Red Splash
Red Splash | |
---|---|
Sire | Copper Ore |
Grandsire | Forfarshire |
Dam | La Manche |
Damsire | Wavelet's Pride |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | May 1919[1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Colour | Chestnut |
Owner | Humphrey Wyndham |
Trainer | Fred Withington |
Record | 5 wins |
Major wins | |
Cheltenham Gold Cup (1924) |
Red Splash (foaled May 1919) was a British racehorse who won the inaugural Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Background
Red Splash was a chestnut gelding with a white blaze and two white socks[2] bred in England. He was not technically a Thoroughbred as his sire Copper Ore was descended from a mare of unknown pedigree. Red Splash's dam La Manche was a descendant of the influential Irish broodmare The Beauty.[3]
During his racing career, Red Splash was owned by Major Humphrey Wyndham and was trained by Fred Withington at Fritwell in Oxfordshire.[4] Withington was best known for training Rubio and Mattie MacGregor to finish first and second in the 1908 Grand National.[5]
Racing career
Red Splash showed early promise as a steeplechaser and won four times over fences in the 1923/1924 National Hunt season including a race at Cheltenham Racecourse in November. In the spring, he was entered in the inaugural Cheltenham Gold Cup in which, as a five-year-old, he carried nine pounds fewer than his older opponents. Withington had reservations about running the horse in the race as Red Splash had sustained an injury which interrupted his preparation. The likely favourite, Alcazar, was withdrawn on the morning of the race, and his jockey, Dick Rees, was engaged to take the ride on Red Splash.[6] The five-year-old started at odds of 5/1[7] in a nine-runner field with his biggest rivals looking to be Forewarned, Gerald L, and Conjuror (third in the 1923 Grand National). After leading in the early stages, Red Splash dropped back but recovered to regain the lead at the second-last fence. The final stages saw a sustained three-way struggle as Red Splash fought off strong challenges from Conjuror and Gerald L to prevail by a head and a neck.[8][5][9]
Following his victory at Cheltenham, Red Splash was highly regarded, being described as showing "marked dash in leaping his fences" and likely to become a leading Grand National contender.[10]
In the following season, Red Splash suffered from injuries and training problems. He was off the racecourse for ten months before being well beaten in a minor event at Leicester Racecourse in January 1925. Plans to run in the Champion Chase at Aintree Racecourse in April came to nothing, and he never contested another major race.[5]
Assessment and honours
In their book A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Red Splash a "poor" Gold Cup winner.[8]
Pedigree
Sire Copper Ore (GB) 1905 | Forfarshire (GB) 1897 | Royal Hampton | Hampton |
---|---|---|---|
Princess | |||
St Elizabeth | St Simon | ||
Esa | |||
Sybil d'Or | Soleil d'Or | Bend Or | |
Fair Vestal | |||
Civility | Highborn | ||
Courtesy | |||
Dam La Manche (IRE) 1909 | Wavelet's Pride (GB) 1897 | Fernandez | Sterling |
Isola Bella | |||
Wavelet | Paul Jones | ||
Wanda | |||
Queen of France (IRE) 1900 | Buckingham | Galopin | |
Lady Yardley | |||
Queen of Brilliants | Favo | ||
The Beauty (Family 11-d)[3] |
References
- ^ a b "Red Splash pedigree". Pedigree Online. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
- ^ Red Splash image
- ^ a b "Flight – Family 11-d". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
- ^ "Person Profile : Frederick Withington". Horseracing History Online.
- ^ a b c Harman, Bob (2000). The Ultimate Dream: The History of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84018-381-0.
- ^ Robin Oakley (2014). The Cheltenham Festival: A Centenary History. Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 9781781313909.
- ^ Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
- ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 9781901570151.
- ^ "A head victory for Red Splash". Western Morning News. 13 March 1924. Retrieved 14 November 2015.(Subscription required.)
- ^ "Racing". New Zealand Herald. 7 May 1924.
- v
- t
- e
- 1924 Red Splash
- 1925 Ballinode
- 1926 Koko
- 1927 Thrown In
- 1928 Patron Saint
- 1929 Easter Hero
- 1930 Easter Hero
- 1931 no race
- 1932 Golden Miller
- 1933 Golden Miller
- 1934 Golden Miller
- 1935 Golden Miller
- 1936 Golden Miller
- 1937 no race
- 1938 Morse Code
- 1939 Brendan's Cottage
- 1940 Roman Hackle
- 1941 Poet Prince
- 1942 Medoc II
- 1943 no race
- 1944 no race
- 1945 Red Rower
- 1946 Prince Regent
- 1947 Fortina
- 1948 Cottage Rake
- 1949 Cottage Rake
- 1950 Cottage Rake
- 1951 Silver Fame
- 1952 Mont Tremblant
- 1953 Knock Hard
- 1954 Four Ten
- 1955 Gay Donald
- 1956 Limber Hill
- 1957 Linwell
- 1958 Kerstin
- 1959 Roddy Owen
- 1960 Pas Seul
- 1961 Saffron Tartan
- 1962 Mandarin
- 1963 Mill House
- 1964 Arkle
- 1965 Arkle
- 1966 Arkle
- 1967 Woodland Venture
- 1968 Fort Leney
- 1969 What a Myth
- 1970 L'Escargot
- 1971 L'Escargot
- 1972 Glencaraig Lady
- 1973 The Dikler
- 1974 Captain Christy
- 1975 Ten Up
- 1976 Royal Frolic
- 1977 Davy Lad
- 1978 Midnight Court
- 1979 Alverton
- 1980 Master Smudge
- 1981 Little Owl
- 1982 Silver Buck
- 1983 Bregawn
- 1984 Burrough Hill Lad
- 1985 Forgive 'n Forget
- 1986 Dawn Run
- 1987 The Thinker
- 1988 Charter Party
- 1989 Desert Orchid
- 1990 Norton's Coin
- 1991 Garrison Savannah
- 1992 Cool Ground
- 1993 Jodami
- 1994 The Fellow
- 1995 Master Oats
- 1996 Imperial Call
- 1997 Mr Mulligan
- 1998 Cool Dawn
- 1999 See More Business
- 2000 Looks Like Trouble
- 2001 no race
- 2002 Best Mate
- 2003 Best Mate
- 2004 Best Mate
- 2005 Kicking King
- 2006 War Of Attrition
- 2007 Kauto Star
- 2008 Denman
- 2009 Kauto Star
- 2010 Imperial Commander
- 2011 Long Run
- 2012 Synchronised
- 2013 Bobs Worth
- 2014 Lord Windermere
- 2015 Coneygree
- 2016 Don Cossack
- 2017 Sizing John
- 2018 Native River
- 2019 Al Boum Photo
- 2020 Al Boum Photo
- 2021 Minella Indo
- 2022 A Plus Tard
- 2023 Galopin Des Champs
- 2024 Galopin Des Champs