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Royal Gait
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Royal Gait
Royal Gait (12 April 1983 – 30 December 1992) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won at the highest level in both Flat and National Hunt racing. Originally trained in Spain, where he won seven races, he was later moved to France where he became an outstanding performer over staying distances, winning the Prix du Cadran and Prix Royal Oak as a four-year-old in 1987. In the following year he won the Prix de Barbeville and the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier before being controversially disqualified after winning the Ascot Gold Cup. After a break of more than three years he was sent to the United Kingdom to compete in Hurdle races and won the 1992 Champion Hurdle. He collapsed and died after finishing fourth at Leopardstown Racecourse on 30 December 1992.
Royal Gait was a bay gelding with a small white star and a white sock on his left hind leg bred by Ian H Wills. He was sired by Gunner B, who won the 1978 Eclipse Stakes before becoming a successful National Hunt stallion. His other major winners included the Grand National winner Red Marauder and the World Hurdle winner Iris's Gift. Royal Gait's dam, High Gait, was a granddaughter of the Irish Oaks winner Merry Mate, who was, in turn, a daughter of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Gladness.
As an unraced two-year-old in March 1985, Royal Gait was sold at Doncaster for 5,500 guineas. He was sent to race in Spain where he was owned by Manuel Pereira-Arias and trained by Gerardo Villarta.
As a three-year-old, Royal Gait won four races in Spain, including the Gran Premio de San Sebastian and one minor race in the French provinces.
In the early part of 1987, Royal Gait won three races in Spain, including two Group Three races in Madrid before being sent to France to contest the Group One Prix du Cadran over 4000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 24 May. He was given little chance and started the 36/1 outsider in a field of nine runners. Ridden by Olindo Mongelluzzo he was restrained in the early stages before taking the lead in the straight and won by a length from the 6/4 favourite Satco. The gelding then finished second to the mare Tailga in the Gran Premio de San Sebastian and second to Yaka (conceding 11 pounds) in the Prix Gladiateur. In October, by which time he was being trained in France by John Fellows, Royal Gait returned to Longchamp for the Group One Prix Royal-Oak over 3100 metres and started the 19/10 favourite in a field which included runners from France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Ridden by Alfred Gibert, he took the lead 400 metres from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win by eight lengths from Spruce Baby.
Royal Gait began his 1988 campaign by beating a field which included Satco and Yaka in the Group Three Prix de Barbeville at Longchamp on 4 April. He won by two lengths despite conceding weight to his ten opponents. Three weeks later, over the same course, he conceded seven pounds to Satco and won the Group Two Prix Vicomtesse Vigier by a short head. On 22 May he attempted to win his second Prix du Cadran, but after appearing to have a good chance of repeating his success of the previous year, he swerved to the left in the closing stages and was beaten half a length by Yaka.
On 16 June, Royal Gait was sent to contest Britain's most prestigious stayers race, the Gold Cup over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot. Cash Asmussen took over the ride from Gibert, and the gelding started the 15/2 fourth choice in the betting behind Sadeem, Primitive Rising and Sergeyevich. He was not among the early leaders but moved up to fourth place on the turn into the straight. At this point, El Conquistador, who had been acting as a pacemaker for Sadeem, dropped back sharply and collided with Royal Gait who was moving up on the rail. El Conquistador stumbled badly and unseated his jockey Tony Clark. Royal Gait continued his run on the inside, took the lead approaching the final furlong, and drew away to win by five lengths from Sadeem with a gap of fifteen length back to Sergeyevich in third. Royal Gait's winning time of 4:15.67 broke the existing course record by more than three seconds. The racecourse stewards held an inquiry into the race, concluded that Asmussen had been responsible for bumping El Conquistador and disqualified Royal Gait. The result of the inquiry has been described as "among racing's greatest bungles". Fellows described the result as "difficult to believe".
On his final appearance of the season, Royal Gait was dropped back in distance for the Group Three Prix Maurice de Nieuil over 2500 metres at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in July. He finished second of the ten runners, beaten half a length by the British-trained four-year-old Merce Cunningham, to whom he was conceding seven pounds.
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Royal Gait
Royal Gait (12 April 1983 – 30 December 1992) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won at the highest level in both Flat and National Hunt racing. Originally trained in Spain, where he won seven races, he was later moved to France where he became an outstanding performer over staying distances, winning the Prix du Cadran and Prix Royal Oak as a four-year-old in 1987. In the following year he won the Prix de Barbeville and the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier before being controversially disqualified after winning the Ascot Gold Cup. After a break of more than three years he was sent to the United Kingdom to compete in Hurdle races and won the 1992 Champion Hurdle. He collapsed and died after finishing fourth at Leopardstown Racecourse on 30 December 1992.
Royal Gait was a bay gelding with a small white star and a white sock on his left hind leg bred by Ian H Wills. He was sired by Gunner B, who won the 1978 Eclipse Stakes before becoming a successful National Hunt stallion. His other major winners included the Grand National winner Red Marauder and the World Hurdle winner Iris's Gift. Royal Gait's dam, High Gait, was a granddaughter of the Irish Oaks winner Merry Mate, who was, in turn, a daughter of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Gladness.
As an unraced two-year-old in March 1985, Royal Gait was sold at Doncaster for 5,500 guineas. He was sent to race in Spain where he was owned by Manuel Pereira-Arias and trained by Gerardo Villarta.
As a three-year-old, Royal Gait won four races in Spain, including the Gran Premio de San Sebastian and one minor race in the French provinces.
In the early part of 1987, Royal Gait won three races in Spain, including two Group Three races in Madrid before being sent to France to contest the Group One Prix du Cadran over 4000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 24 May. He was given little chance and started the 36/1 outsider in a field of nine runners. Ridden by Olindo Mongelluzzo he was restrained in the early stages before taking the lead in the straight and won by a length from the 6/4 favourite Satco. The gelding then finished second to the mare Tailga in the Gran Premio de San Sebastian and second to Yaka (conceding 11 pounds) in the Prix Gladiateur. In October, by which time he was being trained in France by John Fellows, Royal Gait returned to Longchamp for the Group One Prix Royal-Oak over 3100 metres and started the 19/10 favourite in a field which included runners from France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Ridden by Alfred Gibert, he took the lead 400 metres from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win by eight lengths from Spruce Baby.
Royal Gait began his 1988 campaign by beating a field which included Satco and Yaka in the Group Three Prix de Barbeville at Longchamp on 4 April. He won by two lengths despite conceding weight to his ten opponents. Three weeks later, over the same course, he conceded seven pounds to Satco and won the Group Two Prix Vicomtesse Vigier by a short head. On 22 May he attempted to win his second Prix du Cadran, but after appearing to have a good chance of repeating his success of the previous year, he swerved to the left in the closing stages and was beaten half a length by Yaka.
On 16 June, Royal Gait was sent to contest Britain's most prestigious stayers race, the Gold Cup over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot. Cash Asmussen took over the ride from Gibert, and the gelding started the 15/2 fourth choice in the betting behind Sadeem, Primitive Rising and Sergeyevich. He was not among the early leaders but moved up to fourth place on the turn into the straight. At this point, El Conquistador, who had been acting as a pacemaker for Sadeem, dropped back sharply and collided with Royal Gait who was moving up on the rail. El Conquistador stumbled badly and unseated his jockey Tony Clark. Royal Gait continued his run on the inside, took the lead approaching the final furlong, and drew away to win by five lengths from Sadeem with a gap of fifteen length back to Sergeyevich in third. Royal Gait's winning time of 4:15.67 broke the existing course record by more than three seconds. The racecourse stewards held an inquiry into the race, concluded that Asmussen had been responsible for bumping El Conquistador and disqualified Royal Gait. The result of the inquiry has been described as "among racing's greatest bungles". Fellows described the result as "difficult to believe".
On his final appearance of the season, Royal Gait was dropped back in distance for the Group Three Prix Maurice de Nieuil over 2500 metres at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in July. He finished second of the ten runners, beaten half a length by the British-trained four-year-old Merce Cunningham, to whom he was conceding seven pounds.