| Ribot | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Tenerani (ITY) |
| Grandsire | Bellini |
| Dam | Romanella (ITY) |
| Damsire | El Greco |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1952 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Federico Tesio |
| Owner | Lydia Tesio & Mario della Rocchetta (Colours: White, red crossbelts, red cap) |
| Trainer | Ugo Penco |
| Record | 16: 16-0-0 |
| Earnings | $294,414 |
| Major wins | |
| Gran Criterium (1954) Gran Premio del Jockey Club (1955) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1955 & 1956) Gran Premio di Milano (1956) K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (1956) |
|
| Awards | |
| Italian 2-Yr-Old Champion Colt (1954) Italian 3-Yr-Old Champion Colt (1955) Italian Champion Older Horse (1956) United Kingdom Champion Older Horse (1956) France Champion Older Horse (1956) Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland (1963, 1967, 1968) |
|
| Honours | |
| Timeform rating 142 - joint 3rd highest La Gazzetta dello Sport poll : Ranked No.4 Italian athlete of the 20th century Premio Ribot at Capannelle Racecourse) Horse of the Century (ITA) |
|
| Horse (Equus ferus caballus) | |
| Last updated on 21 July 2010 | |
Ribot (1952 – 1972) was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.
Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs (1,000m) to 1m 7f (3,000m), in three different countries and in all types of track conditions. After he retired to stud, the performances of Ribot's progeny saw him named the leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland on three occasions. Horse of Year in Italy 1954, 1955, 1956. Horse of Year in France 1955, 1956. Horse of year in England 1956.
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He was bred by Italy's leading Thoroughbred breeder, Federico Tesio, who personally bred six of the horses that appeared in the first three generations of Ribot's pedigree. Ribot was foaled at the English National Stud on 27 February 1952. His sire was the good racehorse, Tenerani, his dam was the winner and good broodmare, Romanella by El Greco (won 17 races). He was described as being a "medium-sized bay with a lovely intelligent head and a perfect temperament. The secret of his success was probably his depth through the heart and there was not a girth at Dormello to fit him."[1] Like many of Tesio's horses, Ribot was named after an artist—in this case, the French realist Théodule-Augustin Ribot. Tesio, who also bred the undefeated and prepotent sire, Nearco, did not live to see Ribot develop into a champion. After Tesio's death, Ribot was raced by Tesio's widow Donna Lydia and his business partner, Marchese Mario Incisa della Rochetta.
Ribot was trained in Italy by Ugo Penco and ridden by Enrico Camici. He was nicknamed 'il cavallo super' meaning 'the super horse'; he won all 16 of his races during three seasons of racing. These included victories, in Italy, in the Gran Criterium, the Gran Premio del Jockey Club and the Gran Premio di Milano. However, the seal of Ribot's greatness were his two victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by three lengths (1955) and a six-length rout from an exceptionally strong field (1956 - though photographs of the finish make it closer to eight and a half lengths) and his only run in England, where he laboured somewhat but still to a five-length win on the soft Ascot ground in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1956).
Premio Tramuschio - San Siro - 1,000m WON - by 1 length.
Criterium Nazionale - San Siro - 1,200m WON - by 2 lengths.
Gran Criterium - San Siro - 1,500m WON - by a head.
Champion 2-y-o Colt (ITA)
Premio Pisa - Pisa - 1,500m WON - by 6 lengths
Premio Emanuelle Filiberto - San Siro - 2,000m WON - by 10 lengths beating Gail (horse) and the subsequent St Leger Italiano winner Derain (horse) by 15 lengths. Won unextended eventually pulling up lame due to the hard going.
Premio Brembo - San Siro - 2,200m WON - by 1 length from Derain (horse), his first start after recovering from a cough.
Premio Besana - San Siro - 2,400m WON - by 10 lengths from Derain (horse) who won the St Leger Italiano two weeks after this race.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Longchamp - 2,400m WON - by 3 lengths from Beau Prince.
Gran Premio del Jockey Club - San Siro - 2,400m WON - by 15 lengths from the previous year's winner Norman (horse) on heavy going.
Champion 3-y-o Colt (ITA) and European Horse of the Year.
Premio Guilio Venino - San Siro - 2,000m WON - by 4 lengths.
Premio Vittuone - San Siro - 2,400m WON - by 12 lengths.
Premio Garbagnate - San Siro - 2,000m WON - by 8 lengths from the top-class 3-y-o coly Grand Rapids (horse), giving him 5 lb, won unextended.
Gran Premio di Milano - San Siro - 3,000m (later reduced to 2400m) WON - by 8 lengths, led all the way on the bit on heavy going beating top-class colt Tissot (horse).
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes - Ascot - 2400m WON - by 5 lengths from High Veldt on heavy going.
Premio del Piazzale - San Siro - 1,800m WON - by 8 lengths, led all the way beating the Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) winner Magabait.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Longchamp - 2,400m WON - cantered to victory by 6 lengths never off the bit at any time from Talgo (horse) in second, beating a field consisting of; the English Oaks winner, French Oaks winner, two Irish Derby winners, Grand Prix de Paris and French St Leger winner, Laurel Invitational winner and the second horse in the Belmont Stakes.
He was named Champion older horse in England, France and Italy, and European horse of the Year.
Retired from racing, Ribot had an exceptionally successful career at stud. Under a one-year contract, he first stood at Lord Derby's stud in England. In 1959, he was syndicated for a five-year lease at a cost of $1.35 million dollars before being sent to the United States[2] in a deal of such significance that on June 1, 1959 Sports Illustrated did a feature article on it titled The Man, The Horse And The Deal That Made History.
Fiery on the racetrack, Ribot developed a dangerous temperament and had to be handled by the strongest stallion groom at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, where he stood at stud. Ribot was even so territorial that he would not tolerate the sight of other stallions and once, he even refused to calm down until a herd of cows was moved over a hill and out of his vision.
Originally, Ribot was leased by Darby Dan to stand in the United States for five years only. After Ribot's temper had surfaced, no insurance company would offer a policy to cover shipping him back to Europe. A new contract was worked out, and Ribot remained in the United States until his death. He is buried in the equine cemetery at Darby Dan, near his sons Graustark and His Majesty.
He was leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland on three occasions (1963, 1967 and 1968). His European progeny included Molvedo and Prince Royal, both winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe; Ragusa, winner of the Irish Derby, St. Leger, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Eclipse Stakes. In America he sired Long Look (won Epsom Oaks), the full brothers Ribocco and Ribero, both winners of the Irish Derby and St. Leger; Tom Rolfe, winner of the Preakness Stakes; Arts and Letters, winner of the Belmont Stakes; and Graustark. Ribot's son His Majesty sired the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Pleasant Colony, and his great grandson Alleged, by Tom Rolfe's son Hoist The Flag, emulated him by winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in succssive years (1977 and 1978).[3]
At least 15 Ribot stallions stood in Australasia, including Arivederci, Angeluccio, Latin Lover, Boucher (USA), Dies, Ribollire, Heir Apparent, Koryo, Regent's Tale, Ruantallan, Ribotlight, and Headland. The progeny of the 15 imported stallions had won over A$7 million until late 1979.[4]
Timeform rated him at 142, the joint-third highest rating (rating of 143 has never been awarded), joint with Abernant and only behind Sea Bird (145), Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel (both on 144).
A Century of Champions, written by John Randall & Tony Morris, and published by Portway Press Limited, rated Ribot the #3 horse for the 20th Century, like Sea-Bird and Secretariat however the book does argue that photographs show Sea-Bird winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by only four and a half lengths (not six lengths), making Ribot's triumph in the Arc the largest winning distance victory (be it six lengths or eight and a half lengths) of what is the world's greatest and most prestigious flat race.
Ribot was named in La Gazzetta dello Sport's poll; the 4th Greatest Italian athlete of the 20th century. Ribot has the Premio Ribot at Capannelle Racecourse named in his honour and has been named Horse of the Century in Italy, the ultimate honour from his native country.
| Sire Tenerani B.1944 |
Bellini B. 1937 |
Cavaliere d'Arpino | Havresac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuette | |||
| Bella Minna | Bachelor's Double | ||
| Santa Minna | |||
| Tofanella Ch. 1931 |
Apelle | Sardanapale | |
| Angelina | |||
| Try Try Again | Cylgad | ||
| Perseverance | |||
| Dam Romanella Ch. 1943 |
El Greco Ch. 1934 |
Pharos | Phalaris |
| Scapa Flow | |||
| Gay Gamp | Gay Crusader | ||
| Parasol | |||
| Barbara Burrini Br. 1937 |
Papyrus | Tracery | |
| Miss Matty | |||
| Bucolic | Buchan | ||
| Volcanic (Family: 4-l) |