Firdaussi
Firdaussi | |
---|---|
(1933 dsq) | |
Awards | |
Biggest prize-money winner in Britain (1932) |
Firdaussi (1929 – after 1944) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed very good form as a two-year-old in 1931 when he won three of his five races including the Dewhurst Stakes. In the following year his progress was interrupted by illness in spring but he won his last four races, taking the Gordon Stakes before recording his biggest win in the St Leger and then defeating top-class older horses in the Jockey Club Stakes. He ran consistently as a four-year-old in 1933 but won only one minor race. Apart from his victories, Firdaussi was placed in the Eclipse Stakes (twice), Greenham Stakes, Lingfield Derby Trial and Great Jubilee Handicap. After his retirement from racing Firdaussi stood as a breeding stallion in Britain, France and Ireland, but had limited success as a sire of winners.
Background
Firdaussi was a "big, lusty",[2] strongly made[3] chestnut horse, bred and owned by the Aga Khan. He was sent into training with Richard Dawson at his Whatcombe stables near Wantage in Oxfordshire.[3]
His sire Pharos was a top-class racehorse who won the Champion Stakes but was even more successful at stud, where he sired Pharis, Nearco and Cameronian. Firdaussi's dam Brownhylda won the Epsom Oaks in 1923 and was bought by the Aga Khan at the end of her racing career. Brownhylda's dam Valkyrie, was distantly descended from the influential broodmare Preserve.[4]
Racing career
1931: two-year-old season
Firdaussi began his track career in July when he won the Fulbourne Stakes over five
Following a rift between the Aga Khan and Dick Dawson, Firdaussi was moved to Frank Butters' Fitzroy House stable in Newmarket, Suffolk[2] In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the best juveniles in Britain, he was assigned a weight of 126 pounds, making him the fourth-best colt of his generation behind Orwell, Mannamead and the Coventry Stakes winner Cockpen.[8] He earned £3,340 in 1931.[2]
1932: three-year-old season
On his three-year-old debut contested the
At
On 7 of September at
Firdaussi ended his season on 29 September in the £4,981 Jockey Club Stakes over fourteen furlongs at Newmarket in which he was ridden by Beary and started the 4/1[12] third favourite behind the four-year-olds Sandwich and Cameronian. He won a rough and closely contested race by a neck and a length from Gainslaw and Cameronian with Sandwich unplaced.[17] Gainslaw's jockey lodged an objection on the grounds of "squeezing" (causing interference without making contact) but the racecourse stewards allowed the result to stand.[18]
Firdausi's earnings of £17,441 in 1932 made him the most financially successful horse in Britain that year[19] and enabled the Aga Khan and Frank Butters to claim the titles of British Champion Owner and British Champion Trainer respectively.[20]
1933: four-year-old season
Firdaussi began his third season by running second to Hill Cat in the March Stakes at Newmarket and then finished second, under a weight of 128 pounds, to Colorado Kid (114 pounds) in the Great Jubilee Handicap at Kempton on 6 May.[21] In the Ascot Gold Cup in June he came home fourth behind Foxhunter, Orpen and the mare Nitsichin.[22] In early July at Newmarket, the colt failed to recover from a poor start and finished fourth in the Princess of Wales's Stakes. He produced probably his best performance of the year in the Eclipse Stakes on 14 July when he ran second to Loaningdale.[23]
In September at Newbury Firdaussi finished first in the John Porter Stakes but was disqualified and placed last for causing interference. On his final racecourse appearance Firdaussi recorded his first success of the season as he took the Triennial Produce Stakes at Newmarket. The contest was not particularly competitive: Firdaussi faced only one opponent and started at odds of 1/25.[3]
Assessment and honours
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Firdaussi an "inferior" winner of the St Leger.[24]
In 1934 an LNER steam locomotive was named Firdaussi in honour of the racehorse.[25]
Stud record
Firdaussi was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion in England. He was moved to France for the 1935 breeding season
Pedigree
Sire Pharos (GB) 1920 |
Phalaris (GB) 1913 |
Polymelus | Cyllene |
---|---|---|---|
Maid Marian | |||
Bromus | Sainfoin | ||
Cheery | |||
Scapa Flow (GB) 1914 |
Chaucer | St. Simon | |
Canterbury Pilgrim | |||
Anchora | Love Wisely | ||
Eryholme | |||
Dam Brownhylda (GB) 1920 |
Stedfast (GB) 1908 |
Chaucer | St. Simon |
Canterbury Pilgrim | |||
Be Sure | Surefoot | ||
Queen Bee | |||
Valkyrie (GB) 1911 |
Eager | Enthusiast | |
Greebo | |||
Flying Hack | Hackthorpe | ||
Flying Bessie (Family: 1-c)[4] |
- Firdaussi was inbred 3 × 3 to Chaucer, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the third generation of his pedigree.
References
- ^ a b "Firdaussi pedigree". Equineline.
- ^ a b c "St. Leger Triumph". The New Zealand Herald. 9 September 1932. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
- ^ ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ a b "Mustard - Family 1-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
- ^ "A Likely Pharos Colt". The Evening Post. 11 November 1931. p. 6 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing News". Otago Daily Times. 16 February 2018. p. 16 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b c "Not Unprecedented". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 8 September 1932. p. 13 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "English Racing". The New Zealand Herald. 18 May 1932. p. 9 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Reason Now Clear". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 30 June 1932. p. 8 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "The Derby". The Press. 3 June 1932. p. 11 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "English Racing". Auckland Star. 16 July 1932. p. 14 – via Papers Past.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
- ^ "Avondale Races". The New Zealand Herald. 12 October 1932. p. 9 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing News". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 12 October 1932. p. 4 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b "St. Leger Result". The New Zealand Herald. 11 October 1932. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Doncaster St. Leger". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 8 September 1932. p. 13 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Raging in England". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 30 September 1932. p. 9 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing News". Otago Daily Times. 22 November 1932. p. 4 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing and Trotting". The Press. 29 November 1932. p. 12 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "English Statistics". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 16 February 2018. p. 6 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing in England". The New Zealand Herald. 8 May 1933. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "English Racing". The Press. 28 July 1933. p. 14 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing in England". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 15 July 1933. p. 15 – via Papers Past.
- ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ^ "LNER Encyclopedia: The LNER A1 and A3 Gresley Pacifics". www.lner.info.
- ^ "Turf News in Brief". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 8 August 1934. p. 6 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Racing News". Otago Daily Times. 16 February 2018. p. 5 – via Papers Past.