459:, based on a modified version of the Timeform system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Thatch the best British or Irish-trained horse of his generation and the twelfth-best Irish racehorse of the 20th century. He was also placed twentieth in their list of the century's best sprinters.
206:. In a racing career which lasted from spring 1972 until July 1973 he ran nine times and won seven races. As a two-year-old he won three of his four races and was rated one of the best Irish juveniles of the season. In the following year he finished fourth on soft ground in the
401:. In the following month he was moved down in distance to contest the July Cup against specialist sprinters over six furlongs at Newmarket's July course. Ridden as usual by Piggott, he started 4/5 favourite and won by three lengths from the Royal Ascot winners Pitskelly (
333:
but finished fourth behind
Filiberto. He reportedly did not cope well with the journey from Ireland and was not suited by the soft ground. Although he did not race again in 1972, he was officially rated the best horse in Ireland by a margin of six
689:
440:
awarded the colt a rating of 136, making him the highest rated three-year-old in Europe. The only horse to surpass Thatch's rating for 1973 were his two-year-old stable companion
370:, with his main opposition expected to come from the French-trained colt Targowice. Racing on soft ground, he finished fourth of the eighteen runners behind the
980:
818:
903:
957:
428:, as his connections did not wish to run the colt on soft ground. At the end of the season he was syndicated at a valuation of £1m and retired to stud.
381:
By the summer, the dry weather led to firm, fast ground in
England and Thatch returned in June for the St James's Palace Stakes over one mile at
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Thatch was bought privately by Jack
Mulcahy and was sent to race in Europe. He proved to be the first top-class horse owned by the
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262:. After winning five races she was retired to stud where she became a highly influential broodmare. Her descendants included
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before becoming a successful breeding stallion in the United States. His best-known offspring was Thatch's contemporary
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210:. In the summer he showed the form which led to him being rated the best European horse of his generation, winning the
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Thatch had some success as a breeding stallion, siring good winners over a variety of distances including
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over the same course and distance followed by a success over seven furlongs in the
Probationers Stakes.
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385:. He won by fifteen lengths from his only opponent, Owen Dudley, a colt who had previously won the
436:
Thatch was the highest rated two-year-old of 1972 in
Ireland. At the end of the following season
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413:, which at that time was restricted to three' and four-year-olds. He won by three lengths from
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On his three-year-old debut, Thatch won the Group Three
Vauxhall Trial Stakes over seven
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born
Mulcahy, whose racing colours of green, white and orange were derived from the
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417:, a filly who had been rated the best British two-year-old of either sex in 1972.
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in June. In the following month he was moved up in class and won the Group Three
488:
409:). At the end of the month Thatch returned to the mile for the Sussex Stakes at
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258:. Thatch's dam Thong was a full sister to the 1965 American Horse of the Year
222:. He was then retired to stud where he had some success as a sire of winners.
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487:) and Shulich (Gran Premio di Milano). He was also the damsire of the 1986
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Later in the season, Thatch was withdrawn from engagements in both the
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378:, with O'Brien blaming his colt's defeat on the rain-softened ground.
611:
354:. On 5 May the colt was sent to England for the first to contest the
251:
981:"England's economy is having an influence on our breeding"
759:"Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Ann of the Forest - Family 5-h"
270:, Lisadell, Marinsky, King Pellinore and most importantly
846:
Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978).
329:
In August he was sent to France to contest the Group One
198:(1970–1983) was an American-bred, Irish-trained
314:
Thatch began his career with three easy wins at the
230:Thatch was a strongly built bay horse, standing 16
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904:"Thatch can help Piggott to equal Archer's record"
475:, Final Straw (four Group race wins including the
318:, starting with the Corrib Maiden Stakes over six
848:Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing
684:
682:
783:Great Breeders and Their Methods: The Hancocks
444:(also owned by Mulcahy) and the four-year-old
246:. His sire Forli was a champion in his native
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504:Pedigree of Thatch (USA), bay stallion, 1970
8:
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958:"Thatch to hold Jacinth in Sussex Stakes"
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930:The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records
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1009:(Third ed.). Guinness Publishing.
1007:Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions
678:
928:Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993).
452:, both of whom were assessed at 137.
7:
1005:Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990).
874:Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999).
177:Top-rated Irish two-year-old (1972)
366:, he was strongly fancied for the
14:
819:"Derby Day, complete with brogue"
956:White and Gold (1 August 1973).
189:Last updated on 1 September 2022
358:over the Rowley Mile course at
182:Top-rated three-year-old (1973)
1:
1057:Racehorses trained in Ireland
979:Bert Lillye (12 April 1976).
902:White and Gold (5 May 1973).
932:. Breedon Books Publishing.
692:. equineline.com. 8 May 2012
238:and one white foot, bred by
1052:Racehorses bred in Kentucky
342:1973: three-year-old season
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780:Frank J. Mitchell (2005).
666:Simons Shoes (Family:5-h)
256:American Horse of the Year
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446:Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
422:Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
310:1972: two-year-old season
212:St. James's Palace Stakes
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155:St. James's Palace Stakes
153:
850:. Macdonald and Jane’s.
285:. Thatch was trained by
1047:Thoroughbred family 5-h
983:. Sydney Morning Herald
352:Phoenix Park Racecourse
876:A Century of Champions
457:A Century of Champions
407:Cork and Orrery Stakes
1042:1983 racehorse deaths
1037:1970 racehorse births
485:Gran Premio di Milano
823:The Day (New London)
786:. Russell Meerdink.
360:Newmarket Racecourse
184:Timeform rating: 136
505:
411:Goodwood Racecourse
234:high, with a white
736:. Racingmuseum.org
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878:. Portway Press.
714:. sporthorse-data
690:"Thatch pedigree"
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601:Nantallah (USA)
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477:Champagne Stakes
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279:County Waterford
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364:Lester Piggott
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305:Racing career
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118:J. A. Mulcahy
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89:United States
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80:30 March 1970
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985:. Retrieved
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797:. Retrieved
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763:. Retrieved
738:. Retrieved
728:
716:. Retrieved
706:
694:. Retrieved
646:Golden Boss
643:Gold Bridge
596:Thong (USA)
533:Gainsborough
520:Aristophanes
466:
456:
454:
435:
419:
387:Dante Stakes
380:
362:. Ridden by
356:2000 Guineas
345:
328:
324:Tyros Stakes
313:
276:
229:
208:2000 Guineas
200:Thoroughbred
195:
194:
43:Aristophanes
18:
493:Shahrastani
489:Epsom Derby
463:Stud career
383:Royal Ascot
1031:Categories
987:13 January
964:13 January
910:13 January
828:13 January
799:13 January
765:13 January
740:13 January
718:13 January
696:13 January
673:References
570:Fair Trial
432:Assessment
331:Prix Morny
293:stable in
291:Ballydoyle
264:Fairy King
226:Background
149:Major wins
815:Red Smith
660:Blandford
607:Nasrullah
589:Dogaresa
584:Foxglove
566:Advocate
545:Commotion
469:Thatching
450:Rheingold
442:Apalachee
374:outsider
248:Argentina
61:Nantallah
39:Grandsire
656:Dalmary
623:Shimmer
528:Hyperion
499:Pedigree
473:Achieved
438:Timeform
424:and the
393:and the
376:Mon Fils
348:furlongs
320:furlongs
260:Moccasin
244:Kentucky
218:and the
216:July Cup
180:Timeform
160:July Cup
141:Earnings
71:Stallion
581:Veneta
550:Mieuxce
539:Selene
491:winner
448:winner
415:Jacinth
368:classic
316:Curragh
299:Ireland
289:at his
268:Nureyev
144:£40,277
136:9:7-0-0
123:Trainer
105:Breeder
85:Country
57:Damsire
1013:
936:
882:
854:
790:
627:Flares
612:Nearco
336:pounds
252:Forego
214:, the
196:Thatch
172:Awards
167:(1973)
162:(1973)
157:(1973)
133:Record
95:Colour
77:Foaled
24:Thatch
640:1944
603:1953
598:1964
563:1951
556:Riot
524:1948
516:1963
514:(ARG)
512:Forli
399:Epsom
232:hands
115:Owner
52:Thong
33:Forli
1011:ISBN
989:2013
966:2013
934:ISBN
912:2013
880:ISBN
852:ISBN
830:2013
801:2013
788:ISBN
767:2013
742:2013
720:2013
698:2013
522:(GB)
509:Sire
391:York
372:50/1
236:star
204:sire
29:Sire
594:Dam
397:at
389:at
350:at
242:in
99:Bay
67:Sex
49:Dam
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.