One Man (horse)
| One Man | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Remainder Man |
| Dam | Steal On |
| Damsire | General Ironside |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 1988 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Grey |
| Breeder | Hugh J Holohan |
| Owner | John Hales |
| Trainer | Gordon W Richards |
| Record | 35: 20-3-2 |
| Earnings | ₤456,619 |
| Major wins | |
|
Reynoldstown Novices' Chase (1994) Hennessy Gold Cup (1994) Tommy Whittle Chase (1995) King George VI Chase (1995, 1996) Charlie Hall Chase (1996, 1997) Pillar Properties Chase (1997) Peterborough Chase (1997) Ascot Chase (1998) Queen Mother Champion Chase (1998) |
|
One Man (1988 – 3 April 1998) was an Irish-bred National Hunt steeplechase racehorse sired by Remainder Man out of the mare Steal On. The popular grey won 20 of 35 races, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1998. He was trained by the late Gordon W. Richards and owned by John Hales. Renowned for his jumping ability and high cruising speed, he was nicknamed his "little bouncing ball" by Richards and was adopted by many as the new Desert Orchid. One Man received a Timeform rating of 179, an outstanding figure.
Bought for 4,000 Irish guineas as an unraced three-year-old in Ireland, One Man first raced over hurdles and won three races from nine starts. He was then sold for 68,000 guineas to John Hales in May 1993; Hales had gone to the sale with a limit of 7,000 guineas, spending far more than he anticipated.
One Man was switched to steeplechasing and won his first five Novices' Chase races before his first race at the Cheltenham Festival in March 1994. Despite being the 3-1 favourite for the Sun Alliance Chase, he finished ninth behind Monsieur Le Cure.
One Man's next season began with victories in the Tennents Special Chase at Ayr and the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury before he unseated his rider in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby. This was followed by an uncharacteristic fall in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton, which ended his season.
A hat-trick of victories in the Motherwell Chase (at Ayr Racecourse), the Tommy Whittle Chase (at Haydock Park Racecourse) and the King George VI Chase (at Sandown) provided preparation for a shot at the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 1996. One Man started the 1996 Gold Cup as the 11-8 favourite but finished sixth behind Imperial Call. He had travelled well throughout the race before weakening approaching the last fence. The conclusion of many was that he did not quite stay the three-mile, two-and-a-half-furlong trip, which ended with the gruelling hill finish at Cheltenham Racecourse. He had previously won over this distance at Newbury Racecourse; the pace of the Cheltenham Gold Cup is often more like a 2½-mile contest, however, and there is a greater emphasis on stamina.
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