a four-year-old, Might And Power won the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, and returned at five to become only the second horse in the history of Australian racing to win both Cups and the Cox Plate. He also won a number of other weight-for-age races in this period, including the Mercedes Classic, the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Doomben Cup. A strong, free-striding front-runner, he broke course records in winning the Caulfield Cup, the Doomben Cup, and the Cox Plate, and won a number of races by big margins.
The racing of Thoroughbred horses is a popular gaming and spectator sport and industry in New Zealand.
The Hawke's Bay Guineas is a major Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand for three-year-old horses. In 2003 the stake was boosted to $100,000 and the race was moved to the first Saturday in October, meaning that it is run on the same day as the Spring Classic.
High Caste was a Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion that was bred in New Zealand and was considered the best two-year-old in New Zealand after winning three of his four race starts. He was a good racehorse under handicap and weight for age conditions and combined this with wins in good races from 5 furlongs to 1+3⁄4 miles (2,800 m), carrying up to 10 stone 6 pounds.
Nightmarch, foaled in 1925 was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse known as The Kiwi. He won the New Zealand Derby and Dunedin Cup as a three-year-old before going to Australia where he became the first horse to win both the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate in the same year, as well as other Principal races.
Monarchos was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby in the second fastest winning time and overall third fastest time in the race's history.
Hill Prince (1947–1970) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the leading American two-year-olds of 1949, alongside Oil Capitol and Middleground. In 1950, he ran fifteen times, winning races including the Preakness Stakes, Wood Memorial Stakes, Withers Stakes, American Derby, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Jerome Handicap and Sunset Handicap and being named American Horse of the Year. Hill Prince raced for two further seasons and had some success despite a number of injuries and training problems. He later became a moderately successful breeding stallion.
Gato Del Sol was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his win in the 1982 Kentucky Derby.
Efficient is a grey Thoroughbred racehorse gelding, bred in New Zealand, who won the 2007 Melbourne Cup and the 2006 Victoria Derby, both times ridden by Michael Rodd.
Tulloch was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the greatest Australian stayers.
Thormanby (1857–1875) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from May 1859 to July 1861, he ran twenty-four times and won fourteen races. He was regarded by experts as one of the outstanding horses of his era.
Black Jester (1911–1928) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the Classic St Leger Stakes in 1914. The colt won nine times from twenty-three races in a track career which lasted from 1913 until October 1915. Black Jester was one of the leading two-year-olds of 1913 when he won both Molecomb Stakes and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. As a three-year-old he finished third in the 2000 Guineas and was unplaced in The Derby before winning the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and the St Leger at Doncaster in September. In 1915 he won the City and Suburban Handicap and the June Stakes, a wartime substitute for the Coronation Cup. He became increasingly difficult to train and at the end of the season he was retired to stud where he became a successful sire of broodmares.
Petrarch, was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who won two British Classic Races in 1876. In a career that lasted from October 1875 to October 1878 he ran sixteen times and won eight races. In 1875, Petrarch won the Middle Park Stakes on his only appearance of the season. As a three-year-old in 1876 he won two of the three races which comprise the Triple Crown, taking the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the St Leger at Doncaster. He finished unplaced when favourite for The Derby. As a four-year-old he won three races including the two and a half mile Ascot Gold Cup which at that time was regarded as the most important weight-for-age race in the world. Petrarch was regarded by contemporary experts as a brilliant, but inconsistent performer. After winning once as a five-year-old in 1878 he was retired to stud where he became a successful sire of winners.
Half Iced was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who raced on turf and was best known for winning the 1982 Japan Cup. After being beaten in his two starts as a juvenile in 1981 he was highly tried in the next two seasons racing sixteen times in 1982 and thirteen times in 1983. As a three-year-old he won three minor races before recording his first major victory in the Grade II Secretariat Stakes. He ended his season by beating a top-class international field in the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. In the following year he won the Grade III Seneca Handicap at Saratoga Race Course and ended his racing career by finishing a close fourth in his second Japan Cup. He was retired to stud in New Zealand and had some success as a breeding stallion. He died in 2001 at the age of twelve.
Boswell was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed promise when winning his final start as a two-year-old and was considered a contender for the following year's classic races. In 1936 he was slow to find his best form and ran unplaced in both the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby before recording an upset victory in the St Leger at Doncaster Racecourse in September. As a four-year-old he again upset the odds to take the Eclipse Stakes at 20/1 but failed to win again and was retired from racing at the end of the following year. He later stood as a breeding stallion in the United States, where he had some success as a sire of winners.
Beauty Generation is a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his performances in Hong Kong. He began his career as a three-year-old in Australia where he won two races and ran second in the Rosehill Guineas before being exported to Hong Kong.
Warning is a Group 1 winning Australian bred thoroughbred racehorse who is most notable for winning the 2019 Victoria Derby.
Golden Sixty is a champion Australian-bred Hong Kong-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Hong Kong Triple Crown and was named the 2020/2021 Hong Kong Horse of the Year.