387:. Gorli sent Bikala to the front from the start and set a steady pace before accelerating on the approach to the straight. Many of the leading contenders were soon struggling an Bikala maintained his lead until the last 100m when he was caught and beaten three-quarters of a length by the 53/1 outsider Gold River.
395:
On his four-year-old debut Bikala started the 8/5 favourite for the Group One Prix Ganay over 2100m in April. He led from the start and won by half a length from
Lancastrian, with Al Nasr, Vayrann, Kalaglow and April Run among the beaten horses. In July he was sent overseas for the first time when he
320:. A month later, Bikala was matched against older horses for the first time in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2500m. As at Chantilly, he went to the front but on this occasion Akarad proved his superior and won by two and a half lengths. Bikala held on to second place ahead of
674:
347:, the leading European two-year-old of 1980, who had been off the course for eleven months. Bikala proved too good for Storm Bird, overtaking the Irish-trained colt early in the straight, but in a closely contested finish he was beaten half a length by
412:
As in 1981, Bikala prepared for the Arc de
Triomphe by running in the Prix du Prince d'Orange and again finished second, this time being beaten by the three-year-old General Holme. In the Arc he disputed the lead with the
217:, bred in Ireland. He was sired by Kalamoun who won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix Lupin the Prix Jacques Le Marois in 1973 before becoming a successful breeding stallion. The best of his other runners was probably
351:, to whom he was conceding two pounds. On 4 October Bikala started at odds of 14/1 in a field of twenty-four runners for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Akarad started favourite, while the other runners included
408:
being the other fancied runners. Bikala again attempted to make all the running but was overtaken by Assert on the turn into the straight and faded in the closing stages to finish fifth behind
Kalaglow.
437:(136). In the following year he was rated 129 by Timeform, while the International Classification made him the third-best older horse in Europe behind Kalaglow and Ardross.
301:
Prix Lupin over 2100m at the same course. Ridden by Serge Gorli, he started an 18/1 outsider and finished fourth of the nine runners behind No Lute, The Wonder and Dunphy.
343:, a trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, over 2000m at Longchamp in September. The race attracted a great deal of attention as it also saw the reappearance of
312:
Magnum before moving into the lead on the turn into the straight. He went clear of the field and was never seriously challenged, winning by four lengths from
462:
433:
and the third highest-rated horse of any age. The independent
Timeform organisation gave him a rating of 134, placing him third behind Shergar (140) and
397:
429:
In the official
International Classification for 1981, Bikala was the second-highest rated three-year-old colt in Europe behind the British-trained
189:
he developed into a top-class middle-distance performer and was rated among the best horses in Europe at three and four years of age. He won the
700:
907:
902:
853:
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912:
252:
by the bloodstock agency Horse France. The colt passed into the ownership of Jules Ouaki and was sent to France to be trained by
417:
winner Bon Sang until early in the straight, but then dropped away quickly and finished twelfth of the seventeen runners behind
269:
Bikala ran twice in the late autumn of 1980 and showed some promise. Racing on very soft ground he finished unplaced over 1800
897:
256:. He was ridden in most of his races by Serge Gorli, a teenager who was forced into retirement by weight problems in 1984.
198:
340:
785:
405:
202:
304:
On 7 June, his trainer's 29th birthday, Bikala started at odds of 17/1 in the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400m at
290:
282:
214:
321:
450:
317:
305:
294:
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Bikala began his three-year-old season by finishing second to No Lute in a minor race over 2000m at
704:
309:
190:
142:
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454:
329:
222:
404:. He started second favourite behind his half-brother Assert, with Kalaglow, Glint of Gold and
248:
Bikala was sent to the Goff's Sale but attracted very little interest and was bought for 6,000
849:
765:
518:
814:
505:
42:
445:
Bikala was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at the Haras du Val Henry near
401:
372:
333:
313:
253:
245:
234:
221:, Bikala's contemporary and racecourse rival. Bikala's dam Irish Bird, was a half-sister of
186:
122:
376:
356:
352:
238:
869:
233:, who won both the Prix du Jockey-Club and Irish Derby in 1982. Another of her foals was
513:
478:
466:
380:
230:
205:. He was retired to stud at the end of 1982 and had some success as a sire of winners.
891:
729:
594:
384:
249:
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a highly successful international middle-distance performer whose wins included the
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551:
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174:(12 March 1978 – 25 December 1994) was an Irish-bred, French-trained
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32:
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348:
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in April. Later that month he recorded his first success with a half
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225:, a colt who finished third in the Epsom Derby before winning the
818:
316:, with the unplaced horses including No Lute, The Wonder and
229:
in 1971. A year after foaling Bikala, Irish Bird produced
213:
Bikala was, a big, strong bay horse with a narrow white
273:
on his debut and then ran fourth in a race over 1400m.
297:. On 17 May he was moved up in class to contest the
154:
136:
128:
118:
110:
102:
92:
84:
76:
66:
56:
48:
38:
28:
23:
730:"Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Woodbine – Family 8-c"
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667:
339:After a two-month break, Bikala returned in the
839:
837:
835:
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753:
751:
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747:
724:
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490:Pedigree of Bikala (IRE), bay stallion, 1978
8:
815:"Biancone savoring his time with Lion Heart"
400:over one and a half miles on firm ground at
197:in 1982 as well as finishing second in the
20:
398:King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
488:
663:
185:. Having been bought very cheaply as a
165:Top-rated French three-year-old (1981)
703:. sporthorse-data.com. Archived from
7:
371:, Lancastrian, Argument, April Run,
813:Kenny RiceArchive (17 March 2004).
786:"Bikala's jockey Gorli dies at 50"
473:(Prix du Jockey Club), Grey Jack (
14:
16:Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse
465:, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and
453:. The best of his offspring was
872:. Racing Post. 15 February 2012
355:(winner of the race in 1980),
163:rating: 134 (1981), 129 (1982)
1:
908:Racehorses trained in France
277:1981: three-year-old season
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903:Racehorses bred in Ireland
391:1982: four-year-old season
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265:1980: two-year-old season
203:Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
199:Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
159:
141:
913:Thoroughbred family 8-c
844:Timeform staff (1983).
760:Timeform staff (1982).
341:Prix du Prince d'Orange
651:Cutaway (family: 8-c)
283:Saint-Cloud Racecourse
237:, a filly who won the
898:1978 racehorse births
870:"Bikala Stud Record"
707:on 27 September 2013
308:. Gorli tracked the
306:Chantilly Racecourse
295:Longchamp Racecourse
491:
191:Prix du Jockey Club
143:Prix du Jockey Club
846:Racehorses of 1982
762:Racehorses of 1981
489:
475:Gran Premio Merano
675:"Bikala pedigree"
655:
654:
646:Niccolo Dellarca
543:Khairunissa (GB)
406:Height of Fashion
318:Nijinsky's Secret
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732:. Bloodlines.net
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578:Irish Bird (USA)
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469:. He also sired
402:Ascot Racecourse
254:Patrick Biancone
123:Patrick Biancone
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477:) and Bimbola (
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377:Beldale Flutter
289:win in a 1840m
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239:Irish St. Leger
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794:. 9 April 2013
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701:"Bikala image"
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479:Prix de Pomone
467:Coronation Cup
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595:Native Dancer
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385:Ring the Bell
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260:Racing career
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106:Moyglare Stud
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80:12 March 1978
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876:23 September
874:. Retrieved
864:
848:. Timeform.
845:
824:24 September
822:. Retrieved
808:
798:24 September
796:. Retrieved
789:
780:
764:. Timeform.
761:
736:24 September
734:. Retrieved
711:23 September
709:. Retrieved
705:the original
695:
685:23 September
683:. Retrieved
681:. 8 May 2012
678:
638:Rosy Legend
463:Turf Classic
459:Europa-Preis
447:Tortisambert
444:
428:
411:
394:
338:
303:
280:
268:
243:
212:
193:in 1981 and
176:Thoroughbred
171:
170:
18:
791:Racing Post
552:Prince Rose
548:Prince Bio
441:Stud record
381:King's Lake
365:Oaks Stakes
322:Lancastrian
227:Irish Derby
114:Jules Ouaki
892:Categories
679:Equineline
658:References
616:Marmelade
601:Vixenette
591:Dan Cupid
566:Palestine
538:Veronique
455:Apple Tree
425:Assessment
345:Storm Bird
330:Gold River
223:Irish Ball
209:Background
195:Prix Ganay
148:Prix Ganay
137:Major wins
52:Irish Bird
643:Scollata
627:Sayajirao
606:Sicalade
563:Palariva
558:Biologie
533:Vilmorin
519:Nasrullah
415:Prix Niel
369:Cut Above
361:Blue Wind
326:April Run
310:pacemaker
299:Group One
179:racehorse
132:13: 3-5-0
39:Grandsire
610:Sicambre
584:Sea Bird
498:Kalamoun
485:Pedigree
471:Polytain
451:Calvados
435:Northjet
373:Perrault
334:Argument
291:Handicap
246:yearling
235:Eurobird
219:Kalaglow
201:and the
187:yearling
161:Timeform
71:Stallion
61:Sea Bird
33:Kalamoun
530:Vareta
506:Zeddaan
431:Shergar
357:Ardross
353:Detroit
349:Vayrann
250:guineas
119:Trainer
103:Breeder
88:Ireland
85:Country
57:Damsire
43:Zeddaan
852:
768:
632:Nearco
571:Rivaz
419:Akiyda
314:Akarad
287:length
271:metres
231:Assert
215:stripe
172:Bikala
155:Awards
150:(1982)
145:(1981)
129:Record
93:Colour
77:Foaled
24:Bikala
623:1962
588:1962
580:1970
545:1960
525:Kong
510:1965
502:1970
244:As a
111:Owner
878:2013
850:ISBN
826:2013
819:ESPN
800:2013
766:ISBN
738:2013
713:2013
687:2013
586:(FR)
508:(GB)
500:(GB)
495:Sire
383:and
332:and
183:sire
181:and
29:Sire
576:Dam
481:).
367:),
293:at
97:Bay
67:Sex
49:Dam
894::
834:^
817:.
788:.
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721:^
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666:^
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880:.
858:.
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689:.
363:(
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