Sir Percy
Encyclopedia
Sir Percy is a race horse foaled on January 27, 2003, winner of the 2006 Epsom Derby
.
. His sire Mark of Esteem
won the 1996 2,000 Guineas, his dam Percy's Lass won the Group 3 September Stakes
in 1988 (and subsequently died of cholic when Sir Percy was a foal. Sir Percy was the last of her offspring) and his damsire Blakeney
won the Epsom Derby himself in 1969. Sir Percy was named after Sir Percy Blakeney, the hero of the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel
.
He was trained by Marcus Tregoning
at Lambourn
, Berkshire and was ridden in all his races by Martin Dwyer
. He was owned by A E Pakenham Esq who only bought him as compensation for losing a National Hunt Horse. What compensation he turned out to be for the Pakenhams' who were previously National Hunt owners only.
, before taking three more races, including the Vintage Stakes
, also at Goodwood, and the Group 1
Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
, in 2005 in an epic finish.
in the 2,000 Guineas. He finished fast in this race and did not get the credit he deserved for this magnificent run.
On June 3 he won the 2006 Epsom Derby
, beating Dragon Dancer by a short head
. His previous price at auction had been 16,000 guineas, making him one of the cheapest Derby winners in recent years. He came with a late but decisive mood down the rail and gave his trainer his first Derby Winner. Martin Dwyer's ride on Sir Percy at Epsom earned him the 2006 Lester Award
for Flat Ride of the Year.
On his only start after his Derby win he finished seventh of eight runners behind Pride
in the Champion Stakes
, when it was revealed he was still suffering the ill effects of an injury sustained in the Derby.
at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
on March 31. He was struck into just after the field left the stalls but ran on to finish fourth to Vengeance of Rain
.
For his next race on June 1 he returned to Epsom
to contest the Coronation Cup
, finishing sixth of the seven runners behind Scorpion
.
On his final racecourse appearance Sir Percy was last of the six runners behind Manduro
in the 2007 Prince of Wales's Stakes
at Ascot Racecourse
. He made much of the running in the race but was outpaced near the finish.
Sir Percy, who raced three times in 2007, retired with five wins from 10 races and earnings of $2,150,350. He was a Cartier Award nominee at 2 and 3. He was retired to stud at Kirsten Rausing
's Lanwades Stud in Newmarket where he entered stud in 2008 for a fee of 8,000 pounds.
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...
.
Breeding and pedigree
Sir Percy was bred by Harry Ormesher at the Old Suffolk Stud in Hundon, SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. His sire Mark of Esteem
Mark of Esteem
Mark of Esteem is a retired Irish bred thoroughbred racehorse. In his two years racing he achieved 4 wins and 1 placed finish from 7 Runs amassing total Prize Money of £365,139.00.-1995: Two-Year-Old Season:...
won the 1996 2,000 Guineas, his dam Percy's Lass won the Group 3 September Stakes
September Stakes
The September Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September.The event was established in 1979, and it...
in 1988 (and subsequently died of cholic when Sir Percy was a foal. Sir Percy was the last of her offspring) and his damsire Blakeney
Blakeney (horse)
Blakeney was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won the Derby at Epsom as a three-year-old in 1969 and was one of the few winners of the race to campaign successfully at four. He later had a successful stud career.-Background:...
won the Epsom Derby himself in 1969. Sir Percy was named after Sir Percy Blakeney, the hero of the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the "disguised superhero" tales such as Zorro and Batman....
.
He was trained by Marcus Tregoning
Marcus Tregoning
Marcus Tregoning is a horse racing jockey who worked in an apprenticeship under Dick Hern. Tregoning began training horses by himself in the year 1997, originally starting with 50 horses.-Notable Races and Wins:...
at Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....
, Berkshire and was ridden in all his races by Martin Dwyer
Martin Dwyer
Martin Dwyer is an English Derby winning flat racing jockey having won the 2006 Vodafone Derby upon Sir Percy. This was his second classic success after winning the Epsom Oaks aboard Casual Look in 2003...
. He was owned by A E Pakenham Esq who only bought him as compensation for losing a National Hunt Horse. What compensation he turned out to be for the Pakenhams' who were previously National Hunt owners only.
2005 season
Sir Percy won on his debut at GoodwoodGoodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
, before taking three more races, including the Vintage Stakes
Vintage Stakes
The Vintage Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:...
, also at Goodwood, and the Group 1
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...
Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
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...
, in 2005 in an epic finish.
2006 season
In 2006, he finished second to George WashingtonGeorge Washington (horse)
George Washington was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Ireland by champion sire Danehill out of Bordighera, also the dam of the high class colt Grandera. Bred by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, he was trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith...
in the 2,000 Guineas. He finished fast in this race and did not get the credit he deserved for this magnificent run.
On June 3 he won the 2006 Epsom Derby
2006 Epsom Derby
The 2006 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday June 3, 2006. It was the 227th running of the Derby, and it was won by Sir Percy. The winner was ridden by Martin Dwyer and trained by Marcus Tregoning...
, beating Dragon Dancer by a short head
Nose (horseracing)
In horse racing, a nose is the smallest possible advantage by which a participant can win....
. His previous price at auction had been 16,000 guineas, making him one of the cheapest Derby winners in recent years. He came with a late but decisive mood down the rail and gave his trainer his first Derby Winner. Martin Dwyer's ride on Sir Percy at Epsom earned him the 2006 Lester Award
Lester Award
A Lester Award is one of a range of awards given to jockeys at an annual ceremony in Great Britain. The awards are named in honour of Lester Piggott, an eleven-time British flat racing Champion Jockey who won thirty British Classic Races from 1954 to 1992...
for Flat Ride of the Year.
On his only start after his Derby win he finished seventh of eight runners behind Pride
Pride (horse)
Pride is a champion French racemare who won three Group 1 races. Her biggest success was the 2006 Hong Kong Cup. She was also an unlucky second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Her other feature wins were the Champion Stakes and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud...
in the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
, when it was revealed he was still suffering the ill effects of an injury sustained in the Derby.
2007 season
Sir Percy remained in training for 2007 and his first race of the season came in the Dubai Sheema ClassicDubai Sheema Classic
The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres on the turf track at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, and it takes place annually during the Dubai World Cup Night in...
at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse is a former Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It has a 2,200 metre left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed turf course of the same distance...
on March 31. He was struck into just after the field left the stalls but ran on to finish fourth to Vengeance of Rain
Vengeance of Rain
Vengeance of Rain is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse in Hong Kong that won Dubai Sheema Classic , the joint richest turf race in the world. Vengeance of Rain was foaled in New Zealand, trained by David E...
.
For his next race on June 1 he returned to Epsom
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
to contest the 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....
, finishing sixth of the seven runners behind Scorpion
Scorpion (horse)
Scorpion is a racehorse trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien, and owned by Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor.As a three-year-old in 2005 he won the Grand Prix de Paris and the St. Leger Stakes. In 2007 he won the Coronation Cup.He now stands as a stallion for Coolmore's National Hunt breeding...
.
On his final racecourse appearance Sir Percy was last of the six runners behind Manduro
Manduro
Manduro is a World Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Sired by Monsun, a multiple Group One winner in Germany, he is out of the mare Mandellicht, a daughter of Northern Dancer's son Be My Guest who was the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1982.Manduro was purchased by Baron Georg von...
in the 2007 Prince of Wales's Stakes
Prince of Wales's Stakes
The Prince of Wales's Stakes 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 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at Ascot Racecourse
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...
. He made much of the running in the race but was outpaced near the finish.
Sir Percy, who raced three times in 2007, retired with five wins from 10 races and earnings of $2,150,350. He was a Cartier Award nominee at 2 and 3. He was retired to stud at Kirsten Rausing
Kirsten Rausing
Kirsten Rausing is the eldest child of Swedish industrialist Gad Rausing and his wife Birgit . She is the grand-daughter of Ruben Rausing who was the founder of the liquid food packaging company Tetra Pak...
's Lanwades Stud in Newmarket where he entered stud in 2008 for a fee of 8,000 pounds.