IN 1964 a colt named Bold Lad, foaled in the USA, was adjudged to be the best of his generation in his native land. He was rated 3lb better than his nearest rival, Sadair, and 7lb better than the third top-rated colt of that year, Native Charger.

The next two colts on the list were Royal Gunner and Tom Rolfe, so it is safe to say with hindsight that this was a vintage generation. Bold Lad’s weight of 130lb on the Experimental Free Handicap was a pound higher than that given to Secretariat eight years later.

Bred and raced by the Wheatley Stable, Bold Lad (USA) was the product of a mating of two former Wheatley racing stars, Bold Ruler and Misty Morn. His sire was the Horse of the Year in the USA in 1957 and went on to become champion stallion in that country eight times, while Misty Morn was also a champion racemare and later was accorded the accolade of Broodmare of the Year.

Wheatley Stable was the racing and breeding name of the siblings Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden Mills. In an unusual twist, Gladys Phipps had a twin sister Beatrice, later to become Countess of Granard, and she bred and raced another champion two-year-old called Bold Lad, this one born in Ireland two years after his American counterpart with the same name!

Bold Lad (Ire) was the champion two-year-old of 1966 in Ireland and Britain, being allotted 10st by the Irish handicapper, 9lbs higher than his nearest rivals, while the British handicapper gave him top-weight on the Free Handicap of 9st 7lbs. In the latter case he was rated 3lbs higher than Royal Palace.

Paddy ‘Darkie’ Prendergast trained Bold Lad (Ire) for Lady Granard, the colt won on his debut in Ireland and then travelled to England for his three remaining starts as a juvenile. That debut victory was hugely impressive. It came in the Youngster’s Stakes at the Curragh over five furlongs and the race was run between the Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas. Des Lake was in the saddle and Bold Lad (Ire) won handsomely by five lengths.

Next stop was the six-furlong Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, the richest race at the meeting for two-year-olds, and such was Bold Lad (Ire)’s reputation that he scared the principal English-trained juveniles away and in the event cruised to a four-length win in a fast time. He was next seen at Doncaster in early September when he faced a small but highly select field of four opponents for the Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs.

Prendergast had a very good record in the Champagne Stakes and when Bold Lad (Ire) flashed past the post in front it was the Curragh trainer’s fifth win in eight runnings of the race. Runner-up was the Charles Engelhard-owned Ribocco and Lester Piggott managed to get within three-parts of a length of the winner, the closest any juvenile did that year.

Racegoers were to be treated to one more run from Bold Lad (Ire) in 1966 and this was in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket, where the colt reverted to six furlongs. Four runners opposed him just three weeks after his Champagne Stakes win and these included the Gimcrack Stakes winner Golden Horus. The race was a dawdle for Bold Lad (Ire) and he won with ease by two and a half lengths.

A brilliant two-year-old, Bold Lad (Ire) started his second season well when he triumphed in the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh. He was coupled as joint-favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with Royal Palace but he finished unplaced behind his great rival. He made just three more starts, finishing less than a length behind Bluerullah in second place in the Lockinge Stakes and third to Reform in the St James’s Palace Stakes. He was unplaced on his sole outing in France.

In 1968 Bold Lad (Ire) commenced his new career as a stallion at Kildangan Stud where he was fully booked at a fee of 400gns. His first crop of foals included Waterloo, winner of the 1972 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

It is indicative of how times have changed in the world of breeding since Bold Lad (Ire) was at stud that in 19 seasons at stud he sired a total of 571 foals, and that averages out at 30 foals per crop! He produced a pair of so-called champion racehorses, a number of sons who went on to become successful sires and his daughters produced a number of useful runners.

The two champions included Never So Bold, the best sprinter in 1985 in England when he won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes, July Cup and William Hill Sprint Championship, in addition to the Group 3 Temple Stakes. The other ‘champion’ was the best horse in Austria for three years running, Balboa, and he travelled to Germany to land a group success. In an ironic twist, Balboa was out of a daughter of Sadair, the great rival to Bold Lad (USA) as a two-year-old.

Never So Bold went on to sire stakes winners, while another son Persian Bold, winner of the Richmond Stakes as a two-year-old, became a leading sire and the cornerstone of the success of Corbally Stud. He is arguably Bold Lad (Ire)’s best son in terms of influence.

Boldboy was a gelded son of Bold Lad (Ire) and he raced 45 times in eight seasons, winning nine stakes races. These included the Vernons Sprint Cup and Lockinge Stakes, both rated Group 2 races at the time. Daring Display won the Prix Morny at two and was placed in the French 2000 Guineas the following year, while Claddagh was a multiple stakes winner in Germany.

Other stakes winning sons were Rabdan, a group winner in France and Germany, leading Irish sprinter and successful sire Ballad Rock, group winners Brave Lad and Bold Fantasy, and stakes winners Bolide, Bold Owl, Pipeluck, Redesdale, Numa, Bold Bid, Bold One and Nero. He sired a blacktype hurdle winner in Good Ruler.

Stakes winning daughters of Bold Lad (Ire) were the aforementioned Waterloo, who also won the Queen Mary Stakes, Cheveley Park Stakes and Falmouth Stakes, Amaranda who won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, the French group winner Parannda, the Molecomb Stakes winners Keep Off and Pert Lassie, and stakes winners Arenetta, Any Song, April Bloom, Foiled Again and Shaikiya.

Bold Lad (Ire)’s daughters played their part in keeping his name prominent in pedigrees and among the leading winners they produced were the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes winner Shady Heights, Group 1 Italian Oaks winner Shahmiad, Alflora (Group 2 Queen Anne Stakes and successful sire), Head For Heights (Group 2 King Edward VI Stakes and Princess of Wales’s Stakes), Ela Romara (Group 2 Nassau and Lowther Stakes), April Axe (Grade 2 Will Rogers Handicap), Kingscote and Only Yours (Group 2 Lowther Stakes), Relfo (Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and classic placed), Ascension (Group 2 Prix d’Astarte), Cambucha (Grade 2 winner in Argentina), Cheeky Trot (Group 2 winner in Australia) and Lotar (Group 2 Italian St Leger).