Mid-day Sun
Encyclopedia
Mid-day Sun was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. After showing little promise as a two-year-old in 1936, Mid-day Sun improved into top class performer at three. In 1937 he won five races including the Epsom Derby
and the Hardwicke Stakes
at Royal Ascot. He was retired to stud in 1938 but had little success as a stallion. He was the first winner of the Derby at Epsom to be owned by a woman.
. Shortly afterwards, a private sale was arranged by the trainer Fred Butters, acting on the advice of his more famous elder brother Frank
, and the colt entered the ownership of Lettice Miller (officially Mrs G. B. Miller). Butters, took charge of the colt’s training at his stables at Kingsclere
, Berkshire
.
Mid-day Sun’s sire, Solario
was an outstanding racehorse who won the Coronation Cup
and the Ascot Gold Cup
in 1926, before going on to be Champion sire three times. His dam, Bridge of Allan was a minor winner and a half sister of the 2000 Guineas runner-up Knockando.
at Goodwood
. At Newmarket
on October 13 Mid-day Sun recorded his first win when carrying a light weight in a one mile Nursery (a handicap race for two-year-olds). He then finished second in a similar event at the same course two weeks later, failing to give seventeen pounds to the winner. At the end of the season he was rated on 99 pounds, more than thirty pounds below the top-rated colt Foray.
at Newmarket in April, receiving six pounds from the filly Exhibitionnist. The form of the race did not look particularly strong, but was boosted later in the year when the runner-up won both the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks
. On his next start, Mid-day Sun proved himself capable of competing with the best colts by finishing third of the eighteen runners behind Le Ksar and Goya in the 2000 Guineas. He then prepared for the Derby by winning a slowly-run race for the Lingfield Derby Trial
. In the build-up to the Classic he was reported to be "in demand" in the betting market but was not among the favourites.
At Epsom, Mid-day Sun was ridden by the Irish jockey Michael Beary and started at odds of 100/7 (just over 14/1) in a field of twenty-one. The race was run in bright sunshine in front of the customary immense crowd including the King and Queen. Mid-day Sun was held up in the early stages as Renardo and then Fairford led the field. Le Grand Duc moved into the lead from Goya in the straight, heading a closely packed group of seven horses, with Beary moving his horse into contention. Mid-day Sun produced a “dazzling run” to move through the middle of the group, and pass Le Grand Duc inside the final furlong. Once in front, he held off the late challenge of Sandsprite to win by one and a half lengths. Mrs Miller called the result "the moment of my life" before explaining that she would prefer to celebrate with "a cup of tea" followed by a quiet dinner with her husband and mother. Beary felt thet the colt had been "running lazily" in the early stages, but said that he had "responded gallantly" at the finish. The quality of the race was, however, questioned by some including the Sunday Times who pointed out that the proximity of the 100/1 outsider Sandsprite made the form look suspect.
Mid-day Sun was then sent to Royal Ascot where he was matched against leading older horses including the American-bred Flares
in the Hardwicke Stakes
. He took the lead early in the straight and pulled clear to win decisively, returning to "a big reception". According to Butters, the race "took nothing out of him", and he was then aimed at the St Leger
at Doncaster
. He prepared for the Classic by winning the Manton at Salisbury
on August 23. In the St Leger Mid-day Sun started favourite but Beary struggled to obtain a clear run in the straight and although the colt finished strongly he finished third, beaten just over a length by Chulmleigh with Fair Copy second.
. His temperament became a problem however and it proved impossible to train him effectively. He was retired to stud without racing in 1938.
. His best offspring was Sterope, a leading miler who won the Cambridgeshire Handicap
twice, but was excluded from most top events by his status as a gelding
. In 1950 Mid-day Sun was exported to New Zealand were he died in 1954.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse and sire. After showing little promise as a two-year-old in 1936, Mid-day Sun improved into top class performer at three. In 1937 he won five races including the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
and the Hardwicke Stakes
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
at Royal Ascot. He was retired to stud in 1938 but had little success as a stallion. He was the first winner of the Derby at Epsom to be owned by a woman.
Background
Mid-day Sun was a bay horse bred in England by W. T. Sears. As a yearling he was sent to the sales at Newmarket but attracted little interested and did not reach his reserve price of 2,000 guineasGuinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. Shortly afterwards, a private sale was arranged by the trainer Fred Butters, acting on the advice of his more famous elder brother Frank
Frank Butters
Frank Joseph Arthur Butters was a racehorse trainer specialising in flat racing who trained in Austria, Italy and England in the first half of the 20th century...
, and the colt entered the ownership of Lettice Miller (officially Mrs G. B. Miller). Butters, took charge of the colt’s training at his stables at Kingsclere
Kingsclere
Kingsclere is a large village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire, England. Kingsclere is located near to Watership Down, the setting of Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.-Geography:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Mid-day Sun’s sire, Solario
Solario
Solario was a very good British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Bred in Ireland by the 4th Earl of Dunraven, he was by the 1918 English Triple Crown champion, Gainsborough. His dam Sun Worship, was a daughter of the outstanding sire Sundridge who was the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in...
was an outstanding racehorse who won the Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
and the Ascot Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
in 1926, before going on to be Champion sire three times. His dam, Bridge of Allan was a minor winner and a half sister of the 2000 Guineas runner-up Knockando.
1936: two-year-old season
Mid-day Sun did little in his two-year-old season to suggest that he was a potential Classic winner. He lost his first six races, his best effort coming when he finished sixth to Perifox in the Richmond StakesRichmond Stakes
The Richmond Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August....
at Goodwood
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
. At Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
on October 13 Mid-day Sun recorded his first win when carrying a light weight in a one mile Nursery (a handicap race for two-year-olds). He then finished second in a similar event at the same course two weeks later, failing to give seventeen pounds to the winner. At the end of the season he was rated on 99 pounds, more than thirty pounds below the top-rated colt Foray.
1937: three-year-old season
On his three-year-old debut, Mid-day Sun won the Free HandicapEuropean Free Handicap
The European Free Handicap is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid April.It is a handicap in which horses carry weights...
at Newmarket in April, receiving six pounds from the filly Exhibitionnist. The form of the race did not look particularly strong, but was boosted later in the year when the runner-up won both the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
. On his next start, Mid-day Sun proved himself capable of competing with the best colts by finishing third of the eighteen runners behind Le Ksar and Goya in the 2000 Guineas. He then prepared for the Derby by winning a slowly-run race for the Lingfield Derby Trial
Lingfield Derby Trial
The Lingfield Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Lingfield Park over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 106 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.The event was established in 1932, and...
. In the build-up to the Classic he was reported to be "in demand" in the betting market but was not among the favourites.
At Epsom, Mid-day Sun was ridden by the Irish jockey Michael Beary and started at odds of 100/7 (just over 14/1) in a field of twenty-one. The race was run in bright sunshine in front of the customary immense crowd including the King and Queen. Mid-day Sun was held up in the early stages as Renardo and then Fairford led the field. Le Grand Duc moved into the lead from Goya in the straight, heading a closely packed group of seven horses, with Beary moving his horse into contention. Mid-day Sun produced a “dazzling run” to move through the middle of the group, and pass Le Grand Duc inside the final furlong. Once in front, he held off the late challenge of Sandsprite to win by one and a half lengths. Mrs Miller called the result "the moment of my life" before explaining that she would prefer to celebrate with "a cup of tea" followed by a quiet dinner with her husband and mother. Beary felt thet the colt had been "running lazily" in the early stages, but said that he had "responded gallantly" at the finish. The quality of the race was, however, questioned by some including the Sunday Times who pointed out that the proximity of the 100/1 outsider Sandsprite made the form look suspect.
Mid-day Sun was then sent to Royal Ascot where he was matched against leading older horses including the American-bred Flares
Flares (horse)
Flares was a British Thoroughbred racehorse owned, bred, and raced by the preeminent horseman in the United States, William Woodward, Sr. Flares was out of the racing mare, Flambino, winner of the 1927 Gazelle Handicap. His sire was the great Gallant Fox, the 1930 U.S. Triple Crown winner and a U.S...
in the Hardwicke Stakes
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
. He took the lead early in the straight and pulled clear to win decisively, returning to "a big reception". According to Butters, the race "took nothing out of him", and he was then aimed at the St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
at Doncaster
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
. He prepared for the Classic by winning the Manton at Salisbury
Salisbury Racecourse
Salisbury Racecourse is a flat racecourse in the United Kingdom featuring thoroughbred horse racing. It is located four miles from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Fifteen races a year are held here between early May and mid-October...
on August 23. In the St Leger Mid-day Sun started favourite but Beary struggled to obtain a clear run in the straight and although the colt finished strongly he finished third, beaten just over a length by Chulmleigh with Fair Copy second.
1938: four-year-old season
Mid-day Sun was kept in training as a four-year-old and aimed at the Ascot Gold CupAscot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
. His temperament became a problem however and it proved impossible to train him effectively. He was retired to stud without racing in 1938.
Assessment
Mid-day Sun was officially rated the best three-year-old colt of 1937 by the Jockey club handicapper. In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Mid-day Sun on 126, making him a “poor” Derby winner.Stud career
Mid-day Sun was not a successful stallion although his opportunities were limited by his standing at a small stud farm during wartimeWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His best offspring was Sterope, a leading miler who won the Cambridgeshire Handicap
Cambridgeshire Handicap
The Cambridgeshire Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event...
twice, but was excluded from most top events by his status as a gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
. In 1950 Mid-day Sun was exported to New Zealand were he died in 1954.