Gay Donald
Gay Donald | |
---|---|
Sire | Gay Light |
Grandsire | Flamboyant |
Dam | Pas de Quatre |
Damsire | Royal Dancer |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | 1946[1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Colour | Bay |
Owner | Philip Burt |
Trainer | Jim Ford |
Major wins | |
Cheltenham Gold Cup (1955) |
Gay Donald (foaled 1946) was a British
Background
Gay Donald was a bay gelding with no white markings[2] bred in Wiltshire by Harry Frank. He was sired by Gay Light, a little-known stallion who stood cheaply in Gloucestershire. Gay Donald's dam Pas de Quatre was bred by Fred Darling who sold her for £40 to Frank in 1939. After an unsuccessful racing career Pas de Quatre became the only mare to produce two Cheltenham Gold Cup winners: her 1953 foal Pas Seul won the race in 1960. She was a distant female-line descendant of the influential British broodmare Little Sister.[3] Gay Donald was foaled in a field at Frank's Wiltshire farm: he injured an eye at birth leaving him with a cloudy pupil throughout his life.[4]
As a four-year-old in 1950 the gelding was bought by the trainer Jim Ford, acting on behalf of Philip Burt. Ford trained the horse at Yeovil before moving to the Park House stable at Cholderton. Gay Donald's idiosyncrasies included a fondness for Liquorice allsorts and sardine sandwiches.[5]
Racing career
Gay Donald showed promising form in the 1953/54 National Hunt season, winning at Wincanton Racecourse in October and then running well against top class opposition at Cheltenham.[6] Later that season he won the Runnymede Handicap at Windsor Racecourse.
In the following season he made steady progress and developed into a Gold Cup contender, winning three of his first seven races and finishing second a chase at
In the years following his Gold Cup win, Gay Donald suffered from injury complications and struggled to recapture his best form. but recorded no more major wins.
Assessment and honours
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Gay Donald an "inferior" Gold Cup winner.[11]
Pedigree
Sire Gay Light (GB) 1926 |
Flamboyant (GB) 1918 |
Tracery | Rock Sand |
---|---|---|---|
Topiary | |||
Simonath | St Simon
| ||
Philomath | |||
Lone Star (GB) 1917 |
Swynford | John O'Gaunt | |
Canterbury Pilgrim | |||
Lady Vista | Sir Visto | ||
Phroso | |||
Dam Pas de Quatre (GB) 1938 |
Royal Dancer (IRE) 1929 |
Blandford | Swynford |
Blanche | |||
Queen of the Ballet | Royal Realm | ||
Lady Lightfoot | |||
Baroness (FR) 1929 |
Weissdorn | Prunus | |
Wiener Madel | |||
American Beauty | Teddy | ||
Maillezais (Family: 8-i)[3] |
References
- ^ a b "Gay Donald pedigree". Equineline. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ Hugh McMahon (19 April 2016). "Gay Donald images". The Sport Horse Show and Breed Database.
- ^ a b "Physalis – Family 8-i". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ ISBN 1-84018-381-0.
- ^ "1950s – Cheltenham". Cheltenham Festival official site.
- Glasgow Herald.
- Glasgow Herald.
- ^ "White and Gold" (28 February 1957). "Gay Donald fit after long recuperation". Glasgow Herald.
- ^ "White and Gold" (18 February 1958). "Mariner's Hand chosen". Glasgow Herald.
- ^ "White and Gold" (25 February 1959). "Le Petit Roi can add to success". Glasgow Herald.
- ISBN 9781901570151.