Reverence (horse)
Encyclopedia
Reverence is a British champion Thoroughbred
racehorse. He is a specialist sprinter who was especially effective over five furlong
s (1000m), recording all but one of his wins over the distance. Most unusually for a modern thoroughbred racehorse Reverence did not appear on a racecourse until he was four years old. In a career that has lasted from May 2005 until August 2011 he has run forty two times and won ten races. In 2006 he won two Group One
races- the Nunthorpe Stakes
at York
and the Sprint Cup
at Haydock
- and was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. Reverence is still in training.
with a narrow white stripe
, was bred by his owners, the husband-and-wife team of Gary and Lesley Middlebrook at their Wood Farm Stud near Lake Windermere in Cumbria
. Reverence was sired by Mark of Esteem
an “outstanding” miler who won the 2000 Guineas and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
in 1996. He went on to become a successful stallion, siring the Classic winners Sir Percy
(Epsom Derby
) and Ameerat (1000 Guineas). Reverence’s dam, Imperial Bailiwick was a successful sprinter, winning the Flying Childers Stakes
in 1993. In addition to Reverence, she has produced the Chesham Stakes
winner Helm Bank.
Reverence was twice sent to the sales before he raced. As a yearling he was sent to the Tattersalls
sale in October 2002, where he was “bought in” for 97,000gns
. He was sent into training with Mark Johnston but sustained a pelvic fracture and was unable to race as a two-year-old. At three he joined the Newmaket stable of William Haggas, but a recurrence of his pelvic injury again prevented him from running. In October 2004 he was sent back to Tattersalls as an unraced three-year-old colt, but was withdrawn from the sale after failing to attract a buyer. The Middlebrooks decided to send him to the small yard of Eric Alston at Longton, Lancashire
as they believed that his flat training gallops would ease the horse's recovery. Alston, a former dairy farmer later recalled that his first impression of Reverence was of "a lovely horse... he had a lovely big eye and a great attitude."
in May, where he ran second as a 50/1 outsider. Two months later at Ripon
he recorded his first win, recovering after being hampered in the early stages to win a minor five-furlong race "readily" from twelve opponents. Two weeks later he finished unplaced when favourite for a six furlong handicap at Newmarket
.
For the remainder of the season, Reverence was kept to five furlongs and was unbeaten in three starts in six weeks, winning handicap races at Doncaster
, Pontefract
and Doncaster again by increasing margins. Although none of these races was particularly important, Reverence showed rapid improvement, with his official handicap rating rising from 73 to 95.
class for the first time and finished third in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March. In being beaten less than a length over six furlongs Reverence's performance was rather better than it first appeared: the winner Les Arcs went on to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes
and the July Cup
that summer. Reverence reappeared in April to beat the veteran Bahamian Pirate in a minor stakes race on soft ground at Nottingham
.
At Newmarket in May Reverence ran in his first Group Race
and showed promise in finishing fourth of twenty-two runners behind Dandy Man in the Palace House Stakes
. At the end of the month Reverence produced his best performance to date in the Group Two Temple Stakes
at Sandown. Kevin Darley had the gelding up with the pace from the start and moved him into the lead at half way. Reverence went clear approaching the final furlong
and ran on well on the soft ground to win by one and a quarter lengths from The Trader, with Les Arcs unplaced. The performance established Reverence as one of the country's leading sprinters. His next two runs, both on firm ground, were disappointing, as he finished unplaced behind Takeover Target
in the King's Stand Stakes
at Royal Ascot and fifth of the eight runners behind Pivotal Point in the Sprint Stakes.
His next race was the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August. With the ground now in his favour, he was strongly fancied starting 5/1 third favourite in a field of fourteen. Reverence, who "adored the ground" took the lead from the start and opened up a clear lead approaching the last furlong. Although he hung to the left in the closing stages he was never seriously challenged and won by two lengths from Amadeus Wolf. The Middlebrooks praised Alston after the win for the "time and TLC" he had given to the gelding. Alston himself praised the horse saying, "he can really quicken up, but I was amazed to see him do it like that... he's a different horse on this ground."
"Torrential rain" meant that the ground had turned even softer two weeks later, when Reverence attempted to win over six furlongs for the first time in the Betfred-sponsored Sprint Cup at his local course, Haydock Park. He raced prominently in the early stages, before Darley drove him into the lead a furlong out. He was strongly challenged in the closing stages but held on to win by a neck from Quito with Amadeus Wolf third. The Lancashire crowd gave the local horse an enthusiastic reception and Alston, winning the biggest race of his twenty-five year career, was delighted, saying "The Nunthorpe was fantastic, but this is even better."
Reverence then attempted to win a third successive Group One win as he was sent to Longchamp for the Prix de l'Abbaye
. He was always prominent but although he finished strongly he was unable to catch the front-running outsider Desert Lord and finished second, beaten a neck.
Although he returned for a full campaign in 2008, he was never able to recapture his best form, managing to win one minor stakes race at Haydock from twelve starts. He became a difficult horse to place, being no longer fast enough to compete with the best horses in weight-for-age races, but too highly-rated to be competitive in most handicaps. In this respect, his later career resembled those of two other Northern-trained Champion sprinters Continent
and Somnus
He still retained some ability however, and in 2009, at the age of eight, he recorded a final Group Race win in the Flying Five
at The Curragh
. He disputed the lead from the start with Judge 'n Jury before pulling ahead in the closing stages and running on "gamely" to win by a length.
On his 2010 debut, he came close to adding another important win when he returned to The Curragh for the Group Three Sapphire Stakes
. Starting a 33/1 outsider he put in a strong finish and failed by half a length to catch the filly Glamorous Spirit. The run suggested that he still had "plenty to offer". Alston indicated that he would persevere with the gelding saying that "as long as he's enjoying it and running well at this level, we'll keep going with him." He was unplaced in his two remaining starts that year however, and failed to win in two more race in 2011.
he was rated on 117, making him the third best sprinter to have raced in Europe that year, behind the Australian-trained Takeover Target (120) and Les Arcs (118).
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. He is a specialist sprinter who was especially effective over five 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....
s (1000m), recording all but one of his wins over the distance. Most unusually for a modern thoroughbred racehorse Reverence did not appear on a racecourse until he was four years old. In a career that has lasted from May 2005 until August 2011 he has run forty two times and won ten races. In 2006 he won two Group One
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...
races- the Nunthorpe Stakes
Nunthorpe Stakes
The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
at York
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
and the Sprint Cup
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....
at Haydock
Haydock Park Racecourse
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Haydock, Merseyside, England. The track is a mostly flat left-handed oval of around 1 mile 5 furlongs with a very slight rise on the run-in. There are courses for flat racing and National Hunt racing...
- and was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. Reverence is still in training.
Background
Reverence, a chestnut geldingGelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
with a narrow white stripe
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...
, was bred by his owners, the husband-and-wife team of Gary and Lesley Middlebrook at their Wood Farm Stud near Lake Windermere in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. Reverence was sired by 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:...
an “outstanding” miler who won the 2000 Guineas and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
The Queen Elizabeth II 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 it is now scheduled to take place each year in October. As of 2011, it is run on Champions Day as the final race...
in 1996. He went on to become a successful stallion, siring the Classic winners Sir Percy
Sir Percy
Sir Percy is a race horse foaled on January 27, 2003, winner of the 2006 Epsom Derby.-Breeding and pedigree:Sir Percy was bred by Harry Ormesher at the Old Suffolk Stud in Hundon, Suffolk. His sire Mark of Esteem won the 1996 2,000 Guineas, his dam Percy's Lass won the Group 3 September Stakes in...
(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...
) and Ameerat (1000 Guineas). Reverence’s dam, Imperial Bailiwick was a successful sprinter, winning the Flying Childers Stakes
Flying Childers Stakes
The Flying Childers Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
in 1993. In addition to Reverence, she has produced the Chesham Stakes
Chesham Stakes
The Chesham Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
winner Helm Bank.
Reverence was twice sent to the sales before he raced. As a yearling he was sent to the Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
sale in October 2002, where he was “bought in” for 97,000gns
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...
. He was sent into training with Mark Johnston but sustained a pelvic fracture and was unable to race as a two-year-old. At three he joined the Newmaket stable of William Haggas, but a recurrence of his pelvic injury again prevented him from running. In October 2004 he was sent back to Tattersalls as an unraced three-year-old colt, but was withdrawn from the sale after failing to attract a buyer. The Middlebrooks decided to send him to the small yard of Eric Alston at Longton, Lancashire
Longton, Lancashire
-External links:**...
as they believed that his flat training gallops would ease the horse's recovery. Alston, a former dairy farmer later recalled that his first impression of Reverence was of "a lovely horse... he had a lovely big eye and a great attitude."
2005: four-year-old season
Reverence made his belated debut in a maiden race at ThirskThirsk Racecourse
Thirsk Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England. The course is a left handed oval of about 1m2f with a 3f finishing straight and a 6f chute...
in May, where he ran second as a 50/1 outsider. Two months later at Ripon
Ripon Racecourse
Ripon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. It has been used for horse racing for more than 300 years and is nicknamed the Garden Racecourse. The course is a right-handed oval of approximately 1m5f with a 5f finishing straight and a 6f chute...
he recorded his first win, recovering after being hampered in the early stages to win a minor five-furlong race "readily" from twelve opponents. Two weeks later he finished unplaced when favourite for a six furlong handicap 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...
.
For the remainder of the season, Reverence was kept to five furlongs and was unbeaten in three starts in six weeks, winning handicap races 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 :...
, Pontefract
Pontefract Racecourse
Pontefract Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England.Pontefract is one of the best appointed courses of its kind in the country. There are modern bars and refreshment areas in all enclosures....
and Doncaster again by increasing margins. Although none of these races was particularly important, Reverence showed rapid improvement, with his official handicap rating rising from 73 to 95.
2006: five-year-old season
On his five-year-old debut, Reverence was moved up to ListedConditions 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...
class for the first time and finished third in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March. In being beaten less than a length over six furlongs Reverence's performance was rather better than it first appeared: the winner Les Arcs went on to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes
Golden Jubilee Stakes
The Golden Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
and the July Cup
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
that summer. Reverence reappeared in April to beat the veteran Bahamian Pirate in a minor stakes race on soft ground at Nottingham
Nottingham Racecourse
Nottingham Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated at Colwick Park, close to the River Trent and about 3 km east of the city centre....
.
At Newmarket in May Reverence ran in his first Group Race
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...
and showed promise in finishing fourth of twenty-two runners behind Dandy Man in the Palace House Stakes
Palace House Stakes
The Palace House Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.The event is named after...
. At the end of the month Reverence produced his best performance to date in the Group Two Temple Stakes
Temple Stakes
The Temple Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
at Sandown. Kevin Darley had the gelding up with the pace from the start and moved him into the lead at half way. Reverence went clear approaching the final 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....
and ran on well on the soft ground to win by one and a quarter lengths from The Trader, with Les Arcs unplaced. The performance established Reverence as one of the country's leading sprinters. His next two runs, both on firm ground, were disappointing, as he finished unplaced behind Takeover Target
Takeover Target
Takeover Target is a much travelled Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who has won top sprinting races in each of the five major cities in Australia as well as the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore....
in the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
at Royal Ascot and fifth of the eight runners behind Pivotal Point in the Sprint Stakes.
His next race was the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August. With the ground now in his favour, he was strongly fancied starting 5/1 third favourite in a field of fourteen. Reverence, who "adored the ground" took the lead from the start and opened up a clear lead approaching the last furlong. Although he hung to the left in the closing stages he was never seriously challenged and won by two lengths from Amadeus Wolf. The Middlebrooks praised Alston after the win for the "time and TLC" he had given to the gelding. Alston himself praised the horse saying, "he can really quicken up, but I was amazed to see him do it like that... he's a different horse on this ground."
"Torrential rain" meant that the ground had turned even softer two weeks later, when Reverence attempted to win over six furlongs for the first time in the Betfred-sponsored Sprint Cup at his local course, Haydock Park. He raced prominently in the early stages, before Darley drove him into the lead a furlong out. He was strongly challenged in the closing stages but held on to win by a neck from Quito with Amadeus Wolf third. The Lancashire crowd gave the local horse an enthusiastic reception and Alston, winning the biggest race of his twenty-five year career, was delighted, saying "The Nunthorpe was fantastic, but this is even better."
Reverence then attempted to win a third successive Group One win as he was sent to Longchamp for the Prix de l'Abbaye
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...
. He was always prominent but although he finished strongly he was unable to catch the front-running outsider Desert Lord and finished second, beaten a neck.
2007-2011: later career
Reverence had little chance to build on his achievements in 2007, as training problems restricted him to just three unplaced runs. He broke a blood vessel in the Nunthorpe Stakes which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.Although he returned for a full campaign in 2008, he was never able to recapture his best form, managing to win one minor stakes race at Haydock from twelve starts. He became a difficult horse to place, being no longer fast enough to compete with the best horses in weight-for-age races, but too highly-rated to be competitive in most handicaps. In this respect, his later career resembled those of two other Northern-trained Champion sprinters Continent
Continent (horse)
Continent is a retired British champion Thoroughbred racehorse. A gelding who specialised in sprint distances, he improved from handicap class to become European Champion Sprinter in 2002. In his championship season he ran thirteen times and won two Group One races; the July Cup at Newmarket and...
and Somnus
Somnus (horse)
Somnus is a retired British champion Thoroughbred racehorse. One of the best European two-year-olds in 2002, he developed into a leading the following year when he won the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup...
He still retained some ability however, and in 2009, at the age of eight, he recorded a final Group Race win in the Flying Five
Flying Five
The Flying Five is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late August or early September.The event was formerly held at Phoenix Park, and...
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 :...
. He disputed the lead from the start with Judge 'n Jury before pulling ahead in the closing stages and running on "gamely" to win by a length.
On his 2010 debut, he came close to adding another important win when he returned to The Curragh for the Group Three Sapphire Stakes
Sapphire Stakes
Sapphire Stakes may refer to:*Sapphire Stakes , a horse race held at Randwick Racecourse in Australia.*Sapphire Stakes , a horse race held at the Curragh Racecourse in Ireland....
. Starting a 33/1 outsider he put in a strong finish and failed by half a length to catch the filly Glamorous Spirit. The run suggested that he still had "plenty to offer". Alston indicated that he would persevere with the gelding saying that "as long as he's enjoying it and running well at this level, we'll keep going with him." He was unplaced in his two remaining starts that year however, and failed to win in two more race in 2011.
Assessment
At the Cartier Racing Awards in November 2006, Reverence was named European Champion Sprinter. In the 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse RankingsWorld Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities , an organization established in 2003 with headquarters in Paris, France made up of members from around the world....
he was rated on 117, making him the third best sprinter to have raced in Europe that year, behind the Australian-trained Takeover Target (120) and Les Arcs (118).
Pedigree
- Reverence is 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...
4x4 to Northern DancerNorthern DancerNorthern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
and Vaguely NobleVaguely NobleVaguely Noble was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and France. The colt is best known as the winner of the 1968 Group one Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he defeated the best horses from England, France, Ireland and Italy...
. This means that each of these stallions appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.