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Can’t think of any off the top of my head but who is the best horse that made a debut as a 3 y/o or later.?
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Well, I suppose I could have a quick bite at this one. Just to support Nathan of course.
Cigar. Did not run as a two year old. Was very average as a three year old, winning two ordinary races out of nine. The rest of his career was extraordinary, at the highest possible level. His Wikipedia page is a better, quicker guide than I could possibly provide.
Another late developer, in a different sense in that he raced thirty-five times as a two year old, was Seabiscuit. He was hopeless in his early career, but then went on to be American Horse Of The Year as a five year old.
More recently, over in Europe, Rail Link did not race as a two year old; then clipped heels and unseated his jockey in his first race at three. Finished second in his next race and then went unbeaten until injury finished his career. He won the Arc beating the likes of Pride (Hong Kong Cup, Champion Stakes, etc) , Deep Impact (7 Group Ones), Hurricane Run (Arc, Irish Derby, King George, etc), Sixties Icon (St. Leger), Shirocco (Breeders Cup Turf, Coronation Cup, German Derby, etc).
Morston , winner of the 1973 Derby didn’t race until he was 3 , winning his debut at Lingfield . His next and final race was at Epsom .
Curlin , champion racehorse in the USA , began his racing career at 3 , as did this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner , Justify .
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Thanks for the replies
People should take a look at Eclipse’s race record and never moan at small field races again
half of his races were walkovers……..
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Sir Henry’s English & Irish Derby winner Commander In Chief comes to mind.
He did not race as a 2yr old but made his debut in a 10F maiden at the Craven Meeting, then came back 18 days later at the guineas meeting for a 12F conditions race and then 12 days later dropped back to 10F to win the Glasgow Stakes (which was run at York’s Dante meeting) and then a few weeks later he became Mick Kinane’s first Derby winner.
He went on to complete the Derby double at the Curragh beating the 12F French Derby winner Hernando – he then lost his unbeaten record in the King George when finishing 3rd to Opera House and Arc runner up White Muzzle. Sadly he never ran again as he was immediately sold to stud in Japan (probably due to the link they had with his sire Dancing Brave).
For one so inexperienced he managed to cram a lot into his actual 4 month 6 race career.
I give you one of my favourites from last few years, Frankels brother Noble Mission,, late debut 2 YO,, average to half decent as 3 year old,, very similar as 4YO, then 5YO season something dropped – Doyle ran him from the front, and ended up winning the Champion Stakes in his final start, after few G1 prior must have improved near a stone from 4 to 5
Another contender (although he admittedly doesn’t fit the criteria outlined in the opening post) must surely be Daylami. A promising juvenile (won a listed race and was second in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud), he progressed at three (won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains) and again at four (Tattersalls Gold Cup, Eclipse and Man O’War) but really blossomed as a five year old, winning the Coronation Cup, King George, Irish Champion and Breeders Cup Turf. His performance at Leopardstown was particularly stunning and he ended up with a lofty Timeform rating of 138.
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