Ribocco (foaled 1964 in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

) was an American-bred British-trained

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 ...

and sire. He is best known for his performances in 1967 when he won two of the most important European races for three-year-olds; the Irish Derby and the St Leger. Ribocco briefly held the record for prize money won by a British-trained racehorse.

Background

Ribocco was a small, powerfully built bay horse bred at the Idle Hour Farm in

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and the county seat. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, it ha ...

by Mrs J. G. (Margaret) Rogers. As a yearling, he was sent to the

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for ...

sales where he was bought for $35,000 by Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. He was a son of the undefeated dual

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...

winner Ribot out of the mare Libra. Libra won one minor race before becoming a notable broodmare, producing

Ribero Ribero (foaled 1965 in Kentucky) was an American-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from September 1967 until May 1969 he ran twelve times and won three races. He is best known for his performances in ...

(Irish Derby, St Leger) and Libra's Rib (

Princess of Wales's Stakes The Princess of Wales's Stakes is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to Thoroughbred horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Cour ...

). Ribocco was sent to England to be trained by

Fulke Johnson Houghton Richard Fulke Johnson Houghton (9 May 1940 – 13 February 2025) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He trained over 1,200 winners in a career which lasted from 1961 until 2006. The best of his horses included Ribocco, Ribero, Habitat ...

at Blewbury in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

Racing career

1966: two-year-old career

Ribocco made his racecourse debut in July when he won a

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

at Newbury and returned to the same course a month later to win the Washington Singer Stakes. In September, he was moved up in class to contest the Champagne Stakes at

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

and finished second to the Irish-bred Bold Lad. On his final start of the year, Ribocco returned to Doncaster for the Observer Gold Cup, Britain's most valuable race for two-year-olds. He established himself as one of the best colts of his generation with a win. In the Free Handicap, an end-of-season ranking of the best British two-year-olds, Ribocco ranked third behind Bold Lad and Royal Palace.

1967: three-year-old season

In the spring of 1967, Ribocco did not win. He was well beaten in the

Craven Stakes The Craven Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 met ...

, the Dee Stakes, and the Lingfield Derby Trial. His odds for the Derby drifted out despite the booking of Britain's leading jockey,

Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and horse trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the grea ...

, to ride him in the race. At

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

, Ribocco started at odds of 22/1 in a field of twenty-two runners. Piggott held the colt up in the early stages before moving him to the wide outside on the turn into the straight. Ribocco ran on strongly to challenge for the lead a

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 any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

from the finish and take second place, beaten two and a half lengths by the favourite, Royal Palace. Later in the month, Ribocco started favourite for the Irish Derby at the Curragh in front of a crowd of 60,000 which included the visiting

Jackie Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

. He produced a strong finish to overtake Sucaryl inside the final furlong and win by a length. At Ascot in July, Ribocco started favourite for Britain's most important weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He finished third, beaten three lengths and a neck by the four-year-olds Busted and Salvo. Ribocco was then aimed at the third leg of British Triple Crown series, the St Leger at Doncaster. In a prep race in August, he finished third to Dart Board in the March Stakes at Goodwood. In the St Leger, he started 7/2 joint favourite with the Queen's colt Hopeful Venture. Piggott sent Ribocco into the lead in the straight, and he won, beating Hopeful Venture by one and a half lengths. In October, he was sent to compete in France in that country's most prestigious race where he finished third in the

, beaten in a three-way

photo finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the fini ...

by the 82/1 winner, Topyo, and Salvo. In his final race, Ribocco returned to the land of his birth and finished seventh in the Washington, D.C. International.

Assessment and achievements

Ribocco's prize money for finishing third in the Arc de Triomphe took his earnings to £155,669, passing the record for a British or Irish racehorse set by

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

in 1964. His place at the top of the list was short-lived as he was overtaken by Royal Palace in the summer of 1968.

Stud record

Ribocco was retired at the end of the 1967 racing season. American Thomas Mellon Evans acquired a part interest in him for breeding purposes. He stood at stud at Evans' Buckland Farm in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, where he met with modest success as a sire, with the best of his progeny including Ripon ( John B. Campbell Handicap). After the 1972 breeding season, he was sent to a stud farm in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Pedigree

External links

{{St Leger Winners 1964 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 4-c St Leger winners