Patron Saint (horse)

Last updated
Patron Saint
SireSt Girons
Grandsire St Simon
DamVMC
Damsire Common
Sex Gelding
Foaled1923 [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
Colour Bay
OwnerF W Keen
TrainerStanley Harrison
Major wins
Cheltenham Gold Cup (1928)

Patron Saint (foaled 1923) was a British racehorse who won the 1928 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Contents

Background

Patron Saint was a bay gelding bred in the United Kingdom. He was sired by St Girons (a son of St Simon) who also sired the Grand Sefton Steeplechase winner Inversible. Patron Saint's dam VCB was a distant descendant of Canezou, who won the 1000 Guineas in 1848 and later became an influential broodmare. [2]

During his racing career Patron Saint was owned by F W Keen and was trained near Bangor-on-Dee in Wales by Stanley Harrison. [3]

Racing career

The early spring of 1928 was exceptionally cold and led to fears that the Cheltenham Festival would be abandoned but a break in the weather allowed the meeting to take place. [3] Patron Saint was entered in the Gold Cup as a five-year-old meaning that he carried seven pounds less than his older rivals. With the leading chaser of the season Easter Hero absent, the 1926 Gold Cup winner Koko started the 4/5 favourite ahead of Patron Saint on 7/2 [4] whilst the most notable of the other five runners was the 1927 Grand National winner Sprig. [5] Ridden by Dick Rees, Patron Saint tracked Koko before being driven up on the inside to take a slight lead at the final fence. Koko still looked the more likely winner but broke a blood vessel [3] and dropped back to third, allowing Patron Saint to draw clear and win by four lengths from the thirteen-year-old veteran Vive. On his next start Patron Saint finished third on a flat race in which he was ridden by Noel Murless, later to become a leading trainer. [3]

Patron Saint was expected to defend his Gold Cup title in 1929 but missed the race after suffering a series of injuries and training problems. He returned in 1930 and won the Plodders Chase at Nottingham Racecourse, but had no further success. [3]

Assessment and honours

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Patron Saint a "poor" Gold Cup winner. [6]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Patron Saint (GB), bay gelding, 1923 [1]
Sire
St Girons (GB)
1908
St Simon (GB)
1881
Galopin Galopin
St Angela
St Angela King Tom
Adeline
Acunha (GB)
1894
Tristan Hermit
Thrift
PolentaColtness
Modena
Dam
VMC (GB)
1911
Common (GB)
1888
Isonomy Sterling
Isola Bella
ThistleScottish Chief
The Flower Safety
Hoot (GB)
1906
The OwlWisdom
Rattlewings
GracelessCommon
Grace Emily (Family 31) [2]

Related Research Articles

Baldric was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1964. When racing in Britain, the horse was known as Baldric II. Baldric won twice in 1963 but after being beaten on his three-year-old debut he started a 20/1 outsider for the 2000 Guineas. He won the race, the most valuable ever run in Britain, and went on to win the Prix Perth and the Champion Stakes in Autumn. After two unsuccessful runs in 1965, Baldric was retired to stud where he had success as a sire of winners in both France and Japan.

Crow was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the best three-year-olds in Europe in 1976 when he won the classic St Leger Stakes and finished second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He went on to win the Coronation Cup as a five-year-old in 1978. After he retired from racing, he stood as a breeding stallion in the United States and Australia with limited success.

Aurelius was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1961 and for becoming one of the few classic winners to compete in steeplechases. As a two-year-old he finished fourth in his only appearance but was one of the best colts in Britain in the following year, winning the Craven Stakes and the King Edward VII Stakes before taking the St Leger. He was even better in 1962 when he won the Hardwicke Stakes and was narrowly beaten in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was retired to stud but had serious fertility problems and later returned to the racecourse where he had a reasonably successful career in National Hunt racing.

Twilight Alley was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A series of physical problems restricted him to four races a track career which lasted from July 1962 to July 1963. On his third racecourse appearance he defeated a strong field to win Britain's most important long-distance race, the Ascot Gold Cup. He broke down injured on his only subsequent appearance and was retired to stud where he had some success as a sire of steeplechasers.

Talma, also known as Talma II, was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes. After winning his first two races in France he started second favourite for the St Leger and won by a margin conservatively recorded as ten lengths despite misbehaving before the race. He recorded his only other win of any consequence when he took the Cumberland Lodge Stakes. He raced until the age of five and was then exported to South America where he had moderate success as a breeding stallion.

Red Splash was a British racehorse who won the inaugural Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Ballinode was an Irish racehorse who won the 1925 Cheltenham Gold Cup. She was the first mare and the first Irish-trained horse to win the race. She was known as "The Sligo Mare."

Koko was an Irish racehorse who won the 1926 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He finished third in the race in 1928 when odds-on favourite and fell in 1929. He also ran twice without success in the Grand National.

Thrown In was a British racehorse who won the 1927 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won several other races but failed in two attempts at the Grand National.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easter Hero</span> Irish-bred racehorse

Easter Hero (1920–1948) was an Irish-bred British-trained racehorse who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1929 and 1930 and made three unsuccessful attempts to win the Grand National. He showed little early promise and was passed from owner to owner before beginning to display ability in 1927. Wins in the Becher Chase and the Coventry Chase established him as a leading steeplechaser and he was bought by Alfred Loewenstein with the aim of winning the National. In his first attempt at the race he fell at the eighth and brought the field to a virtual halt after becoming trapped in the ditch in front of the fence.

Morse Code was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1938 Cheltenham Gold Cup. His Gold Cup victory was achieved at the expense of Golden Miller, who was attempting to win the race for the sixth time. He had previously won the Grand Annual Chase and went on to finish second when odds-on favourite for the Gold Cup in 1939.

Brendan's Cottage (1930–1940) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1939 Cheltenham Gold Cup. After beginning his career in flat racing he developed into a top-class steeplechaser and won the Gold Cup by defeating the odds-on favourite Morse Code. He never won again and died a year later at the age of 10.

Roman Hackle was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1940 Cheltenham Gold Cup. After winning several races over hurdles he was switched to steeplechasing in 1939 and made an immediate impact by winning the Broadway Novices' Chase. In the following year he won the Gold Cup as a seven-year-old but did not build on his early promise. In two subsequent bids for the Gold Cup he ran poorly when favourite in 1941 and fell in 1942. His British career ended when National Hunt racing in Britain was suspended in September 1942 but he went on to win races in Ireland.

Poet Prince was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1941 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He had earlier won the Stanley Chase at Aintree and went on to contest two more Gold Cups. He was unplaced when well-fancied in 1942 and finished fourth in 1945 at the age of thirteen.

Medoc II was a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1942 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won races at the Cheltenham Festival in 1938, 1940 and 1941 before defeating a strong field in the Gold Cup but his later career was severely limited by wartime restrictions.

Red Rower was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1945 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He raced during the Second World War when opportunities for National Hunt horses were severely limited. After winning the Lilley Brook Chase in 1940 he finished third to stable companion Poet Prince in his first attempt at the Gold Cup in the following year. In 1942 he won the Grand Annual Chase and started favourite for the Gold Cup but was beaten into second place by Medoc II. On the resumption of National Hunt racing after a two-year break he finally won the Gold Cup at the age of eleven in 1945.

Fortina (1941–1968) was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1947 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was and remains the only entire horse to win the race. After establishing himself as a top-class steeplechaser in France he was sent to England and won the Gold Cup on his second British start. He was then retired to become a breeding stallion and became a very successful sire of National Hunt horses.

Silver Fame was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1951 Cheltenham Gold Cup. After beginning his racing career in Ireland he moved to England and became one of the leading steeplechasers of his time. He won races at the Cheltenham Festival in 1948 and 1950 and ran twice in the Grand National, falling when favourite for the race in 1948. Despite running extremely well at Cheltenham he did not contest the Gold Cup until 1951 when he won the race in record time. He was also the oldest winner of the race up to that time, and remains one of only two horses to win the race at the age of twelve. He spent his retirement as a hunter.

Mont Tremblant was a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1952 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Originally trained in France, he was switched to a British stable and made an immediate impact, defeating a strong field to win the Gold Cup as a six-year-old. In the following season he finished third in the King George VI Chase and fourth in the Gold Cup before producing arguably his best performance by running second under top weight in the Grand National. His later career was repeatedly interrupted by injury.

Singapore was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Unraced as a two-year-old, he was beaten in his first three starts in 1930 before winning a race at Sandown Park. He continued his progress and recorded his biggest win in September when he took the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse. As a four-year-old he appeared to be a very unlucky loser when narrowly beaten in the Ascot Gold Cup and was an easy winner of the Doncaster Cup in autumn. After his retirement from racing he stood as a breeding stallion in England and Brazil.

References

  1. 1 2 "Patron Saint pedigree". Pedigree Online. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  2. 1 2 "- Dick Burton's Mare - Family 31". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Harman, Bob (2000). The Ultimate Dream: The History of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN   1-84018-381-0.
  4. Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN   978-1-873626-15-3.
  5. Green, Reg (1993). The History of the Grand National: A Race Apart. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN   0-340-58515-3.
  6. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN   9781901570151.