Pedigree Handicapping

PEDIGREE HANDICAPPING

AUGUST 5, 2006

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond

by Tim Holland

After the thrilling victory by the outstanding HURRICANE RUN (Montjeu [Ire])

in last Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. (Eng-G1), some

were tempted to compare the occasion to the 1975 running won by Grundy, which

many considered to be the "Race of the Century."

This year's renewal was indeed a truly international affair, headed by the

French-trained, 2005 European Horse of the Year Hurricane Run, whose record

boasted seven wins from nine lifetime starts, including a victory in the Prix de

l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) last fall.

Second choice in the betting was Japan's champion older horse of 2005,

Heart's Cry (Sunday Silence), who had won his last two starts, including the

Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1), since being narrowly beaten in the very

competitive Japan Cup (Jpn-G1).

The public's third pick was Electrocutionist (Red Ransom), winner of last

year's Juddmonte International (Eng-G1) at York and the highweighted older horse

in Italy. After an impressive win in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in March, the

five-year-old was not seen again until Royal Ascot where he ran a tremendous

race to be second to Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]) in the Prince of

Wales's S. (Eng-G1).

Saturday's field of six, the smallest since Nijinsky II beat the previous

year's Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) winner Blakeney in 1970, was completed by three

outsiders, including Cherry Mix (Linamix), who was entered as a rabbit, or

"pacemaker" as they are referred to in Europe, for Electrocutionist. The Grade 1

winner and earner of more than $880,000 has to be one of the most accomplished

horses to ever act in this role.

Despite the short field, the race was certainly not lacking in incident or

excitement. Cherry Mix performed his task well, setting a decent early pace from

Hurricane Run. As they turned for home both Electrocutionist and Heart's Cry took

closer order on the outside of the favorite. Frankie Dettori aboard Electrocutionist

was determined to allow Hurricane Run as little room as possible and when the

latter was put under pressure by his rider, Christophe Soumillon, this ploy

worked. Indeed, Hurricane Run, who for nearly a furlong did not seem to be

responding to Soumillon's urging, then had nowhere to run. However, the champion

was not to be denied and, once Cherry Mix faded and he found a clear path,

Hurricane Run drove up the rail to gain what seemed an unlikely victory. He was

timed in 2:30.29 for the 12-furlong trip.

The fact that comparisons were made between this race and Grundy and

Bustino's epic battle gives one cause to review that race more than 30 years

ago. The strong favorite at 4-5 was the Epsom Derby and Irish Derby (Ire-G1)

winner Grundy, who had been named champion two-year-old in England the previous

season. After suffering a setback in the late winter, Grundy was beaten in his

first two starts of 1975, including a narrow defeat to Bolkonski in the Two

Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) -- a race that was also memorable for striking stable

lads picketing Newmarket Racecourse and forming a human wall across the straight

mile course. However, the strikers quickly dispersed when the starter dispatched

the large field of runners in their direction.

Grundy was at his very best by Epsom Derby Day, which he proved with an

impressive victory over the French filly Nobiliary, and three weeks later,

duplicated his classic victory at the Curragh with a facile win in the Irish

Derby. Trained at Lambourne by the colorful Peter Walwyn, Grundy was partnered

by the Irishman Pat Eddery, who had been champion jockey the year before and

would be 10 more times.

Grundy's number one rival in Ascot's "Midsummer Jewel" was the year older

Bustino, who had been the English champion three-year-old the year before. A

late developing son of stamina influence Busted, Bustino had lost his chance as

favorite for the 1974 Epsom Derby when he was badly hampered before Tattenham

Corner. However, he made amends when easily winning the final English classic,

the St. Leger S. (Eng-G1), over 14 furlongs at Doncaster. Due to his owner's

insistence that he should only be entered in Group 1 races, Bustino had just one

race in the season prior to Ascot which had resulted in a win in the Coronation

Cup (Eng-G1) at the Epsom Derby meeting.

Bustino was trained by Major Dick Hern, who had three years previously pulled

off a fine training feat when winning the King George with Brigadier Gerard over

a distance much farther than the champion miler preferred. Unlike the

"Brigadier," Bustino owned plenty of stamina and it was for this reason that no

less than three pacemakers, Riboson, Highest and Kinglet, were entered in the

race to test the staying power of Grundy and the other rivals.

While Grundy and Bustino received most of the attention of the press and the

public, this was by no means a two-horse race. Indeed, the sensational mare

Dahlia, who had been named Horse of the Year in England the past two years, was

making an attempt to win this rich prize for an unprecedented third time.

However, Dahlia had endured a long season in 1974 and many felt she might be

past her best. Her summer campaign the previous year had yielded three Group 1

wins in Europe and she captured the Man o' War S. (G1), Canadian International

S. (G2) and finished third in the Washington D.C. International H. (G1), a race

she had won the year before. Moreover, and as a testament to Dahlia's greatness,

all this was achieved before transatlantic travel was as commonplace for horses

as it is today.

Another filly in the 11-horse field who had to be given a chance was the

four-year-old Dibidale, who had been desperately unlucky not have won the

previous year's Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) when her saddled slipped completely under

her. For the last three furlongs, jockey Willie Carson was forced to ride her

bareback and she still finished third, only to be disqualified for losing some

lead weights. There were no mishaps in Dibidale's next start, the Irish Guinness

Oaks (Ire-G1) when she gained redemption over Polygamy, who had "beaten" her at

Epsom, and this was followed by a win in the Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-G1). At the end

of 1974,  Dibidale was named champion three-year-old filly in England, and

she recorded third-place finishes in the Jockey Club S. (Eng-G3) and Hardwicke

S. (G2) in her first two starts the following season, suggesting a return to her

best could be imminent.

Others that deserved consideration included the improving Libra's Rib, who

was a full brother to two Irish Derby winners, the recent Eclipse S. (Eng-G1)

winner *Star Appeal, and three colts from France, Ashmore, On My Way and Card

King, who had all been Group 1-placed earlier in the year.

The well laid plans of the Bustino camp were somewhat disturbed when the

superior of the three intended pacemakers, the good stayer Riboson who had

recently won the Yorkshire Cup (Eng-G3), was found to be lame and had to be

withdrawn. With little alternative, Hern stuck to his plan and Highest made the

running for four furlongs or so. Then Kinglet took over setting a fast pace

until he came to the end of his tether before the straight which forced Bustino,

ridden by the very popular Joe Mercer, to take the lead with three furlongs

still to run at which point Grundy moved into second, ready to make his

challenge. However, Bustino still had something left and it took every ounce of

Grundy's energy to wear him down in the final half-furlong to win by a

half-length, stopping the clock in 2:26.98, which was an amazing 2 1/2 seconds

faster than the previous course record. To further the point as to how fast this

race was run, Dahlia, who finished five lengths back in third, also bettered the

course record.

After the race, while most people agreed that Bustino's two pacemakers did as

good a job as possible, many felt that Riboson could have held the lead well

into the stretch had he been in the field. This would have saved Bustino from

being in front for so long, which possibly cost him the race.

Sadly, but maybe not surprisingly considering how much effort they gave, this

hard race took its toll on the first two finishers. While Grundy did come back

to race in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup (Eng-G1) within a month, a move by Walwyn which was to be inevitably second guessed by many, he finished a very

tired fourth and was subsequently retired. Meanwhile, Bustino was found to be

lame in training soon after his Ascot race and did not run again.

The form of this race, however, was confirmed by several of the other

contestants. Indeed, Dahlia and Card King finished first and second,

respectively, in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup (Eng-G1) in their next start

while Star Appeal, who would be named Horse of the Year in Germany and champion

older horse in France, and On My Way filled the first two places, respectively,

in that fall's prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1).

Upon their retirements, both Grundy and Star Appeal were sent to stand at the

National Stud in Newmarket. Grundy proved a little disappointing in his second

career, although he did produce 14 black-type winners, including Bireme, who won

the Epsom Oaks, and the Ascot Gold Cup (Eng-G1) winner Little Wolf. Slightly

surprisingly, Star Appeal did better, siring 26 stakes winners, the best of

which was Madam Gay (GB), who won the French equivalent of the Oaks, the Prix

Diane de Revlon (Fr-G1).

Bustino was a success at stud siring 37 black-type winners, and it is perhaps

through his daughter Height of Fashion (Fr), who was champion two-year-old filly

of 1982, that his influence is most lasting. Bred by Her Majesty The Queen,

Height of Fashion produced the 1989 Epsom Derby winner Nashwan as well as

successful sires Unfuwain and Mukddaam and the champion three-year-old of 2001,

Nayef. Incidentally, Height of Fashion is out of Highclere (GB), who herself won

the One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and finished second to Dahlia in the 1974 King

George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1).

However, it is Dahlia, who ended her racing career with nine Group/Grade 1

victories to her name, that has the most impressive record from this field as a

producer -- a happening that is somewhat unusual for a racemare of her caliber.

Indeed, from Dahlia's 13 foals, no less than four, Dahar, Rivlia, Delegant and

Dahlia's Dreamer, won Grade 1 races while Llandaff and Wajd were Grade 2 and 3

winners, respectively.

To summarize the depth of quality of the 1975 King George VI and Queen

Elizabeth S., it should be noted that of the nine contenders, no less than six

-- Grundy, Bustino, Dahlia, Ashmore, Dibidale and Star Appeal were all champions

who, by the end of their careers, won 21 Group/Grade 1 races between them. In

comparison, the runners in the 2006 renewal have, so far, won just nine

Group/Grade 1 events. However, while one might conclude that the 1975 edition

was superior on talent, it would be awfully hard choice to decide which race was

the most exciting.