Coronach (horse)
Encyclopedia
Coronach was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. He was a champion two-year-old who went on to complete a then unique treble by winning the Epsom Derby
, the Eclipse Stakes
and the St Leger as a three-year-old in 1926, a year in which he also won the St. James's Palace Stakes
. He won the Coronation Cup
at four, but was beaten in his two remaining starts by his long-standing rival Colorado
high with a white blaze
, white socks on his hind feet and a light-coloured mane and tail, was bred by his owner Lord Woolavington
. He was sired by the unbeaten champion, Hurry On
, making him a representative of the Godolphin Arabian
sire line. Apart from Coronach, Hurry On sired the winners of seven Classics including the Derby winners Captain Cuttle
and Call Boy. His most influential son was the Ascot Gold Cup
winner Preciptation, who sired four classic winners. Coronach was the fifth foal of the mare Wet Kiss who finished fourth in the 1916 Oaks
.
He was trained throughout his career by Fred Darling at Beckhampton. His regular jockey was Joe Childs, whose preferred style of holding up horses for a late run was at odds with Coronach’s front running style: after the Derby he was reported to have said that “the bastard ran away with me!”
. He then won the Rous Memorial Stakes at Goodwood
in "effortless" style, leading the Sporting Life
to describe him as "one of the best two-year-olds in England". Coronach completed his hat-trick in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster
, leading from the start and beating Lex by four lengths without being seriously challenged. Coronach was coughing after his Doncaster win but appeared to have made a full recovery by October. On his final start he was beaten a neck by Lex in the Middle Park Stakes
at Newmarket
. He had legitimate excuses however, as the contest was run at a "muddling pace" and he came back from the race a sick horse, with a high temperature. Despite his defeat he was rated the equal best two-year-old (with Legatee) in the Free Handicap on a mark of 126lbs
.
He was never in danger of defeat in his remaining starts at three. At Royal Ascot won the St James’s Palace Stakes by twenty lengths from Lex.
He then won Europe's most valuable flat race, the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July, beating Comedy King by six lengths. According to the Glasgow Herald "nothing could ever get near him" and Childs spent the closing stages looking round for non-existent dangers. In the St Leger at Doncaster
, Coronach started at odds of 8/15 against eleven rivals. He started slowly, losing four lengths, but soon made up the lost ground and was in a clear lead (estimated at six lengths) by the time the field entered the straight. Childs did not have to put the colt under any pressure as he won by two lengths from Caissot in a record time 3:01.6. The win took Coronach's earnings for the year to over £40,000 and confirmed his status as "the best three-year-old this season."
was reported to have said "It is no secret that Coronach is not sound in his wind." He began the year by leading all the way to beat Embargo and Foxlaw in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June. His winning time of 2:34.0 was exceptionally fast by Epsom standards. He then won the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot by twelve lengths.
In a much anticipated rematch with Colorado in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket Coronach made the running but was overtaken by his rival a furlong from the finish. He was eased in the closing stages and was beaten eight lengths. In his last race he finished third to Colorado in the Eclipse Stakes, beaten seven lengths.
His defeats led to opinions regarding his merit being revised: from being a potential "horse of the century" he was now seen as simply "a good horse."
, West Sussex
, until 1940 when he became the first Derby winner to be sent to New Zealand. He was not a great success in England but was more popular in France, where his progeny included the double Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
winner Corrida.
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...
racehorse and sire. He was a champion two-year-old who went on to complete a then unique treble by winning the 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...
, the 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...
and the St Leger as a three-year-old in 1926, a year in which he also won the St. James's Palace Stakes
St. James's Palace Stakes
The St. James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
. He won 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....
at four, but was beaten in his two remaining starts by his long-standing rival Colorado
Colorado (horse)
Colorado was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won the 2000 Guineas in 1926 and the Eclipse Stakes in 1927. He was also noted for his rivalry with the Derby winner Coronach whom he defeated on three of their four meetings.-Background:...
Background
Coronach, a big, handsome chestnut horse standing 16.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high with a white blaze
Horse 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...
, white socks on his hind feet and a light-coloured mane and tail, was bred by his owner Lord Woolavington
James Buchanan, 1st Baron Woolavington
James Buchanan, 1st Baron Woolavington, GCVO, JP , known as Sir James Buchanan, Bt, between 1920 and 1922, was a British businessman, philanthropist and racehorse owner/breeder.-Background:...
. He was sired by the unbeaten champion, Hurry On
Hurry On
Hurry On was an outstanding, undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire that revived the Matchem sire line. For a trainer who conditioned as many top winners as the Englishman Fred Darling, the observation that Hurry On was the best horse he ever trained is high praise indeed.-Breeding:He...
, making him a representative of the Godolphin Arabian
Godolphin Arabian
The Godolphin Arabian , also known as the Godolphin Barb, was an Arabian horse who was one of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock...
sire line. Apart from Coronach, Hurry On sired the winners of seven Classics including the Derby winners Captain Cuttle
Captain Cuttle
Captain Cuttle was a British Thoroughbred racehorse an sire. He ran only six times in a career which was restricted by chronic injury problems. He was the outstanding British colt of his generation, winning the Epsom Derby and the St. James's Palace Stakes in 1922...
and Call Boy. His most influential son was the Ascot 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....
winner Preciptation, who sired four classic winners. Coronach was the fifth foal of the mare Wet Kiss who finished fourth in the 1916 Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. 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 early June....
.
He was trained throughout his career by Fred Darling at Beckhampton. His regular jockey was Joe Childs, whose preferred style of holding up horses for a late run was at odds with Coronach’s front running style: after the Derby he was reported to have said that “the bastard ran away with me!”
1925: two-year-old season
Coronach made his debut in July when he won a maiden race at SalisburySalisbury Racecourse
Salisbury Racecourse is a flat racecourse in the United Kingdom featuring thoroughbred horse racing. It is located four miles from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Fifteen races a year are held here between early May and mid-October...
. He then won the Rous Memorial Stakes at Goodwood
Goodwood 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...
in "effortless" style, leading the Sporting Life
Sporting Life (newspaper)
The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of horse racing. Latterly it has continued as a multi-sports website....
to describe him as "one of the best two-year-olds in England". Coronach completed his hat-trick in the Champagne Stakes 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 :...
, leading from the start and beating Lex by four lengths without being seriously challenged. Coronach was coughing after his Doncaster win but appeared to have made a full recovery by October. On his final start he was beaten a neck by Lex in the Middle Park Stakes
Middle Park Stakes
The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was established...
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...
. He had legitimate excuses however, as the contest was run at a "muddling pace" and he came back from the race a sick horse, with a high temperature. Despite his defeat he was rated the equal best two-year-old (with Legatee) in the Free Handicap on a mark of 126lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
.
1926: three-year-old season
At three, Coronach won the Column Produce Stakes at Newmarket and started "the hottest favourite in years". for the 2000 Guineas. He started slowly and was beaten five lengths by the impressive winner Colorado. Colorado started favourite for the Derby, run in heavy rain which kept away the normally huge crowds. Over one and a half miles Coronach led all the way to reverse the Newmarket form, winning by five lengths "in a canter" from Lancegaye with Colorado third.He was never in danger of defeat in his remaining starts at three. At Royal Ascot won the St James’s Palace Stakes by twenty lengths from Lex.
He then won Europe's most valuable flat race, the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July, beating Comedy King by six lengths. According to the Glasgow Herald "nothing could ever get near him" and Childs spent the closing stages looking round for non-existent dangers. In the St Leger at Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, Coronach started at odds of 8/15 against eleven rivals. He started slowly, losing four lengths, but soon made up the lost ground and was in a clear lead (estimated at six lengths) by the time the field entered the straight. Childs did not have to put the colt under any pressure as he won by two lengths from Caissot in a record time 3:01.6. The win took Coronach's earnings for the year to over £40,000 and confirmed his status as "the best three-year-old this season."
1927: four-year-old season
Although he remained a top class performer at four, Coronach suffered increasingly from respiratory problems which eventually forced his retirement: George LambtonGeorge Lambton
George Lambton was a British thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He was British flat racing Champion Trainer in the 1906, 1911 and 1912 seasons....
was reported to have said "It is no secret that Coronach is not sound in his wind." He began the year by leading all the way to beat Embargo and Foxlaw in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June. His winning time of 2:34.0 was exceptionally fast by Epsom standards. He then won the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot by twelve lengths.
In a much anticipated rematch with Colorado in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket Coronach made the running but was overtaken by his rival a furlong from the finish. He was eased in the closing stages and was beaten eight lengths. In his last race he finished third to Colorado in the Eclipse Stakes, beaten seven lengths.
His defeats led to opinions regarding his merit being revised: from being a potential "horse of the century" he was now seen as simply "a good horse."
Assessment
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Coronach the forty-second best British horse of the 20th Century and the best Derby winner of the 1920s.Stud career
Coronach was retired to stand as a stallion at LavingtonEast Lavington
East Lavington is a village and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located six kilometres south of Petworth, west of the A285 road....
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, until 1940 when he became the first Derby winner to be sent to New Zealand. He was not a great success in England but was more popular in France, where his progeny included the double Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
winner Corrida.