French Holly
| French Holly | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Sir Ivor |
| Grandsire | Sir Gaylord |
| Dam | San Dot |
| Damsire | Busted |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 26 March 1991 |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Mario Sakurai |
| Owner | Kieren Flood |
| Trainer | Ferdy Murphy |
| Record | 20:10-4-2 |
| Earnings | £236,704 |
| Major wins | |
|
Tolworth Hurdle (1998) Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle (1998) Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle (1998) Christmas Hurdle (1998) Prix La Barka (1999) |
|
French Holly (26 March 1991 – 5 November 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. During a racing career which lasted from February 1996 until October 1999 he won ten of his twenty races and was placed on six occasions. He won two of his six flat races before switching to hurdling in the autumn of 1997. He was unbeaten as a novice winning five races including the Tolworth Hurdle and Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle. In the following year he won the Christmas Hurdle but then sustained three consecutive defeats when matched against the reigning Champion Hurdler Istabraq. He was then sent to France where he defeated a strong field in the Prix La Barka before finishing fourth in the French Champion Hurdle. He won his first and only steeplechase in October 1999 but was killed in a training accident seven days later.
French Holly was an unusually large, powerful, bay gelding standing 18 hands high with no white markings bred in Kentucky by Mario Sakurai. He was sired by Sir Ivor, and American-bred colt whose wins included the Epsom Derby in 1968 before becoming a successful breeding stallion whose other progeny included the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ivanjica and the American Champion Older Male Horse Bates Motel. French Holly came from a very strong Flat racing family: his dam, Sans Dot was a daughter of the Epsom Oaks winner Juliette Marny and a close relative of the classic winners Julio Mariner (St Leger Stakes) and Scintillate. Sans Dot later produced Deano's Beeno who won thirteen races including the Grade I Long Walk Hurdle.
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