Devon Ditty

Devon Ditty (8 May 1976 – 1999) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a racing career which lasted from April 1978 until August 1980, she won eleven of her twenty-four races, finished second three times and third on four occasions. As a two-year-old she won two minor races from her first four starts but then emerged as arguably the best British filly with five consecutive wins in the Cherry Hinton Stakes, Princess Margaret Stakes, Lowther Stakes, Flying Childers Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes. At three she was mainly campaigned over sprint races: she won the Gus Demmy Stakes at Haydock Park and was placed in the Nell Gwyn Stakes, King George Stakes, Goldene Peitsche and Haydock Sprint Cup. In the following year she raced in California where she won three times from seven races. She later had some success as a broodmare, producing several minor winners.

Background

Devon Ditty was a chestnut mare with a narrow white blaze and white socks on her hind legs bred in Hampshire by Bruce Deane's Littleton Stud. She was sired by Song, a sprinter whose wins included the New Stakes, Temple Stakes, King's Stand Stakes and Diadem Stakes. As a breeding stallion the best of his progeny included Lochsong, Chummy's Favourite (Diadem Stakes) and Sizzling Melody (Flying Childers Stakes). Her dam Devon Night won as a two-year-old in 1968 and was descended from Nairn, a half-sister of The Derby winner Cameronian.

As a yearling, Devon Ditty was offered for sale and bought for 7,800 guineas by Sir Edwin McAlpine. She was sent into training with Harry Thomson Jones at the Woodlands stable in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Racing career

1978: two-year-old season

Devon Ditty made her racecourse debut in a maiden race over five furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse in April, and finished fifth, sixteen lengths behind the winner Carrie Red. She then won a minor race over the same distance at Pontefract at odds of 9/2 and then defeated Songorella by one and a half lengths in the Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley Racecourse in May. In June she was stepped up in class for the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in which she was ridden for the first time by Greville Starkey, who became her regular jockey. She finished strongly and took third place behind Greenland Park and Kilijaro.

In the Group Three Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse in July Devon Ditty started 15/8 favourite despite carrying top weight and racing over six furlongs for the first time. She was restrained by Starkey before producing a strong late run, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning by a length from Mixed Applause. Eleven days later she added a win in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, easily beating Innini, Ring Lady and Strathspey at odds of 8/11. In the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York Racecourse in August, Devon Ditty faced a rematch with Greenland Park who, since the Queen Mary Stakes, had gone on to win the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood. Given an unfavourable draw, Starkey settled the filly before tracking across to the inside rail and launching his challenge approaching the final furlong. Devon Ditty took the lead and won by one and a half lengths from Eyelet, with Greenland Park in third place.

Devon Ditty was dropped back in distance and matched against colts when she contested the Flying Childers Stakes (then a Group One race) over five furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse in September. Greenland Park was again in opposition but her biggest rival appeared to be Abdu, a colt who started favourite after seven previous wins over sprint distances. Starting the 2/1 second choice in the betting, the filly took the lead from Abdu in the closing stages and fought off a challenge from Greenland Park to win by three quarters of a length. Devon Ditty ended her season at Newmarket in October when she started 11/8 favourite for the Cheveley Park Stakes, then the only Group One race in Britain restricted to juvenile fillies. The best of her six opponents appeared to be the Irish-trained Kilijaro, who, since finishing in front of Devon Ditty at Royal Ascot, had won the Phoenix Stakes by six lengths. After being restrained by Starkey as Penny Blessing set the pace from Do Be Daring, the favourite produced her customary late run and got the better of a sustained struggle with Kilijaro to win by a neck. Do Be Daring and Penny Blessing held on for third and fourth.

1979: three-year-old season

On her first appearance as a three-year-old, Devon Ditty was moved up in distance for the seven furlong Nell Gwyn Stakes, a major trial for the 1000 Guineas. She proved no match for the Henry Cecil-trained One In A Million to whom she was attempting to concede seven pounds, and was beaten five lengths into second place. She was stepped up to a mile for the 1000 Guineas three weeks later and finished fifth of the seventeen runners behind One in a Million. After the race she was purchased for an undisclosed sum by Robert Sangster

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