What is Black Type?

In horse racing circles, the term ‘black type’ is used to describe the way in which the name of a horse, or the names of horses in its family, is printed in a thoroughbred auction catalogue. An auction catalogue page is essentially an advertisement for a horse offered for sale, but space on the page is limited. Thus, to accentuate the positive aspects of the pedigree, any horse that has won a Listed or Pattern race has its name printed in uppercase, bold-faced letters. By the same token, any horse that has been placed in a Listed or Pattern race has its name printed in upper- and lowercase, bold-faced letters. Thus, potential buyers can see, at a glance, the accomplishments of a horse and its immediate family.

The term ‘black type’ has also slipped into horse racing parlance in the adjectival sense, such that offspring might be described, say, as out of black-type dams or siblings to black-type horses. Again, this simply means that the horses in question won a Listed or Pattern race or were, at least, placed in such a race. Note that black type does not, in itself, differentiate between Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races; further descriptors are required to indicate the level, or quality, of the race in question.

 

How many times did Richard Dunwoody win the Grand National?

Forced into retirement in December, 1999, after aggravating a neck injury, Richard Dunwoody won the Grand National twice. On his first attempt in the Grand National, in 1985, Dunwoody led over Becher’s Brook on joint-favourite West Tip, only for his mount to crumple on landing and fall. Nevertheless, the partnership made amends in 1986, with West Tip tackling the leader Young Driver halfway up the run-in, as Dunwoody glanced across at his toiling rival, and staying on well to win by two lengths. Indeed, West Tip proved a grand servant to connections, finishing fourth in the Grand National in 1987 and 1988 and second in 1989, all under Dunwoody.

Dunwoody subsequently succeeded Peter Scudamore as stable jockey to Martin Pipe and won the first of three consecutive jockeys’ titles in 1992/93. The following season, he won the Grand National again on Miinnehoma, trained by Pipe and owned by Liverpudlian comedian Freddie Starr. In an attritional renewal, run on heavy going, Miinnehoma was one of just six finishers, but could be called the winner some way from home, racing upsides the eventual second, Just So, from the third-last fence before cruising into the lead on the run-in to win by 1¼ lengths.

How many times has Sir Michael Stoute won the Derby?

At the time of writing, veteran trainer Sir Michael Stoute, 75, has won the Derby five times, twice before his knighthood – interestingly, awarded for services not to horse racing, but to tourism in his native Barbados, in 1998 – and three times thereafter. His most famous Derby winner was undoubtedly Shergar, who won, eased down, by 10 lengths in 1981. Shergar was owned by Prince Shāh Karim al-Husayni, a.k.a. Aga Khan IV, and ridden by the late Walter Swinburn, as was Stoute’s next Derby winner, Shahrastani, in 1986. Rather unfairly, the 1986 Derby is remembered more for the controversial defeat of the hot favourite, Dancing Brave, than the victory of Shahrastani.

In any event, Stoute had to wait a while for his next Derby winner but, in the style of ‘London buses’, two came along together, in the form of Kris Kin in 2003 and North Light in 2004. Both winners were ridden by Kieren Fallon. Last, but by no means least, in 2010, Stoute enjoyed another wide-margin, ‘Royal’ Derby winner, courtesy of Workforce, owned by the late Khalid Abdullah. Ridden by Ryan Moore, Workforce was soon clear and in command, winning by 7 lengths in a time of 2 minutes 31.33 seconds, which still stands as a course record.

Which two Grand National fences are named after horses?

Of course, the five ‘named’ Grand National fences are, in the order in which they are jumped, ‘Becher’s Brook’, ‘Foinavon’, ‘The Canal Turn’, ‘Valentine’s Brook’ and ‘The Chair’. Of that famous quintet, the two that are named after horses are Valentine’s Brook and Foinavon.

Originally known as the Second Brook, Valentine’s Brook is a 5′ high fence, with a 5’6″ wide ditch on the landing side. It is jumped as the ninth and twenty-fifth fence in the Grand National and takes its name from Valentine, a horse who performed an extraordinary feat of aerial acrobatics at the obstacle in 1840. Ridden by Irish amateur Alan Power, Valentine tried to refuse, but somehow managed to clear the fence, reputedly landing hind legs first.

Ironically, Foinavon, which is jumped as the seventh and twenty-third fence during the Grand National, is one of the smallest fences on the National Course, at just 4’6″ high. Nevertheless, the fence was the scene of a famous pile-up in 1967, when the riderless Popham Down ran along the take-off side, bringing most of the field to a standstill. Foinavon, ridden by John Buckingham, emerged from the melee with a clear lead, which he maintained to the line for famous victory at 100/1. In 1984, the fence was officially renamed in his honour.

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