Bustino
Encyclopedia
Bustino was a British
Thoroughbred
Champion racehorse
and an important sire
. Bred by E. Cooper Bland, he was sired by 1967 British Horse of the Year, Busted, and out of the mare Ship Yard.
Owned and raced by Marcia Anastasia Christoforides
(Lady Beaverbrook), Bustino was trained by Dick Hern
. As a three-year-old in 1974, the colt won the Sandown Classic Trial
and Lingfield Derby Trial
in England and finished second to Sagaro in the Grand Prix de Paris
at Longchamp Racecourse in France
. Back in England, he won the Great Voltigeur Stakes
and in September captured the St. Leger Stakes
, one of the British Classic Races.
Sent back to the track in 1975 at age four, Bustino won the Group One
Coronation Cup
at Epsom Downs Racecourse
then was an integral part of what the British racing world and major newspapers dubbed the "Race of the Century."
newspaper's list of the "10 greatest horse races of all time," the match between Bustino and Grundy
in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse
on July 26, 1975 was ranked number two.
Bustino was up against a very solid field in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes that was open to older horses. The participants included Eclipse Stakes
winner, Star Appeal
, Nelson Bunker Hunt's
mare, Dahlia
, one of the greatest female horses in world Thoroughbred racing history, and the three-year-old Grundy, a winner of both the Epsom
and Irish Derbys.
Trainer Dick Hern knew Bustino had the stamina for the 2,414 metre race (1½ miles) and started two of Bustino's stablemates to set a blistering early pace designed to wear down Grundy. With half a mile left to run, Bustino and jockey Joe Mercer
moved into the lead. He was ahead by four lengths by the time they entered the top of the straight when Pat Eddery
on Grundy mounted a charge. The two horses began pulling away from the rest of the field and with a furlong
left to run, Grundy caught and passed Bustino who in turn refused to quit and retook the lead. Just fifty yards from the finish line, a relentless Grundy fought back and recaptured the lead, holding off Bustino's continued furious effort to win by half a length with Dahlia another five lengths behind in third. The winning time of 2:26.98 demolished the race record by almost two and a half seconds. As of 2007, no horse has come close to equaling it. As sometimes happens, a race of this nature took a toll on both horses. Grundy ran only once more without success and Bustino never raced again.
duty, Bustino proved a very successful sire. His offspring include:
Bustino was notably the damsire of a number of successful horses including Nashwan
and Vintage Crop
. In 1989, he was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland
in 1989.
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...
Thoroughbred
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...
Champion racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and an important sire
Sire
Sire may refer to:* Father, the counterpart of a dam, particularly in animal breeding. See also stallion* James W. Sire, author on worldviews* Sire Records, a record label* Sire Advertising, an advertising agency...
. Bred by E. Cooper Bland, he was sired by 1967 British Horse of the Year, Busted, and out of the mare Ship Yard.
Owned and raced by Marcia Anastasia Christoforides
Marcia Anastasia Christoforides
Marcia Anastasia Christoforides, Lady Beaverbrook was a philanthropist, an art collector, and racehorse owner.-Married to two millionaires:...
(Lady Beaverbrook), Bustino was trained by Dick Hern
Dick Hern
William Richard "Dick" Hern, CVO, was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions....
. As a three-year-old in 1974, the colt won 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...
and 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...
in England and finished second to Sagaro in the Grand Prix de Paris
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
at Longchamp Racecourse in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Back in England, he won 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....
and in September captured the St. Leger Stakes
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...
, one of the British Classic Races.
Sent back to the track in 1975 at age four, Bustino won the Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
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....
at Epsom Downs Racecourse
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...
then was an integral part of what the British racing world and major newspapers dubbed the "Race of the Century."
Britain's "Race of the Century"
In The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper's list of the "10 greatest horse races of all time," the match between Bustino and Grundy
Grundy (horse)
Grundy was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. He was a leading two-year-old in 1974 and went on to win the Epsom Derby in 1975...
in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes 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...
on July 26, 1975 was ranked number two.
Bustino was up against a very solid field in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes that was open to older horses. The participants included Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. 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 early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
winner, Star Appeal
Star Appeal
Star Appeal was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred who became the only German-trained racehorse ever to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was initially raced in Ireland, where his first trainer was John Oxx. He then moved to Germany where he achieved success with his third trainer, Theo Grieper.Star...
, Nelson Bunker Hunt's
Nelson Bunker Hunt
Nelson Bunker Hunt is an American oil company executive. He is best known as a former billionaire whose fortune collapsed after he and his brother William Herbert Hunt tried but failed to corner the world market in silver. He is also a successful thoroughbred horse breeder.-Personal:Hunt was born...
mare, Dahlia
Dahlia (horse)
Dahlia was an American-bred Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racemare who won major races in France, England, Ireland, Canada, and the United States...
, one of the greatest female horses in world Thoroughbred racing history, and the three-year-old Grundy, a winner of both the Epsom
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...
and Irish Derbys.
Trainer Dick Hern knew Bustino had the stamina for the 2,414 metre race (1½ miles) and started two of Bustino's stablemates to set a blistering early pace designed to wear down Grundy. With half a mile left to run, Bustino and jockey Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer (jockey)
Joseph Mercer is a retired English Thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active as a jockey from 1947 to 1985 and rode a total of 2,810 winners in Britain, a figure exceeded only by Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Doug Smith at the time of Mercer’s retirement, and subsequently only...
moved into the lead. He was ahead by four lengths by the time they entered the top of the straight when 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:...
on Grundy mounted a charge. The two horses began pulling away from the rest of the field and with a furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
left to run, Grundy caught and passed Bustino who in turn refused to quit and retook the lead. Just fifty yards from the finish line, a relentless Grundy fought back and recaptured the lead, holding off Bustino's continued furious effort to win by half a length with Dahlia another five lengths behind in third. The winning time of 2:26.98 demolished the race record by almost two and a half seconds. As of 2007, no horse has come close to equaling it. As sometimes happens, a race of this nature took a toll on both horses. Grundy ran only once more without success and Bustino never raced again.
As a sire
Retired to studStud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
duty, Bustino proved a very successful sire. His offspring include:
- Easter Sun (b. 1977), won 1982 Group 1 Coronation CupCoronation CupThe 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....
- Stufida (b. 1981), won Group 1 Premio Lydia TesioPremio Lydia TesioThe Premio Lydia Tesio is a Group 1 flat horse race in Italy which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Capannelle, Rome, over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event is named in honour of Lydia...
- Rakaposhi King (b. 1982), multiple stakes winner
- Supreme Leader (b. 1982), a flagship National Hunt stallion for Coolmore StudCoolmore StudCoolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
who, between 1987 and 2001, covered 3,416 mares(not including the non-Thoroughbred mares he covered) - Paean (b. 1983), won the 1987 Group 1 Ascot Gold CupAscot Gold CupThe 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....
- TerimonTerimonTerimon was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. His most successful year was 1991, when he won the International Stakes at York and was named European Champion Older Horse at the inaugural Cartier Racing Awards...
(b. 1986), won the 1991 Group 1 Juddmonte International StakesInternational StakesThe International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 88 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
Bustino was notably the damsire of a number of successful horses including Nashwan
Nashwan
Nashwan was a thoroughbred racehorse bred and owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.The chestnut colt was sired by the 1977 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Blushing Groom out of Height of Fashion, a daughter of Bustino previously owned by Queen Elizabeth II. He was a thus half-brother to the Group...
and Vintage Crop
Vintage Crop
Vintage Crop was a popular Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in flat racing in Ireland, England, and Australia from 1992 to 1995. He won 16 races in Ireland and England, and one of his greatest achievements was winning over two miles and two furlongs in the 1992 Cesarewitch Handicap at...
. In 1989, he was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland
Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland
The list below shows the leading sire of broodmares in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1899. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire.-----References:*...
in 1989.