Unfuwain
Encyclopedia
Unfuwain was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred
racehorse bred and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum
. In a brief career of ten starts, lasting from 9187 to 1989, he won four Group races
and was placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
. He went on to become a successful sire.
bay horse, bred in Kentucky by his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum
. He was one of the last important winners sired by the Northern Dancer
. As a son of the mare Height of Fashion, he was a half-brother to several important winners including the Derby winner Nashwan
and the multiple Group One
winner Nayef
. He went into training with Dick Hern at West Ilsley
and was ridden in all but one of his starts by the stable jockey Willie Carson
.
at the same track a month later. His early runs established his racing style; he lacked acceleration but was able to sustain a "relentless" gallop over sustained distances.
, taking the lead in the straight and finishing "unchallenged".
As a result of these victories he was a leading fancy for the 1988 Epsom Derby
, starting as the 9-2 second favourite. He disappointed in the classic, finishing seventh behind Kahyasi. This was the only occasion, apart from his debut, on which he was beaten by horse of his own generation. It was also the only race of his career in which he was not ridden by Carson, who chose to ride Minster Son, a colt he had bred himself. The ride instead went to Steve Cauthen
.
After a brief break he returned in the Princess of Wales's Stakes
and, facing older horses, produced his best performance, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling away to win by fifteen lengths from a field which included Canadian International winner Infamy, and Breeders' Cup Classic
runner-up Ibn Bey. Coincidentally, this was the race in which his mother, Height of Fashion, had recorded her most important success when defeating Ardross
in 1982.
He was made 2-1 favourite for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot three weeks later. He ran up to his best form, taking the lead in the straight before finishing second to Mtoto
, ahead of the subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
winner Tony Bin
. In his final race of the year he finished fourth in the Arc, beaten just over a length behind Tony Bin, Mtoto and Boyatino. In both the King George and the Arc he finished well ahead of the other three-year-olds.
in April he led half a mile from home and ran on strongly to beat Per Quod by one and a half lengths in the John Porter Stakes
. Once again, he was following a family pattern, the race having been won the year before by his full brother Alwasmi.
Three weeks later in the Jockey Club Stakes
at Newmarket Unfuwain went clear a quarter mile from home and did not have to be put under pressure to record a one length win over the Derby runner-up Glacial Storm. Sheriff's Star, who went on to win both the Coronation Cup
and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
later that summer, was beaten a further six lengths in fourth.
As the season progressed, Unfuwain reportedly became difficult to train, and was retired to stud without racing again.
division.
Unfuwain was given a Timeform rating of 99p as a two-year-old, 130 as a three-year-old and 126 as a four-year-old.
in Norfolk. As a stallion, Unfuwain sired numerous top class performers. He was especially successful as an influence for stamina, and his fillies tended to be better than his colts.
His progeny include Lahan 1,000 Guineas Stakes, Petrushka
(Irish Oaks
, Yorkshire Oaks
, Prix de l'Opera
), Lailani (Irish Oaks
, Nassau Stakes
, Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap), Zahrat Dubai (Nassau Stakes
), Bolas (Irish Oaks
), Eswarah (Oaks Stakes) and Alhaarth
(Dewhurst Stakes
).
Unfuwain's most notable achievement as a sire came in the 1,000 Guineas. He was the sire of Lahan and Petrushka, who finished first and third respectively, and he was also the maternal grandsire of the runner-up, Princess Ellen.
In January 2001 he was awarded the title of Leading British-based Stallion for the previous year by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.
Unfuwain died from a neurological condition at the Nunnery Stud in January 2002. The stud's director, Richard Lancaster described him as " a most wonderful horse to deal with. He had immense courage and will be remembered with great affection."
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 bred and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates . He is the second son of the late ruler, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ....
. In a brief career of ten starts, lasting from 9187 to 1989, he won four Group races
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 was placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the 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...
. He went on to become a successful sire.
Background
Unfuwain was a strongly-built, 16.1 handHand (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...
bay horse, bred in Kentucky by his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates . He is the second son of the late ruler, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ....
. He was one of the last important winners sired by the Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern 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"....
. As a son of the mare Height of Fashion, he was a half-brother to several important winners including the Derby winner 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 the multiple 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...
winner Nayef
Nayef (horse)
Nayef is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse an active sire, bred in the United States but trained in the United Kingdom during his racing career which ran from 2000 to 2003...
. He went into training with Dick Hern at West Ilsley
West Ilsley
West Ilsley is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England.-Location and amenities:It is situated in the West Berkshire district north of the town of Newbury on the Berkshire Downs. There is also an East Ilsley approximately a mile southeast of the village.West Ilsley has a public house, The...
and was ridden in all but one of his starts by the stable jockey Willie Carson
Willie Carson
William Fisher Hunter Carson, OBE is a retired jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.-Life and career:Best known as "Miserable Willie", Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland. In 1957 he was apprenticed to Captain Gerald Armstrong at his stables at Tupgill, North Yorkshire...
.
1987: two-year-old season
Unfuwain made two starts in the late summer of 1987. On his debut, he finished second in a 27 runner maiden race at Newbury to the subsequent St Leger winner Minster Son. He confirmed the promise of this run with a win in the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions StakesHaynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes
The Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
at the same track a month later. His early runs established his racing style; he lacked acceleration but was able to sustain a "relentless" gallop over sustained distances.
1988: three-year-old season
In April 1988 Unfuwain began his three-year-old career by winning the Warren Stakes at Epsom by 15 lengths. Two weeks later he move up in class and recorded an eight length win in the Group Three Chester VaseChester Vase
The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Chester over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 66 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
, taking the lead in the straight and finishing "unchallenged".
As a result of these victories he was a leading fancy for the 1988 Epsom Derby
1988 Epsom Derby
The 1988 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday June 1, 1988. It was the 209th running of the Derby, and it was won by Kahyasi. The winner was ridden by Ray Cochrane and trained by Luca Cumani...
, starting as the 9-2 second favourite. He disappointed in the classic, finishing seventh behind Kahyasi. This was the only occasion, apart from his debut, on which he was beaten by horse of his own generation. It was also the only race of his career in which he was not ridden by Carson, who chose to ride Minster Son, a colt he had bred himself. The ride instead went to Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...
.
After a brief break he returned in the Princess of Wales's Stakes
Princess of Wales's Stakes
The Princess of Wales's Stakes is a Group 2 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 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:The event is named in...
and, facing older horses, produced his best performance, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling away to win by fifteen lengths from a field which included Canadian International winner Infamy, and Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
runner-up Ibn Bey. Coincidentally, this was the race in which his mother, Height of Fashion, had recorded her most important success when defeating Ardross
Ardross (horse)
Ardross was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was a co-holder of the record for consecutive wins in European racing. Ardross was bred by trainer Paddy Prendergast for his American owner Elisabeth Ireland Poe who was also the breeder of Meadow Court. His sire was Run the Gantlet, a son of U.S. Racing...
in 1982.
He was made 2-1 favourite for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot three weeks later. He ran up to his best form, taking the lead in the straight before finishing second to Mtoto
Mtoto
Mtoto was a racehorse foaled in 1983. He recovered so well from the foot problems which dogged his early career that when he went to stud, he did so as the winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and double winner of both the Eclipse Stakes and Prince of Wales's Stakes. He very...
, ahead of the subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
1988 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The 1988 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was a horse race which took place at Longchamp on Sunday October 2, 1988. It was the 67th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and it was won by Tony Bin...
winner Tony Bin
Tony Bin
Tony Bin was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in Europe for his Italian owner from a base in Milan and who became a leading sire in Japan.-Background:...
. In his final race of the year he finished fourth in the Arc, beaten just over a length behind Tony Bin, Mtoto and Boyatino. In both the King George and the Arc he finished well ahead of the other three-year-olds.
1989: four-year-old season
Unfuwain's four year old career consisted of just two races in the spring of 1989 for both of which he started odds-on favourite. At NewburyNewbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
in April he led half a mile from home and ran on strongly to beat Per Quod by one and a half lengths in the John Porter Stakes
John Porter Stakes
The John Porter Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 5 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April....
. Once again, he was following a family pattern, the race having been won the year before by his full brother Alwasmi.
Three weeks later in the Jockey Club Stakes
Jockey Club Stakes
The Jockey Club Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs at Newmarket, and the final part of the race is on the Rowley Mile...
at Newmarket Unfuwain went clear a quarter mile from home and did not have to be put under pressure to record a one length win over the Derby runner-up Glacial Storm. Sheriff's Star, who went on to win both 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 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...
later that summer, was beaten a further six lengths in fourth.
As the season progressed, Unfuwain reportedly became difficult to train, and was retired to stud without racing again.
Assessment
In the official International Classification, Unfuwain was the fourth highest-rated three-year-old colt in Europe in 1988 and the highest-rated colt in the 11-14 furlongFurlong
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....
division.
Unfuwain was given a Timeform rating of 99p as a two-year-old, 130 as a three-year-old and 126 as a four-year-old.
Stud career
Unfuwain was retired to his owner's Nunnery Stud at ThetfordThetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
in Norfolk. As a stallion, Unfuwain sired numerous top class performers. He was especially successful as an influence for stamina, and his fillies tended to be better than his colts.
His progeny include Lahan 1,000 Guineas Stakes, Petrushka
Petrushka (horse)
Petrushka is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in Ireland and trained in the United Kingdom during a racing career which lasted from October 1999 to June 2001. She was named European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the 2000 Cartier Racing Awards. In her championship season she won...
(Irish Oaks
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
, Yorkshire Oaks
Yorkshire Oaks
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. 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....
, Prix de l'Opera
Prix de l'Opéra
The Prix de l'Opéra is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.The event was established in 1974, and it was...
), Lailani (Irish Oaks
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
, Nassau Stakes
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 192 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:The title of...
, Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap), Zahrat Dubai (Nassau Stakes
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 192 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:The title of...
), Bolas (Irish Oaks
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
), Eswarah (Oaks Stakes) and Alhaarth
Alhaarth
Alhharth is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire, bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom and Dubai during a racing career that lasted from 1995 to 1997. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old at the 1995 Cartier Racing Awards. In his championship season he won...
(Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
).
Unfuwain's most notable achievement as a sire came in the 1,000 Guineas. He was the sire of Lahan and Petrushka, who finished first and third respectively, and he was also the maternal grandsire of the runner-up, Princess Ellen.
In January 2001 he was awarded the title of Leading British-based Stallion for the previous year by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.
Unfuwain died from a neurological condition at the Nunnery Stud in January 2002. The stud's director, Richard Lancaster described him as " a most wonderful horse to deal with. He had immense courage and will be remembered with great affection."