Bold Lad (IRE)

Bold Lad
Sire	Bold Ruler
Grandsire	Nasrullah
Dam	Barn Pride
Damsire	Democratic
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1964
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Lady Granard
Owner	Lady Granard
Trainer	Paddy Prendergast
Record	9: 5-1-1
Earnings	£24,790
Major wins
Youngsters Stakes (1966) Coventry Stakes (1966) Champagne Stakes (1966) Middle Park Stakes (1966) Tetrarch Stakes (1967)
Awards
Top-rated British Two-year-old (1966) Timeform Top-rated Two-year-old (1966)

Bold Lad (foaled 1964) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from May 1966 until June 1967 he ran nine times and won five races. Bold Lad was unbeaten in 1966 and was the highest-rated two-year-old of the season in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He failed to reproduce his best form in 1967, but went on to be a successful stallion.

Background

Bold Lad was a bay horse with a small white star standing 16 hands high.^[1] He was bred in Ireland by American-born Beatrice Mills Forbes, 8th Countess of Granard, sister of Gladys Mills Phipps and Ogden L. Mills who owned his sire, Bold Ruler, an eight-time Leading sire in North America. Bold Lad's dam, Barn Pride, was a descendant of the mare Edvina, a member of family 2-e and the ancestor of the 2000 Guineas winner Martial.^[2] The colt was sent into training with Paddy Prendergast at his stables near the Curragh in Ireland.

In 1962 Bold Ruler had sired another Champion Two-Year-Old Colt named Bold Lad who raced in the United States for owner/breeders Gladys Mills Phipps and Ogden L. Mills.

Racing career

1966:two-year-old season

Bold Lad began his career by winning the Youngsters Stakes in Ireland and was then sent to Royal Ascot to contest the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in which he defeated a field which included Royal Palace.^[3] He won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster defeating the previously unbeaten Ribocco, after which Prendergast described him as the best two-year-old he had ever trained, including Windy City.^[4] In September he won the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the season's best juveniles, he was rated three pounds clear of runner-up Royal Palace giving him Champion honors in Ireland and England.^[5]

1967:three-year-old season

Bold Lad began his three-year-old campaign with a win in the Tetrarch Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland. Sent to England, he was the 100/30 joint-favorite with Royal Palace going in to the Classic 2,000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. He finished unplaced behind Royal Palace and Taj Dewan, having been denied a clear run in the closing stages.^[6] Bold Lad then started favourite for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury but was beaten three-quarters of a length by the Irish-trained four-year-old Bluerullah.^[7] In the last race of his career, ran third to Reform in Ascot's St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.^[6]

Assessment

Bold Lad was given a Timeform rating of 133 as a two-year-old in 1966.^[5] In the same year he finished third in the voting for British Horse of the Year behind the three-year-olds Charlottown and Sodium.

Stud career

Retired to stud at a fee of 400 guineas, Bold Lad made a "spectacular"^[8] start to his breeding career, siring the 1000 Guineas winner Waterloo in his first crop of foals. He also sired the leading sprinters Boldboy and Never So Bold, the Richmond Stakes winner Persian Bold (sire of Kooyonga) and Ballad Rock, the sire of Chief Singer.^[9]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Bold Lad (IRE)^[10]

Sire Bold Ruler	Nasrullah	Nearco	Pharos
			Nogara
		Mumtaz Begum	Blenheim
			Mumtaz Mahal
	Miss Disco	Discovery	Display
			Ariadne
		Out Done	Pompey
			Sweep Out
Dam Barn Pride	Democratic	Denturius	Gold Bridge
			La Solfatara
		Light Fantasy	Signal Light
			Last Act
	Fair Alycia	Alycidon	Donatello
			Aurora
		Fair Edwine	Fair Trial
			Edvina (Family 2-e[2])

References

1. Hugh McMahon. "Bold Lad". Sporthorse-data.com. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
2. "Chateau Margaux Mare - Family 2-e". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
3. [ Displaying Abstract ] (2012-06-10). "A NEW BOLD LAD SCORES AT ASCOT". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
4. "Bold Lad to maintain unbeaten record". Glasgow Herald. 29 September 1966. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
5. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions(Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
6. Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
7. "Down The Years.". Thefreelibrary.com. 2005-06-03. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
8. "Mill Reef, now it's up to his sons and daughters". The Age. 21 November 1972. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
9. "Bold Lad Offspring". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
10. Hugh McMahon. "The Sport Horse Show and Breed Database". Sporthorse-data.com. Retrieved 2012-06-14.