Thatching (horse)

Thatching
Sire	Thatch
Grandsire	Forli
Dam	Abella
Damsire	Abernant
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	31 May 1975
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Lyonstown House Stud
Owner	Robert Sangster
Trainer	Vincent O'Brien
Record	11:4-2-0
Major wins
Duke of York Stakes (1979) Cork and Orrery Stakes (1979) July Cup (1979)
Awards
Top-rated Irish racehorse (1979) Timeform best sprinter (1979) Timeform rating 98 (1978), 131 (1979)

Thatching (31 May 1975 – 1999) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. The horse's early career was delayed and disrupted by injury and he did not show his best form until switched to sprinting distances in the spring of 1979 when he won the Duke of York Stakes. He improved further when equipped with blinkers that summer, recording impressive victories in both the Cork and Orrery Stakes and the July Cup. He had a marked tendency to veer ("hang") to the left when in front, which led to his disqualification in the William Hill Sprint Championship. He was retired to stud after winning four of his eleven races and became a successful breeding stallion.

Thatching was a bay horse with two white socks bred in County Tipperary by the Lyonstown House stud. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Thatch, an American-bred, Irish-trained horse who won the St. James's Palace Stakes, July Cup and Sussex Stakes in 1973. Thatching's dam Abella was a successful racehorse who produced several other good horses including the Ballyogan Stakes winner Golden Thatch. During his racing career, the horse was owned by Robert Sangster, trained by Vincent O'Brien at Ballydoyle and ridden by the English jockey Lester Piggott.

Thatching sustained a broken bone in one of his hind feet and did not race until the autumn of his three-year-old season. In October 1978 he was sent to England to make his racecourse debut in the Severals Stakes over one mile at Newmarket Racecourse. He started the odds-on favourite but finished second, beaten three lengths by the Guy Harwood trained Portese. Later in the month he ran twice at Leopardstown Racecourse, finishing second over seven furlongs and then recording his first success in a nine furlong maiden race.

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