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Forest Flower vs Minstrella – A Battle For The Ages

Good morning all,

Caroline's latest piece looks back at another star of the 80s that made a big impression on her in the shape of Forest Flower, and her titanic battles with Minstrella. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as she has writing it!

Forest Flower vs Minstrella: a battle for the ages

Good morning all,

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I’m glad you enjoyed last week’s reminiscing about Sonic Lady and huge thanks for the great comments and feedback again; these really add to the experience as a writer. Fascinating to hear that one reader, Graham, had seen Sonic Lady race (he was at Royal Ascot for her Coronation Stakes) and that another, David, remembers her dam Stumped running to a high level for Bruce Hobbs. He revealed this included her winning the Falmouth Stakes (known as the Child Stakes at the time; they were the sponsors), the same race which Sonic Lady went on to win twice herself a few years on! Great anecdotes which add to the piece – keep ‘em coming please!

My inspiration for this week also came from a reply that I received on Twitter. For those of you who use it, you’ve probably seen all manner of polls and surveys doing the rounds in recent weeks as we try to find ways to amuse ourselves and pass the time. In response to one of these, concerning beloved racehorses of yesteryear, Ben Bramley (@BendyPotter) mentioned that one of his favourites from the 80s was Forest Flower. This immediately struck a chord, reminding me of a filly I’d also fan-girled, and another who is intrinsically linked to my fledgling love of racing. There isn’t even a Walter Swinburn connection this time! I loved Forest Flower purely and simply because she was talented and game. Oh yes, and also a bit because she was chestnut, flashy and little! What’s more, she spent most of her 2yo season engaged in a ferocious battle for supremacy with another tough and talented filly, Minstrella. In all the years since 1986, I don’t think I’ve witnessed a comparable duel through the juvenile Pattern series, either male or female, and it had plenty of controversy to add spice to the story too. But I make no apology for being so biased in Forest Flower’s favour: that’s how I felt then, and to this day I believe she was the best!

The first time I saw her race on television was also the first time that Forest Flower and Minstrella clashed, in what was then known as the G3 Cherry Hinton Stakes at the July meeting, nowadays the G2 Duchess of Cambridge. In either guise, it is the obvious midsummer target for the best juvenile fillies. I’m not sure how come I got to see it at all, to be honest, as in normal circumstances I should have been at school. My best guess is that it was a teacher’s strike, of which we had a few around that era – I always prayed they’d fall on Channel Four Racing days! Anyway, I fell for Forest Flower as soon as I saw her before the race. As mentioned, she was a chestnut with a pretty white stripe, crossed by the fluffy sheepskin noseband sported by all Ian Balding’s runners. All of this was most pleasing, as was the fact that she was “small but talented”, an analogy I liked as it matched how I felt I should have been if I was a racehorse – I was always one of the shortest in my class! (And it goes without saying that I’d have been good, right?!)

Both Forest Flower and Minstrella were coming into the Cherry Hinton off Royal Ascot victories. Forest Flower had won the Queen Mary easily, carried a penalty here and was stepping up a furlong in trip. Minstrella, a grey filly trained by Charlie Nelson, had won the Chesham, which I’ve a feeling was over 6f rather than 7f at the time, although don’t quote me on that. This young ‘judge’ decided the Queen Mary form was vastly superior and was delighted all round when Forest Flower came out on top by 3/4l, the pair of them 7l clear of the third. The die was cast and I was firmly in Team Flower for the rest of the season!

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However, Minstrella’s connections clearly rated her capable of further improvement and, undaunted, took her on again next time when they both travelled to Ireland for the G1 Phoenix Stakes. Despite taking on the colts here, it was all about these two ladies again. Now at level weights, Minstrella got first run on Forest Flower who was hemmed in at a crucial stage of the race. In an agonising finish, she flew home but failed by a short head to make up the deficit. Opinion was divided: some said Minstrella had improved past the diminutive Forest Flower, while others maintained the latter was unlucky. You can guess which camp I was in!

Both fillies were now given a short break, gearing towards an autumn campaign for a showdown and title decider in the Cheveley Park Stakes, the most prestigious UK race for 2yo fillies at that time (the Fillies Mile was still G2 then). They took different routes for their prep races, with Minstrella taking a second Irish Pattern race in the Moyglare whilst Forest Flower made the short journey from Kingsclere to Newbury and faced the colts again in the Mill Reef Stakes, named in honour of her owner Paul Mellon’s great champion of the early 1970s. It was also on a Saturday so I got to see her again, hurrah! I recall there was a real kerfuffle in the stalls, with a couple of the runners getting very upset and at least one having to be withdrawn – a new form of drama for me, as I’d never seen this happen before. When the race finally got underway there was no drama though: Forest Flower won comfortably, beating a colt called Shady Heights who turned out to be very good himself, and went on to G1 glory over middle distances as a 3yo.

The stage was now set for the title decider between Forest Flower and Minstrella at Newmarket. If we thought the Irish clash had been controversial, that was nothing compared to what happened here! Tony Ives was back on Forest Flower and, like Pat Eddery at Phoenix Park, he managed to get boxed in on her at a crucial stage. Desperate to make his run, he barged his way out of the pocket, hampering Minstrella in the process. It wasn’t pretty…but once he’d extracted her she flew up the hill and won convincingly by 2½l. Inevitably a stewards’ enquiry was called but, on the day, the result was allowed to stand. Quite right too, I agreed: justice was done! But it wasn’t over there, as Minstrella’s connections appealed and, two weeks later, it went to Portman Square to be adjudicated by the Jockey Club panel. They found in favour of Minstrella by a strict interpretation of the Rules as they stood at that time. Despite Forest Flower being the superior horse and moral victor, she was slung out and Ives was suspended for 12 days for intentional interference. I was distraught – no doubt he was too! My recollection is that, whilst there was much sympathy for Forest Flower, it was felt to be the correct interpretation of the Rules. The case was influential in the rewriting of those Rules subsequently, to give more protection to a horse who is clearly best in a race but whose jockey is adjudged to have committed a riding offence. The Rules of Racing on interference in the UK as they stand today would almost certainly have allowed Forest Flower to keep her G1 victory. Perhaps not in France or the USA though; it’s an area of regulation that retains the ability to be highly controversial as to where the line should be drawn.

Forest Flower took another moral victory in the International Classifications, being the top-rated 2yo filly of 1986, ahead of her old enemy as well as the likes of Miesque and Milligram, another burgeoning rivalry who had finished 1-2 in the Prix Marcel Boussac. A good crop! I believe only the runaway Futurity Stakes winner Reference Point was ranked her superior (by 2lbs) and that was no disgrace, given he went on to win the following year’s Derby. She went into winter quarters as one of the favourites for the 1,000 Guineas and I couldn’t wait to see her again. Despite the competing affections of Milligram, with Walter aboard, she was firmly ensconsed as ‘one of mine’.

These days I wouldn’t have held out much hope for Forest Flower progressing as a 3yo. A small, speedy, precocious 2yo filly training on to be a Classic 3yo? Er, no! Whilst researching this article, I’ve read one source that claimed she was just 14.3hh; if true then that really is exceptionally small for a Thoroughbred. Most Flat horses are 15.2-16.2hh, I would say (four inches = one hand), and anything below 14.2hh would be classed as a pony! It would be a fair assumption that any racehorse below 15.2hh is going to struggle to compete on equal terms. Knowing what I do now, I’d have bet against Forest Flower doing anything as a 3yo…but I’d have been wrong. All you can surmise is that she must have been exceptionally well put together, with a powerful set of heart and lungs and great stride mechanics. Despite being the ultimate ‘pocket rocket’ (preceding Lyric Fantasy to that title!) she was all class, not to mention tough as teak.

Forest Flower’s 3yo campaign was delayed by a viral infection; she disappointed in a racecourse gallop and had to miss the 1,000 Guineas. However, she made it to post for the Irish equivalent, and who should be in opposition but her old foe Minstrella. My loyalties were indeed tested though, as the hot favourite was Milligram, who had again finished runner-up at Newmarket and was finally unopposed by her own nemesis, Miesque. The betting suggested this was Milligram’s to lose, with Forest Flower’s physique, stamina doubts and difficult preparation all counting against her. However, after a great battle, Forest Flower prevailed by a short head, leaving poor Milligram as the bridesmaid again. She was one tough cookie! That will to win remained, along with her innate talent, whilst the physically much-more-imposing Minstrella was left trailing in sixth place and I think went sprinting after that. If you search for it online, you can see this race on YouTube, albeit without commentary in the one I viewed.

Alas this was to be Forest Flower’s final success and her penultimate racecourse start. Having overcome all the physical issues people thought may hinder her progress as a 3yo, she fell prey to repeated viral and respiratory issues. I’m not sure what caused them but they prevented her from showing her form again, perhaps (speculation on my part) due to causing her to bleed. There’s a neat little tie-in with her final appearance and Sonic Lady though, as it came in the latter’s second Falmouth Stakes. Last week I claimed that was won against inferior opposition but I should take that comment back really: Forest Flower wasn’t inferior on paper, she was a worthy opponent and many fancied her to win it on the day. Sadly it was no contest though, and Forest Flower was tailed off, running far too badly to be true. Despite her trainer’s best efforts, she never recovered well enough to race again. Having proved that she’d trained on and was still one of the best of her generation, it was a disappointing conclusion to her racing career. Imagine if she’d been able to keep competing with those star miling fillies of 87, especially scooting round the tight turns of Hollywood Park like a polo pony in the Breeders’ Cup Mile!

And so to stud, and a second career as a broodmare. Could Forest Flower reproduce herself, or anything close? Not immediately, it transpired…but once again good things come to those who wait. From poking around online I can find record of eight live foals for her. Like Sonic Lady, just two of them were fillies but, also like her, it is through one of them that her principle influence lives on in pedigrees today.

I can’t see that any of Forest Flower’s own offspring were great shakes as racehorses, although possibly some raced in the States as Paul Mellon always had horses on both continents. Unsurprisingly half her foals were descended from Mill Reef’s sire line, two each being by Shirley Heights and the aforementioned Reference Point. If you trace through the next three generations from Reference Point’s daughter Hertford Castle, however, you come to a young stallion and G1 performer that many of you will know well: one Night Of Thunder. This great great grandson of Forest Flower, bright chestnut like her but a good size and handsome with it, is now proving quite a hit at stud. A consistent G1 miler, winning the 2,000 Guineas at three and the Lockinge at four, he got off to a strong start with his first crop last year and will be getting even better opportunities with his mares from now on as a result. Now that I’ve found this connection in his pedigree, I’ll be watching with particular interest to see how his early crops progress and perform. I’m sure Mr Mellon would be delighted to see the long term outcome from pairing the genes of his two champions.

Stay safe everyone.
Caroline

6 thoughts on “Forest Flower vs Minstrella – A Battle For The Ages”

  1. Another fascinating reminiscence. I remember the names of Forest Flower and Minstrella but very little detail of them. Of course I remember more about Miesque and Milligram but hadn’t realised they were rated inferior as 2yos to the two in your article. I must also have seen Forest Flower win the Queen Mary as it was the same days as Sonic Lady’s Coronation Stakes. However her win has been completely erased from my memory. Wonderful memories – keep them coming.

  2. When you consider the horse that Night Of Thunder beat in the 2000gns and what a brilliant stud career that one is already having, it may well be that the Forest Flower bloodline could do even better as time goes on. Great memories again and highly enjoyable read.

  3. A great read again, bringing back to life memories of some great racehorses as well as Forest Flower.A well-written and painstakingly researched article. We look forward to more.

  4. Nice one Caroline
    Talking of Night of Thunder
    Check out the unbeaten Thunderous
    Sire Night of Thunder 8f horse
    Dam Souviens toi 10f mare
    Makes his pedigree distance 9f
    Ideal for 2000gns
    Hope it takes place backed him at 40/1

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