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Nijinsky (horse)
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Nijinsky (horse)
Nijinsky (21 February 1967 – 15 April 1992) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the outstanding two-year-old in Europe in 1969 when he was unbeaten in five races. In the following season, he became the first horse in thirty-five years to win the English Triple Crown, a feat that has not been repeated since. He is regarded as one of the greatest European flat racehorses of the 20th century.
He was also historically important for establishing the international reputation of his sire Northern Dancer, though Nijinsky was atypical of Northern Dancer progeny in size and conformation. Retired to stud, he became the leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the leading broodmare sire in North America. As a winner of top-class races from 6 to 14 furlongs, Nijinsky is also considered to be among the most versatile of the great horses of the 20th century.
Nijinsky, a bay horse with a white heart on his forehead and three white feet, was bred at E. P. Taylor's Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He was from the second crop of foals sired by Northern Dancer, the winner of the 1964 Kentucky Derby who went on to become one of the most influential sires of the 20th century. His dam, Flaming Page, by Bull Page, was a successful racemare, winning the 1962 Queen's Plate. At stud, she produced only two other foals. One of these was Fleur by Victoria Park, who produced the 1977 Epsom Derby winner The Minstrel by Northern Dancer; the other was Minsky, champion Irish two-year-old in 1970 and full brother to Nijinsky. Nijinsky was a big, powerful and handsome horse with great presence, standing 16.3 hands (67 inches, 170 cm) high, resembling his dam rather than his sire in stature and conformation, traits he tended to pass on to his offspring.
He was offered for sale at the Windfields Farm's annual yearling auction where he was bought for $84,000 (equivalent to $780,000 in 2025) by the American minerals magnate and industrialist Charles W. Engelhard Jr., acting on the advice of the Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien. It was Engelhard's wife Jane who decided that the colt should be named after the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. Nijinsky was shipped to Ireland, where he was trained by O'Brien at Ballydoyle, County Tipperary.
Nijinsky's first four races were all at the Curragh. In June, he started at odds of 4/11 and won the six-furlong Erne maiden race easily. He followed up with wins in the Anglesey Stakes and the Railway Stakes. On his fourth appearance, he was extended for the first time in the Beresford Stakes. He won decisively from Decies, a colt who went on to win the Irish 2000 Guineas in 1970. Having proved himself the best of the Irish two-year-olds, he was sent to England in October to contest the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Ridden for the first time by Lester Piggott, he was held up at the back of the six-horse field before moving through easily to take the lead inside the final furlong, earning top rating in the British Free Handicap.
On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Nijinsky beat the four-year-old Deep Run in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh in April. The colt was then sent back to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas over one mile. He started the 4/7 favourite against thirteen opponents. Nijinsky took the lead two furlongs from the finish and, without being put under any pressure by Piggott, pulled clear to win by two and a half lengths from Yellow God. The second had won the Ascot 2,000 Guineas trial and the previous year's Gimcrack Stakes, as well as finishing a close second in the Middle Park Stakes.
Nijinsky's opposition in the Derby at Epsom was stronger and he started at odds of 11/8 – the only time he was ever odds against. His rivals were headed by the French-trained colts Stintino and Gyr. The veteran French trainer Etienne Pollet had delayed his retirement for a year to guide Gyr, a son of his champion Sea-Bird, through his three-year-old season. Nijinsky was held up by Piggott as usual before moving forward in the straight, by which time Gyr was in front and pulling clear of the Prix Lupin winner, Stintino. A furlong and a half from the finish, Piggott used his whip on Nijinsky. The favourite responded immediately, catching Gyr in a few strides and pulling ahead to win from him by two and a half lengths, with Stintino third.
The winning time of 2:34.68 was the fastest Epsom Derby since 1936. Nijinsky's time for the last two furlongs of the race (10.6 and 11.25 seconds, respectively) was of sprint championship-winning standard. Piggott claimed that he was "always cantering", while Bill Williamson, who rode Gyr, said that "Nijinsky was just too good". Gyr subsequently franked the form by easily winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
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Nijinsky (horse)
Nijinsky (21 February 1967 – 15 April 1992) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the outstanding two-year-old in Europe in 1969 when he was unbeaten in five races. In the following season, he became the first horse in thirty-five years to win the English Triple Crown, a feat that has not been repeated since. He is regarded as one of the greatest European flat racehorses of the 20th century.
He was also historically important for establishing the international reputation of his sire Northern Dancer, though Nijinsky was atypical of Northern Dancer progeny in size and conformation. Retired to stud, he became the leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the leading broodmare sire in North America. As a winner of top-class races from 6 to 14 furlongs, Nijinsky is also considered to be among the most versatile of the great horses of the 20th century.
Nijinsky, a bay horse with a white heart on his forehead and three white feet, was bred at E. P. Taylor's Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He was from the second crop of foals sired by Northern Dancer, the winner of the 1964 Kentucky Derby who went on to become one of the most influential sires of the 20th century. His dam, Flaming Page, by Bull Page, was a successful racemare, winning the 1962 Queen's Plate. At stud, she produced only two other foals. One of these was Fleur by Victoria Park, who produced the 1977 Epsom Derby winner The Minstrel by Northern Dancer; the other was Minsky, champion Irish two-year-old in 1970 and full brother to Nijinsky. Nijinsky was a big, powerful and handsome horse with great presence, standing 16.3 hands (67 inches, 170 cm) high, resembling his dam rather than his sire in stature and conformation, traits he tended to pass on to his offspring.
He was offered for sale at the Windfields Farm's annual yearling auction where he was bought for $84,000 (equivalent to $780,000 in 2025) by the American minerals magnate and industrialist Charles W. Engelhard Jr., acting on the advice of the Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien. It was Engelhard's wife Jane who decided that the colt should be named after the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. Nijinsky was shipped to Ireland, where he was trained by O'Brien at Ballydoyle, County Tipperary.
Nijinsky's first four races were all at the Curragh. In June, he started at odds of 4/11 and won the six-furlong Erne maiden race easily. He followed up with wins in the Anglesey Stakes and the Railway Stakes. On his fourth appearance, he was extended for the first time in the Beresford Stakes. He won decisively from Decies, a colt who went on to win the Irish 2000 Guineas in 1970. Having proved himself the best of the Irish two-year-olds, he was sent to England in October to contest the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Ridden for the first time by Lester Piggott, he was held up at the back of the six-horse field before moving through easily to take the lead inside the final furlong, earning top rating in the British Free Handicap.
On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Nijinsky beat the four-year-old Deep Run in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh in April. The colt was then sent back to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas over one mile. He started the 4/7 favourite against thirteen opponents. Nijinsky took the lead two furlongs from the finish and, without being put under any pressure by Piggott, pulled clear to win by two and a half lengths from Yellow God. The second had won the Ascot 2,000 Guineas trial and the previous year's Gimcrack Stakes, as well as finishing a close second in the Middle Park Stakes.
Nijinsky's opposition in the Derby at Epsom was stronger and he started at odds of 11/8 – the only time he was ever odds against. His rivals were headed by the French-trained colts Stintino and Gyr. The veteran French trainer Etienne Pollet had delayed his retirement for a year to guide Gyr, a son of his champion Sea-Bird, through his three-year-old season. Nijinsky was held up by Piggott as usual before moving forward in the straight, by which time Gyr was in front and pulling clear of the Prix Lupin winner, Stintino. A furlong and a half from the finish, Piggott used his whip on Nijinsky. The favourite responded immediately, catching Gyr in a few strides and pulling ahead to win from him by two and a half lengths, with Stintino third.
The winning time of 2:34.68 was the fastest Epsom Derby since 1936. Nijinsky's time for the last two furlongs of the race (10.6 and 11.25 seconds, respectively) was of sprint championship-winning standard. Piggott claimed that he was "always cantering", while Bill Williamson, who rode Gyr, said that "Nijinsky was just too good". Gyr subsequently franked the form by easily winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
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