Big Game (horse)

Big Game
Big Game and Gordon Richards
Sire	Bahram
Grandsire	Blandford
Dam	Myrobella
Damsire	Tetratema
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1939
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Bay
Breeder	National Stud
Owner	King George VI
Trainer	Fred Darling
Record	9:8-0-0
Major wins
Coventry Stakes (1941) Champagne Stakes (1941) 2000 Guineas (1942) Champion Stakes (1942)

Big Game (1939–1963) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1941 to October 1942, the colt, who was owned by King George VI, ran nine times and won eight races. He was the best British two-year-old colt of his generation in 1941 when he was unbeaten in five starts. Two further wins the following spring including the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket took his unbeaten run to seven, but he suffered his first defeat when odds-on favourite for the wartime "New Derby". He won his only other race in the Champion Stakes before being retired to stud. Big Game's royal connections and racecourse success made him one of the most popular horses of his time.

Background

Big Game was a powerfully built dark bay horse standing 16.1 hands high,^[1] bred by the British National Stud and leased for his racing career to King George VI. He was sired by the unbeaten Triple Crown winner Bahram, out of Myrobella, an exceptionally fast filly who was rated the best British two-year-old of either sex in 1932.^[2] Myrobella was a member of the same thoroughbred family which produced the Epsom Derby winners Sansovino and Snow Knight.^[3] Big Game was sent into training with Fred Darling at Beckhampton in Wiltshire.^[4]

Big Game's entire career took place during World War II during which horse racing in Britain was subject to many restrictions. Several major racecourses, including Epsom, Ascot and Doncaster, were closed for the duration of the conflict, either for safety reasons, or because they were being used by the military. Many important races were rescheduled to new dates and venues, often at short notice, and all five of the Classics were run at Newmarket.^[1]

Racing career

1941: two-year-old season

Big Game made his first public appearance in the five furlong Hurstbourne Stakes at his local course at Salisbury in April. He started favourite in a field of twenty runners and won easily, ridden by the Champion Jockey Gordon Richards. Richards sustained a badly broken leg when he was kicked by a horse at Salisbury in May, and Big Game was partnered his other races that year by Harry Wragg, a jockey whose tactical skill and timing led to his being nicknamed "The Head Waiter".^[5] The colt ran twice more over the same course and distance, recording easy wins in the Cranbourne Stakes and the Salisbury Plate. On his next appearance, he contested the Coventry Stakes, a race traditionally run at Royal Ascot, but rescheduled to Newmarket, where a crowd of around 15,000^[6] saw him win by five lengths from the future Derby winner Watling Street. On his final start he moved up to six furlongs for the first time as he ran in the Champagne Stakes, which took place that year at Newbury instead of at its usual Doncaster venue. He defeated Watling Street again, but the margin on this occasion was only a short head, leading some to speculate that Big Game was a horse with stamina limitations who would struggle in the following year's Classics.^[7]

In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the season's best British two-year-olds, he was the highest-rated colt on a mark of 132 pounds, placing him second overall behind his stable companion, the filly Sun Chariot (133).^[8]

1942: three-year-old season

On his three-year-old debut, Big Game was tried over seven furlongs in a race at Salisbury and won impressively in a course record time. He was then moved up to one mile for the 2000 Guineas which was run that year on Newmarket's July course rather than the adjoining Rowley Mile. Travel restrictions, which meant that spectators had to walk several miles to reach the course, did not prevent a large attendance. Ridden by Richards, Big Game was made 8/11 favourite against thirteen opponents. He raced just behind the leaders before taking the lead from Ujiji two furlongs from the finish and going clear in the closing stages to win easily by four lengths from Watling Street and Gold Nib.^[9] The first "Royal" win in the race since Minoru in 1909 was reportedly received with "such cheering as had not before been heard in the venerable history of Newmarket" despite the fact that the King himself was not present.^[10]

A month later, he returned to the July Course for the "New Derby", a wartime substitute for the Epsom Derby. Despite the doubts about his ability to cope with the mile and a half distance, he started at odds of 4/6, making him the shortest-priced "Derby" favourite since Gainsborough won at odds of 8/13 in 1918. The King and Queen, accompanied by Princess Elizabeth attended the race for the first time since the outbreak of the war, and anticipation of a royal victory was high. Any chance Big Game had of lasting the distance quickly evaporated as he became anxious and distressed in the preliminaries and then fought the attempts of Richards to restrain him, refusing to settle in the early stages of the race.^[11] He was beaten a long way from home and finished sixth of the thirteen runners behind Watling Street. The crowd was reportedly "stunned" by the outcome and greeted the winner in near silence.^[12]

Big Game was given another chance to prove himself over middle distances in autumn when he ran in the ten furlong Champion Stakes, run a month earlier than usual on 11 September. He took the lead half a mile from the finish and won decisively from the filly Afterthought and the colt Ujiji who had finished ahead of him when taking third place in the Derby.^[13] He was then retired from racing to begin his stud career at the Aislabie Stud at an initial fee of £250.^[14]

Assessment

In their book A Century of Champions, Tony Morris and John Randall rated Big Game the fortieth best British racehorse of the 20th Century and the hundredth best in their global ranking.^[15]

Stud career

Big Game was based at the National Stud and proved to be a successful sire of winners, but not an outstanding one. His most important winners were the Classic-winning fillies Ambiguity (Epsom Oaks) and Queenpot (1000 Guineas) while the best of his colts was probably the unbeaten Combat. He was the damsire of Hethersett (St Leger) and Arctic Explorer (Eclipse Stakes) and was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1961 and 1962.^[16] His son Khorassan was a successful stallion in New Zealand where he sired Tulloch. In the summer of 1963 he was euthanized after being diagnosed as suffering from kidney failure.^[17]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Big Game (GB), bay stallion, 1939
Sire Bahram (GB) 1932	Blandford 1919	Swynford	John o'Gaunt
		Swynford	Canterbury Pilgrim
		Blanche	White Eagle*
		Blanche	Black Cherry
	Friar's Daughter 1921	Friar Marcus	Cicero
		Friar Marcus	Prim Nun
		Garron Lass	Roseland
		Garron Lass	Concertina
Dam Myrobella (GB) 1930	Tetratema 1917	The Tetrarch	Roi Herode
		The Tetrarch	Vahren
		Scotch Gift	Symington
		Scotch Gift	Maund
	Dolabella 1911	White Eagle*	Gallinule
		White Eagle*	Merry Gal
		Gondolette	Loved One
		Gondolette	Dongola (Family:6-e)^[3]

Big Game was inbred 3x4 to White Eagle, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and the fourth generations of his pedigree.

References

1 2 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions(Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
1 2 "Fenella - Family 6-e". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Frederick Darling". Horseracing History Online. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Harry Wragg". Horseracing History Online. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Ascot Opens Minus Frills". Leader-Post. 2 July 1941. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "KING'S HORSES. Outstanding Derby Chance". Western Mail (Perth). 26 March 1942. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
↑ "ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 12 Mar 1942. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
↑ "Br. King wins 2,000 Guineas race". Indian Express. 13 May 1942. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "The King's Horse First in Classic". Montreal Gazette. 13 May 1942. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ Amanda Murray (2006). "All the King's Horses". Robson Books. p. 234. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
↑ "THE DERBY. WATLING STREET WINS". The West Australian (Perth). 15 Jun 1942. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
↑ "Big Game Partially Redeems Derby Flop". Calgary Herald. 11 September 1942. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
↑ "King's Horses Have Finished Racing". The Advertiser (Adelaide). 30 Sep 1942. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-90157015-0.
↑ "Leading Broodmare Sires of Great Britain and Ireland". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Big Game to be Put Down". Glasgow Herald. 4 July 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-12.

2000 Guineas winners

1809 Wizard 1810 Hephestion 1811 Trophonius 1812 Cwrw 1813 Smolensko 1814 Olive 1815 Tigris 1816 Nectar 1817 Manfred 1818 Interpreter 1819 Antar 1820 Pindarrie 1821 Reginald 1822 Pastille ♥ 1823 Nicolo 1824 Schahriar 1825 Enamel 1826 Dervise 1827 Turcoman 1828 Cadland 1829 Patron 1830 Augustus 1831 Riddlesworth 1832 Archibald 1833 Clearwell 1834 Glencoe 1835 Ibrahim 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Achmet 1838 Grey Momus 1839 The Corsair 1840 Crucifix ♥ 1841 Ralph 1842 Meteor 1843 Cotherstone 1844 The Ugly Buck 1845 Idas 1846 Sir Tatton Sykes 1847 Conyngham 1848 Flatcatcher 1849 Nunnykirk 1850 Pitsford 1851 Hernandez 1852 Stockwell 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 The Hermit 1855 Lord of the Isles 1856 Fazzoletto 1857 Vedette 1858 Fitz-Roland 1859 The Promised Land 1860 The Wizard 1861 Diophantus 1862 The Marquis 1863 Macaroni 1864 General Peel 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Vauban 1868 Formosa ♥ Moslem 1869 Pretender 1870 Macgregor 1871 Bothwell 1872 Prince Charlie 1873 Gang Forward 1874 Atlantic 1875 Camballo 1876 Petrarch 1877 Chamant 1878 Pilgrimage ♥ 1879 Charibert 1880 Petronel 1881 Peregrine 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 Galliard 1884 Scot Free 1885 Paradox 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Enterprise 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Enthusiast 1890 Surefoot 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Bona Vista 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Kirkconnel 1896 St. Frusquin 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Disraeli 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Handicapper 1902 Sceptre 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Vedas 1906 Gorgos 1907 Slieve Gallion 1908 Norman 1909 Minoru 1910 Neil Gow 1911 Sunstar 1912 Sweeper 1913 Louvois 1914 Kennymore 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Clarissimus 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 The Panther 1920 Tetratema 1921 Craig an Eran 1922 St Louis 1923 Ellangowan 1924 Diophon 1925 Manna 1926 Colorado 1927 Adam's Apple 1928 Flamingo 1929 Mr Jinks 1930 Diolite 1931 Cameronian 1932 Orwell 1933 Rodosto 1934 Colombo 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Pay Up 1937 Le Ksar 1938 Pasch 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Djebel 1941 Lambert Simnel 1942 Big Game 1943 Kingsway 1944 Garden Path ♥ 1945 Court Martial 1946 Happy Knight 1947 Tudor Minstrel 1948 My Babu 1949 Nimbus 1950 Palestine 1951 Ki Ming 1952 Thunderhead 1953 Nearula 1954 Darius 1955 Our Babu 1956 Gilles de Retz 1957 Crepello 1958 Pall Mall 1959 Taboun 1960 Martial 1961 Rockavon 1962 Privy Councillor 1963 Only for Life 1964 Baldric 1965 Niksar 1966 Kashmir 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Right Tack 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Brigadier Gerard 1972 High Top 1973 Mon Fils 1974 Nonoalco 1975 Bolkonski 1976 Wollow 1977 Nebbiolo 1978 Roland Gardens 1979 Tap On Wood 1980 Known Fact 1981 To-Agori-Mou 1982 Zino 1983 Lomond 1984 El Gran Senor 1985 Shadeed 1986 Dancing Brave 1987 Don't Forget Me 1988 Doyoun 1989 Nashwan 1990 Tirol 1991 Mystiko 1992 Rodrigo de Triano 1993 Zafonic 1994 Mister Baileys 1995 Pennekamp 1996 Mark of Esteem 1997 Entrepreneur 1998 King of Kings 1999 Island Sands 2000 King's Best 2001 Golan 2002 Rock of Gibraltar 2003 Refuse to Bend 2004 Haafhd 2005 Footstepsinthesand 2006 George Washington 2007 Cockney Rebel 2008 Henrythenavigator 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Makfi 2011 Frankel 2012 Camelot 2013 Dawn Approach 2014 Night of Thunder 2015 Gleneagles

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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