Good morning all,
Whilst I have been missing the racing. It’s been a good opportunity to recharge the batteries and also get plenty of research in for when the sport does return. I have also enjoyed taking a look back at some of the great horses of my youth.
For the last two weeks I have revisited the 1980’s and the careers of two great colts from the flat. This week my attention turns to the fairer sex and one of my all-time favourite flat fillies Pebbles. You can read all about her inside.
A chestnut filly Pebbles was bred in England by the Greek shipping and racehorse owner Captain Marcos Lemos whose colours she raced in for the first seven races of her career.
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The first foal of a dam who had finished 5th in an Epsom Oaks. Her sire was Sharpen Up a high-class juvenile who didn’t train on as 3-year-old but, became a sire famous for infusing speed rather than stamina into his progeny. Like her sire, Pebbles had a noted white blaze.
As a 2-year-old
Sent into training with Newmarket trainer Clive Brittain. She finished unplaced on her racecourse debut. However, she improved markedly for her first start to win at Newbury and Newmarket.
Stepping up into Group company she could only finish 4th in the Lowther Stakes at York before disappointing when sent off favourite for the Candelabra Stakes at Goodwood. A run that could be excused as she was found to be in season after the race.
Not unsurprisingly, after her Goodwood run, she was sent off an unfancied 33/1 for the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
At Newmarket Pebbles outran her odds in finishing a head second to Desirable, who had finished two places in front of her in the Lowther.
Three-year-old career
Pebbles’ three-year-old season began with a win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket’s Craven Meeting.
Her next race was to be a tilt at the 1000 Guineas back at Newmarket. Despite sweating before for the race, she took up the running just over a furlong from home and stormed clear to win the first fillies classic by three lengths.
You can relive her 1000 Guineas win here.
Her decisive Guineas success led to Pebbles being purchased by Sheikh Mohammed, although she stayed in training with Clive Brittain. Rather than head for the Oaks, Pebbles' next race was to be the 1m Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Up against her in the Coronation Stakes field was another Brittain trained filly Katies, who had won the Irish 1000 Guineas on her previous start.
Jockey Philip Robinson who had ridden both horses to classic success had the choice of mounts and opted for Katies. The decision turned out to be a wise one as Katies beat her stablemate by 1 ½ lengths, with the pair well clear of the rest of the field.
A foot injury kept Pebbles off the track till the Autumn of 1984, when she stepped up to 1m 2f for the first time in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. Settled in the rear off a strong pace and racing for the first time outside her own sex she finished fast on the outside but just couldn’t overhaul French raider Palace Music who had got first run on the filly.
You can see the race here.
Four-year-old career
Pebbles was kept in training as a 4-year-old and it proved a good decision. A win on her seasonal reappearance over a mile at Sandown. And then Pebbles faced three rivals, including St Leger winner Commanche Run, in the Prince Of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot, in what was expected to be a match between the pair.
A furlong from home Pebbles loomed up just behind Commanche Run and it looked like she would go onto win. However, she didn’t find as much as expected and although she did finish ahead of Commanche Run by a short head the pair were beaten by the 33/1 outsider Bob Back. After the race she was found to have been in season.
A rematch with Bob Back took place in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown a month later. Just the four went to post for the Eclipse but they included 4/5 favourite Rainbow Quest.
Pebbles was settled into second place behind the pacemaker. Taking it up just over two furlongs from home she quickened clear of her field to beat Rainbow Quest with Bob Back in third. In the process she became the first filly to win the Eclipse in its history.
You can see her Eclipse Success here.
Autumn campaign
Brittain decided on an Autumn campaign for Pebbles and she returned to the track for the Champion Stakes. Starting the 9/2 third favourite behind Derby Winner Slip Anchor and Commanche Run who had won the International Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes.
With Eclipse winning jockey Steve Cauthen committed to riding Slip Anchor, Pebbles would be ridden by Pat Eddery.
Three furlongs from home the front running Slip Anchor was sent for home with Commanche Run in second. Pebbles was travelling powerfully in behind a furlong from home and going so well that Eddery could afford a cheeky look around. He then unleashed the filly to win by an easy three lengths. From a toiling Slip Anchor with previous years winner Palace Music back in third.
You can relive that sensational win here.
Next up was the Breeders Cup Turf over 1m 4f at Aqueduct for which she was supplemented for $240,000. In the back straight Pebbles was stopped several times when making her effort on the rail. She was going to need plenty of luck in the run.
In what turned out to be one of Eddery greatest ever rides, Pebbles got a run on the inner and quickened into the lead to hold off Strawberry Road to become the first British trained winner at the Breeders Cup.
You can watch the race here
A super filly retires
It was to be her last race and she was retired to the paddocks. She didn’t do well as a broodmare mare, with only two of her offspring winning a race. Retiring from breeding in 2002, she was put down in 2005.
A super filly Pebbles won eight of 15 races over three seasons in training and ended her final season in 1985, as English Champion Older Mare and Champion American Turf Mare on the back of her Breeders Cup win.
Good memories and happy days indeed.
Until next week.
John Burke is the tipster behind the long standing Victor Value service you can join himhere – https://victorvalue.uk
Pebbles was a wonderful racehorse, one of my favourites too. Sadly the 2 times I saw her race in the flesh she lost, to Katies and Bob Back. Did have a big tip for Katies on the day so wasn’t disappointed with the result and it was more her subsequent performances that won me over. Was particularly disappointed to see her lose to Bob Back. Small point of detail, Katies was trained by Mick Ryan so wasn’t a stablemate of Pebbles.
If Pebbles had her way she was never going to be beaten in the Breeders Cup…
Eddery was a passenger,really.
I backed Katies to beat Pebbles that day as well; not only because Phillip Robinson (who I was introduced to at a local jockeys haunt in Newmarket one night and him coming across as definitely having his head screwed on) had chosen Katies, when the superior filly was always going to be Pebbles, but also because I received that tip as well. I had been visiting a girl at Newmarket (that I didn’t even know…long story) and she was staying at Terry Ramsden’s place, where she had invited me to stay.
I met her and a number of other young ladies surrounding Mr Ramsden at that Saturday’s Newmarket meeting, but ended up with another girl who was working at Frankie Durr’s stable and never got to stay at the mansion in the end. However, the good things to come out of all of this were 1..Terry owned Katies and was happy to pass on when he was going to have a big bet and I used to receive the info early.
And secondly, I got a private tour of the Durr stable and was introduced to a 2 year old that was unraced.
He was only a small thing and it wasn’t guaranteed that he would ever see a racecourse as he had very dodgy legs.
This stable girl also rode out Frankie’s best 2 yr old at the time (the name of which escapes me) and which was unbeaten in 4 runs.
She informed me that if I ever noticed that the horse was actually running, to definitely back it first time out, as it was infinitely better than the 4 race winner.
Giri Lake didn’t run for ages and I had given up hope; then one day there was a huge field for a maiden race somewhere..might have been Lingfield, but too far back to be sure and there he was.
I called everybody that I knew and told them to get on, but not many did because they were not everyday punters.
The horse won easily at 33/1!
A brilliant result.
It then ran in a Group race, broke down badly and was never seen on a racecourse again.
I digress..Pebbles, and others such as Oh So Sharp, One in a Million, Indian Skimmer, Time Charter etc…is right at the top of great fillies of the era and will never be forgotten.
How lucky we have been to witness such brilliant racehorses that have given us all some of the best memories of our lives.
I could happily live through it all again.
Thanks Pebbles.
Some great reminiscences all round, thanks guys! Pebbles’ career just straddled the era I was getting into racing but I clearly remember her Eclipse win and it being a milestone as the first filly to capture it, and she’ll always be remembered for her Breeders’ Cup first too – she was quite the pioneer! Interesting you mention she was in season twice when she flopped, which I didn’t know. It ties in with what I mentioned in discussing Triptych last week and can have a big effect on a filly’s career. It may explain why Pebbles ran most of her best races in the autumn rather than spring. More recently Apple’s Jade is another example of this.