Night Raid (foaled 1918 in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

) was a

Leading sire in Australia The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in Australia for each season since 1883–84. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. The 2016 novel ''Mount ...

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 ...

racehorses 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 sired two leading racehorses,

Phar Lap Phar Lap (4 October 1926 – 5 April 1932) was a New Zealand-born champion Australian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Achieving great success during his distinguished career, his initial underdog status gave people hope during the ear ...

and

Nightmarch Nightmarch (1925−1954) was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse known as ''The Kiwi''. He won the New Zealand Derby and Dunedin Cup as a three-year-old before going to Australia where he became the first horse to win both t ...

Background

He was sired by the

Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 m ...

and

Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3 ...

winner, Radium and his dam Sentiment was by The Derby winner and good sire,

Spearmint Spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many othe ...

. Radium was the sire of several stakes winners including

Clarissimus The constitution of the late Roman Empire was an unwritten set of guidelines and principles passed down, mainly through precedent, which defined the manner in which the late Roman Empire was governed. As a matter of historical convention, the lat ...

, who won

2,000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each year ...

. Sentiment's only stakes winner was Night Raid. He was line-bred to

Galopin Galopin (1872–1899) was a Great Britain, British Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In a racing career which lasted from June 1874 until October 1875 he ran nine times and won eight races. He was one of ...

in the 4th and 5th generation (4m x 5f).Morris, Simon; ''Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World'', Syntax Software

Racing career

Although well bred, Night Raid was only moderately successful on the racecourse, not winning any of his six starts in England, but he did finish third in a Nursery Selling Plate. In Australia he had twenty-nine starts for one win and a dead heat.Pring, Peter; "Analysis of Champion Racehorses", The Thoroughbred Press, Sydney, 1977,

Stud record

Night Raid served one season at stud in Australia during 1923 and then resumed racing. He was retired to stud in New Zealand in 1924. His legacy as a sire is outstanding. Night Raid sired two great racehorses, namely

and

, victors in the successive

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...

in 1929 and 1930. In all Night Raid sired 13 stakeswinners that had 75 stakeswins, including: * Blixten (won RRC

Rosehill Guineas The Rosehill Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia annually in March. Total prize money for t ...

etc.) * Nightbeam (won

The Metropolitan (ATC) The Metropolitan is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under open handicap conditions, for horses aged three years old and older, over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in early October ...

etc.) * Nightly (winner of seven Principal Races in Australia and New Zealand including CJC

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held in March each year. History The New Zealand Derby i ...

, MVRC

Moonee Valley Cup The Moonee Valley Gold Cup is a registered Moonee Valley Racing Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four-years-old and upwards under Set Weights with penalties conditions, over a distance of 2,500 metres, held annually at Moonee ...

, CJC Canterbury Cup) *

(RRC

Rawson Stakes The Ranvet Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of 2,000 metres, held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in March. Total prize money is A$1 ...

New Zealand Cup The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race run at the Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch. New Zealand Cup week The New Zealand Cup is raced on the final Saturday of Christchurch "Cup week" held each year in the second week of Nov ...

, WS

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racin ...

and AJC

Epsom Handicap The Epsom Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, under handicap conditions over a distance of 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in early October. Prize money i ...

(

Australian Derby The Australian Derby is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April, during the Autumn ATC Championships Carnival. The race is considered to b ...

, VRC

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse ...

, WS

wiceand 1932

Agua Caliente Handicap The Agua Caliente Handicap is a defunct thoroughbred horse race that was once the premier event at Agua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, and the richest race in North America. Inaugurated in 1917 as the Coffroth Handicap, ...

, plus Aesulus, Lady Graceful, Pillow Fight, Peter Jackson and The Cardinal all of which were good horses in their own right.ASB - Night Raid (GB)
Retrieved on 2009-6-9

References

{{Reflist Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in Australia 1918 racehorse births Champion Thoroughbred Sires of Australia New Zealand Thoroughbred sires Thoroughbred family 1-m

Background

Racing career

Stud record

See also

References