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Miesque was superb racehorse.
She had an amazing turn of foot. Of her sixteen races ran, she won twelve, was second three times, and was third once. Champion in both France and the UK.
She won the Breeders Cup twice – and defeated Steinlin and Bet Twice (Belmont Stakes winner) in the process. In fact, she won as she liked – by four lengths
The best miler ( filly) I have seen.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
OK – most of you are British ("that explains, but doesn’t excuse" as one of your queens once said
).The greatest filly of all should have been Kincsem (HUN) – unbeaten all over Europe in 54 races. She even won in GB – Goodwood Cup, while the best British trained horses of those days did not dare to run against her.
She made all her journeys in a train-wagon, accompanied by a cat.
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My most memorable race is probably the day I had a lot of money on Tryptych in her second Coronation Cup – I was there that day, and she almost pulled herself up before finally consenting to join the leaders up the straight and then go past them near the line deigning to put in only the very minimum effort.
It says a lot about Oh So Sharp that she laughed at Triptych in the 1985 Oaks. I can’t think of another horse who beat Triptych by six lengths, unextended, on soft ground. That was one of the great performances and doesn’t get the credit it deserves: Timeform were having the proverbial laugh when they rated Oh So Sharp only on 131, based on her defeat by Petoski on ground far too firm for her (she palbably didn’t let herself down), in the King George.
Some real legends from the past in this thread; excellent stuff.
The greatest filly of all should have been Kincsem (HUN) – unbeaten all over Europe in 54 races. She even won in GB – Goodwood Cup, while the best British trained horses of those days did not dare to run against her.
She made all her journeys in a train-wagon, accompanied by a cat.
A miracle, hands down.
I’ll happily back up Kincsem although I must get involved in the Miesque v Indian Skimmer debate; anyone who thinks that Indian Skimmer was a better filly than Miesque needs their heads examined. Indian Skimmer outstayed her rival in the Diane but regularly failed to live up to her billing as the greatest horse Henry Cecil ever trained. Miesque was stunning in her triumphs, and kept coming back for more.
On Channel 4 Racing a couple of years ago Jim McGrath made a list of his own top 10 fillies/mares (I think it was on the day Ouija Board ran in the Eclipse). If my memory is correct he had Allez France at number one. I shall look for my copy of that day’s racing and post a full list of Jim’s top 10.
Ona slight tangent – how on earth can the BHA rate Soviet Song 4lb inferior to Attraction? The formbook would suggest otherwise.
Sceptre must come top or near top,
From what I’ve read (Neck or Nothing is a brilliant read), had she been with a more conventional trainer during her three-yr-old career, she would probably have had a much more (even by the standards of 1902) conventional campaign. We might never have known the true heights of her versatility, toughness and brilliance.Oh So Sharp, Diminuendo
Oh So Sharp proved how great she was with a triple crown. If she did it today she would be hailed from the highest tower and lorded as a superstar.
Diminuendo went close to emulating her but for the steward watering the course, and as happens 6 inches of rain fell the night before the race making the ground in her ledger bid heavy, btn shthd.These where great animals and their like will probably not be seen again.
I agree totally about Kincsem, who was an amazing mare and highly intelligent as well. The lad who did her called himself "Frankie Kincsem" apparently, and was absolutely devoted to her.
In more recent times, I have enjoyed the exploits of several of the top French fillies – mainly Allez France, Dahlia and Urban Sea, though I also liked Riverqueen too. I must also mention another of my favourites, Marisela. She was a lovely filly, owned by Mexican actress Maria-Felix Berger and trained by Francois Boutin, and finished second to Waterloo in both the Cheveley Park Stakes and the One Thousand Guineas. As a three year old, she did train off somewhat,but she won the Prix de la Calonne at Deauville (her only success) under Sandy Barclay, beating subsequent Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe winner San San,and she was unlucky in the Oaks, being struck into and being unable to reveal her best form.
Good memories and happy days.
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