Humble Duty
Humble Duty | |
---|---|
Sire | Sovereign Path |
Grandsire | Grey Sovereign |
Dam | Flattering |
Damsire | Abernant |
Sex | Mare |
Foaled | 28 April 1967 |
Country | Ireland |
Colour | Grey |
Breeder | Frank Tuthill |
Owner | Jean, Lady Ashcombe |
Trainer | Peter Walwyn |
Record | 11: 8-1-1 |
Earnings | £63,896 |
Major wins | |
Lowther Stakes (1969) Cheveley Park Stakes (1969) 1000 Guineas (1970) Coronation Stakes (1970) Sussex Stakes (1970) Wills Mile (1970) | |
Honours | |
Top-rated British two-year-old filly (1969) Timeform rating: 127 |
Humble Duty (1967–1975) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career lasting from May 1969 until September 1970, the filly ran eleven times and won eight races. As a two-year-old she was rated the best of her age and sex in Britain after winning the Lowther Stakes at York and the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. In the following season she won five races, all over one mile, including the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. She was retired to stud at the end of that season, but had little chance to make an impact as a broodmare, dying in 1975 at the age of eight.
Background
Humble Duty was a grey filly bred at the Owenstown Stud at Maynooth in County Kildare, Ireland by Frank Tuthill. Her sire Sovereign Path, from whom she inherited her colour, was a top class miler who won the Lockinge Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Humble Duty's dam, Flattering was placed in the Cheveley Park Stakes and was out of Flatter, a moderate race mare but a half-sister to The Derby runner-up Gay Time.[1]
As a yearling, Humble Duty was sent to the Newmarket sales where she was bought for 17,000 guineas by the British Bloodstock Agency, acting on behalf of Jean, Lady Ashcombe, the widow of Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe. Humble Duty was sent into training with Peter Walwyn at his Seven Barrows stable at Lambourn.[1]
Racing career
1969: two-year-old season
Humble Duty's first appearance on a racecourse came in May 1969 when she won the Ann Boleyn Stakes over five furlongs at Sandown Park. Although the winning margin was only a length and the opposition moderate,[2] Humble Duty was immediately moved up in class to contest the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. She led for most of the race before being overtaken a furlong from the finish and took third place behind Farfalla. After a break of two months, during which she was affected by a cough,[3] she returned in the Lowther Stakes at York in August in which she was matched against Mange Tout, a filly who had won the Prix d'Arenberg and the Molecomb Stakes. Humble Duty won by three quarters of a length from Pisces, with Mange Tout in third. Her final appearance of the year came in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in October. Humble Duty led from the start and won by 2+1⁄2 lengths from Farfalla and Black Satin.[4]
In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the best two-year-olds to have run in Britain in 1969, Humble Duty was the top-rated filly, seven pounds below the leading colt Nijinsky.[5] She was also made the ante-post favourite for the following year's 1000 Guineas.[6]
1970: three-year-old season
On her first appearance of 1970, Humble Duty ran at Newbury in the Fred Darling Stakes, a trial race for the 1000 Guineas. She appeared less than fully fit and was given a very gentle race by her jockey Lester Piggott in finishing second to Highest Hopes.[2] In the 1000 Guineas two weeks later, Humble Duty started 3/1 joint-favourite in a field of twelve runners. Ridden by Piggott Humble Duty took the lead inside the final quarter mile and drew well clear of her opponents. She won very easily[2] by seven lengths from Gleam, with Black Satin two lengths further back in third and Highest Hopes unplaced. The winning margin was the widest in the race in the 20th century.[7]
Humble Duty was sent to Epsom in June, but bypassed the one and a half mile Oaks, running instead in the Ebbisham Stakes over 8+1⁄2 furlongs and winning by four lengths. At Royal Ascot in June, Humble Duty started at odds of 1/6 in the Coronation Stakes and won very easily[1] from Black Satin, who had won the Irish 1000 Guineas since her defeat at Newmarket. Having beaten the best of her own age and sex, the filly was then tried against colts and older horses in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in July. Ridden by Duncan Keith, Humble Duty won decisively[8] by three-quarters of a length from Gold Rod, Joshua and Welsh Pageant. In August, Humble Duty added another major victory over Goodwood's mile course when she won the Wills Mile by a length from Prince de Galles (Cambridgeshire Handicap) and Yellow God (runner-up to Nijinsky in the 2000 Guineas).[2]
In her final race, Humble Duty failed to reproduce her best form, finishing fourth behind Welsh Pageant, Gold Rod and Prince de Galles in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in September.[1]
Retirement
Humble Duty's breeding career was brief and disappointing. She produced two known foals, neither of whom proved to be of any use as racehorses. In 1974 she miscarried a foal sired by Mill Reef.[9] Humble Duty died in 1975 at the age of eight.
Assessment and honours
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Humble Duty a "superior" winner of the 1000 Guineas and the forty-seventh best filly trained in Britain or Ireland in the 20th century.[7]
Humble Duty was given a rating of 127 by Timeform in 1970.[5]
Pedigree
Sire Sovereign Path (GB) 1956 | Grey Sovereign (GB) 1948 | Nasrullah | Nearco |
---|---|---|---|
Mumtaz Begum | |||
Kong | Baytown | ||
Clang | |||
Mountain Path (GB) 1948 | Bobsleigh | Gainsborough | |
Toboggan | |||
Path of Peace | Winalot | ||
Grand Peace | |||
Dam Flattering (GB) 1961 | Abernant (GB) 1946 | Owen Tudor | Hyperion |
Mary Tudor | |||
Rustom Mahal | Rustom Pasha | ||
Mumtaz Mahal | |||
Flatter (GB) 1947 | Rockefella | Hyperion | |
Rockfel | |||
Daring Miss | Felicitation | ||
Venturesome (Family 21-a)[11] |
References
- ^ a b c d Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1999). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ a b c d "Dominant filly who drew comparisons with Nijinsky". Racing Post. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ "Royal Pancake may prove best bet". Glasgow Herald. 1 October 1969. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ "Black Satin best in fillies race". Glasgow Herald. 16 April 1970. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ "Nijinsky promoted Derby favourite". Glasgow Herald. 30 April 1970. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
- ^ "Humble Duty can confirm superiority over colts". Glasgow Herald. 29 August 1970. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ "Mill Reef's first foal". Glasgow Herald. 8 February 1974. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ "Humble Duty pedigree". equineline.com. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ^ "Wagtail - Family 21-a". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
External links
- Still from television coverage of the 1000 Guineas
- Photograph of Humble Duty returning to the winner's circle at Newmarket
- Press photograph of Humble Duty winning the Sussex Stakes
- v
- t
- e
- 1814 Charlotte
- 1815 Filly by Selim
- 1816 Rhoda
- 1817 Neva
- 1818 Corinne
- 1819 Catgut
- 1820 Rowena
- 1821 Zeal
- 1822 Whizgig
- 1823 Zinc
- 1824 Cobweb
- 1825 Tontine
- 1826 Problem
- 1827 Arab
- 1828 Zoe
- 1829 Young Mouse
- 1830 Charlotte West
- 1831 Galantine
- 1832 Galata
- 1833 Tarantella
- 1834 May-day
- 1835 Preserve
- 1836 Destiny
- 1837 Chapeau d'Espagne
- 1838 Barcarolle
- 1839 Cara
- 1840 Crucifix ‡
- 1841 Potentia
- 1842 Firebrand
- 1843 Extempore
- 1844 Sorella
- 1845 Pic-nic
- 1846 Mendicant
- 1847 Clementine
- 1848 Canezou
- 1849 The Flea
- 1850 Lady Orford
- 1851 Aphrodite
- 1852 Kate
- 1853 Mentmore Lass
- 1854 Virago
- 1855 Habena
- 1856 Manganese
- 1857 Imperieuse
- 1858 Governess
- 1859 Mayonaise
- 1860 Sagitta
- 1861 Nemesis
- 1862 Hurricane
- 1863 Lady Augusta
- 1864 Tomato
- 1865 Siberia
- 1866 Repulse
- 1867 Achievement
- 1868 Formosa ₩ ‡
- 1869 Scottish Queen
- 1870 Hester
- 1871 Hannah ₩
- 1872 Reine
- 1873 Cecilia
- 1874 Apology ₩
- 1875 Spinaway
- 1876 Camelia
- 1877 Belphoebe
- 1878 Pilgrimage
- 1879 Wheel of Fortune
- 1880 Elizabeth
- 1881 Thebais
- 1882 St Marguerite
- 1883 Hauteur
- 1884 Busybody
- 1885 Farewell
- 1886 Miss Jummy
- 1887 Reve d'Or
- 1888 Briarroot
- 1889 Minthe
- 1890 Semolina
- 1891 Mimi
- 1892 La Fleche ₩
- 1893 Siffleuse
- 1894 Amiable
- 1895 Galeottia
- 1896 Thais
- 1897 Chelandry
- 1898 Nun Nicer
- 1899 Sibola
- 1900 Winifreda
- 1901 Aida
- 1902 Sceptre ₩ ‡
- 1903 Quintessence
- 1904 Pretty Polly ₩
- 1905 Cherry Lass
- 1906 Flair
- 1907 Witch Elm
- 1908 Rhodora
- 1909 Electra
- 1910 Winkipop
- 1911 Atmah
- 1912 Tagalie
- 1913 Jest
- 1914 Princess Dorrie
- 1915 Vaucluse
- 1916 Canyon
- 1917 Diadem
- 1918 Ferry
- 1919 Roseway
- 1920 Cinna
- 1921 Bettina
- 1922 Silver Urn
- 1923 Tranquil
- 1924 Plack
- 1925 Saucy Sue
- 1926 Pillion
- 1927 Cresta Run
- 1928 Scuttle
- 1929 Taj Mah
- 1930 Fair Isle
- 1931 Four Course
- 1932 Kandy
- 1933 Brown Betty
- 1934 Campanula
- 1935 Mesa
- 1936 Tide-way
- 1937 Exhibitionnist
- 1938 Rockfel
- 1939 Galatea II
- 1940 Godiva
- 1941 Dancing Time
- 1942 Sun Chariot ₩
- 1943 Herringbone
- 1944 Picture Play
- 1945 Sun Stream
- 1946 Hypericum
- 1947 Imprudence
- 1948 Queenpot
- 1949 Musidora
- 1950 Camaree
- 1951 Belle of All
- 1952 Zabara
- 1953 Happy Laughter
- 1954 Festoon
- 1955 Meld ₩
- 1956 Honeylight
- 1957 Rose Royale
- 1958 Bella Paola
- 1959 Petite Etoile
- 1960 Never Too Late
- 1961 Sweet Solera
- 1962 Abermaid
- 1963 Hula Dancer
- 1964 Pourparler
- 1965 Night Off
- 1966 Glad Rags
- 1967 Fleet
- 1968 Caergwrle
- 1969 Full Dress
- 1970 Humble Duty
- 1971 Altesse Royale
- 1972 Waterloo
- 1973 Mysterious
- 1974 Highclere
- 1975 Nocturnal Spree
- 1976 Flying Water
- 1977 Mrs McArdy
- 1978 Enstone Spark
- 1979 One in a Million
- 1980 Quick As Lightning
- 1981 Fairy Footsteps
- 1982 On The House
- 1983 Ma Biche
- 1984 Pebbles
- 1985 Oh So Sharp ₩
- 1986 Midway Lady
- 1987 Miesque
- 1988 Ravinella
- 1989 Musical Bliss
- 1990 Salsabil
- 1991 Shadayid
- 1992 Hatoof
- 1993 Sayyedati
- 1994 Las Meninas
- 1995 Harayir
- 1996 Bosra Sham
- 1997 Sleepytime
- 1998 Cape Verdi
- 1999 Wince
- 2000 Lahan
- 2001 Ameerat
- 2002 Kazzia
- 2003 Russian Rhythm
- 2004 Attraction
- 2005 Virginia Waters
- 2006 Speciosa
- 2007 Finsceal Beo
- 2008 Natagora
- 2009 Ghanaati
- 2010 Special Duty
- 2011 Blue Bunting
- 2012 Homecoming Queen
- 2013 Sky Lantern
- 2014 Miss France
- 2015 Legatissimo
- 2016 Minding
- 2017 Winter
- 2018 Billesdon Brook
- 2019 Hermosa
- 2020 Love
- 2021 Mother Earth
- 2022 Cachet
- 2023 Mawj