Cantelo (foaled 1956) was a British
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic ...
and
broodmare
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than f ...
. In a career which lasted from spring 1958 until September 1959 she ran eleven times and won eight races. Cantelo was unbeaten in five races as a two-year-old including the
Royal Lodge Stakes
The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
, in which she defeated colts. As a three-year-old in 1959 she won the
Classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a '' ...
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
, as well as the
Cheshire Oaks and the
Ribblesdale Stakes
The Ribblesdale Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and it is ...
. Her defeats came when finishing second in
The Oaks (to
Petite Etoile
Petite Etoile (foaled 1956) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from June 1958 until September 1961 she won fourteen of her nineteen races and finished second in the other five. After showing promising, but unexception ...
) and the
Park Hill Stakes
The Park Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 115 yards (2 ...
and running fourth to
Alcide
Alcide is the French and Italian version of "Alcides", another name for Heracles.
Alcide may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Alcide'' (Bortniansky), a 1778 opera by Dmitry Bortniansky
* ''Alcide'' (Marais), a 1693 opera by Mar ...
in the
. She was retired from racing after her St Leger win and had some success as a broodmare.
Background
Cantelo was a bay filly bred by her owner, the
bookmaker
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds.
History
The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795.
Range of events
Book ...
William Hill. She was sired by the French-bred
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ...
winner
Chanteur
Chanteur (also known as Chanteur II; 1942–1962) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and sire (horse), sire who was one of a group of French horses, including Caracalla (horse), Caracalla, Marsyas (horse), Marsyas, Arbar (horse ...
, out of an unsuccessful racemare named Rustic Bridge. As a descendant of the broodmare Footlight, Cantelo was a member of
Thoroughbred family 1-m, which also produced
Ahonoora
Ahonoora (1975–1989) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1977 to 1979 he ran sixteen times and won seven races. Ahonoora was a sprinter who specialised in races over five and six furlongs, with his most ...
and
Musidora
Jeanne Roques (23 February 1889 – 11 December 1957), known professionally as Musidora, was a French actress, film director, and writer. She is best known for her acting in silent films, and rose to public attention for roles in the Lou ...
.
Hill sent his filly into training with Captain Charles Elsey at his Highfield stables at
Malton in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
. Cantelo was ridden in her major races by
Edward Hide
Edward Hide (born 12 April 1937) is a retired multiple classic winning British jockey. He was, for a time at his peak, the sixth most successful jockey in British racing history and remains the ninth most successful jockey over 30 years after ...
.
Racing career
1958: two-year-old season
Cantelo won all five of her races in 1958. She won the six
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use i ...
Fenwolf Stakes at
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...
. In September she returned to Ascot for the
Royal Lodge Stakes
The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
over one mile, in which she was matched against a field of colts. Cantelo gave a lot of trouble before the start and delayed the race for some time. She won from Last Line and Pindari, a colt who went on to win the
King Edward VII Stakes
The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 met ...
and the
Great Voltigeur Stakes
The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 1 ...
in 1959. In the Free Handicap, a ranking of the season's best British two-year-olds, she was given a weight of 121
pounds,
twelve pounds behind the top-weight Tudor Melody and seven pounds below the top fillies Rosalba and Lindsay.
1959: three-year-old season
Cantelo began her three-year-old season in the
Cheshire Oaks at
Chester Racecourse
Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, is a racecourse located in Chester, England. The horse racing venue is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the "oldest racecourse still in operation". Horse racing in Chester d ...
in May. She won the race, a recognised trial for
The Oaks by six lengths from Anthelion.
In the Oaks at
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse on the hills associated with Epsom in Surrey, England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs.
The course, which has a crowd capacity of ...
, Cantelo was matched against the
1000 Guineas
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,60 ...
winner Petite Etoile. Cantelo was made favourite ahead of Petite Etoile, whose pedigree had led to doubts regarding her stamina over one and a half miles. Cantelo led the race in the straight but was overtaken by Petite Etoile a furlong from the finish and was beaten three lengths into second place. Two weeks after her Oaks defeat, Cantelo was sent to
Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...
for the
Ribblesdale Stakes
The Ribblesdale Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and it is ...
which she won comfortably from the
Prix des Lilas winner La Coquenne. A month later, Cantelo returned to Ascot for Britain's most valuable and prestigious all-aged race, the
. She finished fourth of the eleven runners behind the 2/1 favourite Alcide, a four-year-old colt.
Cantelo was then trained for the
St Leger Stakes
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster ove ...
at
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated i ...
in September. The gallops at Malton were unusually hard that summer, and Elsey struggled to get the filly in top condition. He therefore decided to complete her preparation by running her in the
Park Hill Stakes
The Park Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 115 yards (2 ...
for fillies at Doncaster, two days before the St Leger. Cantelo appeared likely to win easily in the straight, but was caught in the closing stages and was beaten by the 33/1 outsider Collyria. In the St Leger, Cantelo started at odds of 100/7 in field of eleven, with
The Derby winner
Parthia
Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Mede ...
being made the odds-on favourite. Hide sent Cantelo into the lead in the straight and she won by one and a half lengths from the
Irish Derby
The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distanc ...
winner
Fidalgo
''Fidalgo'' (, ), from Galician and Portuguese —equivalent to nobleman, but sometimes literally translated into English as "son of somebody" or "son of some (important family)"—is a traditional title of Portuguese nobility that refers to a ...
, with Pindari taking third ahead of Parthia. She was the first Yorkshire-trained winner of the race since
Apology
Apology, The Apology, apologize/apologise, apologist, apologetics, or apologetic may refer to:
Common uses
* Apology (act), an expression of remorse or regret
* Apologia, a formal defense of an opinion, position, or action
Arts, entertainment, ...
in 1874, but was given a hostile reception by some racegoers who felt aggrieved by the abrupt improvement in the filly's form since the Park Hill Stakes.
Assessment
In their book ''A Century of Champions'', John Randall and Tony Morris rated Cantelo an "average" St Leger winner and the fiftieth best filly or mare of the 20th century trained in Britain or Ireland.
Cantelo was given a rating of 129
Timeform
Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by ...
in 1959.
Stud career
Cantelo was retired to her owner's stud. She was not a great success as a broodmare but did produce one good horse in Cambridge (sired by Saint Crespin) who won the
Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom in 1965 and later stood as a stallion in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
.
Pedigree
References
{{St Leger Winners
1956 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 1-m
St Leger winners