Premonition (horse)

Premonition
Sire	Precipitation
Grandsire	Hurry On
Dam	Trial Ground
Damsire	Fair Trial
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1950
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Dunchurch Lodge Stud
Owner	Wilfred Penfold Wyatt
Trainer	Cecil Boyd-Rochfort
Record	14:8-2-0
Earnings	£27,497
Major wins
	Blue Riband Trial Stakes (1953); Irish Derby Stakes (1953, disqualified); Great Voltigeur Stakes (1953); St. Leger Stakes (1953); Yorkshire Cup (1954)
	Last updated on July 26, 2008

Last updated May 03, 2019

Premonition (1950–1970) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from autumn 1952 until July 1954 he ran fourteen times and won eight races. He won the Classic St Leger as a three-year-old in 1953, a year in which he also won the Great Voltigeur Stakes and was controversially disqualified in the Irish Derby. He won the Yorkshire Cup as a four-year-old in 1954 before being retire to stud, where he made very little impact as a stallion.

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.

The British Classics are five long-standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season. They are restricted to three-year-old horses and traditionally represent the pinnacle of achievement for racehorses against their own age group. As such, victory in any classic marks a horse as amongst the very best of a generation. Victory in two or even three of the series marks a horse as truly exceptional.

Background

Premonition was a bay horse bred at the Dunchurch Lodge Stud in Warwickshire by his owner, Brigadier Wilfred Penfold Wyatt. He was sired by the Ascot Gold Cup winner Precipitation, a descendant of the Godolphin Arabian. His dam, Trial Ground won one minor race before being bought by Wyatt for 7,800 guineas in December 1948.^[1] As a descendant of the broodmare Molly Desmond, Premonition came from the same branch of Thoroughbred family 14-c which also produced Brigadier Gerard and St. Paddy.^[2]

Warwickshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.

The Godolphin Arabian, also known as the Godolphin Barb, was an Arabian horse or Barb horse who was one of three stallions that founded the modern Thoroughbred. He was named after his best-known owner, Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin.

Wyatt sent the colt into training with Cecil Boyd-Rochfort at his Freemason Lodge stables in Newmarket.

Newmarket is a market town in the English county of Suffolk, approximately 65 miles north of London. It is generally considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred horse racing and a potential World Heritage Site. It is a major local business cluster, with annual investment rivalling that of the Cambridge Science Park, the other major cluster in the region. It is the largest racehorse training centre in Britain, the largest racehorse breeding centre in the country, home to most major British horseracing institutions, and a key global centre for horse health. Two Classic races, and an additional three British Champions Series races are held at Newmarket every year. The town has had close royal connections since the time of James I, who built a palace there, and was also a base for Charles I, Charles II, and most monarchs since. The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, visits the town often to see her horses in training.

Racing career

1952: two-year-old season

As a two-year-old Premonition did not run until the autumn. He won two races, including the Gainsborough Stakes over one mile at Hurst Park Racecourse. ^[1]

Hurst Park Racecourse was a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst, West Molesey, Surrey. It was first laid out in 1890. The racecourse was the scene of an arson attack by Kitty Marion and Clara Elizabeth Giveen. The two suffragettes were establishing a revenge attack following the death of Emily Davison at the Derby in 1913.

1953: three-year-old season

In early 1953, Premonition was aimed for The Derby. He began by winning the Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse. In the Trial Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse he started at odds of 30/100 but was surprisingly beaten by Bandoola, in a slowly run race. At York Racecourse, Premonition established himself as a leading contender for the Derby with an impressive win in the Great Northern Stakes.^[1]

The Derby Stakes, officially the Investec Derby, popularly known as the Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 6 yards, on the first Saturday of June each year.

The Blue Riband Trial Stakes, sponsored by Investec, is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 17 yards (2,027 metres) at Epsom in April.

Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse on the hills associated with Epsom in Surrey, England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs.

In the Derby at Epsom, Premonition started 5/1 joint-favourite with Pinza in a field of twenty-seven runners. He was never in contention at any stage and finished unplaced behind Pinza and the Queen's colt Aureole. At the end of June, Premonition was sent to contest the Irish Derby at the Curragh. He won by a head from the Irish-trained favourite Chamier, ridden by Bill Rickaby, in a rough finish. Following a consultation with Chamier's trainer Vincent O'Brien, Rickaby lodged an objection to the winner on the grounds of "boring" in the closing stages. The stewards sustained the objection and disqualified Premonition. Boyd-Rochfort felt that he had been unfairly treated and did not run a horse in an Irish Classic for twelve years. He also purchased a newsreel film of the race and had it shown for a week at cinemas in Newmarket.^[3]

Pinza (1950–1977) was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted just over a year– from July 1952 until July 1953– he ran seven times and won five races. He was the best British colt of his generation in 1953, when he won The Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was then retired to stud, where he had little success.

Aureole (1950–1975) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who was owned by Queen Elizabeth II. In a career which lasted from August 1952 until July 1954, he ran fourteen times and won eleven races. As a three-year-old in 1953, he won the Lingfield Derby Trial before finishing second to Pinza in both The Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He reached his peak as a four-year-old in 1954 when he won his last four races: the Victor Wild Stakes at Kempton, the Coronation Cup at Epsom, the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and Britain's most prestigious all-aged race, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. After retiring from racing he was sent to stud, where he became a successful sire of winners.

Curragh Racecourse horse racing venue in the Republic of Ireland

The Curragh Racecourse, usually referred to as simply The Curragh, is one of Ireland's most important Thoroughbred racecourses. It is situated on the Curragh plain in County Kildare, between the towns of Newbridge and Kildare.

Premonition was then prepared for the St Leger. In August he won the Voltigeur Stakes at York from Empire Honey, who had finished ahead of him in the Derby. In the St Leger at Doncaster in September, Premonition started at odds of 10/1, with Aureole, who was also trained by Boyd-Rochfort being made favourite at 6/4, and the French-trained Northern Light, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris also being strongly fancied. Both the Queen and Sir Winston Churchill were in attendance on a fine autumn day which attracted a crowd of 250,000 to the Yorkshire course.^[4] Ridden by Eph Smith, Premonition stayed on strongly in the straight to take the lead and won going away by three lengths from Northern Light, with Aureole in third.^[5]

1954: four-year-old season

In 1954, Premonition was prepared for the major staying races. To assist his preparation, Wyatt purchased a supposedly ordinary French horse named Osborne to act as his training partner and pacemaker. His season began successfully as he won the Yorkshire Cup in impressive style^[6] by three lengths from Eastern Emperor, Childe Harolde and Osborne. Premonition and Osborne ran next in the Winston Churchill Stakes at Hurst Park. Before the race, Boyd-Rochfort told Osborne's rider, an inexperienced jockey named Royce Burrows, to set the pace for Premonition, the 1/8 favourite, and to "be second if you can". Osborne led Premonition into the straight, where it soon became apparent that he was travelling much more easily than his better fancied stable companion. In the closing stages, Burrows made little attempt to ride a finish, allowing the hard-ridden Premonition to win by a head. The racecourse stewards held an enquiry and referred the matter to the Jockey Club, which fined Boyd-Rochfort £100 for his ambiguous instructions to Burrows.^[7] Boyd-Rochfort responded by saying that the punishment seemed to question his honesty and that he felt like retiring from the sport.^[8]

Premonition never recovered his best form, finishing unplaced in both the Ascot Gold Cup and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Osborne, however, went on to win the Goodwood Stakes ^[7] in July under top weight of 133 pounds and the Doncaster Cup in September.

Assessment

Premonition was given a rating of 130 by Timeform in 1953.^[9]

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Premonition an "average" St Leger winner.^[10]

Stud career

Premonition was retired to stud but his record as a sire of winners was poor. His best runner was Goupi, who won the Jockey Club Cup in 1965. Premonition also sired the mare Now What, who produced the 1973 2000 Guineas winner Mon Fils. Premonition died in 1970.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Premonition (GB), bay stallion, 1950^[11]
Sire Precipitation (GB) 1933	Hurry On 1913	Marcovil	Marco
		Marcovil	Lady Villikins
		Tout Suite	Sainfoin
		Tout Suite	Star
	Double Life 1926	Bachelor's Double	Tredennis
		Bachelor's Double	Lady Bawn
		Saint Joan	Willbrook
		Saint Joan	Flo Desmond
Dam Trial Ground (GB) 1944	Fair Trial 1932	Fairway	Phalaris
		Fairway	Scapa Flow
		Lady Juror	Son-In-Law
		Lady Juror	Lady Josephine
	Tip the Wink 1934	Tetratema	The Tetrarch
		Tetratema	Scotch Gift
		Golden Silence	Swynford
		Golden Silence	Molly Desmond (Family: 14-c)^[2]

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References

1 2 3 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
1 2 "Pretty Polly - Family 14-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
↑ "Classic capers". Carlow Nationalist. 25 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-08-21. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
↑ "Royal colt 3rd in St Leger". Edmonton Journal. 12 September 1953. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
↑ "Premonition triumphs in St Leger". Indian Express. 13 September 1953. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
↑ "Premonition has right to win Ascot Gold Cup". Evening Times. 12 June 1954. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
1 2 "Osborne shook the experts". Evening Times. 29 July 1954. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
↑ "Royal trainer hurt by fine". Leader-Post. 12 June 1954. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions(Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
↑ "Premonition pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-07-01.

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[Mortimer-1] 1 2 3 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.

[bloodlines1-2] 1 2 "Pretty Polly - Family 14-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[3] "Classic capers". Carlow Nationalist. 25 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-08-21. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[4] "Royal colt 3rd in St Leger". Edmonton Journal. 12 September 1953. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[5] "Premonition triumphs in St Leger". Indian Express. 13 September 1953. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[6] "Premonition has right to win Ascot Gold Cup". Evening Times. 12 June 1954. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[google5477-7] 1 2 "Osborne shook the experts". Evening Times. 29 July 1954. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[8] "Royal trainer hurt by fine". Leader-Post. 12 June 1954. Retrieved 2012-06-19.

[Guinness-9] Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions(Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.

[century-10] Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.

[11] "Premonition pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-07-01.