Ribot

A phenomenal racehorse. He was truly a racing machine being unbeaten in 16 starts. Ribot simply set the racing world ablaze as no horse had done in the century before in Europe. A true Muhammad Ali in the sport of kings. Ribot's phenomenal acceleration combined with his Stamina made him an equine superstar. Ribot was named after 19th Century French Painter Theodule-Augustin Ribot.

By Tenerani out of Romanella, Ribot was puny as a yearling but grew into a fine bay colt of great range and strength, though retaining a gentle and amenable temperament throughout his days in training. Tenerani had won the Goodwood Cup and the Italian Derby. His dam Romanella won 5 of her 7 races as a two-year-old. It was an irony that his breeder Frederico Tesio never lived to see him.

Unlike Nearco, Donatella II, and Appelle the three other great horses bred by Tesio, Ribot had parents who were bred at Dormella Stud, as were both his grand-sires Bellini and El Greco.

Trained by Ugo Penco and throughout his career ridden by Enrico Camici, Ribot made a winning debut in a 5 furlong event at Milan making all the running. He repeated this performance in a 6-furlong race at the same course making the entire running again. However on his final appearance as a 2-year-old he was almost defeated in the Grand Criterium over 7 ½ furlongs. As a result of hitting the front too soon he ended up having to fight to beat Gail by a head.

As a 3-year-old no classic engagements were made for the great horse.He made a winning debut to his 3-year-old career in a race in Pisa. In his next race, in the Premio Emanuele Filiberto at Milan, he faced stiffer opposition. Here he thrashed Gail by 10 lengths but pulled up lame after the race. It took him 5 minutes to reach the winners enclosure. This was the result of working out on firm ground. The frequent gallops caused him enormous strain. Racing fans feared this could have been the end of his racing career. Ribot even succumbed to a cough.However in July, Ribot gave a fitting answer to his admirers by winning at Milan.

After another victory at Milan, Ribot was to be given a crack in the Prix del’Arc de Triomphe in October. Here he simply trounced his opponents as if they were starters hacks. He won by 3 lengths from Beau Prince. The horses he beat included Rapace (winner of the French Derby), Douve (French Oaks), Zarathustra (Irish Derby), Macip (French St. Leger) and Hugh Lupus (Irish 2,000 Guineas). Although horses like Phil Drake, Vimy and Meld were missing, it was a great performance. A fortnight later, he won the Premio de Jockey Club by 15 lengths from Norman, who had won the race in each of the previous two years.

In the following season, Ribot annihilated the opposition in his first four races before coming to England to have a crack in the King George 6th and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

He ran in soft, sticky ground which caused him a considerable problem. In the paddock, he hardly looked outstanding.However he moved particularly impressively cantering to the start. High Veldt led at the start, Todrai and Ribot moved alongside him.Out of Swinley Bottom, Todrai went into the lead from Daemon, with Ribot in third place, followed by High Veldt and Chantelsey. Soon Daemon dropped out, thus leaving Ribot and Todrai disputing the lead.

Camici was riding Ribot hard, however to no avail and Todrai was defiantly staying in front. Coming into the straight the two horses led from Chantelsey, High Veldt, Roistar and Cash and Courage. At this point, it was predicted that Ribot would simply gallop away and win in his charismatic style. However nothing of this kind happened.

Todrai had run a little wide on entering the straight, giving High Veldt a clear gap to break through on the inside. Now, a major duel emerged between Ribot and High Veldt and once Ribot reached better going he accelerated like a true Racing machine, to win by 5 lengths going away-the longest margin a colt had ever won the race at that time.

On his retun to Italy, Ribot won the Premio del Piazzale by 10 lengths, by 8 lengths outclassing Magabit, the Italian 2,000 Guineas winner. Ribot led from start to finish. With a furlong to go Magabit came to challenge Ribot who was 2 lengths in front. Now, jockey Camici urged Ribot and he accelerated like a jet plane. Ribot had clocked 1:51.60.

This was remarkable as the colt had not been eased until he ran an additional furlong after the winning post thus covering a mile and a quarter. The time he clocked for that distance was 2:02.00., which was astonoshing.

He was sent to France to have another crack in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Ribot looked in great shape.He faced a truly international field, although the English and French Derby winners were not included.

However, the winners of both the English and French Oaks, two Irish Derby winners, the winner of the Grand Prix, the French St.Leger winner, a Washington International winner, and a Belmont Stakes runner up faced him.

Fisherman, set the pace from followed by Norfolk, Ribot and Apolliana. Ribot always lay in the first three and was never off the bit. With 5 furlongs to go Tanerko appeared to be travelling as well as Ribot. In the straight, Camici let go off his mount and Ribot simply cruised away like a missile, winning in devastating style by 6 lengths. It was one of the greatest triumphs racing has seen and to this day it is remembered.

Ribot had won like an emperor.It was a spectacular performance after which Ribot bid farewell to racegoers.

Ribot made an impact upon racing fans on his final appearance reminiscent to that of what people in China would have felt seeing Mao Tse-Tung make his final appearance in public. The emotions felt were indescribable.

Ribot was given a timeform rating of 142. This was second only to Sea Bird (145) amongst middle distance horses in the century. Timeform has rated Mill Reef (141), Dancing Brave (140), Nijinsky (138), Vaguely Noble (140) and Shergar(140) as inferior middle-distance horses.

Did Ribot have claims of being the horse of the Century?

In my view Ribot is on par with Mill Reef (I disagre with timeform) and fell marginally behind Stalwarts like Secretariat, Man o'War, Phar Lap and Sea Bird.

Sea Bird faced better opposition than Ribot did beating horses of the calibre of Reliance, Diatome and Tom Rolfe, by the same overwhelming margin by which Ribot trounced his opponents in the 1956 Arc.

Secretariat (31 length Belmont Stakes win plus beating horses like Cougar and Riva Ridge) and Phar Lap 's best (He won the Melbourne cups carrying phenomenal weight as well beat a strong international field in America, with topweight). Performances surpassed Ribot's while Man o'Wars margins of victory were phenomenal (Up to 100 lengths). However where Ribot stood out over the other four was the tungsten toughness he displayed.

He won three major races travelling out of Italy, his native country. It was a truly phenomenal feat to win in three different countries with vastly different conditions. In those days, travelling was almost unheard of. It was the equivalent of a batsman in cricket making a hundred on a wet pitch in totally alien conditions.

I rate Mill Reef as equally good. The manner he beat his opponents in the Eclipse Stakes, King George and Arc in 1971 and the Prix Ganay in 1972 to me displayed more talent than Ribot (Some regarded his Prix Ganay performance as the best they had ever seen).

As a two and three year old, Mill Reef beat better opposition (like Caro and Pistol Packer). Thirteen of Ribot's wins were achieved against Italian opponents who are generally inferior to English and French horses. In the King George, as a 4-year-old High Veldt, the runner-up to Ribot failed in the St.Leger and Todrai who finished 3rd failed later in Belgium.

Mill Reef demolished his 1971 King George field by 6 length-a then record margin. However Ribot's final 6-length win in his second confirmed that it would be most unfair to rate Mill Reef, a better horse (Mill Reef had not shown the same toughness and consistency). To be still rated above horses like Dancing Brave, Vaguely Noble, Shergar and Nijinsky proves that he was a superstar.

Ribot started his stud career at Lord Derby's Woodland Stud at Newmarket, where he lasted for two seasons. After two more seasons, at his owner's Olgatia Stud in Italy, he was sold to John Galbreath's Darby Dan Stud in Kentucky's the years took their toll Ribot's behaviour became excessively temperamental. In his stable box, Ribot would stand on his hind legs, biting the wood, standing on a on a ten foot furrow.Only his 6-foot tall groom could now handle him!

Ribot was retired to the Woodland Stud in Newmarket.In 1961, he died of a twisted intestine on April 28th 1972, after proving himself a major sire of classic winners all around the world.

His winners included, Molvedo, (1963 Arc), Prince Royal (1964 Arc winner), Ragusa, (Irish Derby and King George), Tom Rolfe (Kentucky Derby), Ribero (1968 Irish Derby and English St.Leger winner), Boucher (St.Leger winner) and Ribocco (1967 St.Leger winner). Alleged, the dual Arc winner was Ribot’s grandson.

The great horse was a true testimony to the breeding genius of Tesio.

 
Note 04/25/2005:

Sprinting sensation Silent Witness proved phenomenal stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time on Sunday as he sailed to his 17th consecutive victory in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin.

The victory eclipsed the previous record of 16 straight wins set by Citation, Cigar, and Ribot.

Ribot 1952	Tenerani	Bellini	Cavaliere d'Arpino
			Bella Minna
		Tofanella	Apelle
			Try Try Again
	Romanella	El Greco	Pharos
			Gay Gamp
		Barbara Burrini	Papyrus
			Bucolic