Our Babu

Our Babu
Sire	My Babu
Grandsire	Djebel
Dam	Glen Line
Damsire	Blue Peter
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1952
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Sir Oliver Lambart
Owner	David Robinson
Trainer	Geoffrey Brooke
Record	9:4-2-1
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (1954) Middle Park Stakes (1954) 2000 Guineas (1955)
Awards
Top-rated British Two-year-old (1954) Timeform joint-top-rated two-year-old colt (1954)^[1]

Our Babu (1952–16 December 1977) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from May 1954 to June 1955 he ran nine times and won four races. He was Britain's top-rated juvenile of 1954 when his win included the Middle Park Stakes and the Champagne Stakes, and went on to win the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket the following spring. After failing to win in two subsequent races he was retired to stud, where he had limited success as a sire of winners in the United States, Europe and Japan.

Background

Our Babu was a bay horse with a white star and snip and distinctive "lop" ears^[2]^[3] bred in Ireland by Sir Oliver Lambart. He was sired by the champion two-year-old and 2000 Guineas winner My Babu out of the mare Glen Line who showed no ability as a racehorse but was a highly successful broodmare producing the Eclipse Stakes winner King of the Tudors. As a descendant of the mare Sunbridge, she was a member of the same Thoroughbred family as Windsor Lad.^[4]

As a yearling, Our Babu was sent to England for the Newmarket July sale, where he was bought for 2,700 guineas by David Robinson who sent him to be trained by Major Geoffrey Brooke at his Clarehaven Stables at Newmarket.^[5]

Racing career

1954: two-year-old season

Our Babu made a successful first appearance when he won the Spring Stakes at Newmarket in May. He was then sent to Royal Ascot in June, where he finished second to Eubulides (another son of My Babu) in the Chesham Stakes. He was beaten by Eubulides again in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood in July, when he ran badly on soft ground. On firmer ground in autumn, Our Babu showed much improved form, winning the Champagne Stakes at the Doncaster St Leger meeting in September by two lengths from the Queen's colt Corporal.^[6] He was then sent to Newmarket in October for the six furlong Middle Park Stakes, one of the season's most important races for two-year-olds, and won in a close finish from the Irish-trained Hugh Lupus and the July Stakes winner Tamerlane. In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the best two-year-olds to have run in Britain, Our Babu was assigned the top rating of 133 pounds, one pound ahead of Hugh Lupus, thereby matching the achievement of his sire, who had been the top juvenile of 1947.^[5] He was also the top-rated colt in the independent Timeform ratings, sharing a mark of 131 with Beau Prince and Hugh Lupus.

1955: three-year-old season

In April 1955, Our Babu returned from the winter break with a defeat by the Queens colt Alexander in the 2000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs at Kempton Park.^[7] In the Classic 2000 Guineas over one mile at Newmarket he started at odds of 13/2, with Tamerlane starting 5/1 favourite in a strong field of twenty-three runners which included five runners from France and three from Ireland. Ridden by Doug Smith he prevailed in a closely contested finish, winning by a neck from Tamerlane, who had looked the likely winner a furlong from the finish with the fast-finishing French colt Klairon a short head away in third. After the race Smith commented "I was not sure that I had won, I just kept riding as hard as I could." Our Babu was again emulating My Babu, who won the race in 1948.^[3]

Our Babu failed to reproduce his best form in two subsequent races. Racing beyond a mile for the first and only time, he was strongly fancied for the Epsom Derby^[8] despite doubts about his stamina,^[9] but finished unplaced behind Phil Drake. At Royal Ascot he finished a well-beaten third to Tamerlane in the St. James's Palace Stakes.^[5] He was then sold to syndicate of American breeders for a reported $600,000 and retired from racing.^[10]

Assessment

Our Babu's highest Timeform rating was 131 as a two-year-old in 1954, when the organisation rated him the equal-best horse of his generation in Europe. A rating of 130 is considered the mark of an above average Group One winner.^[1]

Stud career

Our Babu initially stood as a stallion for his new owners in the United States. In 1963, he was returned to stand in England for four years before he was sold again and exported to Japan, where he died on 16 December 1977.^[11] He sired few horses of any consequence, although his progeny included the good racemare Alecee who won the Modesty Handicap and the Falls City Handicap.^[12]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Our Babu (IRE), bay stallion, 1952^[13]
Sire My Babu(FR) 1945	Djebel 1937	Tourbillon	Ksar
		Tourbillon	Durban
		Loika	Gay Crusader
		Loika	Coeur a Coeur
	Perfume 1938	Badruddin	Blandford
		Badruddin	Mumtaz Mahal
		Lavendula	Pharos
		Lavendula	Sweet Lavender
Dam Glen Line (GB) 1942	Blue Peter 1536	Fairway	Phalaris
		Fairway	Scapa Flow
		Fancy Free	Stefan the Great
		Fancy Free	Celiba
	Scotia's Glen 1935	Beresford	Friar Marcus
		Beresford	Bayberry
		Queen Scotia	Tetratema
		Queen Scotia	Sunbridge (Family:19-b)^[4]

References

1 2 Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
↑ "Our Babu with Doug Smith". Geraldsegasby.co.uk. 2011-03-12. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
1 2 "Our Babu clicks in Guineas race". The Leader-Post. 28 April 1955. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
1 2 "Constantia - Family 19-b". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
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.
↑ "John Longden finishes fourth". The Leader-Post. 9 September 1954. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Queen's Horse Upsets Rustam in UK Stakes". Montreal Gazette. 2 April 1956. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Our babu best backed horse for the Derby". The Bulletin. 24 May 1955. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Confidence still in Acropolis for the Derby". Evening Times. 21 May 1955. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "American Duo Buys My Babu for $600,000". Hartford Courant. 1956-06-22. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ Staff. "Our Babu (GB)". Japan Race Horse Registry. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
↑ "Our Babu Offspring". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "Pedigree of Our Babu - IDSHS(AUS) Online Stud Book". IDSHS. Retrieved 2012-03-11.

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 2016 Galileo Gold

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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