Night Off (1962 – after 1978) was an Irish-bred, British-trained

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 ...

best known for winning 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 '' ...

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 ...

in 1965. Despite running only twice in 1964 she was the top-rated filly in Britain after a win in the

Cheveley Park Stakes The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it ...

. After recovering from illness to win the 1000 Guineas in April 1965 her form deteriorated, with a second place at

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 ...

being her only notable performance in five subsequent races. She had some success as a broodmare, despite producing only five foals.

Background

Night Off was a bay mare with no white markings bred by her owner, Major Lionel Brook Holliday at his Cleaboy stud in

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

. Holliday sent the filly to his private La Grange stable at

Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred ...

where she was trained by Walter Wharton. Night Off was the most notable racehorse sired by Holliday's stallion Narrator, who won the

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlon ...

and the

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 ...

for his owner in the mid-1950s. Her dam, Persuader, won five races including the 1956

Horris Hill Stakes The Horris Hill Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and ...

, and produced several other winners including Night Off's full brother No Argument. Persuader's dam Palma Rosa, was a French-bred mare bought by Holliday from

Marcel Boussac Marcel Boussac (17 April 1889 – 21 March 1980) was a French entrepreneur best known for his ownership of the Maison Dior and one of the most successful thoroughbred race horse breeding farms in European history. Born in Châteauroux, Indre ...

for 10,500

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where ...

Racing career

1964: two-year-old season

Night Off made her first racecourse appearance at

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

in August when she finished second in the Prendergast Stakes. At the same course in late September she was moved up in class to contest the Cheveley Park Stakes, Britain's most prestigious race for two-year-old fillies. Ridden by

Joe Mercer Joseph Mercer, OBE (9 August 1914 – 9 August 1990) was an English football player and manager. Mercer, who played as a defender for Everton and Arsenal in his footballing career, also went on to manage Aston Villa, Manchester City and En ...

she started at odds of 20/1 and won from the odds-on favourite Fall In Love with Greengage in third place. In the Free Handicap, a rating of the best two-year-olds to have raced in Britain that year, she was the top-rated filly, nine pounds behind the leading colt Double Jump.

1965: three-year-old season

In the spring of 1965, Night Off was one of many British horses to be affected by a respiratory infection which disrupted her training. Despite her problems she recovered sufficiently to contest 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 ...

over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket on 29 April. The filly was ridden by the Australian jockey

Bill Williamson William James Williamson (19 December 1922 – 28 January 1979) was an Australian jockey who enjoyed considerable success in Australia during the 1950s and in Europe during the 1960s. He was named after his father William James Williamson, a ...

and started the 9/2 favourite in a field of sixteen. Night Off won the classic by a neck from Yami, with Mabel three lengths away in third. Night Off was then aimed at the Oaks, but when tried over ten

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 ...

s in the

Musidora Stakes The Musidora Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at ...

York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It attracts around 350, ...

she finished unplaced behind Arctic Melody. On 21 May, Night Off was withdrawn from the Oaks by Holliday who thought she had been drugged or poisoned, stating that the filly was "in a terrible state, almost dead." A drug test was administered by the Jockey Club but was negative. In June Night Off was brought back in distance for the

Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is sched ...

over a mile at

. She looked the likely winner in the straight but was caught on the line and beaten a short head by Greengage. Her form then tailed off and she ran poorly in her three remaining races before being retired at the end of the year.

Assessment

The independent

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 ...

organisation awarded Night Off a rating of 124 in 1964, making her one of the highest rated two-year-old fillies in Europe. In 1965, however, she was given a rating of 113, one of the lowest ever given to a classic winner, and thirteen pounds behind the top-rated three-year-old filly

Aunt Edith Aunt Edith (1962–1986) was a British Thoroughbred race horse and broodmare. In a career which lasted from 1964 until October 1966 she ran nine times and won four races. As a three-year-old in 1965 she won the Nassau Stakes and the Prix Vermeill ...

. In their book ''A Century of Champions'', based on a modified version of the Timeform system John Randall and Tony Morris rated Night Off a "poor" winner of 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 ...

Stud career

Night Off produced only five foals in twelve years at stud, but three of them were winners. The best of her progeny was the filly Madame's Share (sired by Major Portion) who won Prix d'Astarte in 1971. Another of her daughters, Sweet Relations, produced Montekin, winner of the 1983

Waterford Crystal Mile The Celebration Mile is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

. Her son Baldur, (by Breton), showed promise as a two-year-old in 1974 when he finished third to Grundy in the

Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...

but he did not go on to any major successes.

Pedigree

References

{{1000 Guineas winners 1962 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 16-g 1000 Guineas winners