Revoque
Encyclopedia
Revoque is a retired Thoroughbred
racehorse and active sire. He was named European Champion Two Year Old at the Cartier Racing Awards and was officially rated the best two-year-old of 1996 by the International Classification. In his championship season Revoque was unbeaten in four starts including the Group One
Prix de la Salamandre
and the Group One Grand Criterium
. He was retired after winning once from six starts as a three year old. He currently stands as a stallion in Shropshire
.
high, was bred in Ireland by the County Cork
based Minch Bloodstock. His sire Fairy King, a full brother to Sadler's Wells
, sired the winners of over five-hundred races, including Helissio
(Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
), Falbrav
and Oath
(Derby
). His dam La Bella Fontana, a daughter of the Cumberland Lodge Stakes
winner Lafontaine, also produced the Prix Eugene Adam
winner King of Tara.
Revoque was sent to the Tattersalls
November sales as a weanling
in 1994. He was bought for 36,000 gns
by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne on behalf of Robert Sangster
. The intention was to sell the horse on at a profit as a yearling (a practice known as "pinhooking"), but Revoque grew so quicky that Sangster decided that he was "too big and boat-like" to attract bidders. He was therefore kept to race in Sangster's own colours and was sent into training with Peter Chapple-Hyam
at Manton, Wiltshire
. He was ridden in all his races by John Reid
in July. Sent off the 7/2 second favourite he raced prominently before being moved into the lead inside the final furlong
and running on strongly to win by half a length from Shii-Take. In August he was sent to York
for the Acomb Stakes
(now a Group Three
race), for which he was made second favourite behind the odds-on In Command
. Reid tracked the leaders on Revoque, before moving the colt into the lead a furlong from the finish. Revoque pulled away to win by two and a half lengths from Symonds Inn. The form of the race was later boosted when In Command, who finished third, won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
in October.
Revoque was then moved up to Group One level to contest the Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp in September, after a plan to run him in the Champagne Stakes was abandoned due to the unsuitably firm ground. In the Longchamp race he was held up by Reid in the early stages before making his challenge in the straight. Revoque accelerated into the lead and pulled away to win by three lengths from The West, with the odds-on favourite Zamindar in third. Immediately after the race he was offered at odds of 10/1 for the following year's 2000 Guineas. A month later, Revoque returned to Longchamp and was made odds-on favourite for the Grand Criterium. After seeming to be struggling early in the straight he stayed on strongly to take the lead inside the final furlong and win by two lengths from Majorien. After the race Chapple-Hyam praised the colt as "the best two-year-old in Europe" and added that "once this horse gets into gear it's all over". The bookmakers reacted by cutting his odds for the 2000 Guineas to 7/1.
(he had not originally been entered the race) but he was first aimed at the 2000 Guineas. He made his debut in a recognised Guineas trial race, the Greenham Stakes
at Newbury
. He started favourite, but in a closely contested finish he was beaten a head by Yalaietanee, losing his unbeaten record. Despite his defeat, his connections were happy with his performance, and Revoque was sent off 100/30 favourite in the 2000 Guineas three weeks later. He broke slowly and was towards the back of the field in the early running. As the race entered the closing stages, Revoque was trapped behind horses and Reid had to switch him to the outside to find a clear run. He then made rapid progress in the last two furlongs of the race to finish second, beaten three quarters of a length by Entrepreneur Some observers considered him a rather unlucky loser.
Revoque was expected to be a major contender for the Epsom Derby
and looked impressive in training gallops. At The Curragh
at the end of May however, he ran his first disappointing race, finishing sixth, beaten ten lengths by Desert King when favourite for the Irish 2000 Guineas
. Revoque had looked the likely winner in the straight but faded badly in the closing stages. The performance was explained when the colt was revealed to have been suffering from a viral infection which affected many of the horses in Chapple-Hyam's stable.
The effects of the virus, and a recurring problem with lameness meant that Revoque was off the course for almost four months before reappearing in a minor stakes race at Doncaster
in September. His two rivals included Bahhare, a colt who had once been favourite for the 2000 Guineas and had been ranked second to Revoque in the International Classification. Revoque raced in second before moving through easily to take the lead and winning "readily" by one and a half lengths. On his last two starts, Revoque failed to recapture his best form, running unplaced in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
and the Champion Stakes
.
. In January 1997 the official International Classification ranked Revoque as the best two-year-old of the 1996 season.
Timeform rated Revoque at 122 as a two-year-old and 124 as a three-year-old.
, Ireland at an initial fee of £7,500. In 1999 he was shuttled to the Eliza Park Stud in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. Revoque stood at the Rathbarry Stud, in County Cork
from 2004 to 2006 and was then moved to his current base at the Yorton Farm Stud in Shropshire where he stands at a fee of £1,500.
Revoque has sired the winners of more than 200 races but none at the highest level. The best of his offspring has been Rebel Rebel, who finished second in the 2000 Guineas and won the Poker Handicap
at Belmont Park
.
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 active sire. He was named European Champion Two Year Old at the Cartier Racing Awards and was officially rated the best two-year-old of 1996 by the International Classification. In his championship season Revoque was unbeaten in four starts including the Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Prix de la Salamandre
Prix de la Salamandre
The Prix de la Salamandre was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1872, and it was...
and the Group One Grand Criterium
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...
. He was retired after winning once from six starts as a three year old. He currently stands as a stallion in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Background
Revoque, a "huge" bay horse, standing 16.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high, was bred in Ireland by the County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
based Minch Bloodstock. His sire Fairy King, a full brother to Sadler's Wells
Sadler's Wells (horse)
Sadler's Wells was a Thoroughbred racehorse that was later a leading sire in France, Great Britain & Ireland and North America during the 1990s. He was foaled in 1981 in the United States, but achieved most of his racing and breeding fame in Europe....
, sired the winners of over five-hundred races, including Helissio
Helissio
Helissio is a Thoroughbred racehorse sired by Fairy King and a grandson of Northern Dancer. Owned by the Spanish businessman Enrique Sarasola, he was voted the European Horse of the Year for 1996...
(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...
), Falbrav
Falbrav
Falbrav is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire, bred in Ireland but trained in Italy and the United Kingdom during his racing career which ran from 2000 to 2004...
and Oath
Oath (horse)
Oath is a retired Thoroughbred race horse, bred in Ireland and trained in the United Kingdom, best known for winning the 1999 Epsom Derby. He was injured in his next race and never ran again. He is currently an active sire in India....
(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...
). His dam La Bella Fontana, a daughter of the Cumberland Lodge Stakes
Cumberland Lodge Stakes
The Cumberland Lodge Stakes is a Group 3 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 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September.The event is named after Cumberland Lodge,...
winner Lafontaine, also produced the Prix Eugene Adam
Prix Eugène Adam
The Prix Eugène Adam is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
winner King of Tara.
Revoque was sent to the Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
November sales as a weanling
Weanling
A weanling is an animal that has just been weaned. The term is usually used to refer to a type of young horse, a foal that has been weaned, usually between the ages of 6 months and a year. Once a year old, the horse is referred to as a yearling.-References:...
in 1994. He was bought for 36,000 gns
Guinea (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...
by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne on behalf of Robert Sangster
Robert Sangster
Robert Edmund Sangster was a British businessman, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was British flat racing Champion Owner five times and his horses won many major races, including two Epsom Derbys, four Irish Derbys, two French Derbys, three Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes and a Melbourne...
. The intention was to sell the horse on at a profit as a yearling (a practice known as "pinhooking"), but Revoque grew so quicky that Sangster decided that he was "too big and boat-like" to attract bidders. He was therefore kept to race in Sangster's own colours and was sent into training with Peter Chapple-Hyam
Peter Chapple-Hyam
Peter Chapple-Hyam is a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He trained Dr Devious to win the Epsom Derby in 1992 and repeated the feat with Authorized in 2007. He managed two Group One wins in his first season as a trainer in 1991...
at Manton, Wiltshire
Manton, Wiltshire
Manton is a small village in Wiltshire on the outskirts of Marlborough just off the A4 Bath Road.Manton village is part of the Parish of Preshute, and as such includes St Georges Church, and Preshute Primary The Outside Chance is the only pub in the village....
. He was ridden in all his races by John Reid
1996: two-year-old season
Revoque made his debut in a maiden race at AscotAscot 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 July. Sent off the 7/2 second favourite he raced prominently before being moved into the lead inside the final furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
and running on strongly to win by half a length from Shii-Take. In August he was sent to York
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
for the Acomb Stakes
Acomb Stakes
The Acomb Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at York over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
(now a Group Three
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
race), for which he was made second favourite behind the odds-on In Command
In Command
In Command is a live album by Canadian band Annihilator. Tracks 1-5 recorded live on November 11, 1989 at The Ritz, New York, NY. Tracks 6-14 recorded live on November 2, 1990 at The Showroom, San Antonio, TX.-Track listing:# "W.T.Y.D."# "Wicked Mystic"...
. Reid tracked the leaders on Revoque, before moving the colt into the lead a furlong from the finish. Revoque pulled away to win by two and a half lengths from Symonds Inn. The form of the race was later boosted when In Command, who finished third, won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. 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 October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
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...
in October.
Revoque was then moved up to Group One level to contest the Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp in September, after a plan to run him in the Champagne Stakes was abandoned due to the unsuitably firm ground. In the Longchamp race he was held up by Reid in the early stages before making his challenge in the straight. Revoque accelerated into the lead and pulled away to win by three lengths from The West, with the odds-on favourite Zamindar in third. Immediately after the race he was offered at odds of 10/1 for the following year's 2000 Guineas. A month later, Revoque returned to Longchamp and was made odds-on favourite for the Grand Criterium. After seeming to be struggling early in the straight he stayed on strongly to take the lead inside the final furlong and win by two lengths from Majorien. After the race Chapple-Hyam praised the colt as "the best two-year-old in Europe" and added that "once this horse gets into gear it's all over". The bookmakers reacted by cutting his odds for the 2000 Guineas to 7/1.
1997: three-year-old season
Before the start of the 1997 season Revoque was a supplementary entry for the Epsom DerbyEpsom 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...
(he had not originally been entered the race) but he was first aimed at the 2000 Guineas. He made his debut in a recognised Guineas trial race, the Greenham Stakes
Greenham Stakes
The Greenham Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April....
at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
. He started favourite, but in a closely contested finish he was beaten a head by Yalaietanee, losing his unbeaten record. Despite his defeat, his connections were happy with his performance, and Revoque was sent off 100/30 favourite in the 2000 Guineas three weeks later. He broke slowly and was towards the back of the field in the early running. As the race entered the closing stages, Revoque was trapped behind horses and Reid had to switch him to the outside to find a clear run. He then made rapid progress in the last two furlongs of the race to finish second, beaten three quarters of a length by Entrepreneur Some observers considered him a rather unlucky loser.
Revoque was expected to be a major contender for 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 looked impressive in training gallops. At The Curragh
Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...
at the end of May however, he ran his first disappointing race, finishing sixth, beaten ten lengths by Desert King when favourite for the Irish 2000 Guineas
Irish 2000 Guineas
The Irish 2,000 Guineas 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 it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
. Revoque had looked the likely winner in the straight but faded badly in the closing stages. The performance was explained when the colt was revealed to have been suffering from a viral infection which affected many of the horses in Chapple-Hyam's stable.
The effects of the virus, and a recurring problem with lameness meant that Revoque was off the course for almost four months before reappearing in a minor stakes race 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 :...
in September. His two rivals included Bahhare, a colt who had once been favourite for the 2000 Guineas and had been ranked second to Revoque in the International Classification. Revoque raced in second before moving through easily to take the lead and winning "readily" by one and a half lengths. On his last two starts, Revoque failed to recapture his best form, running unplaced in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
The Queen Elizabeth II 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 it is now scheduled to take place each year in October. As of 2011, it is run on Champions Day as the final race...
and 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...
.
Assessment
At the Cartier Racing Awards in November 1996, Revoque was named European Champion Two-Year-Old. The situation was somewhat confused, as a separate award for Champion Two-Year-Old Colt was given to Bahamian BountyBahamian Bounty
Bahamian Bounty is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt at the 1996 Cartier Racing Awards. In his championship season, Bahamian Bounty won three of his five races including two Group One races, the Prix Morny in France and the...
. In January 1997 the official International Classification ranked Revoque as the best two-year-old of the 1996 season.
Timeform rated Revoque at 122 as a two-year-old and 124 as a three-year-old.
Stud career
Revoque was retired to stand at the Morristown Lattin Stud in County KildareCounty Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland at an initial fee of £7,500. In 1999 he was shuttled to the Eliza Park Stud in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. Revoque stood at the Rathbarry Stud, in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
from 2004 to 2006 and was then moved to his current base at the Yorton Farm Stud in Shropshire where he stands at a fee of £1,500.
Revoque has sired the winners of more than 200 races but none at the highest level. The best of his offspring has been Rebel Rebel, who finished second in the 2000 Guineas and won the Poker Handicap
Poker Handicap
The Poker Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is raced on turf at a distance of one mile ....
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
.