Nononito
Encyclopedia
Nononito was a French champion Thoroughbred
race horse and sire. A specialist stayer, he ran twenty-two times on the flat and thirteen times over hurdles in a career which lasted from 1994 until 1998. Although he won only three of his flat races, he was noted for his consistency and ran prominently in numerous top class staying events in France and England. In 1996 he recorded his most important victory in the Group One
Prix du Cadran
and was awarded the title of European Champion Stayer at the Cartier Racing Awards. After a his retirement from racing he had some success at stud as a sire of jump racers before his death in 2007.
. His sire, the Prix Edmond Blanc
winner Nikos had some success with his progeny on the flat but is much better known as a sire of jumpers including the Queen Mother Champion Chase
winner Master Minded
and the Grade I winners Cenkos (Maghull Novices' Chase
) and Nakir (Arkle Challenge Trophy). Nononito’s dam, Feuille d’Automne won one race and was a half sister of the Prix Noailles
and Prix Hocquart
winner Jeu de Paille.
Prix Le Fabuleux at Saint-Cloud
in late November.
Prix de Barbeville
. Although he failed to win in his remaining six starts that year, he established himself as a high class stayer by running second in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier
(to The Little Thief) and the Prix Kergorlay
and finishing third to Always Earnest and Moonax
in the Group One Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in late September.
. He was then sent to Royal Ascot for the Gold Cup
where he stayed on at one pace in the straight to finish third behind Classic Cliche and Double Trigger
.
Nononito continued to run well without winning when running second in the Prix Kergorlay
and fourth in the Prix Gladiateur
before his second attempt at the Prix du Cadran. He was held up in the early stages before Thierry Jarnet
moved him up into a clear lead at the start of the straight. Moonax emerged his most serious challenger but the English colt lost his chance by veering suddenly to his left 200m from the finish. Nononito was driven out to win by a length from Moonax, with Always Earnest third and Double Trigger fifth. On his final start of the year he was well beaten behind Red Roses Story in the Prix Royal Oak, a race in which the genuine stayers were unsuited by the slow early pace which turned the finish of the race into sprint.
in the Ascot Gold Cup.
.
in 2006 and 2008. Nononito’s death following a heart attack at the age of 16 in 2007 was described as a “great loss” to French breeding.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse and sire. A specialist stayer, he ran twenty-two times on the flat and thirteen times over hurdles in a career which lasted from 1994 until 1998. Although he won only three of his flat races, he was noted for his consistency and ran prominently in numerous top class staying events in France and England. In 1996 he recorded his most important victory in the Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Prix du Cadran
Prix du Cadran
The Prix du Cadran is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 4,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October....
and was awarded the title of European Champion Stayer at the Cartier Racing Awards. After a his retirement from racing he had some success at stud as a sire of jump racers before his death in 2007.
Background
Nonito was a dark-coated bay horse with a white starHorse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
. His sire, the Prix Edmond Blanc
Prix Edmond Blanc
The Prix Edmond Blanc is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in March or April....
winner Nikos had some success with his progeny on the flat but is much better known as a sire of jumpers including the Queen Mother Champion Chase
Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
winner Master Minded
Master Minded
Master Minded is a French bred National Hunt racehorse presently trained in Great Britain by Paul Nicholls.- Early Days in France :...
and the Grade I winners Cenkos (Maghull Novices' Chase
Maghull Novices' Chase
The Maghull Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
) and Nakir (Arkle Challenge Trophy). Nononito’s dam, Feuille d’Automne won one race and was a half sister of the Prix Noailles
Prix Noailles
The Prix Noailles is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.-History:...
and Prix Hocquart
Prix Hocquart
The Prix Hocquart is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
winner Jeu de Paille.
1994: three-year-old season
Unraced as a two-year-old, Nononito first appeared on the racecourse when he ran three times in the autumn of 1994. He finished fifth on his debut in the Prix du Prince d’Orange over 2000m at Longchamp, then ran second in a race over the same course and distance in October before winning the ListedConditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Prix Le Fabuleux at Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud Racecourse
Hippodrome de Saint-Cloud is a grass race course for Thoroughbred flat horse racing opened in 1901 at 1 rue du Camp Canadien in Saint-Cloud near Paris, France...
in late November.
1995: four-year-old season
Nononito began his four-year-old campaign with two unplaced runs over 2000m before moving up to the staying distances which proved to be his speciality. At Saint-Cloud in May he won his first Group race, quickening clear in the straight to beat The Little Thief and Always Earnest in the Group ThreeConditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Prix de Barbeville
Prix de Barbeville
The Prix de Barbeville is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.-History:The event is named after the stud farm...
. Although he failed to win in his remaining six starts that year, he established himself as a high class stayer by running second in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier
Prix Vicomtesse Vigier
The Prix Vicomtesse Vigier is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
(to The Little Thief) and the Prix Kergorlay
Prix Kergorlay
The Prix Kergorlay is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 3,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
and finishing third to Always Earnest and Moonax
Moonax
Moonax was an Irish-bred, English-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1994 Moonax became the first horse to win both the Classic St Leger and the Prix Royal-Oak and was named European Champion Stayer. He remains the only three year old to have been honoured in this way...
in the Group One Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in late September.
1996: five-year-old season
Nononito’s championship season began with a fourth place in a blanket finish to a Listed race at Evry, but than ran a poor race when unplaced in the Prix de Barbeville. He showed improved form in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in late May when he finished strongly to be second to the British-trained Double EclipseDouble Eclipse
Double Eclipse is the first album released by the band Hardline.The first track released from the album was "Takin' Me Down", written by the Gioeli brothers with Neal Schon...
. He was then sent to Royal Ascot for the Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
where he stayed on at one pace in the straight to finish third behind Classic Cliche and Double Trigger
Double Trigger
Double Trigger is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He was bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom throughout his racing career, which lsted from 1993 to 1998...
.
Nononito continued to run well without winning when running second in the Prix Kergorlay
Prix Kergorlay
The Prix Kergorlay is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 3,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
and fourth in the Prix Gladiateur
Prix Gladiateur
The Prix Gladiateur is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
before his second attempt at the Prix du Cadran. He was held up in the early stages before Thierry Jarnet
Thierry Jarnet
Thierry Jarnet Is a Champion Thoroughbred Flat racing Jockey in France. Winning the title 4 times from 1992 to 1995. Jarnet was first apprenticed to Patrick Rago atMaisons-Laffitte and then to Yann Porzier at Chantilly, Oise....
moved him up into a clear lead at the start of the straight. Moonax emerged his most serious challenger but the English colt lost his chance by veering suddenly to his left 200m from the finish. Nononito was driven out to win by a length from Moonax, with Always Earnest third and Double Trigger fifth. On his final start of the year he was well beaten behind Red Roses Story in the Prix Royal Oak, a race in which the genuine stayers were unsuited by the slow early pace which turned the finish of the race into sprint.
1997: six-year-old season
Nononito ran twice on the flat in 1997 without recapturing his best form. He finished sixth of seven in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and eleventh behind CelericCeleric
Celeric is a retired, British Thoroughbred racehorse. He improved from running in minor handicaps to Group One level, and recorded his most important win in the 1997 Ascot Gold Cup. In the same year he was named European Champion Stayer at the Cartier Racing Awards. He won thirteen of his forty-two...
in the Ascot Gold Cup.
Hurdling career
Nononito had a brief but successful career over hurdle, winning several races including the Prix Léon Rambaud, the Prix Hypothèse and the Prix Beugnot. He finished third to Mantovo in the 1998 running of France’s most important hurdle race, the Grande Course de Haies d'AuteuilGrande Course de Haies d'Auteuil
The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, sometimes referred to as the French Champion Hurdle, is a Group 1 hurdle race in France which is open to horses aged five years or older...
.
Assessment
At the 1996 Cartier Racing Awards, Nononito was named European Champion Stayer.Stud career
Nononito retired to the French National Stud, where he became a successful sire of jump racers. His most notable offspring was Princesse d’Anjou, winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de ParisGrand Steeple-Chase de Paris
The Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris is a Group 1 steeplechase in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,800 metres , and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped...
in 2006 and 2008. Nononito’s death following a heart attack at the age of 16 in 2007 was described as a “great loss” to French breeding.