My Love (horse)

My Love
Sire	Vatellor
Grandsire	Vatout
Dam	For My Love
Damsire	Amfortas
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1945
Country	France
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Leon Volterra
Owner	Leon Volterra Aga Khan III
Trainer	Richard Carver
Record	8: 3-2-1
Earnings	£
Major wins
Prix Hocquart (1948) Epsom Derby (1948) Grand Prix de Paris (1948)

My Love (1945–after 1962) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1947 to 1948 he ran eight times and won three races. In the summer of 1948 he became the third French-trained horse to win the Epsom Derby and the fifth horse to win both the Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris. At the end of the season he was retired to stud but he had little success before or after being exported to Argentina in 1951.

Background

My Love was bred in France by his original owner Leon Volterra, who later sold a half share in the colt to the Aga Khan.^[1] The colt was trained at Chantilly by Richard “Dick” Carver an Englishman whose family had been based in France for many years. Carver had never been to Epsom before My Love ran in the 1948 Derby.^[2]

My Love’s sire, Vatellor was a high class racehorse who won eight races in France including the race now called the Prix Jean Prat. He later became a successful stallion being Champion sire in France in 1956^[3] and getting such notable performers as Pearl Diver, Nikellora (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe) and Vattel (Grand Prix de Paris). My Love’s dam, For My Love was bred by Volterra and won two small races, but produced no other horses of importance.

Racing career

1947: two-year-old season

My Love provided little evidence of potential as a two-year-old in 1948. He ran twice without winning, although he was beaten only a head on his debut.^[2]

1948: three-year-old season

In the spring of 1948, My Love ran in the major French middle-distance trial races (Poules des Produits). In April he finished second to Flush Royal in the Prix Noailles over 2200m at Longchamp and then finished third to Rigolo and Flush Royal in the Prix Greffulhe. At this point in the season, My Love was not considered a serious Derby contender and was available at odds of 100/1.^[4] On his next start on May 9 he was moved up in distance for the Prix Hocquart over 2400m and showed improved form, winning in "brilliant" style from Turmoil and Flush Royal.^[5] Shortly after the race the Aga Khan, reportedly acting on the advice of My Love’s Australian jockey Rae Johnstone,^[6] bought a half share in the colt for £15,000.

At Epsom My Love started at 100/9 (approximately 11/1) in a field of thirty-two runners, the largest since 1862.^[7] The 2000 Guineas winner My Babu started favourite at 7/2,^[8] in front of a crowd estimated at up to 1,000,000 which included the King and the Prime Minister. My Love was held up at the back of the field by Rae Johnstone^[6] in the early stages as Tory II made the running. Turning into the straight the French-trained Royal Drake overtook the leader and went clear. Johnstone switched My Love to the outside and the colt produced what was described as a "brilliant burst of speed"^[9] to catch Royal Drake well inside the final furlong and win by one and a half lengths with Noor four lengths further back in third. The second and third placed horses were owned by Volterra and the Aga Khan respectively.^[10]

At the end of June My Love returned to Longchamp for the Grand Prix de Paris, at that time the most valuable race in France ($16,800), for which he was made 2/1 favourite. As at Epsom, he was held up at the rear of the field in the early running before making a "terrific run" in the straight.^[11] He became the first horse since Spearmint in 1906 to complete the Derby-Grand Prix double, beating Flush Royal by a length with the Prix du Jockey Club winner Bey in third. In September attempted to complete a unique treble by adding the St Leger at Doncaster. He was strongly fancied in the build-up to the race, with Noor and the improving American-bred Black Tarquin being seen as his most serious rivals.^[9] My Love started favourite for a race which, with a prize of £15,368, was the most valuable ever run in Britain^[12] but finished unplaced behind Black Tarquin and Alycidon. My Love was then retired to stud.

Assessment

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated My Love an “average” Derby winner.^[13]

Stud career

My Love was based in France for his first three seasons at stud, but the foals he sired in Europe made little impact. He was sold to the Argentinian government in 1951,^[14] exported and auctioned in Buenos Aries where he fetched a sum of £46,250.^[2] The date of My Love’s death is not recorded, but his last foals would appear to have been conceived in either 1962 or 1963.^[15]

Pedigree

Pedigree of My Love (FR), bay stallion, 1945^[16]
Sire Vatellor (FR) 1933	Vatout 1926	Prince Chimay	Chaucer
		Prince Chimay	Gallorette
		Vashti	Sans Souci
		Vashti	Vaya
	Lady Elinor 1919	Teddy*	Ajax
		Teddy*	Rondeau
		Madame Royale	Tarquin
		Madame Royale	Royal Abbess
Dam For My Love (FR) 1936	Amfortas 1927	Ksar (horse)	Bruleur
		Ksar (horse)	Kizil Kourgan
		Persephone	Teddy*
		Persephone	Persistent
	Najmi 1921	Grand Parade	Orby
		Grand Parade	Grand Geraldine
		Chivalry	Amadis
		Chivalry	Far Nell (Family: 7-b)

My Love was inbred 3x4 to Teddy. This means that the stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.

References

↑ "H H Aga Khan III". Horseracinghistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
1 2 3 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
↑ "Leading Sires of France". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "Unknown French horse cops Derby". Leader-Post. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "Newspaper Article". Trove.nla.gov.au. 1948-05-11. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
1 2 William McHale (1957-07-22). "Jockey Willy Rae Johnstone, an international sporting - 07.22.57 - SI Vault". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions(Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
↑ "My Love wins English Derby". The Day. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
1 2 "Chance for treble for My Love". Indian Express. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "French-bred colt wins Epsom Derby". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "My Love wins stretch race". Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ "Black Tarquin wins St Leger". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
↑ "Better stayer". Evening Times. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
↑ http://www.pedigreequery.com/progeny/my+love
↑ "English Derby Winner: My Love". Chef-de-race.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.

External links

Newsreel of 1948 Derby from British Pathe

Epsom Derby winners

1780 Diomed 1781 Young Eclipse 1782 Assassin 1783 Saltram 1784 Serjeant 1785 Aimwell 1786 Noble 1787 Sir Peter Teazle 1788 Sir Thomas 1789 Skyscraper 1790 Rhadamanthus 1791 Eager 1792 John Bull 1793 Waxy 1794 Daedalus 1795 Spread Eagle 1796 Didelot 1797 colt by Fidget 1798 Sir Harry 1799 Archduke 1800 Champion 1801 Eleanor ♥ 1802 Tyrant 1803 Ditto 1804 Hannibal 1805 Cardinal Beaufort 1806 Paris 1807 Election 1808 Pan 1809 Pope 1810 Whalebone 1811 Phantom 1812 Octavius 1813 Smolensko 1814 Blucher 1815 Whisker 1816 Prince Leopold 1817 Azor 1818 Sam 1819 Tiresias 1820 Sailor 1821 Gustavus 1822 Moses 1823 Emilius 1824 Cedric 1825 Middleton 1826 Lap-dog 1827 Mameluke 1828 Cadland 1829 Frederick 1830 Priam 1831 Spaniel 1832 St. Giles 1833 Dangerous 1834 Plenipotentiary 1835 Mundig 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Phosphorus 1838 Amato 1839 Bloomsbury 1840 Little Wonder 1841 Coronation 1842 Attila 1843 Cotherstone 1844 Orlando 1845 The Merry Monarch 1846 Pyrrhus The First 1847 Cossack 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Teddington 1852 Daniel O'Rourke 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Andover 1855 Wild Dayrell 1856 Ellington 1857 Blink Bonny ♥ 1858 Beadsman 1859 Musjid 1860 Thormanby 1861 Kettledrum 1862 Caractacus 1863 Macaroni 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Hermit 1868 Blue Gown 1869 Pretender 1870 Kingcraft 1871 Favonius 1872 Cremorne 1873 Doncaster 1874 George Frederick 1875 Galopin 1876 Kisber 1877 Silvio 1878 Sefton 1879 Sir Bevys 1880 Bend Or 1881 Iroquois 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 St. Blaise 1884 St. Gatien Harvester 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Merry Hampton 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Donovan 1890 Sainfoin 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Sir Hugo 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Jeddah 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Volodyovski 1902 Ard Patrick 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Cicero 1906 Spearmint 1907 Orby 1908 Signorinetta ♥ 1909 Minoru 1910 Lemberg 1911 Sunstar 1912 Tagalie ♥ 1913 Aboyeur 1914 Durbar 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Fifinella ♥ 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Grand Parade 1920 Spion Kop 1921 Humorist 1922 Captain Cuttle 1923 Papyrus 1924 Sansovino 1925 Manna 1926 Coronach 1927 Call Boy 1928 Felstead 1929 Trigo 1930 Blenheim 1931 Cameronian 1932 April the Fifth 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Mahmoud 1937 Mid-day Sun 1938 Bois Roussel 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Pont l'Eveque 1941 Owen Tudor 1942 Watling Street 1943 Straight Deal 1944 Ocean Swell 1945 Dante 1946 Airborne 1947 Pearl Diver 1948 My Love 1949 Nimbus 1950 Galcador 1951 Arctic Prince 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Phil Drake 1956 Lavandin 1957 Crepello 1958 Hard Ridden 1959 Parthia 1960 St. Paddy 1961 Psidium 1962 Larkspur 1963 Relko 1964 Santa Claus 1965 Sea Bird 1966 Charlottown 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Blakeney 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Roberto 1973 Morston 1974 Snow Knight 1975 Grundy 1976 Empery 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Shirley Heights 1979 Troy 1980 Henbit 1981 Shergar 1982 Golden Fleece 1983 Teenoso 1984 Secreto 1985 Slip Anchor 1986 Shahrastani 1987 Reference Point 1988 Kahyasi 1989 Nashwan 1990 Quest for Fame 1991 Generous 1992 Dr Devious 1993 Commander in Chief 1994 Erhaab 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Shaamit 1997 Benny the Dip 1998 High-Rise 1999 Oath 2000 Sinndar 2001 Galileo 2002 High Chaparral 2003 Kris Kin 2004 North Light 2005 Motivator 2006 Sir Percy 2007 Authorized 2008 New Approach 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Workforce 2011 Pour Moi 2012 Camelot 2013 Ruler of the World 2014 Australia 2015 Golden Horn

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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