Dickens Hill (horse)

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Dickens Hill
SireMount Hagen
Grandsire
Irish 2000 Guineas (1979)
Eclipse Stakes
(1979)
Awards
Top-rated Irish three-year-old (1979)
Timeform rating 112 (1978), 130 (1979)

Dickens Hill (foaled 25 January 1976) was an Irish

weight-for-age Eclipse Stakes in Britain in July. He also finished runner-up to the outstanding English-trained colt Troy in both The Derby and the Irish Derby
. At the end of his three-year-old season he was sold and exported to the United States where he made little impact as a racehorse and proved to be a disappointment as a breeding stallion.

Background

Dickens Hill was a chestnut horse with a white

Irish 1000 Guineas and produced Miralla.[2]

As a

National Hunt horses including the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Davy Lad,[3] and for his willingness to gamble heavily on his charges.[4] The colt's name was originally rendered as Dickins Hill.[5]

Racing career

1978: two-year-old season

After finishing third to Miami Springs and Gerald Martin on his racecourse debut in the

22/1 outsider he dead-heated with Le Marmot, six lengths behind the winner Irish River.[5]

1979: three-year-old season

Dickens Hill began his second season in the Vauxhall Trial Stakes over seven furlongs at Phoenix Park Racecourse, in which he finished second to Gerald Martin. He was then moved up in distance and tested against older horses in the ten-furlong Ballymoss Stakes at the Curragh. In the closing stages, he carried his head at a high, awkward angle but won by three quarters of a length from the John Oxx-trained five-year-old Orchestra. On 12 May, Dickens Hill started 5/2 second choice in the betting behind the odds-on favourite Gerald Martin in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh. The race was run on exceptionally heavy ground: the previous day's card had been cancelled as the turf course had been so waterlogged that it was considered unsafe for racing. Ridden by Tony Murray, Dickens Hill took the lead two furlongs from the finish and won by four lengths despite throwing his head from side to side after going to the front. The value of his victory was questioned by some observers on account of the extreme conditions and the fact that the runner-up, Brother Philips, was a 200/1 outsider with little worthwhile form.[6]

On 6 June, Dickens Hill started at odds of 15/1 for the 200th running of the

weight-for-age races, the Eclipse Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse. He was re-opposed by Northern Baby, while the older horses included the favourite Swiss Maid (the top-rated three-year-old filly of 1978), Stone (winner of the Gran Premio del Jockey Club and the Premio Presidente della Repubblica) and Crimson Beau (winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes). Murray tracked the leaders before sending Dickens Hill past Northern Baby and Crimson Beau to take the lead a furlong from the finish. In the closing stages, he stayed on under pressure to win by two lengths from Crimson Beau, with Northern Baby a length away in third.[6]

Dickens Hill was then aimed at the

Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse. He ran very poorly, reverting to his old habit of throwing his head in the air, making no progress in the closing stages and finishing fifth of the six runners behind the four-year-old Fordham. He was subsequently found to be suffering from a respiratory infection. He did not race in Europe again, being sold to representatives of the Kentucky-based Gainesway Farm and exported to the United States.[6]

1980: four-year-old season

In 1980, Dickens Hill was campaigned in the United States where he was trained by

Canadian Turf Handicap at Gulfstream Park.[9][10]

Assessment

In 1978, the independent Timeform organisation gave Dickens Hill a rating of 112, placing him twenty-two pounds below their top-rated two-year-old Tromos. In the Irish Free Handicap, he was rated the seventh-best two-year-old colt to race in Ireland, eleven pounds below Sandy Creek.[5] In the following year he was rated 130 by Timeform, seven pounds behind Troy. In the official International Classification, he was rated the best three-year-old colt in Ireland and the seventh-best three-year-old colt in Europe.[6]

Stud record

Dickens Hill was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at Gainesway Farm. He made very little impact as a sire of winners, with his most successful performer being the

Woodlawn Stakes).[13]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Dickens Hill, chestnut stallion, 1976[1]
Sire
Mount Hagen (FR)
1971 		Bold Bidder (USA)
1962 		Bold Ruler Nasrullah
Miss Disco
High Bid To Market
Stepping Stone
Moonmadness (USA)
1963 		Tom Fool Menow
Gaga
Sunset Hyperion
Fair Ranger
Dam
London Life (GB)
1961 		Panaslipper (IRE)
1952 		Solar Slipper Windsor Slipper
Solar Flower
Panastrid Panorama
Atrid
Court Circular (GB)
1949 		Court Martial Fair Trial
Instantaneous
Queanladdie Motrico
Gladiatrix (Family 11-e)[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Dickens Hill pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Scandal – Family 11-e". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Mick O'Toole". Irish Racing Greats. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  4. ^ Garry Owen (31 August 2002). "Where are they now ? : Mick O'Toole". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-27-8
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-29-4
    .
  7. Glasgow Herald
    . p. 21. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  8. Sydney Morning Herald
    . 2 July 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  9. ^ Art Grace (17 March 1980). "Late dates suit Gulfstream fine". Miami News. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Dickens Hill Statistics". Equibase. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  11. ^ "Victorian Hill Statistics". Equibase. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Hudson Newes Statistics". Equibase. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  13. ^ "Tropical Whip Statistics". Equibase. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
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