Kings Lake (horse)

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Kings Lake
Sire
Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes
(1981)
Awards
Timeform rating: 100p (1980), 133 (1981)

Kings Lake (14 May 1978 – 24 November 1999) was an American bred,

Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes
. He was retired to stud at the end of the season and had moderate success as a sire.

Background

Kings Lake was a "neat, very attractive"

1000 Guineas and St Leger Stakes winner Herringbone, whose other descendants included Moon Madness, Celtic Swing and Michelozzo.[5] Kings Lake raced in the colours of Mme J. P. Binet and was trained by Vincent O'Brien at Ballydoyle, County Tipperary. He was ridden in his major races by the Irish jockey Pat Eddery
.

Racing career

1980: two-year-old season

After finishing second on his debut, Kings Lake contested a fourteen-runner

4/9 favourite against ten opponents and won by half a length from Tellurano.[6]

1981: three-year-old season

On his three-year-old debut, Kings Lake was tried over ten furlongs in the

2000 Guineas winner To-Agori-Mou in what proved to be the most controversial race of the season. Eddery tracked the leaders before sending Kings Lake into the lead two furlongs from the finish and was almost immediately challenged on the outside by Greville Starkey on To-Agori-Mou. The two colts raced together throughout the closing stages, and made contact with each other several times before Kings Lake crossed the line a neck in front. The local racecourse stewards immediately called an inquiry, ruled that Kings Lake had interfered with his opponent and awarded the race to To-Agori-Mou.[7] Kings Lake's connections refused to accept the result and appealed to the Turf Club, the ruling body of horseracing in Ireland. After a six-hour hearing the Turf Club overturned the decision of the local stewards and re-instated Kings Lake as the winner of the race.[8] While most of the press were of the opinion that the final decision was unjust, some independent observers, including Timeform, supported the Turf Club, pointing out that Starkey was at least as culpable as Eddery for the bumping which occurred and that King Lake had appeared to win on merit.[2]

The much-anticipated rematch between King Lake and To-Agori-Mou took place in the

Deauville Racecourse on 16 August. Kings Lake was beaten a nose by his rival, but neither colt was able to compete with the French-trained four-year-old Northjet, who won easily by five lengths.[2]

On 19 September, Kings Lake was moved up in distance for the

metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 4 October. Coupled in the betting with the 1980 winner Detroit he started the 7/2 second favourite, but was never in contention and finished eleventh of the twenty-four runners behind Gold River.[2] His retirement was announced five days later.[10]

Assessment

As a two-year-old, Kings Lake was given a rating of 100p by the independent Timeform organisation, the "p" indicating that he was likely to make more than normal improvement. In the Irish Free Handicap, he was given a weight of 120 pounds making him the fourth-best two-year-old in Ireland, thirteen pounds below his stable companion Storm Bird.[6] In the following season he was rated 133 by Timeform,[11] while in the International Classification he was rated the equal-fourth-best three-year-old colt in Europe behind Shergar, Bikala and Cut Above. He was the highest-rated horse of any age trained in Ireland in 1981. Timeform described him as "an extremely genuine and courageous performer who raced with tremendous zest".[2]

Stud career

Kings Lake was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion for the

St Simon Stakes).[13]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Kings Lake (USA), bay stallion, 1978[1]
Sire
Nijinsky (CAN)
1967 		Northern Dancer (CAN)
1961 		Nearctic Nearco
Lady Angela
Natalma Native Dancer
Almahmoud
Flaming Page (CAN)
1959 		Bull Page Bull Lea
Our Page
Flaring Top Menow
Flaming Top
Dam
Fish Bar (IRE)
1967 		Baldric (USA)
1961 		Round Table Princequillo
Knight's Daughter
Two Cities Johnstown
Vienna
Fisherman's Wharf (IRE)
1959 		Alycidon Donatello
Aurora
Herringbone King Salmon
Schiaparelli (Family:8-c)[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Kings Lake pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-33-2
    .
  3. ^ "King Lake image". sporthorse-data.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  4. ^ Tony Morris (3 September 2011). "Triple Crown hero who will live long in memory". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Woodbine – Family 8-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-31-6
    .
  7. Evening Times
    . Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  8. Evening Times
    . 15 June 1981. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  9. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3
    .
  10. Glasgow Herald
    . 9 October 1981. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  11. ISBN 0-85112-902-1
    .
  12. ^
    Sydney Morning Herald
    . Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  13. ^ "Kings Lake Stud Record". Racing Post. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
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