Grand Parade (horse)
Encyclopedia
Grand Parade was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1918 to June 1919, he ran eight times, winning seven races and was never beaten at level weights. He was a leading two-year-old in Ireland in 1918, winning the Anglesey Stakes
and the National Produce Stakes
. In 1919 he won both his races and became the first black
horse for 106 years to win the Epsom Derby
.
at his Glencairn Stud. He was sold as a foal to the shipping magnate Lord Glanely
for a sum of 470 gns
. The colt was trained during his three-year-old season by Lord Glanely’s private trainer Frank Barling at the Falmouth House stables at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Grand Parade’s sire, Orby, was owned and bred by Croker and had become the first Irish-trained horse to win the Epsom Derby
in 1907. He went on to be a reasonably successful stallion, siring, apart from Grand Parade, the 1000 Guineas winner and leading sprinter Diadem. The female side of Grand Parade’s pedigree was undistinguished: his dam Grand Geraldine was a former cart-horse that raced only one time as a two-year-old. She produced several full-siblings to Grand Parade (Howard O'Carroll, Oakland and Ybro) that met with limited racing success.
in April. He was then off the course for three months before returming to Newmarket to win the Soltykoff Stakes at the July meeting. He was trained for these races by Etienne G. de Mestre, the son of the notable Australian trainer Etienne L. de Mestre
. Grand Parade’s season then took an unusual turn as he was relocated to Ireland where his training was supervised by a trainer named Behan. Grand Parade was unbeaten in three Irish starts, all at the Curragh
, winning the Biennial Stakes, the Anglesey Stakes
and the National Produce Stakes
. In the autumn he was returned to England and joined Frank Barling's stable. Despite a rough sea journey from which he was given no time to recover, Grand Parade was sent straight to Newmarket for the Moulton Stakes. He finished third to Glanmerin and Knight of the Air, attempting to give fifteen pounds
to the winner and five to the runner-up, with his jockey, Steve Donoghue
, being criticised for giving the colt a poor ride.
and was strongly fancied for the Derby. Grand Parade however, was in good form and earned his place in the Derby field in a private race against a four-year-old called “He”. Grand Parade conceded three pounds to the older horse (a high-class performer who subsequently won the Coronation Cup
) and won comfortably. News of his impressive work became public and he became a strong Derby fancy, with odds of 100/12 (just over 8/1) being offered. Shortly before the Derby however, Grand Parade suffered an injury to a heel which interrupted his training and put his participation in doubt, causing his odds to drift out to 33/1. Glanely and Barling’s stable jockey, Arthur Smith, elected to ride Dominon at Epsom, leaving Grand Parade to be partnered by Fred Templeman.
The Derby of the 1919 was the first to be run at Epsom since the First World War. The turf course, having been used by the military for almost four years, was in very poor condition, and was made "treacherous" by rain on the morning of the race. The event attracted a record crowd, including the King who was attending his first race meeting since the end of the war. Grand Parade, making his public debut for the season, started a 33/1 outsider in a field of thirteen, with the 2000 Guineas winner The Panther starting 6/5 favourite. The Panther probably lost his chance at the start, when he became highly agitated, delaying the start by several minutes. Once the race was underway, Templeman had Grand Parade in a prominent position from the start and turned into the straight in second place behind Paper Money Half way down the straight, Grand Parade overtook Paper Money and stayed on strongly in an "exciting" finish to hold off the challenge of Buchan by half a length, with Paper Money third. The tactics of Buchan's jockey were questionable, as he switched his mount to the inside at a crucial stage, but Grand Parade's win appeared to be decisive. Indeed, according to "Robin Goodfellow" in the Daily Mail
, Grand Parade's only problem came when he attempted to jump over a road which crossed the course.
Grand Parade reappeared in mid-June at Royal Ascot when he was brought back in distance to one mile for the St. James's Palace Stakes
in which he was matched against Glanmerin, the horse who had beaten him in his only defeat. On what proved to be his final racecourse appearance Grand Parade reversed the form to win by three quarters of a length, although on this occasion it was Glanmerin who appeared to have been given a poor ride.
(Derby
) and Ambiguity (Oaks
). Grand Parade died at Newmarket in May 1932.
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. In a career that lasted from April 1918 to June 1919, he ran eight times, winning seven races and was never beaten at level weights. He was a leading two-year-old in Ireland in 1918, winning the Anglesey Stakes
Anglesey Stakes
The Anglesey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs and 63 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
and the National Produce Stakes
National Stakes
The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
. In 1919 he won both his races and became the first black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
horse for 106 years to win 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...
.
Background
Grand Parade (foaled 1916) was bred in Ireland by the American politician Richard CrokerRichard Croker
Richard Croker, Sr. was an American politician, a leader of New York City's Tammany Hall.-Biography:...
at his Glencairn Stud. He was sold as a foal to the shipping magnate Lord Glanely
William Tatem, 1st Baron Glanely
William James Tatem, 1st Baron Glanely , known as Sir William Tatem, Bt, between 1916 and 1918, was a Cardiff ship-owner and thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder.-Career:...
for a sum of 470 gns
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. The colt was trained during his three-year-old season by Lord Glanely’s private trainer Frank Barling at the Falmouth House stables at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Grand Parade’s sire, Orby, was owned and bred by Croker and had become the first Irish-trained horse to win 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...
in 1907. He went on to be a reasonably successful stallion, siring, apart from Grand Parade, the 1000 Guineas winner and leading sprinter Diadem. The female side of Grand Parade’s pedigree was undistinguished: his dam Grand Geraldine was a former cart-horse that raced only one time as a two-year-old. She produced several full-siblings to Grand Parade (Howard O'Carroll, Oakland and Ybro) that met with limited racing success.
1918: two-year-old season
Grand Parade won five of his six races as a two-year-old, beginning with the Fitzwilliam Stakes at NewmarketNewmarket 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 April. He was then off the course for three months before returming to Newmarket to win the Soltykoff Stakes at the July meeting. He was trained for these races by Etienne G. de Mestre, the son of the notable Australian trainer Etienne L. de Mestre
Etienne L. de Mestre
Etienne de Mestre , a 19th century trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses, was Australia's first outstanding racehorse trainer. In his 30 year career he experienced all the highs and the lows of the turf in a career which ended with him dependent on donations from racing friends.With the five wins de...
. Grand Parade’s season then took an unusual turn as he was relocated to Ireland where his training was supervised by a trainer named Behan. Grand Parade was unbeaten in three Irish starts, all at the Curragh
Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...
, winning the Biennial Stakes, the Anglesey Stakes
Anglesey Stakes
The Anglesey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs and 63 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
and the National Produce Stakes
National Stakes
The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
. In the autumn he was returned to England and joined Frank Barling's stable. Despite a rough sea journey from which he was given no time to recover, Grand Parade was sent straight to Newmarket for the Moulton Stakes. He finished third to Glanmerin and Knight of the Air, attempting to give fifteen pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to the winner and five to the runner-up, with his jockey, Steve Donoghue
Steve Donoghue
Steve Donoghue was a leading English flat-race jockey in the 1910s and 1920s. He was Champion Jockey 10 times between 1914 and 1923 and was one of the most celebrated horse racing sportsmen after Fred Archer, arguably only Sir Gordon Richards eclipsing him.-Background:Born in Warrington, Cheshire,...
, being criticised for giving the colt a poor ride.
1919: three-year-old season
Grand Parade did not race in public in the spring of 1919. Most attention was focused on his stable companion Dominion, who finished third in the 2000 Guineas, won the Newmarket StakesNewmarket Stakes
The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.At present, the event...
and was strongly fancied for the Derby. Grand Parade however, was in good form and earned his place in the Derby field in a private race against a four-year-old called “He”. Grand Parade conceded three pounds to the older horse (a high-class performer who subsequently 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....
) and won comfortably. News of his impressive work became public and he became a strong Derby fancy, with odds of 100/12 (just over 8/1) being offered. Shortly before the Derby however, Grand Parade suffered an injury to a heel which interrupted his training and put his participation in doubt, causing his odds to drift out to 33/1. Glanely and Barling’s stable jockey, Arthur Smith, elected to ride Dominon at Epsom, leaving Grand Parade to be partnered by Fred Templeman.
The Derby of the 1919 was the first to be run at Epsom since the First World War. The turf course, having been used by the military for almost four years, was in very poor condition, and was made "treacherous" by rain on the morning of the race. The event attracted a record crowd, including the King who was attending his first race meeting since the end of the war. Grand Parade, making his public debut for the season, started a 33/1 outsider in a field of thirteen, with the 2000 Guineas winner The Panther starting 6/5 favourite. The Panther probably lost his chance at the start, when he became highly agitated, delaying the start by several minutes. Once the race was underway, Templeman had Grand Parade in a prominent position from the start and turned into the straight in second place behind Paper Money Half way down the straight, Grand Parade overtook Paper Money and stayed on strongly in an "exciting" finish to hold off the challenge of Buchan by half a length, with Paper Money third. The tactics of Buchan's jockey were questionable, as he switched his mount to the inside at a crucial stage, but Grand Parade's win appeared to be decisive. Indeed, according to "Robin Goodfellow" in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Grand Parade's only problem came when he attempted to jump over a road which crossed the course.
Grand Parade reappeared in mid-June at Royal Ascot when he was brought back in distance to one mile for 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....
in which he was matched against Glanmerin, the horse who had beaten him in his only defeat. On what proved to be his final racecourse appearance Grand Parade reversed the form to win by three quarters of a length, although on this occasion it was Glanmerin who appeared to have been given a poor ride.
Assessment
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Grand Parade an “inferior” Derby winner.Stud career
Grand Parade retired to Lord Glanely's Exning Stud, standing at a fee of 400 gns. He sired a large number of winners but only one top-class performer, the 2000 Guineas winner Diophon, who was from his first crop of foals. Grand Parade was also the damsire of the classic winners My LoveMy Love (horse)
My Love was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1947 to 1948 he ran eight times and won three races. In the summer of 1948 he became the third French-trained horse to win the Epsom Derby and the fifth horse to win both the Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris...
(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...
) and Ambiguity (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....
). Grand Parade died at Newmarket in May 1932.
Pedigree
- Grand Parade was inbredInbreedingInbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
4x4x4 to 1875 Epsom Derby winner GalopinGalopinGalopin was a good British Thoroughbred racehorse and a prominent sire.-Pedigree:Galopin's sire, Vedette, had a very good racing career, winning the Great Yorkshire Stakes, the Doncaster Cup , and the 1857 2,000 Guineas Stakes. Vedette's value as a stallion had declined to such an extent that he...
. This means that the stallion appears three times in the fourth generation of his pedigree.