Desert Orchid
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| Desert Orchid | ||
| Image:Desertorchid.jpg</td></tr> | ||
| Sire: | Grey Mirage | |
| Dam: | Flower Child | |
| Damsire: | Brother | |
| Sex: | Gelding | |
| Foaled: | 1979 | |
| Country: | England | |
| Colour: | Grey | |
| Breeder: | James Burridge | |
| Owner: | Richard Burridge | |
| Trainer: | David Elsworth | |
| Record: | 70: 34-11-8 | |
| Earnings: | £654,066 | |
| Major Racing Wins & Honours & Awards | ||
| Major Racing Wins | ||
| Tolworth Hurdle (1984) Kingwell Hurdle (1984) Hurst Park Novices' Chase (1985) King George VI Chase (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990) Gainsborough Chase (1987, 1989) Chivas Regal Cup (1988) Whitbread Gold Cup (1988) Tingle Creek Trophy (1988) Victor Chandler Chase (1989) Cheltenham Gold Cup (1989) Racing Post Chase (1990) Irish Grand National (1990) Agfa Diamond Chase (1991) | ||
| Honours | ||
| The Desert Orchid Chase at Wincanton Statue at Kempton Park | ||
|
Infobox last updated on: November 13, 2006. | ||
Desert Orchid (April 11 1979 – November 13 2006 <ref name="BBC News">Legend Desert Orchid dies</ref><ref name="Racing Post">Loss of a legend as Desert Orchid dies, aged 27</ref><ref name="Sporting Life">Desert Orchid dies aged 27</ref>), affectionately known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. The gallant grey achieved iconic status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attacking style, iron will and extreme versatility. He was rated the fourth best National Hunt horse of all time by Timeform <ref name="Betting-Forums">Timeform Best Ever</ref>.
Contents |
[edit] Early career
Desert Orchid's first season started in an unspectacular fashion. Few who saw him on his debut thought they were watching one of racing's superstars. When he fell heavily in a novice hurdle race at Kempton in 1983, he took such a long time to get to his feet that it seemed his first race might be his last.
However, Desert Orchid started the following season (1983/1984) on a winning note, again in novice company at Ascot. In this season he won six of his eight starts, his final race of the season being an unplaced effort behind Dawn Run in the 1984 Champion Hurdle.
David Elsworth's grey was no longer eligible for novice hurdles in 1984/5 and struggled to recapture his early form. He won one of his eight starts this season, in February at Sandown. He was pulled up in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow, and on his final outing of the season fell at Ascot.
[edit] Steeplechase career
Desert Orchid was then switched to steeplechasing, and ran up a sequence of four wins in chases at Devon and Exeter, Sandown and Ascot (twice) before unseating at Ascot. He did not win again that season despite three further placed efforts. He was well clear in his final race of the season at Ascot only to make a very serious mistake which totally stopped his momentum. He eventually only finished fifth.
Back at Ascot he won over 2 miles before returning to Kempton Park where he tackled Grade 1 company in the King George VI Chase and ran out a 15 length winner over Door Latch, easily defeating stars such as Wayward Lad, Forgive n'Forget, Combs Ditch and Bolands Cross. The quality of the field can be indicated by Desert Orchid's starting price of 16/1. This was Desert Orchid's first win under jockey Simon Sherwood.
He followed up with wins at Sandown and Wincanton, before finishing third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, three lengths behind Pearlyman. He returned to win over 2½ miles at Ascot before being pulled up in the Whitbread Gold Cup on his final outing of the 1986/7 season.
A string of places followed in 1987, second at Sandown (2 miles), second in the King George, and places at Sandown, Wincanton and Cheltenham. He got his head in front on his last two starts of the 1987/8 season taking the Martell Cup at Aintree, which was his first win on a left-handed track, and the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown where Simon Sherwood rode him for the first time.
One of Desert Orchid's greatest efforts took place in the 1989 Victor Chandler Handicap Chase where he took on four rivals, including the top-class Panto Prince and Vodkatini. He gave the former 22 pounds and the latter 23 pounds. In a thrilling finish he just got back up to beat Panto Prince by a head.
However, his finest hour was still to come. This time he was stepped up to 3 miles and 2 furlongs for the Cheltenham Gold Cup - he had previously been considered a two-miler. The rain and snow which had fallen relentlessly at Cheltenham made the racecourse going heavy. These were conditions hardly suited to Desert Orchid, especially at this left-handed course which he never particularly favoured.
A crowd of over 58,000 witnessed Desert Orchid's effort to overhaul the mud-loving Yahoo in the final stages of the race. After his one and a half length victory, Desert Orchid's rider, Simon Sherwood said: "I've never known a horse so brave. He hated every step of the way in the ground and dug as deep as he could possibly go". Three cheers were called as Desert Orchid was unsaddled, surrounded by thousands of fans <ref name="BBC News">Obituary: Desert Orchid</ref>. The race was voted best horse race ever by readers of The Racing Post, a sporting daily.
In 1989 Desert Orchid again won at Wincanton, this time with a new jockey, Richard Dunwoody. After a second in the Tingle Creek, he headed for Kempton where he took his third King George beating Barnbrook Again, this time as the 4/6 favourite. He followed up with a win at Wincanton and then took the Racing Post Chase at Kempton. A third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup preceded Desert Orchid's convincing win in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. He was given top weight of 12 stone, but was even money favourite and won by twelve lengths. This was despite a very bad jump at the final fence.
Desert Orchid did not reappear until November 1990, finishing second in the Haldon Gold Cup. A fourth in the Tingle Creek followed, before the King George VI Chase, which he won for the fourth time.
Desert Orchid had three more races in the 1990/91 season, his final ever victory coming in the Agfa Diamond Chase at Sandown on February 2, 1991. His final start of the season was a 15 length third to Garrison Savannah in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In his last season, he was beaten in his first outing at Wincanton, the race he had made his own and which now bears his name. He finished third in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon before falling when at the rear of the 1991 King George field at Kempton, attempting his fifth win.
[edit] Retirement
Desert Orchid retired in December 1991, and survived a life threatening operation a year later. He returned every year to Kempton to lead out the parade of runners for the King George VI Chase.
His record at right-handed tracks such as Kempton was always substantially better than his record at left-handed tracks such as Cheltenham. He had a tendency to jump to his right especially when tired. This meant that at tracks such as Cheltenham he would lose lengths by drifting to the outside. This tendency can be seen by his runs in the 1987 and 1988 Queen Mother Champion Chase and 1989 and 1990 Cheltenham Gold Cup. On each occasion he entered the home straight wide of his rivals. He only raced left-handed on thirteen occasions. However, all were either early in his career or in top-class races. He raced more times at both Sandown (19) and Ascot (15) then he did left-handed.
His part-owner Richard Burridge has stated that it was for this reason that Desert Orchid would have struggled in the Grand National: connections felt he could do himself serious injury at the ninety-degree Canal Turn especially on the second circuit<ref name="Richard Burridge">Burridge, Richard: The Grey Horse: The True Story of Desert Orchid</ref>.
Desert Orchid won 34 of his 70 starts, amassing £654,066 in prize money. After his retirement, he raised thousands of pounds for charity, and his presence at charity events attracted large crowds.
Desert Orchid died on November 13, 2006, aged 27.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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