Dancing Brave
Dancing Brave | |
---|---|
Khalid Abdullah | |
Trainer | Guy Harwood |
Record | 10: 8-1-0 |
Earnings | $1,776,723 |
Major wins | |
Craven Stakes (1986) 2000 Guineas (1986) Eclipse Stakes (1986) K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (1986) Select Stakes (1986) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1986) | |
Awards | |
Top-rated European horse (International Classification) (1986) Top-rated European horse (Timeform) (1986) British Horse of the Year (1986) Timeform rating: 140[1] | |
Honours | |
British Champions Series Hall of Fame (2022) |
Dancing Brave (11 May 1983 – 2 August 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained
Background
Dancing Brave was a bay colt with a white
He was purchased as a yearling by James Delahooke, on behalf of
Racing career
1985: Two-year-old season
Dancing Brave was a May foal, and as Harwood did not believe in racing horses until they were at least two years and three months old, the colt was given only light training until late summer.
1986: Three-year-old season
Spring
Dancing Brave opened his three-year-old campaign with a victory over Faraway Dancer and Mashkour[8] in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket in April. Over the same course and distance two weeks later he started 15/8 favourite against fourteen opponents in the 2000 Guineas. Ridden by Greville Starkey, he quickened in the closing stages of a slowly run race to win by three lengths from Green Desert and Huntingdale. After the race, Starkey was confident that the colt would stay one and a half miles in the Derby, although Harwood was more cautious.[9]
Summer
In
Autumn
After a break, Dancing Brave returned in the Select Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in September. He tracked the leaders before pulling away in the closing stages to win by ten lengths.[12] On his final European appearance, Dancing Brave was sent overseas for the first time to contest the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris. Apart from Shardari, Shahrastani and Triptych, the field also included the German champion Acatenango and the French colt Bering, who was unbeaten in four races in 1986. Eddery restrained Dancing Brave in the early stages before switching him to the wide outside to challenge in the straight as the runners spread across the width of the course. With 200m to run he was not in the first ten, but produced an "electrifying burst"[5] to take the lead 50m from the finish and won by a length and a half from Bering[13] in a race record time of 2:27.7. On his final appearance was then sent to California to contest the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park but failed to reproduce his best form, finishing fourth behind Manila. Dancing Brave suffered an injury in the race when he was struck in the eye by a clod of turf.[14]
Assessment
At the end of 1986, the panel of Racehorse handicappers met from the major racing nations of Europe to determine the International Classifications, the annual rating of thoroughbred racehorses who have run in Europe. Dancing Brave was awarded a rating of 141, the highest rating ever given to any horse up to that time.[1] These are the official ratings as recognised by the organised racing bodies in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Switzerland and Austria. In January 2013 the ratings were "recalibrated" and Dancing Brave was given a revised rating of 138, now putting him second to Frankel who was rated at 140.[15] Dancing Brave was given a rating of 140 by Timeform.[1][16] In 1999, The Independent described Dancing Brave as "the greatest British Flat champion of the last quarter of a century".[5]
Dancing Brave was voted the official British Horse of the Year in 1986 by the Racegoers' Club. By taking all 27 votes in the poll he was the first horse to be unanimously elected since Brigadier Gerard in 1971.[1]
Pat Eddery called Dancing Brave the best horse he ever rode, and a "once in a lifetime ride", while Khalid Abdulla described him as the outstanding horse to have carried his colours. Guy Harwood called him "very much the best I trained".[17] In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Dancing Brave as the sixth best British racehorse of the 20th century, and the sixteenth best horse of the century trained in any country.[18]
Stud career
Dancing Brave was syndicated with an estimated value of £14m. He retired to stand as a stallion at the
He sired numerous winners, having a particularly good crop of three-year-olds in 1993, foaled in the year before his export, including
Pedigree
Sire Lyphard (USA) 1969 |
Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961 |
Nearctic | Nearco |
---|---|---|---|
Lady Angela | |||
Natalma | Native Dancer | ||
Almahmoud | |||
Goofed (USA) 1960 |
Court Martial | Fair Trial
| |
Instantaneous | |||
Barra | Formor | ||
La Favorite | |||
Dam Navajo Princess (USA) 1974 |
Drone (USA) 1966 |
Sir Gaylord | Turn-To |
Somethingroyal | |||
Cap and Bells | Tom Fool | ||
Ghanzi | |||
Olmec (USA) 1966 |
Pago Pago | Matrice | |
Pompilia | |||
Chocolate Beau | Beau Max | ||
Otra (Family 3-d[4]) |
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ a b Hugh McMahon (1999-08-02). "Dancing Brave". Sporthorse-data.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ a b "Parrot-like features but supreme athleticism; The early days". 4 August 1999. Retrieved 2012-06-07 – via The Free Library.
- ^ a b "Brown Bess – Family 3-d". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ a b c Sue Montgomery (1999-08-04). "Racing: Salute the Brave, last of the heroes". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ a b Brough Scott. "Dancing Brave". BroughScott.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ISBN 0-900599-42-1.
- ^ "Dancing Brave for the Guineas". Glasgow Herald. 3 May 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave not a Derby certainty". Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Starkey makes amends on Dancing Brave". New Straits Times. 7 July 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "New king is crowned after avenging Derby defeat; MEMORABLE KING GEORGES". 2011-07-21. Archived from the original on 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2012-06-08 – via The Free Library.
- ^ "Dancing Brave romps home". New Straits Times. September 14, 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave in late run to victory". Glasgow Herald. 6 October 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave has blackeye as proof". Ocala Star-Banner. November 3, 1986. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Frankel officially rated best since rankings began after review". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ "Dosage". Chef-de-race.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave dies". BBC News. 1999-08-03. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ^ "Dancing Brave is cured". New Straits Times. April 1, 1988. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave not so super at stud". New Straits Times. March 20, 1988. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave dies at 16". New Straits Times. August 4, 1999. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "Dancing Brave Stud Record". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- ^ "T.M. Ocean(JPN)". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ "King Halo(JPN)". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ "Kyoei March(JPN)". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ "Marche Lorraine(JPN)". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2023-09-21.