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Reverence (horse)
Reverence is a British champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He is a specialist sprinter who was especially effective over five furlongs (1000m), recording all but one of his wins over the distance. Most unusually for a modern thoroughbred racehorse Reverence did not appear on a racecourse until he was four years old. In a career that has lasted from May 2005 until August 2011 he ran forty-two times and won ten races. In 2006 he won two Group One races- the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Sprint Cup at Haydock- and was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. Reverence ran his last race in August 2011.
Reverence, a chestnut gelding with a narrow white stripe, was bred by his owners, the husband-and-wife team of Gary and Lesley Middlebrook at their Wood Farm Stud near Windermere in Cumbria. Reverence was sired by Mark of Esteem an "outstanding" miler who won the 2000 Guineas and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1996. He went on to become a successful stallion, siring the Classic winners Sir Percy (Epsom Derby) and Ameerat (1000 Guineas). Reverence's dam, Imperial Bailiwick was a successful sprinter, winning the Flying Childers Stakes in 1993. In addition to Reverence, she has produced the Chesham Stakes winner Helm Bank.
Reverence was twice sent to the sales before he raced. As a yearling he was sent to the Tattersalls sale in October 2002, where he was "bought in" for 97,000gns. He was sent into training with Mark Johnston but sustained a pelvic fracture and was unable to race as a two-year-old. At three he joined the Newmarket stable of William Haggas, but a recurrence of his pelvic injury again prevented him from running. In October 2004 he was sent back to Tattersalls as an unraced three-year-old colt, but was withdrawn from the sale after failing to attract a buyer. The Middlebrooks decided to send him to the small yard of Eric Alston at Longton, Lancashire as they believed that his flat training gallops would ease the horse's recovery. Alston, a former dairy farmer later recalled that his first impression of Reverence was of "a lovely horse... he had a lovely big eye and a great attitude."
Reverence made his belated debut in a maiden race at Thirsk in May, where he ran second as a 50/1 outsider. Two months later at Ripon he recorded his first win, recovering after being hampered in the early stages to win a minor five-furlong race "readily" from twelve opponents. Two weeks later he finished unplaced when favourite for a six furlong handicap at Newmarket.
For the remainder of the season, Reverence was kept to five furlongs and was unbeaten in three starts in six weeks, winning handicap races at Doncaster, Pontefract and Doncaster again by increasing margins. Although none of these races was particularly important, Reverence showed rapid improvement, with his official handicap rating rising from 73 to 95.
On his five-year-old debut, Reverence was moved up to Listed class for the first time and finished third in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March. In being beaten less than a length over six furlongs Reverence's performance was rather better than it first appeared: the winner Les Arcs went on to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes and the July Cup that summer. Reverence reappeared in April to beat the veteran Bahamian Pirate in a minor stakes race on soft ground at Nottingham.
At Newmarket in May Reverence ran in his first Group Race and showed promise in finishing fourth of twenty-two runners behind Dandy Man in the Palace House Stakes. At the end of the month Reverence produced his best performance to date in the Group Two Temple Stakes at Sandown. Kevin Darley had the gelding up with the pace from the start and moved him into the lead at half way. Reverence went clear approaching the final furlong and ran on well on the soft ground to win by one and a quarter lengths from The Trader, with Les Arcs unplaced. The performance established Reverence as one of the country's leading sprinters. His next two runs, both on firm ground, were disappointing, as he finished unplaced behind Takeover Target in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and fifth of the eight runners behind Pivotal Point in the Sprint Stakes.
His next race was the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August. With the ground now in his favour, he was strongly fancied starting 5/1 third favourite in a field of fourteen. Reverence, who "adored the ground" took the lead from the start and opened up a clear lead approaching the last furlong. Although he hung to the left in the closing stages he was never seriously challenged and won by two lengths from Amadeus Wolf. The Middlebrooks praised Alston after the win for the "time and TLC" he had given to the gelding. Alston himself praised the horse saying, "he can really quicken up, but I was amazed to see him do it like that... he's a different horse on this ground."
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Reverence (horse)
Reverence is a British champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He is a specialist sprinter who was especially effective over five furlongs (1000m), recording all but one of his wins over the distance. Most unusually for a modern thoroughbred racehorse Reverence did not appear on a racecourse until he was four years old. In a career that has lasted from May 2005 until August 2011 he ran forty-two times and won ten races. In 2006 he won two Group One races- the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Sprint Cup at Haydock- and was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. Reverence ran his last race in August 2011.
Reverence, a chestnut gelding with a narrow white stripe, was bred by his owners, the husband-and-wife team of Gary and Lesley Middlebrook at their Wood Farm Stud near Windermere in Cumbria. Reverence was sired by Mark of Esteem an "outstanding" miler who won the 2000 Guineas and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1996. He went on to become a successful stallion, siring the Classic winners Sir Percy (Epsom Derby) and Ameerat (1000 Guineas). Reverence's dam, Imperial Bailiwick was a successful sprinter, winning the Flying Childers Stakes in 1993. In addition to Reverence, she has produced the Chesham Stakes winner Helm Bank.
Reverence was twice sent to the sales before he raced. As a yearling he was sent to the Tattersalls sale in October 2002, where he was "bought in" for 97,000gns. He was sent into training with Mark Johnston but sustained a pelvic fracture and was unable to race as a two-year-old. At three he joined the Newmarket stable of William Haggas, but a recurrence of his pelvic injury again prevented him from running. In October 2004 he was sent back to Tattersalls as an unraced three-year-old colt, but was withdrawn from the sale after failing to attract a buyer. The Middlebrooks decided to send him to the small yard of Eric Alston at Longton, Lancashire as they believed that his flat training gallops would ease the horse's recovery. Alston, a former dairy farmer later recalled that his first impression of Reverence was of "a lovely horse... he had a lovely big eye and a great attitude."
Reverence made his belated debut in a maiden race at Thirsk in May, where he ran second as a 50/1 outsider. Two months later at Ripon he recorded his first win, recovering after being hampered in the early stages to win a minor five-furlong race "readily" from twelve opponents. Two weeks later he finished unplaced when favourite for a six furlong handicap at Newmarket.
For the remainder of the season, Reverence was kept to five furlongs and was unbeaten in three starts in six weeks, winning handicap races at Doncaster, Pontefract and Doncaster again by increasing margins. Although none of these races was particularly important, Reverence showed rapid improvement, with his official handicap rating rising from 73 to 95.
On his five-year-old debut, Reverence was moved up to Listed class for the first time and finished third in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March. In being beaten less than a length over six furlongs Reverence's performance was rather better than it first appeared: the winner Les Arcs went on to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes and the July Cup that summer. Reverence reappeared in April to beat the veteran Bahamian Pirate in a minor stakes race on soft ground at Nottingham.
At Newmarket in May Reverence ran in his first Group Race and showed promise in finishing fourth of twenty-two runners behind Dandy Man in the Palace House Stakes. At the end of the month Reverence produced his best performance to date in the Group Two Temple Stakes at Sandown. Kevin Darley had the gelding up with the pace from the start and moved him into the lead at half way. Reverence went clear approaching the final furlong and ran on well on the soft ground to win by one and a quarter lengths from The Trader, with Les Arcs unplaced. The performance established Reverence as one of the country's leading sprinters. His next two runs, both on firm ground, were disappointing, as he finished unplaced behind Takeover Target in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and fifth of the eight runners behind Pivotal Point in the Sprint Stakes.
His next race was the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August. With the ground now in his favour, he was strongly fancied starting 5/1 third favourite in a field of fourteen. Reverence, who "adored the ground" took the lead from the start and opened up a clear lead approaching the last furlong. Although he hung to the left in the closing stages he was never seriously challenged and won by two lengths from Amadeus Wolf. The Middlebrooks praised Alston after the win for the "time and TLC" he had given to the gelding. Alston himself praised the horse saying, "he can really quicken up, but I was amazed to see him do it like that... he's a different horse on this ground."