Sea Pigeon was a racehorse who excelled in both National Hunt

National Hunt racing

National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 and flat racing

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

.

As a son of the great 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...

 winner Sea Bird II

Sea Bird II

Sea Bird II is considered by many to be the greatest post-war European flat racehorse. His Timeform rating of 145 is still the highest ever flat figure awarded by that publication. Sea Bird II is most famous for his breathtaking victories in two of Europe's most prestigious races: the Epsom Derby...

, Sea Pigeon was bred to be a high class horse on the flat, but his efforts as a three-year-old were slightly lacklustre - trained by Jeremy Tree, he ran in the 1973 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...

, but only finished 7th behind Morston

Morston (horse)

Morston was a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for winning the 1973 Epsom Derby on his second racecourse appearance. He was then injured, and retired undefeated.-Background:...

. He was subsequently gelded

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...

 and was sold at the end of the season.

Following a short spell with trainer Gordon Richards, Sea Pigeon joined Peter (M.H.) Easterby

Peter Easterby

Miles Henry 'Peter' Easterby is a retired British racehorse trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer three times....

's stable at the start of the 1976-7 National Hunt season, and he became a top class performer in hurdle races

Hurdling (horse race)

A Hurdle race in England is a National Hunt horse race where the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles that are over three and a half feet high. They are typically made of brush, that has some flexability. Hurdle races always have a minimum of eight hurdles and a minimum distance of two miles ....

. His flat career also started to blossom with a succession of wins in top handicaps

Handicap races

A handicap race in horse racing is a race in which horses carry different weights, allocated by the handicapper. A better horse will carry a heavier weight, to give him or her a disadvantage when racing against slower horses...

 - he won the Chester Cup

Chester Cup

The Chester Cup is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Chester over a distance of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 147 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....

 in 1977 and 1978, and the Ebor Handicap

Ebor Handicap

The Ebor Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

 carrying 10 stone, which is still a record, in 1979. Sea Pigeon was ridden to his Ebor win by his regular hurdles partner Jonjo O'Neill

Jonjo O'Neill

Jonjo O'Neill is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England, O'Neill is the private trainer to J. P. McManus, one of the largest owners of steeplechasers and...

 – unfortunately due to the long ITV strike of that year, only those who were present at York that day saw it.

After finishing runner up to Monksfield

Monksfield

Monksfield was an Irish-trained National Hunt racehorse who won the Champion Hurdle in 1978 and 1979.There was never much of Monksfield, but his small frame hid an attitude of great determination. If it came to a fight Monksfield would not only want to be in it, he would expect to win it...

 in the Champion Hurdle

Champion Hurdle

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 in both 1978 and 1979, Sea Pigeon won the race in 1980, beating Monksfield by 7 lengths, and again in 1981, becoming the oldest ever winner of the race. The riding of his jockey John Francome

John Francome

John Francome MBE is a former National Hunt Champion Jockey.Born in Swindon the son of a railway fireman, his family had no connection with the horse racing world. At sixteen years old he became apprentice to Lambourn trainer Fred Winter and so began his career as a jockey. He rode a total of...

 in the latter year has been highly praised.

Having contracted a virus, shortly before the 1981 Aintree Festival, he never properly recovered, and was retired just before the 1982 Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...

. He had won 21 races from 40 starts over jumps and 16 races from 45 starts on the flat.