High Top | |
---|---|
Sire | Derring-Do |
Grandsire | Darius |
Dam | Camanae |
Damsire | Vimy |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1969 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Colour | Brown |
Breeder | Bob McCreery |
Owner | Sir Jules Thorn |
Trainer | Bernard Van Cutsem |
Record | 10:5-3-0 |
Major wins | |
Observer Gold Cup (1971) Thirsk Classic Trial (1972) 2000 Guineas (1972) |
|
Awards | |
Timeform rating 131 | |
Honours | |
Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain and Ireland |
High Top (1969–1988) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1972. High Top was one of the leading British two-year-olds of 1971 when his successes included a defeat of a strong field tin the Observer Gold Cup. After winning a trial race on his first appearance of 1972 he led from the start to beat the future Epsom Derby winner Roberto in the 2000 Guineas. His classic win was the first of seventeen British classic winners ridden by Willie Carson. High Top never won again but finished a close second in both the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marois. At the end of the year he was retired to stud and became an extremely successful breeding stallion.
High Top, described as "a most commanding individual", was a brown horse with a white star four white socks bred by Bob McCreery at the Moreton Paddox Stud in Warwickshire, England. He was from the third crop of foals sired by Derring-Do, a horse whose wins included the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1965 and whose other offspring included the St Leger winner Peleid and the 2000 Guineas winner Roland Gardens. High Top's dam Camenae, won one minor race, but was a successful broodmare, producing several other winners including the Jersey Stakes winner Camden Town. As a descendant of the broodmare Gentlemen's Relish, Camenae came from the same branch of Thoroughbred family 11-a which also produced the German champion Acatenango and the Prix du Jockey Club and Irish Derby winner Old Vic.