Nijinsky II
Encyclopedia
The racehorse Nijinsky was one of the greatest horses in Thoroughbred
horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
and the Leading broodmare sire in North America
.
He was bred at E. P. Taylor
's Windfields Farm
in Oshawa
, Ontario, Canada and was by the hugely successful sire and Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer
. His dam, the good brood mare, Flaming Page
,who won the Queen's Plate, was by Bull Page
. Nijinsky was sold at the Windfields Farm's annual yearling auction for $84,000 to American minerals industrialist Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
– on whom (as an aside) the James Bond
character Auric Goldfinger
in the novel Goldfinger and subsequent film
was based. The colt was named after the dance
r Vaslav Nijinsky
.
where he was trained by Vincent O'Brien
in Ballydoyle, County Tipperary
, Nijinsky became champion two-year-old of both England and Ireland in 1969. The next year, after winning the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Derby
and the Irish Derby, Nijinsky defeated an illustrious field of older horses at Ascot
in the highly prestigious 1½-mile King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, beating Blakeney
by two lengths. These convincing victories suggested that Nijinsky and regular jockey Lester Piggott
were one of the most formidable horse-and-jockey combination ever seen on a racecourse.
Despite a subsequent attack of ringworm, he won the Doncaster St. Leger
over one mile and six furlongs, thereby becoming the first horse since Bahram
35 years earlier to complete the English Triple Crown
He remains one of only three 20th century horses to have completed the Triple Crown in peacetime (wartime Triple Crowns in which the three classics were run at the same venue, namely Newmarket, are not recognised by purists) . In his next race, Nijinsky ran in the world-famous Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
at Hippodrome de Longchamp
in Paris, France, where the French Derby winner Sassafrás
defeated him by a head. Many attribute his defeat to an unusually sloppy performance from Piggott, who gave the horse far too much ground to make up in a race not long after his exertions in the St Leger over a longer distance. However,arguably, it was the ringworm attack that took the edge off his form. In his final race (the Champion Stakes
) he again finished second, this time to the five year-old Lorenzaccio. This defeat – while partly due to the horse becoming too excited and sweating in the warm-up – confirmed that Nijinsky was past his brilliant peak; he was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm
near Paris, Kentucky
where he became a successful stallion.
During his career, Nijinsky set a new European earnings record and was syndicated for a world-record sum. His defeat at Longchamps took the gloss off a career that many still regard as among the greatest ever. The staff at O'Brien's stable regarded Nijinsky as the greatest of all the champions they had looked after. It is probably true to say that Nijinsky's racing career was the foundation stone for the enormous stud reputation of his sire, Northern Dancer.
Nijinsky II sired 155 Stakes/Group
winners, and is the only sire to have a winner of the Kentucky
and Epsom Derbies in the same year. His notable progeny includes:
Nijinsky died in 1992 from laminitis
. He is buried at Claiborne Farm.
. The much-loved Nijinsky team also was voted the 1970 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award
. In a poll in 2000, readers of the UK newspaper The Sun
voted Nijinsky their "Horse of the Millennium."
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...
horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
The list below shows the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1751. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
and the Leading broodmare sire in North America
Leading broodmare sire in North America
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire.-----References:* *...
.
He was bred at E. P. Taylor
E. P. Taylor
Edward Plunket Taylor was a Canadian business tycoon and famous breeder of thoroughbred race horses. Known to his friends as "Eddie", he is universally recorded as "E. P...
's Windfields Farm
Windfields Farm
Windfields Farm is a six square kilometre thoroughbred horse breeding farm founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor originated with a property near the city of Toronto known as Parkwood Stable when it was owned by...
in Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Ontario, Canada and was by the hugely successful sire and Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
. His dam, the good brood mare, Flaming Page
Flaming Page
Flaming Page was a Canadian Hall of FameThoroughbred racehorse. Out of the mare Flaring Top, a daughter of the 1937 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Menow, she was sired by Bull Page, the 1951 Canadian Horse of the Year and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee...
,who won the Queen's Plate, was by Bull Page
Bull Page
Bull Page was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire.Bred by Woodvale Farm in Kentucky, he was out of the mare Our Page, winner of the important Spinaway Stakes in 1942 and a daughter of the 1929 American Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Blue...
. Nijinsky was sold at the Windfields Farm's annual yearling auction for $84,000 to American minerals industrialist Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. was an American businessman who controlled an international mining and metals conglomerate, as well as a major owner in Thoroughbred horse racing, and a candidate in the 1955 New Jersey State Senate Elections.Engelhard made his fortune in the precious metals industry,...
– on whom (as an aside) the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
character Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning of gold...
in the novel Goldfinger and subsequent film
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
was based. The colt was named after the dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish descent, cited as the greatest male dancer of the 20th century. He grew to be celebrated for his virtuosity and for the depth and intensity of his characterizations...
.
Racing career
Shipped to IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
where he was trained by Vincent O'Brien
Vincent O'Brien
Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history, according to a worldwide vote hosted by the Racing Post newspaper...
in Ballydoyle, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, Nijinsky became champion two-year-old of both England and Ireland in 1969. The next year, after winning the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, 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 Irish Derby, Nijinsky defeated an illustrious field of older horses at Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
in the highly prestigious 1½-mile King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, beating Blakeney
Blakeney (horse)
Blakeney was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won the Derby at Epsom as a three-year-old in 1969 and was one of the few winners of the race to campaign successfully at four. He later had a successful stud career.-Background:...
by two lengths. These convincing victories suggested that Nijinsky and regular jockey Lester Piggott
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....
were one of the most formidable horse-and-jockey combination ever seen on a racecourse.
Despite a subsequent attack of ringworm, he won the Doncaster 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...
over one mile and six furlongs, thereby becoming the first horse since Bahram
Bahram
Bahrām or Vahrām meaning "smiting of resistance" or "victorious", may refer to:* Bahrām, the Zoroastrian divinity that is the hypostasis of victory.-Historic people:* one of the Sassanid kings by that name:** Bahrām I, r. 273-276....
35 years earlier to complete the English Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
He remains one of only three 20th century horses to have completed the Triple Crown in peacetime (wartime Triple Crowns in which the three classics were run at the same venue, namely Newmarket, are not recognised by purists) . In his next race, Nijinsky ran in the world-famous Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
at Hippodrome de Longchamp
Hippodrome de Longchamp
The Longchamp Racecourse is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes in the Bois de Boulogne at Paris, France. Built on the banks of the Seine River, it is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tracks and a famous hill that provides a real...
in Paris, France, where the French Derby winner Sassafrás
Sassafrás (horse)
Sassafras was an French Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.Owned by Arpad Plesch he was trained by Francois Mathet and ridden in most of his races by Yves Saint-Martin. He was the champion 3-year-old colt in France, 1970...
defeated him by a head. Many attribute his defeat to an unusually sloppy performance from Piggott, who gave the horse far too much ground to make up in a race not long after his exertions in the St Leger over a longer distance. However,arguably, it was the ringworm attack that took the edge off his form. In his final race (the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
) he again finished second, this time to the five year-old Lorenzaccio. This defeat – while partly due to the horse becoming too excited and sweating in the warm-up – confirmed that Nijinsky was past his brilliant peak; he was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...
near Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
where he became a successful stallion.
During his career, Nijinsky set a new European earnings record and was syndicated for a world-record sum. His defeat at Longchamps took the gloss off a career that many still regard as among the greatest ever. The staff at O'Brien's stable regarded Nijinsky as the greatest of all the champions they had looked after. It is probably true to say that Nijinsky's racing career was the foundation stone for the enormous stud reputation of his sire, Northern Dancer.
Stud record
After being sent to stand at stud in the United States, he was registered there as Nijinsky II.Nijinsky II sired 155 Stakes/Group
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winners, and is the only sire to have a winner of the Kentucky
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Epsom Derbies in the same year. His notable progeny includes:
- CaerleonCaerleon IICaerleon was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was a Champion runner in France and a two-time Champion sire in Great Britain & Ireland. Bred by Seth Hancock at his famous Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, he was out of the mare Foreseer, a daughter of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Round Table...
- Three-Year-Old Champion Colt in France, won the Group One Prix du Jockey ClubPrix du Jockey ClubThe Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
and International StakesInternational StakesThe International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 88 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
, Leading sire in Great Britain & IrelandLeading sire in Great Britain & IrelandThe list below shows the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1751. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
(1988, 1991) - FerdinandFerdinand (horse)Ferdinand was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and 1987 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was voted the 1987 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.He entered stud in 1989 and was later sold to a breeding farm in Japan in 1994....
- 1986 Kentucky DerbyKentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
& 1987 Breeders' Cup ClassicBreeders' Cup ClassicThe Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
, United States Horse of the YearEclipse Award for Horse of the YearThe American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding.... - Golden FleeceGolden Fleece (horse)Golden Fleece was an American-bred and Irish-trained Thoroughbred race horse, winner of the Epsom Derby in 1982. He retired unbeaten from his four races.He was foaled and raised at Hilary J. Boone's Wimbledon Farm in Fayette County....
- won 1982 Epsom DerbyEpsom DerbyThe 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...
, undefeated Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in England & Ireland - Green DancerGreen DancerGreen Dancer was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. A son of the great English Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky, he was bred in Kentucky by Germaine Wertheimer of Paris, France who owned his dam, Green Valley....
- won 1974 Futurity StakesRacing Post TrophyThe Racing Post Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October....
, 1975 Prix LupinPrix LupinThe Prix Lupin was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in May....
, Poule d'Essai des PoulainsPoule d'Essai des PoulainsThe Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts...
, Leading sire in FranceLeading sire in FranceThe list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the season .-----References:* -See also:*...
in 1991 - Ile de Bourbon - won 1978 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
- LammtarraLammtarraLammtarra was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse who won three Group One races in 1995 and was voted the Cartier Three-Year-Old European Champion Colt...
- undefeated, won 1995 Epsom Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de TriomphePrix de l'Arc de TriompheThe Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the... - Royal AcademyRoyal Academy (horse)Royal Academy is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse bred in the United States best known as the winner of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile in which famed British jockey Lester Piggott came out of retirement to ride the colt to victory....
- won July CupJuly CupThe July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
and Breeders' Cup Mile, sired Bullish LuckBullish LuckBullish Luck is a Hong Kong based Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Kentucky, he is the son of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Royal Academy and out of the Alysheba mare Wild Vintage...
, Val RoyalVal RoyalVal Royal was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed successfully in France and the United States. Best known for winning the 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile, he was bred and raced by Jean-Luc Lagardere. Val Royal's dam was Vadlava, a daughter of the 1981 French Derby winner, Bikala... - Seattle DancerSeattle DancerSeattle Dancer was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who is the most expensive yearling ever sold at public auction.-Breeding:...
- in 1985 the world's most expensive yearling, selling for US$13.1 million - Shadeed - won 1985 2,000 Guineas, sired AlydeedAlydeedAlydeed is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Anderson Farms of St. Thomas, Ontario, he was out of the unraced mare Bialy, a daughter of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Alydar...
- ShahrastaniShahrastaniShahrastani is a European Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by HH Aga Khan IV, he was sired by Nijinsky and out of the mare Shademah....
- won 1986 Epsom DerbyEpsom DerbyThe 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...
, Irish DerbyIrish Derby StakesThe Irish Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.It is Ireland's equivalent of the Epsom Derby,... - Sky ClassicSky ClassicSky Classic is a Canadian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. A son of U.K. Triple Crown champion Nijinsky, in 1989 Sky Classic won the Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male Horse in Canada but injuries kept him out for the most of the 1990 racing season.Back racing on grass in 1991, Sky...
- Canadian Horse Racing Hall of FameCanadian Horse Racing Hall of FameThe Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
, U.S. Eclipse Award winnerEclipse AwardThe Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
Nijinsky died in 1992 from laminitis
Laminitis
Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates. It is best known in horses and cattle. Symptoms include lameness, and increased temperature in the hooves...
. He is buried at Claiborne Farm.
Honours
In 1970, a film was made about his racing career entitled A Horse Called Nijinsky. Narrated by Orson Welles, it was released in U.K. movie theaters and in 1988 released on VHS videoVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
. The much-loved Nijinsky team also was voted the 1970 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award
The BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. Currently, the award is given to the British team that "has achieved the most notable performance in British sport". The award's recipient is...
. In a poll in 2000, readers of the UK newspaper The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
voted Nijinsky their "Horse of the Millennium."
Tabulated pedigree
Further reading
- Sampson, Lesley I. Nijinsky: Blue Riband Sire (1985) J.A. Allen & Co Ltd ISBN 0851314112