Vaguely Noble (1965–1989) was an Irish-bred

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 ...

who competed in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The colt is best known as the winner of the 1968

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 ...

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 ...

when he defeated the best horses from England,

, Ireland and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. He was later a

leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland The title of champion, or leading, sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current (2023) champion is Fra ...

and a Leading broodmare sire in GB & Ireland. Vaguely Noble is one of the highest-rated horses ever to run in Europe.

Background

Major Lionel B. Holliday bred Vaguely Noble who was foaled in 1965. Vaguely Noble was by Vienna (GB) who won six races and £27,970 before he was exported to

and then to

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 ...

.Pryor, Peter, ''The Classic Connection'', Cortney Publications, Luton, 1979 His dam was the Lancashire Oaks winner, Noble Lassie (GB) was by Nearco (ITY) from Belle Sauvage by Big Game. Noble Lassie was the dam of several other horses, but Vaguely Noble was her only graded stakes winner. Vaguely Noble was inbred to Hyperion in the third and fourth generation (3m x 4f) and also to Bahram in the fourth generation (4m x 4f).Morris, Simon; ''Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World'', Syntax Software Major Lionel B. Holliday died in 1965; as a two-year-old Vaguely Noble raced in the colours of the Major's son, Brook Holliday. Vaguely Noble was sold at the end of his two-year-old season and was subsequently owned by Americans Wilma Franklyn and Nelson Bunker Hunt.

Racing record

Racing at age two, Vaguely Noble finished second in his first two races then won his last two, including the Observer Gold Cup by seven lengths, pulling up, to end the 1967 season. In December of that year he was sold at auction by the Estate of Major Lionel B. Holliday, for 136,000 guineas ($342,720), a record price for a racehorse. He was purchased by Albert Yank, acting for Dr and Mrs Franklyn.Montgomery, E.S, "The Thoroughbred", Arco, New York, 1973 In 1968 he was sent to race in France, where his conditioning was taken over by Etienne Pollet. Vaguely Noble won four of his five starts, including the Prix de Guiche (by 3 lengths),

Prix du Lys The Prix du Lys is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled t ...

(by 8 lengths), Prix de Chantilly and France's most prestigious race, the

at Longchamp, defeating the brilliant Derby winner Sir Ivor.

Stud record

In 1968, a 25% share in Vaguely Noble was acquired for $1.25 million by John R. Gaines of

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

to make this a world-record stallion syndication valuation of $5 million. Vaguely Noble was sent to stand at

stud Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...

at Gainesway Farm in Lexington. Highly successful, he sired 70

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

winners, and was the broodmare sire of more than 165 stakes winners. In 1973 and 1974 he was the Leading sire in GB & Ireland, mostly due to the victories of his great daughter, Dahlia. Vaguely Noble placed second in 1977 to

Bold Ruler Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...

with 263 starters earning the equivalent of US$5,293,153 in Europe and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Vaguely Noble was also the leading broodmare sire in 1982. His most important progeny included: * Ace of Aces, won (

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes 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 1 mile (1,609 metres), a ...

) *

Dahlia ''Dahlia'' ( , ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. Dahlias are members of the Asteraceae (synonym name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its relatives include the sun ...

(15 wins, US$1,532,442, inc. Benson and Hedges Gold Cup - twice, Washington, D.C. International Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes - twice; Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf Horse and was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame, etc.''Thoroughbred Stallion Register - 1984'', Australian Jockey Club, * El Cuite (won Prix Royal-Oak, Gran Premio d' Italia) * Empery, 1976

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 * Estrapade ( Santa Ana Handicap,

Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on turf. It was originally raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of miles. The Arling ...

and Oak Tree Invitational Stakes) * Exceller (15 wins, US$1,654,002 inc.

, Grand Prix de Paris, Prix Royal-Oak, Coronation Cup,

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is ...

, Canadian International Stakes, Hollywood Gold Cup, Hollywood Invitational Turf Handicap etc.),

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race, held at the Saratoga Race Course in the United States, that is open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fal ...

* Friendswood ( Gran Premio del Jockey Club and Premio Lydia Tesio) * Gay Mecene,

Inkerman Inkerman (; ; ) is a city in the Crimean peninsula. It is '' de facto'' within the federal city of Sevastopol within the Russian Federation, but ''de jure'' within the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine. It lies 5 kilometres (3 miles ...

, Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes * Jet Ski Lady,

Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 ya ...

* Lemhi Gold (8 wins, US$1,110445 inc.

, Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap and 1982 American Champion Older Male Horse etc.) *

Noble Decree Noble Decree (foaled 6 March 1970) was an American-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a two-year-old colt he won two of his first five races before ending his season with a win in the Observer Gold Cup. He was rated the b ...

, Observer Gold Cup * Noble Bijou (USA) exported to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

where he sired 59 stakes winners that had 157 stakes wins. * Sporting Yankee, William Hill Futurity Vaguely Noble died in 1989 at the age of 24 and was buried in the equine cemetery at Gainesway Farm.

Assessment

Vaguely Noble is regarded as one of the best European horses of the post

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

-era. He won six of his nine starts in England and France for the equivalent of US$366,647 in prize-money, earning a Timeform rating of 140.du Bourg, Ross, ''The Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbred'', Thomas Nelson, Melbourne, 1980, Vaguely Noble, Ribot and

Sea-Bird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adaptation, adapted to life within the marine ecosystem, marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent ...

are sometimes considered the greatest winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.'John Gaines: In His Own Words'
Retrieved 9 October 2010

Pedigree

References

External links

{{Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Winners 1965 racehorse births 1989 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in France Arc winners Thoroughbred family 1-d Chefs-de-Race