Busted (horse)

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Busted
Sire
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1967)
Prix Foy
(1967)
Timeform rating: 134
Awards
British Horse of the Year (1967)
Last updated on 20 April 2023

Busted (16 March 1963–11 March 1988) was a British

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
and being voted horse of the year. After his racing career was ended by injury, he was retired to stud, where he proved to be a highly successful sire of winners.

Background

Busted was a "big, handsome" bay horse bred by his owner, Stanhope Joel's Snailwell Stud. He was sired by the 1957

guineas after an undistinguished racing career which was hampered by a tendency to break blood-vessels.[1]
Joel sent the colt to be trained in Ireland by R.N. "Brud" Fetherstonhaugh.

Racing career

1965: two-year-old season

Busted was an immature two-year-old and showed little ability. He finished unplaced in both his races.[1]

1966: three-year-old season

As a three-year-old, Busted showed some improvement, but appeared to be well below top class. He won the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh by a head from Pieces of Eight who was carrying ten pounds more than the winner (Pieces of Eight did go on to win that year's Eclipse Stakes). When tried at the highest level he finished unplaced behind the English-trained Sodium in the Irish Derby. Busted finished second to White Gloves in the Desmond Stakes and then ran unplaced in the Irish Cambridgeshire Handicap.[1]

At the end of the year it seemed likely that Busted would be

National Hunt horse.[2] Stanhope Joel's cousin, Jim Joel however, needed a lead horse for his Classic contender Royal Palace, and Busted was selected for the role. He was sent to England where he joined the stable of Noel Murless.[3] Murless told the story that he saw Busted's effort in the Irish Derby and considered him suitable to be Royal Palace's lead horse. However he felt the situation could be difficult if he bought the colt for Jim Joel and then improved him. At the end of the season Murless asked Stanhope Joel what he was doing with Busted. When Stanhope replied that he was having the horse gelded, Murless said "Christ, you'd better not do that".[4]

1967: four-year-old season

In England, Busted showed remarkable improvement, and soon demonstrated that he was far too good for his intended role of exercise companion. He instead came to be aimed at the major middle-distance events in which he was to be ridden by the Australian jockey

8/1, produced a strong finish[5] to take the lead fifty yards from the finish and won easily by two lengths from Great Nephew.[6]

A week later he was aimed at Britain's most prestigious

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on 15 July. Starting at odds of 4/1 he was restrained in last place in the early stages before being produced by Moore in the straight. He passed the entire field and pulled away to win very comfortably by three lengths from Salvo and Ribocco.[7]

Busted was then trained for the

Prix Foy over the Arc course and distance. Shortly afterwards he sustained an injury to the tendons[3] in his leg during exercise which forced his retirement.[8]

Honours and assessment

In an official poll organised by the Racecourse Association, Busted received 18 of the 40 votes to be elected 1967 British Horse of the Year[9] ahead of his stable companion Royal Palace. He was given a Timeform rating of 134 in 1967, the second highest of the year behind the two-year-old Petingo (135).[10] In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Busted at #80 in their global list of the 20th Century's best horses.[11] Randall has also described Busted as "arguably a great champion, the best Flat horse trained in Britain in the 1960s".[12]

Stud career

Busted began his stud career at his owner's Snailwell Stud at a fee of £1,500. He was a successful stallion, with the best of his progeny being the middle distance champions Bustino and Mtoto. He was represented in the United States by the multiple Grade I winner Erins Isle. Busted died at the age of twenty-five after suffering a heart attack on 11 March 1988 at the Snailwell Stud.[13]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Busted (GB), bay stallion, 1963[14]
Sire
Crepello (GB)
1954 		Donatello
1934 		Blenheim Blandford
Malva
Delleana Clarissimus
Duccia di Buoninsegna
Crepuscule
1948 		Mieuxce Massine
L'Olivete
Red Sunset Solario
Dulce
Dam
Sans le Sou (GB)
1957 		Vimy
1952 		Wild Risk Rialto
Wild Violet
Mimi Black Devil
Mignon
Martial Loan
1950 		Court Martial Fair Trial
Instantaneous
Loan Portlaw
Borrow (Family:2-s)[15]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-354-08536-0
    .
  2. ^ "New Chef-de-Race: Busted". Chef-de-race.com. 14 February 2000. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  3. ^ a b "News". Bhb.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-96-0
    .
  5. ^ "Busted to Triumph for Murless". Glasgow Herald. 15 July 1967. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Busted Winner". Toledo Blade. 10 July 1967. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Ascot Heath". Evening Times. 15 July 1967. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Busted Retired". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 1967. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Moore's Mount Named UK's Top Racehorse". The Age. 22 November 1967. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  10. ISBN 0-85112-902-1
    .
  11. ISBN 1-901570-15-0
    .
  12. ^ Randall, John. "'He was a great champion, the best Flat horse trained in Britain in the 1960s'". Racing Post. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Busted Horse Pedigree". Pedigreequery.com. 11 March 1988. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  14. ^ "Chef-de-Race Pedigrees (A-B)". Chef-de-race.com. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  15. ^ "Orville Mare - Family 2-s". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
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