Only For Life
Only for Life | |
---|---|
Sire | 2000 Guineas (1963) (1963)King Edward VII Stakes |
Only for Life (1960–1985) was a British
Background
Only for Life, originally named Dartmoor Ditty,
Racing career
1962: two-year-old season
Only for Life was slow to mature and did not appear until September. On his debut he was not strongly fancied but won the Clarence House Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot. He then finished unplaced in the Houghton Stakes at Newmarket in September.[1]
1963: three-year-old season
Only for Life's first appearance as a three-year-old gave little sign that he had Classic potential as he finished a well-beaten third on heavy ground in the Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury in April. The ground was soft again at Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas two weeks later, and Only for Life started at odds of 33/1 (almost 100/1 with The Tote[4]) in a field of twenty-one runners, with Crocket being made the 5/2 favourite. Ridden by Jimmy Lindley, Only for Life took the lead two furlongs from the finish but was overtaken by the Irish colt Ionian and appeared to be beaten before staying on again in the closing stages to cross the line apparently level.[3] The judge scrutinised the photograph of the finish for five minutes[5] before announcing Only for Life the winner by a short head. The winning time of 1:45.0 was the slowest since 1937.[6]
Only for Life had never been entered for the Epsom Derby and had his next run at Royal Ascot. He ran in the King Edward VII Stakes (the race formerly known as the Ascot Derby) over one and a half miles and won by two lengths. Over the same course and distance in July he contested Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He finished unplaced, beaten more than fifteen lengths by the Irish Derby winner Ragusa. Only for Life met Ragusa again in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August and, racing on his favoured soft ground, produced a much better effort, running the Irish colt to a head after a strongly-contested finish.[7]
By September, the ground was much firmer, but Only for Life started second favourite the
1964: four-year-old season
Only for Life stayed in training at four and began promisingly with a second place to Royal Avenue in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury in April. He made only one other appearance that year however, finishing second in the Paradise Stakes at Ascot before being retired from racing.[1]
Assessment
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Only for Life an "inferior" winner of the 2000 Guineas.[6]
Stud career
Only for Life was retired to stand at stud in Ireland. After two seasons he was sold and exported to Japan, where he remained until his death on 13 May 1985. in 1975.
Pedigree
Sire Chanteur (FR) 1942 |
Chateau Bouscaut 1927 |
Kirkcubbin | Captivation |
---|---|---|---|
Avon Hack | |||
Ramondie | Neil Gow
| ||
La Rille | |||
La Diva 1937 |
Blue Skies | Blandford* | |
Blue Pill | |||
La Traviata | Alcantara | ||
Tregaron | |||
Dam Life Sentence (GB) 1949 |
Court Martial 1942 |
Fair Trial
|
Fairway |
Lady Juror | |||
Instantaneous | Hurry On | ||
Picture | |||
Borobella 1942 |
Bois Roussel | Vatout | |
Plucky Liege | |||
Annabel | Blandford* | ||
Arabella (Family:14-c)[10] |
- Only for Life was inbred 4 × 4 to Blandford, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
References
- ^ ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ Richard Griffiths (1993-03-09). "Obituary: Jeremy Tree". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ a b "Only for Life wins Two Thousand". Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ "Relko Epsom Favorite". Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. 25 May 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ "Only for Life Triumphs". Montreal Gazette. 2 May 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ^ "Impossible to oppose Ragusa". Glasgow Herald. 11 September 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ "Dope Scare Puts Horses Under Guard". St. Petersburg Times. 11 September 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ Staff. "Only for Life". Japan Race Horse Registry. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Pretty Polly - Family 14-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-10.