Three Troikas
| Three Troikas | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Lyphard |
| Grandsire | Northern Dancer |
| Dam | Three Roses |
| Damsire | Dual |
| Sex | Filly |
| Foaled | 1976 |
| Country | France |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Artur Pfaff |
| Owner | Ghislaine Head |
| Trainer | Criquette Head |
| Record | ?: 7-5-? |
| Earnings | F3,549,000 |
| Major wins | |
| Prix Vanteaux (1979) Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1979) Prix Saint-Alary (1979) Prix Vermeille (1979) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1979) Prix d'Harcourt (1980) | |
| Awards | |
| Top-rated European three-year-old (1979) Timeform top-rated three-year-old filly (1979) Timeform rating 133 | |
| Honours | |
| Three Troikas Stakes at Turffontein Racecourse | |
| Last updated on December 1, 2006 | |
Three Troikas (born 1976) was a French Thoroughbred champion racehorse who was owned, trained, and raced by the three members of the famous Head family.
A daughter of Lyphard and the Irish mare Three Roses, the filly was purchased by Alec Head's Haras du Quesnay from South African construction magnate Artur Pfaff. The mating was planned based on the physical compatibility of sire and dam with the diminutive Lyphard mated to the big mare Three Roses.[1] Three Troikas raced in the colours of Head's wife Ghislaine, was trained by their daughter Criquette at Chantilly, and ridden by their son Freddy.
Three Troikas won her only start at two in November 1979 at Longchamp under Head.
Racing as a three-year-old, Three Troikas began the season with an impressive three-length win over Dunette in the Prix Vanteaux on April 16th. A fortnight later she defeated Nonoalco when landing the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp. In the Prix Saint-Alary she set a new course record which had been held by Solitude since 1961 when accounting for Pitasia with the free-running Dunette only fifth.
Three Troikas was next saddled for the Prix de Diane at Chantilly. It poured rain throughout the day and the filly did not appear to move easily on the going.[2] Having seen off Nonoalco and Producer at the 200 metre mark she was caught on the line by the late challenge of Dunette, going down by a nose. Criquette believed the defeat may have been caused by a bruised foot.[2] Rested until the Prix Vermeille on September 16th, Three Troikas was opposed by Epsom Oaks winner Scintillate. Intent on not giving her a hard race before the Arc, Head did not push the filly out close home and she had only a short head to spare over Pitasia, when she could certainly have won by much more. Scintillate was a disappointing ninth.[2]
She capped off her season with a win against older horses in France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe defeating Le Marmot, with the English-trained colt, Troy back in third. The victory made Criquette Head the first, and still only, woman in history to train an Arc winner. Three Troikas' 1979 performance made her the highest-rated three-year-old in Europe in the International Classification.[3]
At age four, during an injury-interrupted campaign Three Troikas enjoyed some success, winning the Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp in April. She was then beaten by Le Marmot in the Ganay before injuring a metacarpal bone in her off-fore foot when running third behind Northern Baby and Strong Gale in the Prix Dollar[2] and running a creditable fourth behind Detroit in the Arc.[4] This lightly-raced campaign was nonetheless enough for her to be crowned Champion Older Mare in Europe in 1980. Retired to broodmare service, she was the dam of seven foals, of which six raced and four were winners, her best produce being the Group 1 performer, Three Angels.
Stud Record
The following is a list of the foals of Three Troikas (FR):
1982 Primitive Troikas (USA) : chesnut filly, foaled 19 January by Exclusive Native (USA) - Unplaced all three starts in U.S.A.
1983 Barren
1984 Aborted foal
1985 Barren
1986 Three Terns (USA) : bay filly, foaled 18 March, by Arctic Tern (USA) - Won once from 2 starts in France. Died in 2006
1987 Three Secrets (USA) : bay filly, foaled 22 March, by Secretariat (USA) - Unplaced all four starts in the U.S.A.
1988 Oregon (USA) : brown colt, foaled 17 March, by Halo (USA) - Won 2 races and placed twice including 2nd G3 Nashua S from 7 starts in the U.S.A. Retired to stud in New Zealand.
1989 Madame Troika (USA) : bay filly, foaled 30 March, by Mr. Prospector (USA) - unraced. Died in 1994
1990 Barren
1991 Three Angels (USA) : brown filly, foaled 9 February, by Halo (USA) - won 1 race, G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Longchamp and placed 3 times including 2nd G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G3 Prix de Conde at Longchamp from 6 starts in France.
1992 Hudson (USA) : brown colt (gelded), foaled 29 February, by Halo (USA) - won 3 races and placed fourteen times winning $44,980 from 45 starts in the U.S.A.
1993 Barren to Blushing John (USA)
1994 Barren to Carson City (USA)
1995 Barren to Deposit Ticket (USA)
References
- ^ http://www.sportingpost.co.za/profile/john-kramer/
- ^ a b c d Arthur Fitzgerald (1997). The Arc - The Grand History of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Genesis Publications Limited. ISBN 0-904351-59-9.
- ^ Timeform staff (1980). Racehorses of 1979. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-29-4.
- ^ Timeform staff (1981). Racehorses of 1980. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-31-6.