Colombo (horse)
Colombo | |
---|---|
Sire | 2000 Guineas (1934) |
Awards | |
Top-rated British Two-year-old (1933) |
Colombo (1931–1954) was a British
Background
Colombo, a large, powerful, lop-eared horse with a "raking, effortless stride"
Racing career
1933: two-year-old season
The horse who would become known as Colombo began his racing career as an unnamed "Colt by Manna-Lady Nairne" at
On his final start of the year he ran in the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton which he won in course record time by a short head from Valerius, to whom he was conceding seventeen pounds.[9] Donoghue rode with exaggerated confidence, never resorting to the whip even when closely pressed in the final strides. Glanely was dissatisfied with Donoghue's performance[10] and recruited the Australian rider Rae Johnstone to partner his horse in the following year's Classics.[11] The press however, were highly impressed, and reports described Colombo as "one of the century's wonder horses" and "a perfect racing machine".[12] The Sporting Life described him as the most impressive two-year-old since The Tetrarch and expressed the belief that his pedigree would enable him to be equally effective over longer distances in 1934.[5] Colombo's earnings of £17,130[13] made him the second most successful juvenile in British racing history behind Orwell.[14]
In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the season's best two-year-olds, Colombo was rated the best horse of his generation by a record margin of seven pounds.[15]
1934: three-year-old season
Reports early in 1934 suggested that Colombo had made good progress over the winter and was performing impressively in trial gallops.
A month later, Colombo moved up in distance to one and a half miles, and started 11/8 favourite for The Derby. Opinion before the race held that if he stayed the distance, the Derby was "all over",[9] although it was also pointed out that several brilliant Guineas winners had failed at Epsom.[21] The race proved to be a controversial one. Approaching the straight, Johnstone found himself boxed in against the rails, and was then forced to drop back when the horse in front of him (Medieval Knight, ridden by Steve Donoghue) weakened. He was forced to pull Colombo to the wide outside to make his challenge, by which time Windsor Lad had taken a decisive advantage. He finished strongly and took third place, one length and a neck behind Windsor Lad and Easton. Johnstone was criticised for his performance,[22] with Donoghue in particular, making no secret of his belief that he would have won the race if he had been allowed to keep the ride.[4] Glanely stopped using Johnstone on his horses shortly afterwards.[23] Other observers however, felt that Johnstone had given the colt every chance to win in the straight, and that his defeat was attributable to lack of stamina, which had left him unable to use his speed in the closing stages.[24]
Colombo's only subsequent race was the
Stud career
Colombo stood as a stallion at his owner's stud at Exning.[2] He sired two classic winners in Happy Knight (2000 Guineas) and Dancing Time (1000 Guineas).[26][27]
Pedigree
Sire Manna (GB) 1922 |
Phalaris 1913 |
Polymelus | Cyllene |
---|---|---|---|
Maid Marion | |||
Bromus | Sainfoin | ||
Cheery | |||
Waffles 1917 |
Buckwheat | Martagon | |
Sesmame | |||
Lady Mischief | St. Simon* | ||
Vain Duchess | |||
Dam Lady Nairne (GB) 1919 |
Chaucer 1900 |
St. Simon* | Galopin |
St. Angela | |||
Canterbury Pilgrim | Tristan | ||
Pilgrimage | |||
Lammermuir 1914 |
Sunstar | Sundridge | |
Doris | |||
Montem | Ladas | ||
Kermesse (Family:11-f)[29] |
- Colombo was inbred 3x4 to St. Simon, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.
References
- ^ a b c "IN LINE FOR DERBY". Evening Post. 26 August 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ a b c "COLOMBO GOES TO STUD". Evening Post. 22 November 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "BEST SINCE ISINGLASS". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 May 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ a b "PRIZE OF SALE-RING". Evening Post. 11 October 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "Captain Thomas Hogg". Horseracing History Online. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ^ "ENGLAND'S CLASSICS". Evening Post. 20 January 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "COLOMBO SCORES AGAIN". Evening Post. 2 September 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ a b "ENGLISH RACING". Evening Post. 17 May 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ISBN 1-90157015-0.
- ^ "TURF NEWS IN BRIEF". Evening Post. 10 October 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "BRILLIANT COLOMBO". Evening Post. 2 October 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "ENGLAND'S BEST JUVENILE". Evening Post. 1 December 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "TWO-YEAR-OLD WINNERS". Evening Post. 25 November 1933. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ "TURF NEWS IN BRIEF". Evening Post. 31 March 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "WAGERING PARALYSED". Evening Post. 20 April 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "THE DERBY FAVOURITE". Evening Post. 31 May 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "COLOMBO'S JOCKEY". Evening Post. 19 May 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "RACING IN ENGLAND". Evening Post. 3 May 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "COLOMBO AND THE DERBY". Evening Post. 23 May 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "COLOMBO DEFEATED". Evening Post. 7 June 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "TURF NEWS IN BRIEF". Evening Post. 21 July 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "The Race for the Derby". The Age. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "HIS SECOND DEFEAT". Evening Post. 2 August 1934. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "Phalaris Sire Line". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ^ "All Progeny for Colombo – IDSHS(AUS) Online Stud Book". IDSHS. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ISBN 978-0-929346-80-9. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ "Kermesse – Family 11-f". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-13.