Orby (horse)
Encyclopedia
Orby was an Anglo-Irish Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from 1906 to 1907 he ran seven times and won four races. In 1907 he became the first Irish-trained horse, and the third owned by an American, to win the Epsom Derby
. In the same year, he became the first horse to complete the Epsom Derby-Irish Derby double, but his racing career was ended by training problems after one more race. He went on to become a successful stallion.
was bred by his owner, the American politician Richard "Boss" Croker
and raised at his Glencairn Stud. Although sometimes referred to as "Irish-bred", Orby was actually born in England and brought back with his mother to Ireland when still a foal. Croker was a controversial figure who based his racing and breeding operations in Ireland after being refused permission by the Jockey Club
to set up in Newmarket. He was briefly in training with Henry “Atty” Persse, and then with Jim Parkinson at Maddenstown, County Kildare
before being sent to Fred McCabe at his Glencairn Lodge Stables at Sandyford
, near Dublin.
Orby’s sire, Orme, was an outstanding racehorse whose victories included the Eclipse Stakes
(twice), and the Champion Stakes
. At stud he was the champion sire in 1899, the year in which his best son Flying Fox won the Triple Crown. Orby’s dam the American-bred Rhoda B., also produced the 1000 Guineas winner Rhodora (horse).
on hard ground, returning to the paddock with his feet bleeding, and third again in a race at the Curragh
.
. He then returned to Ireland in May for the Baldoyle Plate over a mile and a half at Baldoyle
Racecourse, north of Dublin. He started at odds of 8/18 against a "useful field" Orby was an easy and impressive winner and he became regarded as a serious Derby prospect.
Croker backed the colt heavily and spent 2,500 guineas
to buy a good winner called Hayden to act as Orby's lead horse in training. When sending the colt to England, Croker arranged for him to be accompanied by a bodyguard consisting of seventeen "stout Irishmen" to ensure his security.
starting the 8/13 favourite on rain-softened ground. The crowd was reported to be unusually sober and formal; the spectators for this "silk-hatted Derby" including the King and the Prince of Wales
. Ridden by the American John Reiff, Danny Maher having reportedly turned down the ride, Orby was settled in fifth or sixth place in the early stages as first John Bull and then Slieve Gallion led the field. Reiff moved Orby into the third place just after half way and took the lead when Slieve Gallion ran wide entering the straight. Orby opened up a clear lead and stayed on to win "cleverly" by two lengths from Wool Winder with Slieve Gallion finishing third. Although many were of the view that Sleive Gallion had failed to stay, his trainer, Sam Darling offered no excuses and said that he had been "beaten by a better horse." Wool Winder made up a great deal of ground in the straight and was felt by some to have been an unlucky loser. Croker, who reportedly landed bets of £40,000 on the race gave his winning prize money to charity.
Shortly after Orby's win, Croker challenged the owner of Sleve Gallion to a match race between the colts for "a substantial sum" over any distance. The challenge was not accepted. Orby bypassed a possible run at Royal Ascot and instead became the first Epsom Derby winner to also win the Irish Derby at the Curragh, justifying his position as 1/10 favourite.
. A veterinary examination was undertaken, and his owner was advised that the colt needed to be rested. Croker however, insisted on having Orby prepared for the St Leger
, a race in which he was scheduled to have a much-anticipated rematch with Wool Winder.
Shortly before the St Leger, Orby broke down badly in training, sustaining injuries which forced his withdrawal. One contemporary report suggests that the colt was also suffering from "kidney trouble." At the end of the season it was said to be "improbable" that Orby would return to racing and although there were hopes of a return in the early part of 1908, he was retired to stud.
Orby earned £6,717 in win prize money in 1907, placing him seventh in the British list of highest earners behind Lally (a four-year-old), Wool Winder, Sancy (four), Lesbia (two), Slieve Gallion and White Eagle (two).
(Derby) and Diadem (1000 Guineas) and being regarded as a good source of speed. He sired the winners of at least seventy races and £30,000 in prize money. Orby died at Sandyford on 6 April 1918.
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 racing career which lasted from 1906 to 1907 he ran seven times and won four races. In 1907 he became the first Irish-trained horse, and the third owned by an American, 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 the same year, he became the first horse to complete the Epsom Derby-Irish Derby double, but his racing career was ended by training problems after one more race. He went on to become a successful stallion.
Background
Orby, a rangy, well-made chestnut horse with a narrow white blazeHorse 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...
was bred by his owner, the American politician Richard "Boss" Croker
Richard Croker
Richard Croker, Sr. was an American politician, a leader of New York City's Tammany Hall.-Biography:...
and raised at his Glencairn Stud. Although sometimes referred to as "Irish-bred", Orby was actually born in England and brought back with his mother to Ireland when still a foal. Croker was a controversial figure who based his racing and breeding operations in Ireland after being refused permission by the Jockey Club
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...
to set up in Newmarket. He was briefly in training with Henry “Atty” Persse, and then with Jim Parkinson at Maddenstown, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
before being sent to Fred McCabe at his Glencairn Lodge Stables at Sandyford
Sandyford
Sandyford is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. A major part of Sandyford today is composed of the Sandyford Industrial Estate and related developments.- Location and access :...
, near Dublin.
Orby’s sire, Orme, was an outstanding racehorse whose victories included 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...
(twice), and 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...
. At stud he was the champion sire in 1899, the year in which his best son Flying Fox won the Triple Crown. Orby’s dam the American-bred Rhoda B., also produced the 1000 Guineas winner Rhodora (horse).
1906: two-year-old season
Orby was a backward (immature) two-year-old with fragile hooves and his trainer at the time, Jim Parkinson only raced him at the insistence of the colt’s owner “Boss” Croker. The colt finished third at LeopardstownLeopardstown Racecourse
Leopardstown Racecourse is an Irish horse-racing venue. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Located in Leopardstown, County Dublin, 8km south of the Dublin city centre. The course was built by Captain George Quin and modeled on Sandown Park Racecourse...
on hard ground, returning to the paddock with his feet bleeding, and third again in a race 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 :...
.
Spring
Orby was trained at three by Fred McCabe. Early in the season he was mentioned as a potential Derby contender, being offered at odds of around 20/1 although he had not been entered in the 2000 Guineas. On his debut he was sent to England and won the Earl of Sefton Plate at LiverpoolAintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
. He then returned to Ireland in May for the Baldoyle Plate over a mile and a half at Baldoyle
Baldoyle
Baldoyle is a small coastal area on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is in the part of the historic County Dublin now administered as Fingal.-Location and Access:...
Racecourse, north of Dublin. He started at odds of 8/18 against a "useful field" Orby was an easy and impressive winner and he became regarded as a serious Derby prospect.
Croker backed the colt heavily and spent 2,500 guineas
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...
to buy a good winner called Hayden to act as Orby's lead horse in training. When sending the colt to England, Croker arranged for him to be accompanied by a bodyguard consisting of seventeen "stout Irishmen" to ensure his security.
Summer
On a "cold, wet, windy and miserable" day at Epsom, Orby started at odds of 100/9 (approximately 11/1) in a field of nine, with the 2000 Guineas winner Slieve GallionSlieve Gallion
Slieve Gallion is a mountain in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. By road, it is from Moneymore, from Cookstown, and from Magherafelt. It is the eastern limit of the Sperrin Mountains range...
starting the 8/13 favourite on rain-softened ground. The crowd was reported to be unusually sober and formal; the spectators for this "silk-hatted Derby" including the King and the Prince of Wales
George V
George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
. Ridden by the American John Reiff, Danny Maher having reportedly turned down the ride, Orby was settled in fifth or sixth place in the early stages as first John Bull and then Slieve Gallion led the field. Reiff moved Orby into the third place just after half way and took the lead when Slieve Gallion ran wide entering the straight. Orby opened up a clear lead and stayed on to win "cleverly" by two lengths from Wool Winder with Slieve Gallion finishing third. Although many were of the view that Sleive Gallion had failed to stay, his trainer, Sam Darling offered no excuses and said that he had been "beaten by a better horse." Wool Winder made up a great deal of ground in the straight and was felt by some to have been an unlucky loser. Croker, who reportedly landed bets of £40,000 on the race gave his winning prize money to charity.
Shortly after Orby's win, Croker challenged the owner of Sleve Gallion to a match race between the colts for "a substantial sum" over any distance. The challenge was not accepted. Orby bypassed a possible run at Royal Ascot and instead became the first Epsom Derby winner to also win the Irish Derby at the Curragh, justifying his position as 1/10 favourite.
Autumn
Before his next race, stories began to circulate that Orby was a "whistler", suggesting that he was developing respiratory problems ("touched in the wind"). Orby was back in England before the end of July and started 4/7 favourite for the Atlantic Stakes at Liverpool. He finished last of the four runners behind Linacre, a colt who had finished third to Slieve Gallion in the 2000 Guineas and to whom Orby was conceding eighteen poundsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. A veterinary examination was undertaken, and his owner was advised that the colt needed to be rested. Croker however, insisted on having Orby prepared for the 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...
, a race in which he was scheduled to have a much-anticipated rematch with Wool Winder.
Shortly before the St Leger, Orby broke down badly in training, sustaining injuries which forced his withdrawal. One contemporary report suggests that the colt was also suffering from "kidney trouble." At the end of the season it was said to be "improbable" that Orby would return to racing and although there were hopes of a return in the early part of 1908, he was retired to stud.
Assessment
In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Orby on 133, making him an “average” Derby winner but the best Irish-trained horse of the first half of the 20th Century. Despite Orby's lack of success at two, Jim Parkinson, who trained him in 1906 was reported to have regarded him as "by far and away the best he had ever tried or ever known."Orby earned £6,717 in win prize money in 1907, placing him seventh in the British list of highest earners behind Lally (a four-year-old), Wool Winder, Sancy (four), Lesbia (two), Slieve Gallion and White Eagle (two).
Stud career
Orby stood as a stallion at his owner's Glencairn Stud. He proved to be reasonably successful, siring the Classic winners Grand ParadeGrand Parade (horse)
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...
(Derby) and Diadem (1000 Guineas) and being regarded as a good source of speed. He sired the winners of at least seventy races and £30,000 in prize money. Orby died at Sandyford on 6 April 1918.