Ki Ming

Ki Ming (1948–1957) was an Irish-bred British-trained

Background

Ki Ming was a very large brown horse with a white

When Sullivan died in 1949, Ki Ming was sent as a foal to the sales at Dublin where he was bought for 370 guineas by Tim Hyde. In the following year, the yearling was offered for sale at Newmarket and bought for 760 guineas by the trainer John Beary. The colt then entered the ownership of the Chinese-born restaurateur Billy Ley On and was trained by Beary at East Hendred in Berkshire.^[3]

Racing career

1950: two-year-old season

Before Ki Ming had appeared on a racecourse, Ley On had backed him to win the 1951 Derby at odds of

In October 1950, Joyeuse, a mare trained by John Beary failed a drug test after finishing unplaced in a minor race at Lingfield Park Racecourse. Under the rules of racing at the time, the Jockey Club had no option but to withdraw Beary's license to train.^[5] Ki Ming was moved to the Wantage stable of John Beary's older brother Michael Beary, best known for successes as a jockey in the 1930s when he won the Derby on Mid-day Sun.^[6]

1951: three-year-old season

On 2 May 1951 Ki Ming was one of twenty-seven colts to contest the 143rd running over the Rowley Mile course at

In 1951, the independent Timeform organisation gave Ki Ming a rating of 134, one pound behind the top three-year-old colts Arctic Prince, Sicambre and Supreme Court.^[12] In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Ki Ming an "average" winner of the 2000 Guineas.^[3]

Stud record

Ki Ming was retired to stud but proved to be a complete failure as a stallion, showing little interest in the mares presented to him. He sired very few foals and died in 1957 at the age of nine.^[3]

Pedigree

• Ki Ming was inbred 3 x 4 to Son-in-Law, meaning that this stallion appear in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.

References