The Fellow
Encyclopedia
The Fellow was an AQPS
top-class National Hunt racehorse in the early 1990s. He won the 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup
and narrowly lost the 1991 and 1992 renewals. He also won the 1991 and 1992 King George VI Chase
and the 1991 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
. Along with Mandarin he is one of only two horses to win both the latter race and the Gold Cup. A full brother to French Horse of the Century, Al Capone II
, The Fellow was trained in France by François Doumen
, ridden by the Polish jockey Adam Kondrat, and owned by the Marquesa De Moratalla.
The Fellow first came to prominence in Britain when he ran in the 1990 King George VI Chase
as a young five-year-old, although the previous month he had won the Group One
Prix La Haye Jousselin
at Auteuil Hippodrome
in France. Although he finished a well-beaten third in the King George behind Desert Orchid
and Toby Tobias he showed himself as a horse of promise. He then ran in a French hurdle race before returning to the UK to run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
. He was still a young horse and went off at 28/1. However, despite his age he ran very well and was only beaten a short-head into second place by Garrison Savannah
and defeated a number of good horses including Desert Orchid
, Cool Ground
and Celtic Shot. In fact, legendary BBC commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan
(possibly biased through being a friend of the horse's owner) thought that The Fellow was going to just get up to win the race.
During the summer of 1991 The Fellow won the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
as well as two other chases. He returned to the UK for another tilt at the King George VI Chase
. In a thrilling finish he just beat Docklands Express and Remittance Man with Desert Orchid
falling when beaten in his last race before retirement. He then tried again to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup
the following spring. Incredibly he lost again by a short head, this time to Cool Ground
with Docklands Express in third.
The next season he won two further races at Auteuil before running in the Hennessy Gold Cup where he was a good third under top-weight behind Sibton Abbey and Jodami. He then retained his King George VI Chase
crown. Although he won the race by 6 lengths he was outpaced entering the home straight and didn't look like the winner at the second last. He went straight to Cheltenham to try to finally win the Gold Cup. He went off the short-priced 5/4 favourite. However, he was well-beaten back in fourth behind Jodami. His jockey Adam Kondrat was heavily criticised by members of the racing press who felt he had kept the horse too far off the pace. Especially scathing in his criticism was John McCririck
. He then was sent off the 7/2 favourite for the Whitbread Gold Cup
. However, he disappointed back in fifth place.
The following season his best performances in his first six races of the season were four thirds. He failed to retain the King George finishing third behind Barton Bank
and Bradbury Star and then came third in the Racing Post Chase
behind Antonin. However, in that race he had stayed on well at the end of the race and was giving lots of weight away to all the rivals bar Docklands Express where it was only 5 pounds. Barton Bank
one of the favourites for the Cheltenham Gold Cup
was injured shortly before the race which improved The Fellow's chances of winning. He went off 7/1 third favourite. Suddenly, everything went right for him and Jodami's mistake at the last fence ended any chance of him stopping The Fellow. He won by a length and a half. Peter Scudamore
made some very interesting comments about the ride the horse was given: " ...and beautifully ridden by Adam Kondrat, who understandably was very hurt by the illinformed, illjudged comments about his previous Gold Cup defeats." The weights for the Grand National
are decided well in advance of the Gold Cup. This left The Fellow with a generous looking 11 stone and 4 pounds to carry. However, the National is a race where the higher weights have a dire record. Additionally, torrential rain made the ground heavy. The Fellow ran well for a long time but quickly tired after Becher's Brook
and fell heavily at the Canal Turn.
The Fellow won a race at Auteuil Hippodrome in the summer of 1994 but was well beaten in other races. This included a final effort at the King George VI Chase where he was pulled up behind Algan. Ironically that horse had the same trainer and owner as The Fellow. His last race was at Auteuil on 18 June 1995 where he was pulled up.
AQPS
AQPS , translated as "Other than thoroughbred", is a general term used in France to refer to horses not listed as Thoroughbreds. Anglo-Arabians, Selle Français , and French Trotters plus all other crossbreds can be qualified as AQPS. For racing purposes, each breed has its own studbook...
top-class National Hunt racehorse in the early 1990s. He won the 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
and narrowly lost the 1991 and 1992 renewals. He also won the 1991 and 1992 King George VI Chase
King George VI Chase
The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles , and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped...
and the 1991 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
The Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris is a Group 1 steeplechase in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,800 metres , and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped...
. Along with Mandarin he is one of only two horses to win both the latter race and the Gold Cup. A full brother to French Horse of the Century, Al Capone II
Al Capone II
Al Capone II is a French Autre Que Pur-Sang steeplechaser. Sired by the Selle Francais jumper, Italic, and out of the mare L'Oranaise, he is a full brother to The Fellow who won the 1991 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, the 1991 & 1992 King George VI Chase, and the 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup.Al...
, The Fellow was trained in France by François Doumen
François Doumen
François Doumen is a French racehorse trainer currently based at Boucé, Orne. From 1956 to 1970 he was an amateur jockey, and he then worked as an assistant trainer to his father Jean. He obtained his own training licence in 1977....
, ridden by the Polish jockey Adam Kondrat, and owned by the Marquesa De Moratalla.
The Fellow first came to prominence in Britain when he ran in the 1990 King George VI Chase
King George VI Chase
The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles , and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped...
as a young five-year-old, although the previous month he had won the Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
Prix La Haye Jousselin
Prix La Haye Jousselin
The Prix La Haye Jousselin is a Group 1 steeplechase in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,500 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in November....
at Auteuil Hippodrome
Auteuil Hippodrome
The Auteuil Hippodrome is a horse racing venue on Route des Lacs in Paris, France. The 33-hectare race course opened November 1, 1873...
in France. Although he finished a well-beaten third in the King George behind Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid , affectionately known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. The gallant grey achieved iconic status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attacking style, iron will and extreme versatility. He was rated the fifth best National Hunt...
and Toby Tobias he showed himself as a horse of promise. He then ran in a French hurdle race before returning to the UK to run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
. He was still a young horse and went off at 28/1. However, despite his age he ran very well and was only beaten a short-head into second place by Garrison Savannah
Garrison Savannah (horse)
Garrison Savannah was a famous racehorse, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1991 by a short-head from The Fellow with Desert Orchid back in third place. In the same year, he came second in the Aintree Grand National. He won the previous year's Royal & SunAlliance Chase. He had only one race...
and defeated a number of good horses including Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid , affectionately known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. The gallant grey achieved iconic status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attacking style, iron will and extreme versatility. He was rated the fifth best National Hunt...
, Cool Ground
Cool Ground
Cool Ground is a former National Hunt racehorse. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1992, as well as the Kim Muir in 1989, the Mildmay Cazalet in 1990 and 1991, the Welsh National in 1990 and the Greenalls Gold Cup in 1991...
and Celtic Shot. In fact, legendary BBC commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan
Peter O'Sullevan
Sir Peter O'Sullevan is a retired horse racing commentator for the BBC from 1947 to 1997, and correspondent for the Press Association, Daily Express and Today.-Early life:...
(possibly biased through being a friend of the horse's owner) thought that The Fellow was going to just get up to win the race.
During the summer of 1991 The Fellow won the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
The Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris is a Group 1 steeplechase in France which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Auteuil over a distance of 5,800 metres , and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped...
as well as two other chases. He returned to the UK for another tilt at the King George VI Chase
King George VI Chase
The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles , and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped...
. In a thrilling finish he just beat Docklands Express and Remittance Man with Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid
Desert Orchid , affectionately known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. The gallant grey achieved iconic status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attacking style, iron will and extreme versatility. He was rated the fifth best National Hunt...
falling when beaten in his last race before retirement. He then tried again to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
the following spring. Incredibly he lost again by a short head, this time to Cool Ground
Cool Ground
Cool Ground is a former National Hunt racehorse. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1992, as well as the Kim Muir in 1989, the Mildmay Cazalet in 1990 and 1991, the Welsh National in 1990 and the Greenalls Gold Cup in 1991...
with Docklands Express in third.
The next season he won two further races at Auteuil before running in the Hennessy Gold Cup where he was a good third under top-weight behind Sibton Abbey and Jodami. He then retained his King George VI Chase
King George VI Chase
The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles , and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped...
crown. Although he won the race by 6 lengths he was outpaced entering the home straight and didn't look like the winner at the second last. He went straight to Cheltenham to try to finally win the Gold Cup. He went off the short-priced 5/4 favourite. However, he was well-beaten back in fourth behind Jodami. His jockey Adam Kondrat was heavily criticised by members of the racing press who felt he had kept the horse too far off the pace. Especially scathing in his criticism was John McCririck
John McCririck
John McCririck is an English television horse racing pundit. He is notable not only for his racing opinions but also for his old-fashioned style of dress and mannerisms...
. He then was sent off the 7/2 favourite for the Whitbread Gold Cup
Bet365 Gold Cup
The Bet365 Gold Cup is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 3 miles and 5½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-four fences to be jumped...
. However, he disappointed back in fifth place.
The following season his best performances in his first six races of the season were four thirds. He failed to retain the King George finishing third behind Barton Bank
Barton Bank
Barton Bank was one of the top National Hunt chasers of the mid 1990s. He won the 1993 King George VI Chase as well as two Charlie Hall Chases at Wetherby...
and Bradbury Star and then came third in the Racing Post Chase
Racing Post Chase
The Racing Post Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles , and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped...
behind Antonin. However, in that race he had stayed on well at the end of the race and was giving lots of weight away to all the rivals bar Docklands Express where it was only 5 pounds. Barton Bank
Barton Bank
Barton Bank was one of the top National Hunt chasers of the mid 1990s. He won the 1993 King George VI Chase as well as two Charlie Hall Chases at Wetherby...
one of the favourites for the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
was injured shortly before the race which improved The Fellow's chances of winning. He went off 7/1 third favourite. Suddenly, everything went right for him and Jodami's mistake at the last fence ended any chance of him stopping The Fellow. He won by a length and a half. Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore , known universally as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey , riding 1,678 winners in his career...
made some very interesting comments about the ride the horse was given: " ...and beautifully ridden by Adam Kondrat, who understandably was very hurt by the illinformed, illjudged comments about his previous Gold Cup defeats." The weights for the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
are decided well in advance of the Gold Cup. This left The Fellow with a generous looking 11 stone and 4 pounds to carry. However, the National is a race where the higher weights have a dire record. Additionally, torrential rain made the ground heavy. The Fellow ran well for a long time but quickly tired after Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year...
and fell heavily at the Canal Turn.
The Fellow won a race at Auteuil Hippodrome in the summer of 1994 but was well beaten in other races. This included a final effort at the King George VI Chase where he was pulled up behind Algan. Ironically that horse had the same trainer and owner as The Fellow. His last race was at Auteuil on 18 June 1995 where he was pulled up.