The Wonder (horse)

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The Wonder
Sire
San Bernardino Handicap (1983)
Century Handicap (1983)
Californian Stakes
(1983)
Awards
Timeform rating: 123 (1980), 129 (1981), 127 (1982)

The Wonder (foaled 1978) was a French-bred

San Bernardino Handicap, Century Handicap and Californian Stakes
. He was then retired to stud where he had moderate success as a sire of winners.

Background

The Wonder was a "tall, lengthy"[1] dark brown horse with no white markings[2] bred in France by Alain du Breil, the president of the Societe de Steeple-Chases, the governing body of French jump racing. He was the only horse of any consequence sired by Wittgenstein, a Florida-bred stallion who won the Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte in 1973. The Wonder was the first foal of The Lark, the only Thoroughbred mare owned by du Breil. She later produced the Badener Sprint-Cup winner Areias. The Wonder originally raced in the colours of du Breil's wife and was trained by Jacques de Chevigny.

Racing career

1980: two-year-old season

After finishing fourth in a race over 1100

Deauville Racecourse in August. The colt was then moved up in class and distance for the Group Three Prix Saint-Roman over 1800m at Longchamp Racecourse on 4 October. Ridden by Alain Lequeux he finished strongly to finish third of the eight runners, beaten a neck and a head by Mariacho and Arc d'Or. Two weeks later, The Wonder was moved up to 2000m for the Group Three Prix de Condé on soft ground at Longchamp. Ridden by Yves Saint-Martin he was in fifth place 150m from the finish but produced a strong late run on the inside to take the lead in the final strides and won by a neck from Ledmir. The Wonder ended his first season in the Critérium de Saint-Cloud (then a Group Two race) on 17 November in which he was ridden by Alfred Gibert. Starting the 2.2/1 second favourite he took the lead 300m from the finish and won by a length from Mont Pelion. In their annual Racehorses of 1980, the independent Timeform organisation described The Wonder as a "stayer", who would require "at least a mile and a quarter" to show his best form.[3]

1981: three-year-old season

On his three-year-old debut, The Wonder finished second to No Lute in the Prix Greffulhe over 2100m at Longchamp, but was awarded the race after the winner's post-race urine test showed traces of Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. No Lute was cleared to run in the Prix Lupin on 17 May and beat The Wonder by three lengths. The Wonder moved up in distance to contest the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400m at Chantilly Racecourse on 7 June. Ridden by Lester Piggott he faded in the closing stages and finished tenth of the twelve runners behind Bikala.[1]

On 4 July, The Wonder was matched against older horses for the first time in the Group One Prix d'Ispahan over 1900m at Longchamp. Ridden by Lequeux, he started a 13/1 outsider in a field which included the

Prix du Moulin at Longchamp. In the former race, he finished fifth in an exceptionally strong field behind Northjet, To-Agori-Mou, Kings Lake and Hilal. In the latter race he finished third beaten one and a half lengths and a nose by Northjet and Hilal.[1]

On his final appearance of the season The Wonder was sent to England to contest the Champion Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 17 October. Ridden by Gibert, he started at odds of 9/1 despite reports that he had been performing poorly in training. He finished sixth of the sixteen runners behind Vayrann, ahead of many good horses including Master Willie, Madam Gay and Kirtling.[1]

1982: four-year-old season

In 1982, The Wonder entered the ownership of the

Prix du Moulin at Longchamp and on his final appearance he finished second to the Irish-trained three-year-old Pas de Seul in the 1400m Prix de la Forêt in October. In the latter race Eddery was criticised for making his challenge too early, and there was some speculation that he had mistakenly timed his run for the first winning post rather than the second.[4]

In late 1982, The Wonder was being advertised as a breeding stallion for 1983, standing at the Haras de Clarbec, but a change of plan saw him sent to continue his racing career in the United States, where he was trained by Charles Whittingham.[4]

1983: five-year-old season

The Wonder was based at

Budweiser Million later that month. On his final racecourse appearance he finished sixth behind Bel Bolide in the Carleton F. Burke Handicap at Santa Anita in October.[8]

Assessment

In 1980, the independent Timeform organisation gave The Wonder a rating of 123, eleven pounds below their top-rated two-year-old Storm Bird. In the official International Classification he was rated nine pounds behind Storm Bird.[3] In 1981, Timeform gave the colt a peak annual rating of 129, eleven pounds below Shergar: he was rated the ninth-best European three-year-old in the International Classification.[1] In 1982 he was rated 127 by Timeform and was rated the eighth-best older horse in Europe in the International Classification.[4]

Stud record

The Wonder stood as a breeding stallion in the United States and France with mixed result. The best of his flat race runners was A Magicman, a German-trained colt whose wins included the Prix de la Forêt,

over jumps including Wonder Man who won thirteen races including the Henry VIII Novices' Chase.[10]
His last recorded foal was born in 1999.

Pedigree

Pedigree of The Wonder (FR), brown stallion, 1978[11]
Sire
Wittgenstein (USA)
1971 		Roi Dagobert (FR)
1964 		Sicambre Prince Bio
Sif
Dame d'Atours Cranach
Barley Corn
Stavroula (USA)
1956 		Nasrullah Nearco
Mumtaz Begum
Segula Johnstown
Sekhmet
Dam
The Lark (FR)
1972 		Lanark (GB)
1963 		Grey Sovereign Nasrullah
Kong
Vermilion O'Toole The Phoenix
Gloriana
Norman Lass (FR)
1968 		Timmy Lad Tim Tam
Providence
Golden Glory Never Say Die
Golden Twilight (Family: 2-n)[12]

The Wonder was inbred 3 x 4 to Nasrullah, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-33-2
    .
  2. ^ Hugh McMahon. "The Wonder images". Sporthorse-data.com. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-31-6
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-900599-35-9
    .
  5. Press-Courier
    . 6 March 1983. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  6. ^ UPI (13 June 1983). "The Wonder 1st". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  7. Ocala Star-Banner
    . 5 July 1983. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  8. ^ "The Wonder Statistics". Equibase. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  9. ^ "A Magicman Record By Race Type". Racing Post. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  10. ^ "Wonder Man Record By Race Type". Racing Post. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  11. ^ "The Wonder pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  12. ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Alexander Mare - Family 2-n".
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