Prince of Dance

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Prince of Dance
Sire
Washington Singer Stakes (1988, disqualified)
Champagne Stakes (1988)
Dewhurst Stakes (1988)
Newmarket Stakes (1989)
Awards
Timeform rating 128 (1988)
Timeform top-rated two-year-old (1988)

Prince of Dance (21 April 1986 – 1989) was an Irish-bred, British-trained

cancer of the spine
.

Background

Prince of Dance was a bay horse with a broad white

socks[2] bred in Ireland by the Ballymacoll Stud. During his racing career he was owned by Ballymacoll's part-owner Michael Sobell and was trained at West Ilsley in Berkshire by Dick Hern. During the latter part of the 1988 season, when Hern was recovering from hear surgery, the colt was trained by bis assistant Neil Graham. Prince of Dance was ridden in all but one of his races by the Scottish jockey Willie Carson
.

Prince of Dance was from the first crop of foals sired by

St Leger in 1983.[4] Her dam, Sunny Valley, also produced Saddlers' Hall and was the direct female ancestor of Millenary and Conduit. Sun Princess herself went on to produce Ballet Queen who became an influential broodmare in Japan.[5]

Racing career

1988: two-year-old season

Prince of Dance made his racecourse debut in the

Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on 12 August. Starting the 6/4 favourite he took the lead approaching the final furlong and drew way in the closing stages to win by six lengths from Zalazl. He was subsequently disqualified when it was found that he had been ineligible to run in the race.[7] At the time the Washington Singer Stakes was restricted to horses whose sires had won over a distance of one and a half miles, but Sadler's Wells had never won a race at a distance beyond ten furlongs.[8] Prince of Dance was stepped up in class gain for the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse on 9 September and started the 1/2 favourite ahead of six opponents. The best-fancied of his rivals were the Henry Cecil-trained Shining Steel, Chief's Image (third in the Phoenix Stakes) and Elmayer. After tracking the early leaders he took the lead a furlong and a half from the finish and won by two lengths from Shining Steel with Free Sweater three lengths back in third.[9]

On 14 October Prince of Dance started 6/4 favourite for Britain's most prestigious race for juveniles, the

photo-finish the judge declared a dead heat, making Prince of Dance and Scenic the joint-winners of the Group One contest.[10] Dick Hern, who was hospitalised at the time later watched video replay of the race and said "That horse is carrying its tail slightly to one side, has it always done that? You need to get that checked out." Marcus Tregoning who was an assistant to Hern believed that his mentor had spotted the first sign of the spinal problem that led to the horse's death a year later.[11]

1989: three-year-old season

Prince of Dance had been regarded as the stable's leading

2000 Guineas.[12] He began his second season in the Newmarket Stakes over ten furlongs on 5 May in which he carried top weight of 129 pounds and started the 4/6 favourite against three opponents. He got the better of the Barry Hills-trained Observation Post inside the final furlong and won by half a length with the pair finishing well clear of the other two runners.[13]

On 7 June Prince of Dance was one of twelve colts to contest the 210th running of The Derby over one and a half miles and started the 11/2 third choice in the betting behind the 2000 Guineas winner Nashwan and Cacoethes. With Carson opting to ride Nashwan, the ride on Prince of Dance went to the American Steve Cauthen. After making some progress approaching the final turn Prince of Dance faded badly in the straight and finished tenth, more than twenty lengths behind the winner.[14]

Investigations into the horse's condition following his poor run at Epsom revealed that he was suffering from

cancer of the spine and he was euthanised in late 1989.[15]

Assessment

In 1988, the independent Timeform organisation gave Prince of Dance a rating of 128, making him their top-rated juvenile alongside Scenic.[16]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Prince of Dance (IRE), bay stallion, 1986[1]
Sire
Sadler's Wells (USA)
1981 		Northern Dancer (CAN)
1961 		Nearctic Nearco
Lady Angela
Natalma Native Dancer
Almahmoud
Fairy Bridge (USA)
1975　 		Bold Reason Hail To Reason
Lalun
Special Forli
Thong
Dam
Sun Princess (IRE)
1980 		English Prince (IRE)
1971 		Petingo Petition
Alcazar
English Miss Bois Roussel
Virelle
Sunny Valley (IRE)
1972 		Val de Loir Vieux Manoir
Vali
Sunland Charlottesville
Sunny Gulf (Family: 1-l)[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Prince of Dance pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  2. ^ Hugh McMahon. "Prince of Dance profile". The Sport Horse Show and Breed Database.
  3. ^ "Leading Sires of Great Britain and Ireland". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  4. ISBN 0-900599-40-5
    .
  5. ^ a b "Paraffin – Family 1-l". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Sandwich Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 22 July 1988.
  7. ^ "Washington Singer Stakes result". Racing Post. 12 August 1988.
  8. ^ Graham Green (12 August 2003). "Haafhd reinstated to Washington Singer field". Racing Post.
  9. ^ "Champagne Stakes result". Racing Post. 9 September 1988.
  10. ^ "Dewhurst Stakes result". Racing Post. 14 October 1988.
  11. ^ Steve Dennis (9 August 2009). "Marcus Tregoning interview". Racing Post.
  12. ^ "Nashwan's Brilliant 2000 Guineas Victory". Racing Post. 22 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Newmarket Stakes result". Racing Post. 5 May 1989.
  14. ^ "Epsom Derby result". Racing Post. 7 June 1989.
  15. ^ Nancy Sexton (21 July 2016). "Galileo closing in on records of his great sire". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016.
  16. ISBN 0-85112-902-1
    .
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