Only for Life

Only for Life
Sire	Chanteur
Grandsire	Chateau Bouscaut
Dam	Life Sentence
Damsire	Court Martial
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1960
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Hanstead Stud
Owner	Monica Sheriffe
Trainer	Jeremy Tree
Record	10:3-3-1
Major wins
2000 Guineas (1963) King Edward VII Stakes (1963)

Only for Life (1960–1985) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from September 1962 to summer 1964 he ran ten times and won three races. A horse who was particularly effective on soft ground, Only for Life recorded his most significant victory when he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1963 as a 33/1 outsider. His other major win came in June that year in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was retired to stud in 1964 and was later exported to Japan where he died in 1985.

Background

Only for Life, originally named Dartmoor Ditty,^[1] was a bay horse bred in Hertfordshire, England by the Hanstead Stud. He was sired by the Coronation Cup winner Chanteur out of the mare Life Sentence, a useful sprinter who won races at Newmarket and Manchester. As a yearling he was sent to the sales where he was bought for 1,600 guineas by the trainer Jeremy Tree on behalf of Monica Sheriffe. Tree, who trained at Beckhampton in Wiltshire^[2] was reportedly motivated by having briefly owned Life Sentence and winning the Goodwood Cup with her half-brother Double Bore.^[3]

Racing career

1962: two-year-old season

Only for Life was slow to mature and did not appear until September. On his debut he was not strongly fancied but won the Clarence House Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot. He then finished unplaced in the Houghton Stakes at Newmarket in September.^[1]

1963: three-year-old season

Only for Life's first appearance as a three-year-old gave little sign that he had Classic potential as he finished a well-beaten third on heavy ground in the Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury in April. The ground was soft again at Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas two weeks later, and Only for Life started at odds of 33/1 (almost 100/1 with The Tote^[4]) in a field of twenty-one runners, with Crocket being made the 5/2 favourite. Ridden by Jimmy Lindley, Only for Life took the lead two furlongs from the finish but was overtaken by the Irish colt Ionian and appeared to be beaten before staying on again in the closing stages to cross the line apparently level.^[3] The judge scrutinised the photograph of the finish for five minutes^[5] before announcing Only for Life the winner by a short head. The winning time of 1:45.0 was the slowest since 1937.^[6] Lindley later recalled how he and Tree had been praying for the rain which turned the race into a test of stamina as Only for Life was essentially a stayer.^[7]

Only for Life had never been entered for the Epsom Derby and had his next run at Royal Ascot. He ran in the King Edward VII Stakes (the race formerly known as the Ascot Derby) over one and a half miles and won by two lengths. Over the same course and distance in July he contested Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He finished unplaced, beaten more than fifteen lengths by the Irish Derby winner Ragusa. Only for Life met Ragusa again in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August and, racing on his favoured soft ground, produced a much better effort, running the Irish colt to a head after a strongly-contested finish.^[8]

By September, the ground was much firmer, but Only for Life started second favourite the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster, a race that was run amid tight security following a series of doping scandals.^[9] He failed to produce his best form in finishing tailed-off behind Ragusa.

1964: four-year-old season

Only for Life stayed in training at four and began promisingly with a second place to Royal Avenue in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury in April. He made only one other appearance that year however, finishing second in the Paradise Stakes at Ascot before being retired from racing.^[1]

Assessment

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Only for Life an "inferior" winner of the 1000 Guineas.^[6]

Stud career

Only for Life was retired to stand at stud in Ireland. After two seasons he was sold and exported to Japan, where he remained until his death on 13 May 1985.^[10] Before he left Europe he sired The Elk, who was trained by Jeremy Tree for Monica Sheriffe to win the Observer Gold Cup in 1968, and the filly State Pension who finished second in the Epsom Oaks.^[1]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Only for Life (GB), bay stallion, 1960
Sire Chanteur (FR) 1942	Chateau Bouscaut 1927	Kirkcubbin	Captivation
		Kirkcubbin	Avon Hack
		Ramondie	Neil Gow
		Ramondie	La Rille
	La Diva 1937	Blue Skies	Blandford*
		Blue Skies	Blue Pill
		La Traviata	Alcantara
		La Traviata	Tregaron
Dam Life Sentence (GB) 1949	Court Martial 1942	Fair Trial	Fairway
		Fair Trial	Lady Juror
		Instantaneous	Hurry On
		Instantaneous	Picture
	Borobella 1942	Bois Roussel	Vatout
		Bois Roussel	Plucky Liege
		Annabel	Blandford*
		Annabel	Arabella (Family:14-c)^[11]

Only for Life was inbred 4x4 to Blandford, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

1 2 3 4 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
↑ Richard Griffiths (1993-03-09). "Obituary: Jeremy Tree". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
1 2 "Only for Life wins Two Thousand". Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
↑ "Relko Epsom Favorite". Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. 25 May 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
↑ "Only for Life Triumphs". Montreal Gazette. 2 May 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
1 2 Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
↑ "COUNTDOWN TO THE 2,000 GUINEAS". Daily Mail. 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
↑ "Impossible to oppose Ragusa". Glasgow Herald. 11 September 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
↑ "Dope Scare Puts Horses Under Guard". St. Petersburg Times. 11 September 1963. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
↑ Staff. "Only for Life". Japan Race Horse Registry. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
↑ "Pretty Polly - Family 14-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-10.

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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