Silver Patriarch was a racehorse, winner of the 1997 St Leger

St. Leger Stakes

The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...

 and of seven other races. He was ridden by Pat Eddery

Pat Eddery

Patrick James John "Pat" Eddery is a former flat racing jockey. Pat's father Jimmy Eddery was a jockey, as is his brother Paul Eddery.-Career:...

 in all but three of his races.

The horse was bred in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, by Saddlers' Hall and out of the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 horse Early Rising, but was trained in Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 by John Dunlop

John L. Dunlop

John L. Dunlop is a successful race horse trainer based in Arundel, Sussex, with over 3000 winners between 1966 and 2002.He was the British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1995....

. After winning two of his four starts as a two-year-old, at Newmarket

Newmarket Racecourse

The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...

 and Pontefract

Pontefract Racecourse

Pontefract Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England.Pontefract is one of the best appointed courses of its kind in the country. There are modern bars and refreshment areas in all enclosures....

, he finished third in the Sandown Classic Trial

Sandown Classic Trial

The Sandown Classic Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April.The event was established in 1953, and it...

 at Sandown Park in April 1997, before winning the Lingfield Derby Trial

Lingfield Derby Trial

The Lingfield Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Lingfield Park over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 106 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.The event was established in 1932, and...

 and being touched off by a short head by Benny the Dip

Benny the Dip

Benny the Dip was an American-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred race horse, winner of the Epsom Derby in 1997 by a short head from the future St Leger winner Silver Patriarch....

 in an extremely tight finish to the 1997 Epsom Derby

Epsom Derby

The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

. He would go on to have a more successful career than the horse who beat him, who would not win any of his three subsequent races.

Silver Patriarch started favourite for the 1997 Irish Derby, but finished a disappointing fifth to Desert King

Desert King

Desert King is a Thoroughbred racehorse. Desert King won the Irish Derby Stakes and Irish 2,000 Guineas and was the sire of 13 stakeswinners with 34 stakeswins including Makybe Diva ....

, beaten thirteen lengths. He then came second to Stowaway in the Great Voltigeur Stakes

Great Voltigeur Stakes

The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

 at York

York Racecourse

York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...

, beaten half a length, before winning the St Leger at Doncaster

Doncaster Racecourse

Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...

, for which he had started 5-4 favourite.

As a four-year-old he finished a narrow second to Romanov in the Jockey Club Stakes

Jockey Club Stakes

The Jockey Club Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs at Newmarket, and the final part of the race is on the Rowley Mile...

 at Newmarket, but won the 1998 Coronation Cup

Coronation Cup

The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

 from Swain

Swain (horse)

Swain is a European Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland. From the mare Love Smitten, he was sired by Nashwan. His grandsire was Blushing Groom, a son of Nasrullah from Nearco. His damsire Key To The Mint, a son of Graustark, was the 1972 U.S...

 at Epsom in June, succeeding over the course and distance where he had been so narrowly defeated the previous year. He remained a consistent performer, though he was well beaten in the 1998 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...

, won by Swain for the second consecutive year. At five, he won the Jockey Club Stakes and the Geoffrey Freer Stakes

Geoffrey Freer Stakes

The Geoffrey Freer Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 61 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:The event was established in 1949, and it...

 at Newbury

Newbury Racecourse

Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...

, in which he had finished second in 1998, and came fourth (though only beaten two and a quarter lengths) in the Coronation Cup, won by Daylami

Daylami

Daylami is a retired Thoroughbred Champion racehorse and active sire who was bred in Ireland, but trained in France, Dubai and the United Kingdom. In a career which lasted from 1996 and 1999, he raced in five different countries and won seven Group 1/Grade I races...

. He also finished fourth (though now beaten eight lengths) in the King George, also won by Daylami. He last raced in Hong Kong in December 1999.
He died, aged 15, of natural causes in October 2009 at the National Stud in Newmarket.