Sir Ivor

One of the greatest post-war racehorses. He had a devastating turn of foot, which differentiated a truly great racehorse from just a good one. Lester Piggott and Sir Ivor made a perfect team. They simply cruised like a well-oiled machine.

Sir Ivor was bred in America and purchased by Raymond Guest. He was bought by the well known Bull Hancock, of Claiborne Farm, for Usd 42,000,at Keeneland Sales. At first, he appeared tall, lanky and in the view of his breeder "rather lopsided".

Sir Ivor was broken in Kentucky and then sent to Vicent O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Vincent O’Brien at first thought the big horse was slightly backward and warned his owner to be patient.

Sir Ivor made his debut at the end of June in a minor race in Ireland where he could only finish 4th. Liam Ward rode him in his next two races in Ireland, which he won against mediocre opposition.

On Vincent’s recommendation Lester partnered Sir Ivor in the Grand Criterium in France. Sir Ivor scored a smashing victory, thrashing Paola Bela, the champion filly of 1968; out of sight.He also defeated Timmy My Boy, the 1968 French Derby runner-up. The great colt had great ground to cover in the straight but when Lester pushed him he gave a devastating burst and like a tornado swept passed the leaders.

His owner placed a bet of 500 pounds on 100 to 1 odds that his colt would win the Epsom Derby. He went on to score a most convincing win in the National Stakes at Curragh. At the end of the 1967, Sir Ivor was the 2nd highest rated 2 year old in Europe, given a rating of 134.

In the winter, Vincent sent Sir Ivor to Pisa for the worst of the winter, thinking Italy might be warmer for the American–bred colt. This venture almost was a disaster. Sir Ivor developed an abcesson his foot, which caused his leg to swell like a baloon.

As a 3-year-old, Sir Ivor made a winning start in the 2,000 Guineas trial. Here he was hard pressed getting home by only ½ a length. His victory was none too impressive. The distance of 7 furlongs was too short for him.

Earlier in the season, Lester had to make e major choice between Petingo, a top class miler and Sir Ivor. Lester chose Sir Ivor. Petingo scored a remarkable 4 length win in a race in Newmarket and it seemed Lester had made a mistake. Sir Ivor had been taken back to Ireland for the 2,000 Guineas, but Vincent O'Brien was dissatisfied with the colt's progress, chiefly because he had a tendency to pull up before the end of a gallop. He would work quite lazily at home.Sir Ivor was thus sent to to Newmarket ten days before the Guineas so that Lester could gallop him on the heath and test his fitness.

With Sir Ivor came two other of Vincent's good horses, to make the workout challenging.The gallop was held at the southern most end of the schooling grounds.

Lester was instructed by Vincent to tuck Sir Ivor behind the two other horses and urge him only with two furlongs to go. In the gallop two furlongs from home Lester urged Sir Ivor following Vincent's instructions and Sir Ivor flew past the other two horses like a motorboat sweeping past two canoes. At the end, he led by a margin of a 100 yards, leaving the two behind him standing. Lester thought it was the best training gallop he rode in his life. Lester, for the first time felt the colt’s amazing finishing speed. Commentator Julian Wilson witnessed the gallop and described Sir Ivor as a perfect Racing specimen.

It was the equivalent of watching a great batsmen like Hobbes and Sobers in the nets putting away the best balls bowled, giving a most appropriate display of strokes which differentiated a truly great batsmen from just a very good one.

Sir Ivor started 2nd favourite in the 2,000 Guineas to Petingo a truly great two year old the previous season (The season's subsequent champion miler). In the 2,000 Guineas, Sir Ivor lay last until three furlongs out.So Blessed set the pace and with two furlongs to go Petingo snatched the lead and the race seemed over. At this stage, Lester urged Sir Ivor and like a bullet the colt flew along the rails, taking the lead just before the winning post to win by a length and a half. Sir Ivor took advantage of the untentanted lane alongside the rails. This gave him the gap to pass the other horses. Raymond Guest,his owner, was overjoyed and greeted his magnificient colt in the unsaddling enclosure.

It was one of the greatest victories in the classic for a very long time. Against the strongest opposition, Sir Ivor had displayed his brilliance Lester Piggot,who chose to ride Sir Ivor in place of the better fancied Petingo proved he was not only a great rider of horses but also a great judge of them.

Lester was certain that Sir Ivor would win the Epsom Derby. Lester understood that Sir Ivor had to be covered up till the very end before it would unleash its finishing burst. Racing pundit’s doubted Sir Ivor’s ability to stay a mile and a half as it was not bred for that distance, and had never galloped more than a mile and a quarter.

On the day before the big race, Sir Ivor looked like a well oiled racing machine all set to win. On the day of the race, he started at the shortest price any horse had started favourite since the war (To this day) at 5 to 4 on.

In the Derby, Lester executed his plans with perfection.Benroy set the pace from Connaught, Mount Athos, and Torpid.

At Tattenham corner, Sir Ivor was placed 7th. On entering the straight, Connaught surged into the lead lengthening his lead to about 5 lengths over the field. Upto this point Lester was tracking Remand, which he thought was a great danger. When Lester was convinced a furlong from home that Remand woudn’t catch Connaught, he switched to the outside, balanced his colt and made a thrust for home.Sir Ivor had come to the outside going really well on the bridle.

At first, Lester's bid seemed to no avail.Connaught appeared coasting home and now for a brief while the crowd was stunned. However after 50 yards when he responded, he simply displayed a devastating turn of foot to thunder past Connaught like a missile fired, in the last 50 yards, to win by a length and a half. In the end, he won effortlessly, going away.

It was an irony that his owner was not there to receive him in the unsaddling enclosure. Sir Ivor had that time showed the most devastating finishing thrust in the Blue Riband since the war. His win was reminiscent of a Cheetah lying in an ambush for a prolonged period before pouncing on his prey. Lester Piggott had also shown one of the greatest pieces of race-riding ever seen. His judgement of pace was exceptional in the race and the way he conserved the great horse's energy till the end was a true exhibition of supreme artistry. Sir Ivor was perhaps the most exciting post-war Derby winner.

Sir Ivor was next to run in the Irish Derby. Here, Liam Ward was to partner him. Lester was to ride Ribero. In one of the most amazing upsets of the century Ribero defeated Sir Ivor. Lester, who partnered Ribero took him into the lead two furlongs from home. With a furlong to go Liam Ward urged Sir Ivor but the horse failed to catch Ribero. Lester was at his best but was still amazed that Sir Ivor was beaten. Lester felt Sir Ivor was pushed too soon in the straight and made to see daylight too soon. Sir Ivor was a horse that had to be covered up right till the end before he gave his finishing burst, however I also felt that Sir Ivor failed to stay the gruelling Curragh course.

It was no surprise that Sir Ivor was beaten next time out, in the Eclipse Stakes. Here the very hard ground was unfavourable to him and he finished 3rd behind the previous year’s Derby winner, Royal Palace and Taj Dewan.Royal Palace won by a short head from Taj Dewan with Sir Ivor ¾ length behind. This performance was a great setback to the colt Lester felt is was unwise to have run the colt.

It took Vincent O'Brien a most pains taking period to bring the colt back to his top condition. He was now to have a crack at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Sir Ivor ran in the Prix Henry Delamarre, as a preliminary to the Arc, where he finished 2nd to Prince Sao conceding 7lb. In the Arc, he ran well but finished 2nd to Vaguely Noble, one of the all-time greats. Vaguely Noble drew away in the straight to beat Sir Ivor by 3 lengths.

The winners of the French Derby and Oaks as well as the Irish Derby and Oaks finished behind them. At the end of a very hard season, Sir Ivor showed great character. He accelerated with a tremendous burst in the straight, but after all, the winner was bred for the distance and Sir Ivor could not catch him. Despite a clockwise turn (unlike the ones in England) and a short straight Sir Ivor displayed his ability to adapt. His owner felt that Sir Ivor had run the best race of his life as he was running against the best horse in the world, Vaguely Noble.

Two weeks later, Sir Ivor beat Taj Dewan with utter disdain to win the Champion Stakes. He almost avenged his Eclipse Stakes defeat, as Taj Dewan was beaten by a margin of a short head by Royal Palace in the race. Sir Ivor had 2and a half lengths to spare from Locris at the post which could easily have been 6 had Lester not eased his ward.

Sir Ivor’s career reached a climax in the Washington International. The weather was terrible, the going was like a bog. Great horses like Ballymoss had failed to win this big event and the last Epsom Derby winner to race in this classic was Papyrus in 1923 who went down to Zev.

Sir Ivor's task was like a great soldier going to fight a war in no-man's land in alien territory. Sir Ivor's principal opponents were Fort Marcy, who had won the race the previous year and Czar Alexander. Sir Ivor alredy had the beating of Camarthen and La Lagune, two other participants in the Arc, a month previously.The two other runners, Azincourt second from Argentina and Takeshibo-O, had no comparable record (although the latter had finished runner up in the Japanese 2,000 Guineas and The Derby).

Takeshibo-O set the pace from Camarthen, Lester tucking Sir Ivor in about 5th place. Half a mile from home, the leader dropped back but Sir Ivor remained on the rails. On the turn, he was sandwiched like a sardine behind Czar Alexander on the inside, Fort Marcy just alongside Czar Alexander and Camarthen just a length behind. Fort Marcy. La Lagune now came up on the outside and Sir Ivor had no gap. Fortunately, La Lagune weakened a furlong from home with Camarthen drifting slightly to the right. Piggot now urged Sir Ivor and the colt gave an electrifying burst reminiscent of dynamite exploding to flash between Camarthen and Fort Marcy to score one of racing's all-time great victories.

He had ¾ of a length to spare at the end but he was going away at the finish. After the post, he and Lester were covered with mud. In his post-race comments, Lester said he never saw a horse so tired after a race. Lester says, "He'd given everything. He's the best horse I'd ever ridden."

Sir Ivor had displayed the nerves of a true soldier.He had won a battle on alien territory. Even the owners of the great Vaguely Noble were not confident of their colt's ability to adjust in those conditions (anti-clockwise turns) Sir Ivor had stunned the crowd that day who witnessed one of the most devastating bursts of speed ever in the history of the race. He had been a truly great ambassador to Ireland winning after having had one of the hardest of racing seasons- a truly remarkable achievement!

The American press was highly critical of Lester. This was a harsh attitude as Lester perfectly understood Sir Ivor. They felt Lester almost lost the race having urged Sir Ivor so late. The colt’s previous performances with Lester astride,certainly refuted this.

The great horse was syndicated to the Claiborne Stud in America. He produced several great fillies which included Ivanjica, the 1976 Arc winner; Godetia, the Irish Oaks winner, Sweet Alliance, the Kentucky Oaks winner; Cloonlara,the champion 2 year old filly in Ireland ; and Ivor’s Image, the Italian Oaks winner. He died in 1995.

What is Sir Ivor's place in racing history? Can he compare with the all-time greats?

Lester Piggott rates him the best horse he has ever ridden. Lester who also partnered Nijinsky felt he did not have Sir Ivor's character although he possessed more natural ability. Lester was of the opinion that Sir Ivor had a most balanced temperament and was a very intelligent horse. No crowds would ever distract him in the pre-race proceedings. To Lester he was simply a grand horse to ride.

Nijinsky was considered to be one of the top horses of the century (1st horse to win the triple crown since Bahram in 1935). Vincent O'Brien says it was difficult to say which was a better horse. He stated for brilliance Nijinsky was ahead, while for toughness he would rate Sir Ivor ahead. Sir Ivor had to contend with the best of opposition. Vaguely Noble was an all-time great, who Etienne Pollet rated in the same class as Sea Bird. Connaught, in the 1970 season beat Karabas, the Washington International winner, in the 1970 Eclipse Stakes by 7 lengths in record-breaking time. It must not be forgotten Sir Ivor had beaten Connaught fair and square.

Petingo, was a top-class miler who went on to win the St.James Palace Stakes as well as the Sussex Stakes to be crowned the champion miler. Royal Palace (timeform rating of 135), was a high-class horse who had won both the 2,000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby, the previous year and won the 1968 Eclipse and King George. Ribero, was a tough, staying horse, out of Ribot, perhaps the greatest middle-distance racehorse of the Century who was also a champion sire.

Another high-class colt was Hopeful Venture, who had the honour of defeating the great Vaguely Noble (very unluckily beaten). It must also be assessed that Sir Ivor had a training setback and was not quite his best when he ran in the Arc (Vaguely Noble would still have won but Sir Ivor may have come closer to the superstar).

In my book the ‘Ivor’ was an exceptional horse. His weakness was that he could not stay and 10 furlongs was his best distance. Over 10 furlongs in my opinion he had the speed to give the Sea Bird's and Nijinsky's the race of their lives, if not beat them.

His acceleration was simply phenomenal, producing a sensational burst in the last 100 yards to snatch a most emphatic victory after being on the jaws of defeat.He would win big races coming from no man'sland!.

His victories in the Guineas, Derby and Washington International were comparable to any of the performances of great horses in recent years. I would place him as far as toughness is concerned even ahead of (his timeform rating was only 135) greats like Nijinsky or Shergar.

In the Washington International, Sir Ivor achieved what sometimes the very greatest of horses fail to achieve (Ballymoss lost in 1958 and Dancing Brave could do no more than 4th in the Breeders Cup). It must be said, that Sir Ivor was not fully prepared for the Arc having not recovered completely from a training set back he suffered from after the Eclipse Stakes.

I disagree with the timeform rating of 135 given to Sir Ivor, which I feel did injustice to this great horse (a horse like The Minstrel, whom Sir Ivor was far superior to was rated 135). Timeform has rated Crepello, Alleged, Troy and Grundy ahead of Sir Ivor, which I staunchly disagree with. I personally rate Sir Ivor superior to Grundy and Troy and at least as good as Crepello and Alleged.

I will never forget this great horse. He was simply a magnificient thoroughbred. Watching him with Lester Piggott astride was like seeing poetry in motion. The year of 1968 truly belonged to this star.

Sir Ivor 1965	Sir Gaylord	Turn-to	Royal Charger
			Source Sucree
		Somethingroyal	Princequillo
			Imperatrice
	Attica	Mr.Trouble	Mahmoud
			Motto
		Athenia	Pharamond
			Salamina