Collier Hill (foaled 26 March 1998) is a British

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

. He was bred by the prominent American sportsman

George W. Strawbridge, Jr. George W. Strawbridge Jr. (born October 10, 1937) is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman and philanthropist. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Margaret ("Peggy") Dorrance and the stockbroker George ...

who was involved in both

steeplechase SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time. He began recording concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, ...

and

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, 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 spor ...

and who raced in Europe and the United States.

Background

Out of the mare Polar Queen, a granddaughter of Danzig, Collier Hill was sired by the 1992

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

winner,

Dr Devious Dr Devious (10 March 1989 – 7 March 2018) was an Irish-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse and Sire (horse), sire. In a career which lasted from May 1991 until November 1992, he ran fifteen times and won six races. H ...

. He was an unbroken three-year-old when

Melsonby Melsonby is a village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies west of the A1(M) motorway and north of the A66. Etymology The second element in the name ''Melsonby'' is the Old Norse suffix ''-by'', meaning "farm, ...

trainer

Alan Swinbank Alan Swinbank (c.1945 – 17 May 2017) was a British racehorse trainer whose horses competed in both Flat racing and National Hunt racing. Swinbank was based at racing stables in Melsonby, North Yorkshire. He trained the winners of more than 800 r ...

purchased him at the 2001 Ascot Bloodstock Sales for £5,500. Swinbank sold a half-interest in the horse to Russell Hall and then the remaining half to Ashley Young. Renamed from Dr Freeze to Collier Hill after a hill on a farm owned by Hall, the horse suffered from a number of physical ailments and his race conditioning was a slow process.

Racing career

Collier Hill began his racing career in bumper races in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, where trainer Alan Swinbank operated his stables. He earned his first win as a four-year-old in March 2002 in a two-mile race at

Catterick Bridge Racecourse Catterick Racecourse, sometimes known as Catterick Bridge Racecourse, is a thoroughbred horse racing venue one-mile northwest of Catterick in North Yorkshire, England, near the hamlet of Catterick Bridge. The first racing at Catterick was held ...

Catterick Bridge Catterick Bridge is a hamlet about north of Catterick, North Yorkshire, Catterick, at the south end of Catterick Bridge (bridge), Catterick road bridge. The hamlet includes Catterick Racecourse and a few houses. The Sunday market, held at the ...

. After moderate success in

hurdling Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today ...

races, Collier Hill began to show promise in flat racing, focusing on events where he could use his demonstrated ability at middle to long distances. In 2004, he won a

Listed race Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triom ...

Hamilton Park Racecourse Hamilton Park racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue in Hamilton, Scotland to the south of Glasgow. It is a flat racing venue, with a season which runs from May to September. The very first race to take place in Hamilton was in 1782 ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, then earned his first significant victory when his handlers entered him in the

Group 3 Group 3 may refer to: * Group 3 element, chemical element classification * Group 3 (motorsport), FIA classification of cars used in auto racing and rallying * Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing * Group 3 image ...

Stockholm Cup International The Stockholm Cup International is a Group 3 flat horse race in Sweden open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Bro Park over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in Septem ...

at Taby Racecourse in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. He was ridden by 45-year-old journeyman

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

Dean McKeown Dean Russell McKeown (born 5 February 1960) is a retired British Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He embarked on his professional career as a teenager, earning his first win in 1977. While never a Champion jockey, McKeown has won a number of imp ...

, who rode him for the rest of his career. Having handled travelling well, Collier Hill was sent to compete at

Nad Al Sheba Racecourse Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It had a 2,200 m left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed grass, turf course of the same distance. It operated from November throug ...

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

in early 2005, where he won a turf handicap and ran third in the

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...

. While the horse was racing in Dubai, a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

diagnosed him as suffering from

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

that required medication being given through injections in his joints on a near bi-monthly basis. With an affinity for travelling and running on new venues, Collier Hill was shipped to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, where he won the 2005 Group 2

Gerling-Preis The Gerling-Preis is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles) at Cologne in late April or early May. History The event was est ...

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and finished second in the Group 1 Deutschland-Preis at

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

. In July, he finished second by a head in the

Curragh Cup The Curragh Cup is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh Racecourse, Curragh over a ...

at Ireland's famed

Curragh Racecourse The Curragh Racecourse is a flat racecourse in County Kildare, Ireland. The racecourse is home to Ireland’s five most important flat races, known as the Irish Classic Races, Classics. Racing takes place 23 days each year from the end of March ...

and came back in September to win the Group 1 Irish St. Leger, defeating

Vinnie Roe Vinnie Roe is a retired Ireland, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire (horse), sire. He won the Irish St. Leger for four years in succession (2001–2004) and was named Cartier Champion Stayer, European Champion Stayer in the Cartier Ra ...

, who had won the race the previous four years. A disagreement between co-owner Ashley Young and trainer Alan Swinbank led to Collier Hill being put up for sale at a

Tattersalls Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founding It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. ...

auction in October. Co-owner Russell Hall was the successful bidder who then immediately sold Young's former half-share to David Abell and Richard Crowe. In 2006, Collier Hill raced with great success at venues around the world. He finished second in a repeat appearance in the Dubai Sheema Classic, returned to Sweden to win another

, and became the first 8-year-old to win the C$2 million

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Canadian International Stakes The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses from three years of age and upwards on Turf. It is held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is . History The Cana ...

Woodbine Racetrack Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The track ...

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and the

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14 million

Hong Kong Vase The Hong Kong Vase is a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run each year in mid-December over a distance of 2,400 metres (about miles o ...

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. In the spring of 2007, Collier Hill was scheduled to make his first start of the year in the Dubai Sheema Classic. However, his age and continued arthritic affliction led to his withdrawal. After a career that saw him race in eight countries and earn more than £2.3 million in prize money, the gelding was retired. When Collier Hill made his appearance in the Canadian International Stakes in Toronto, the

Woodbine Entertainment Group Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), known as the Ontario Jockey Club from 1881 to 2001, is the operator of two horse racing tracks, a casino and off-track betting stations in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. It also owns and operates ...

pre-race publicity described him this way: "For fans of class, versatility and the ageless veteran, Collier Hill, is your equine superhero.

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References

Collier Hill's pedigree and partial racing stats

Video at YouTube of Collier Hill winning the 2006 Canadian International

Video at YouTube of Collier Hill winning the 2006 Hong Kong Vase

1998 racehorse births Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 9-c Byerley Turk sire line