Spion Kop (horse)
Spion Kop | |
---|---|
Gallinule | |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1917 |
Country | Ireland[1] |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Giles Loder |
Owner | Giles Loder |
Trainer | Peter Gilpin |
Record | 14: 2-6-2 |
Earnings | £ |
Major wins | |
Epsom Derby (1920) |
Spion Kop (1917–1941) was an Irish-bred, British-trained
Background
Spion Kop, a "strong, handsome"
Spion Kop's sire
Spion Kop was sent into training with Peter Gilpin at his Clarehaven Stables at Newmarket, Suffolk. [5]
Racing career
1919: two-year-old season
As the offspring of two slow-maturing stayers, Spion Kop was not expected to excel as a two-year-old in 1919. He failed to win in six starts, but showed some consistency by reaching the frame in all his races, finishing second five times and third once. At the end of the year, in the Free Handicap, a rating list of the leading juveniles, Spion Kop was given a weight of 102 pounds, suggesting that he was at least twenty pounds below top class.[4]
1920: three-year-old season
In the spring of 1920 there were rumours that Spion Kop had made exceptional improvement and was likely to be a major contender for the Derby. On his debut in May he went some way towards substantiating the stories when he won a race at Kempton impressively, and his odds for the Derby were cut to 9/1. He did not run again in public but was instead tried in a private trial race against the best of his trainer's other three-year-olds. He was well beaten by his stable companions, finishing last of the four runners behind Sarchedon, Comrade and Paragon,[6] and a result his odds for the Derby lengthened again. The stable jockey Arthur Smith, who had rejected the eventual winner Grand Parade in the 1919 Derby, was instructed to ride Sarchedon at Epsom,[7] with the mount on Spion Kop being given to the American Frank O'Neill.
The Derby was run on an unusually hot day in front of an estimated crowd of 250,000 including the
Spion Kop then attempted to emulate his sire by travelling to France for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, a much anticipated event, which, with a first prize of £12,000, was the most valuable race in the world at the time.[11] Having narrowly escaped a fire which destroyed his horse-box,[12] Spion Kop started joint-favourite, but finished unplaced behind Comrade.[13] There were excuses however, as the race was extremely rough, with one report claiming that Spion Kop had been "treated like a shuttlecock".[14] Spion Kop failed to recover his form in autumn. He prepared for the St Leger by taking on Abbott's Trace in a two-runner race for the Derbyshire Three-Year-Old Plate at Derby and was beaten a short head in a "desperate" finish.[15] He nevertheless started favourite[16] for the St Leger but finished unplaced behind Caligula. On his final start he was unplaced again behind Orpheus in the Champion Stakes .
1921: four-year-old season
Spion Kop failed to re-establish his reputation in two starts as a four-year-old. He returned to Epsom's Derby meeting for the
Assessment
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Spion Kop a "poor" Derby winner. More specifically, they rated him equal with Aboyeur as one of the two worst colts to have won the race in the 20th Century. Spion Kop was not even the best middle distance colt in his own stable, that honour clearly belonging to Comrade.[19]
Stud career
Spion Kop was retired to his owner's Old Connell Stud, near Newbridge, County Kildare, where he became a "respectable" sire[2] with a clear tendency to produce runners with stamina. His most notable progeny included Felstead, Kopi (Irish Derby), Bongrace (Doncaster Cup). His son The Bastard won the Yorkshire Cup and, after being renamed The Buzzard was twice the leading stallion in Australia,[20] siring the Melbourne Cup winner Rainbird.
Spion Kop died in 1941 and was buried at the Eyrefield Stud.
Pedigree
Sire Spearmint (GB) 1903 |
Carbine 1885 |
Musket | Toxophilite |
---|---|---|---|
West Australian mare | |||
Mersey | Knowsley | ||
Clemence | |||
Maid of the Mint 1897 |
Minting | Lord Lyon | |
Mint Sauce | |||
Warble | Skylark | ||
Coturnix | |||
Dam Hammerkop (GB) 1900 |
Gallinule 1884 |
Isonomy | Sterling |
Isola Bella | |||
Moorhen | Hermit | ||
sister to Ryshworth | |||
Concussion 1885 |
Reverberation | Thunderbolt | |
The Golden Horn | |||
Astwith | Wenlock | ||
Skirmisher mare (Family: 19) |
References
- ^ "Spion Kop's Derby". Melbourne Argus. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ a b Liz Martiniak (24 June 1924). "Spearmint". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ "Major Eustace Loder". Horseracinghistory.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ "Peter Gilpin". Horseracinghistory.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ "NEWS AND NOTES". 30 July 1921. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "NEWS AND NOTES". 21 August 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "DERBY DAY". 4 June 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "NEWS AND NOTES". 14 August 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b "Newspaper Article". 29 July 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Trove.
- ^ "25-GUINEA HORSE WINS £12,000 PRIZE". 9 September 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "RACEHORSES RESCUED FROM BURNING BOXES". 26 June 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "SPORTING". 29 June 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "NEWS AND NOTES". 18 September 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "ENGLISH RACING". 3 September 1920. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "NOTES AND COMMENTS". 18 October 1921. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "ENGLISH RACING". 17 June 1921. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "NOTES FROM ENGLAND". 8 August 1921. Retrieved 10 November 2011 – via Papers Past.
- ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ISBN 0-85112-902-1.