Signorinetta

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Signorinetta

Sire	Chaleureux
Grandsire	Goodfellow
Dam	Signorina
Damsire	St Simon
Sex	Mare
Foaled	1905
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Chevalier Edoardo Ginistrelli
Owner	Chevalier Edoardo Ginistrelli
Trainer	Cavaliere Edoardo Ginistrelli
Record	13:3-0-0
Earnings	$58,005
Major wins
British Classic Race wins: Epsom Derby (1908) Epsom Oaks (1908)

Signorinetta (1905–1928) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a racing career which lasted from 1907 to 1908 she ran thirteen times and won three races. Although most of her career was undistinguished she showed outstanding form at Epsom in the summer of 1908 when she won both the Epsom Derby and the Epsom Oaks. Trained by her eccentric and unconventional Italian owner, she won the Derby as a 100/1 outsider, creating one of the biggest upsets in racing history. After her retirement from racing she had some success as a broodmare.

Background

She was bred, owned and trained by Cavaliere Edoardo Ginistrelli (1833–1920), who had come to England from Italy in the early 1880s after selling his stud and stable near Mount Vesuvius. Signorinetta's dam was called Signorina who had been unbeaten in nine races as a two-year-old including the Middle Park Plate. Signorina won two more the following season and was runner up in the Epsom Oaks, and won the Lancashire Plate as a four-year-old. However she had not produced a live foal for 10 consecutive seasons, before foaling Signorino, a colt who was second in the 2000 Guineas and then third in the Derby.

At the same stables in Newmarket, Suffolk was a horse called Chaleureux, a nine guinea stallion, which was used as a 'teaser', i.e. his job was to detect when mares came into season. Ginistrelli noticed that Signorina neighed to Chaleureux each day when he passed her box on his exercise round. Mr Ginistrelli decided the two horses were in love and let them mate. In horse-breeding circles, allowing a prize mare to breed from an unregarded stallion was deemed total folly. However, Ginistrelli based his decision on the "boundless laws of sympathy and love". Signorinetta was the resultant foal.^[1] Rather than send his filly to a professional, Ginistrelli trained her himself at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Racing record

1907: two-year-old season

Before the Derby Signorinetta was unplaced in her first five races as a juvenile. Her only win was as a two-year-old in a nursery handicap at Newmarket. Ginistrelli's methods of training had been subject to much laughter by other racing professionals.^[2]

1908: three-year-old season

Ginistrelli campaigned Signorinetta ambitiously from the start of the year. On he seasonal debut she ran in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and finished unplaced behind Rhodora. Two weeks later she ran against colts in the Newmarket Stakes over ten furlongs. She started at odds of 25/1 and finished fifth to Primer although she reportedly ran well for most of the way before fading in the closing stages.

A week before the Derby Lord Alfred Douglas dreamt that Signorinetta would win and so a placed a five pound bet on her, despite friends telling him not to.^[3] On 3 June 1908, ridden by William Bullock, she started at odds of 100/1 against seventeen colts for the Epsom Derby in front of a huge crowd which included the King and Queen and several other members of the Royal Family. Signorinetta was not among the early leaders but she began to make rapid progress from half way and hit the front two furlongs from the finish. She was never in any danger of defeat and won easily by two lengths from Primer and Llangwm in a time of 2:39.8. Despite the mile and a half trip and the exceptionally hot weather, the filly looked as though she had hardly exerted herself afterwards: according to one report "she would not have blown a pinch of snuff off a sixpence".^[4] Signorinetta's time in the Derby was considerably faster than that which was recorded by the Derby winners, Ard Patrick, Diamond Jubilee and Rock Sand.^[5] To date Ginistrelli, along with Arthur Budgett are the only two successful owner/breeder/trainers of the Derby winner. Signorinetta was only the fourth filly to win the race and to date only two fillies have won since. In 2002 The Observer rated her win as one of the ten greatest shocks in sporting history ^[6] and she is only one of the three 100-1 Derby winners.

Two days after the Derby she attempted to become only the third filly to win the Derby and Epsom Oaks double. She started at odds of 3/1 against twelve fillies including Rhodora who started favourite. Half a mile into the race Signorinetta's task was made considerably easier when French Partridge fell and brought down Rhodora. Signorinetta raced in second place until the turn into the straight, when she moved into the lead and ran on strongly to win easily by three quarters of a length from Lord Falmouth's filly Courtesy, with Santeve third. In contrast to the silence which had initially greeted her win in the Derby, Signorinetta's second Classic win was greeted enthusiastically and Ginistrelli was personally congratulated by the King.^[7] Signorinetta then finished unplaced in her remaining three races.^[5] On her first start after Epsom, Signorinetta started 13/8 joint-favourite for the Royal Stakes over ten furlongs at Newbury but finished fourth to White Eagle, being apparently unsuited by the slow pace.^[8]

Assessment

In their book A Century of Champions Tony Morris and John Randall rated Signorinetta a below average winner of the Oaks and the worst Derby winner of the 20th century arguing that Llangwm, Sea Sick, Norman, Sir Archibald and White Eagle all ran well below their best form in the Derby.^[9]

Stud record

By 1911 Ginistrelli was a poor man, living modestly in Newmarket. He wanted to return to Italy and was able to do this by selling 'the apple of his eye'. In December 1911 Ginistrelli sold Signorinetta to Lord Rosebery. She had been put up for auction before but did not make her reserve price of 7,500 guineas. It was said when she was sold, the reserve price was 10,000 guineas.^[10] Signorinetta produced several foals that won ₤5,021, including:

1912 filly, Pasta by Thrush, dam of Hunting Song, six times Leading sire in New Zealand
1916 colt, Rizzio (GB) Cicero
1918 colt, The Winter King (by Son In Law), sire of Barneveldt (FR) won Grand Prix de Paris and sired Pont l'Eveque
1920 filly, Erycina by Lemberg, dam of four winners including Clydesdale Scottish Grand National^[11]

She died at the age of 23 in 1928.^[12]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Signorinetta (GB), bay or brown mare, 1905
Sire Chaleureux B. 1894	Goodfellow B. 1887	Barcaldine	Solon
		Barcaldine	Ballyroe
		Ravissante	Clanronald
		Ravissante	Makeshift
	L'Ete B. 1853	John Davis	Voltigeur
		John Davis	Jamaica
		Fandango mare (1862)	Fandango
		Fandango mare (1862)	Sleight of Hand mare (1849)
Dam Signorina Br. 1887	St. Simon Br. 1881	Galopin	Vedette
		Galopin	Flying Duchess
		St. Angela	King Tom
		St. Angela	Adeline
	Star of Portici B. 1871	Heir At Law	Newminster
		Heir At Law	The Heiress
		Verbena	De Ruyter
		Verbena	Singleton Lass (Family: 23-a)^[11]^[13]

References

↑ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
↑ "100 TO 1 OUTSIDER WINS EPSOM DERBY". New York Times. 4 June 1908. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
↑ From Alfred Douglas's Without Apology, 1938, quoted in The Oxford Book of Dreams (ed. Stephen Brook; 1983)
↑ "RACING IN ENGLAND". Otago Witness. 15 July 1908. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
↑ 5.0 5.1 Leicester, Sir Charles, Bloodstock Breeding, J.A. Allen & Co, London, 1969
↑ The Observer 7 April 2002
↑ "SPORTING INTELLIGENCE". Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle. 21 July 1908. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
↑ "DEFEAT OF SIGNORINETTA". Wanganui Chronicle. 10 August 1908. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
↑ Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES. (17 December 1911). "Lord Rosebery Buys Signorinetta". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
↑ 11.0 11.1 Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
↑ Daily Mirror 31 May 2008
↑ "A-la-Grecque - Family 23-a". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-02-16.

Horse Racing History

v t e Epsom Derby winners

1780 Diomed 1781 Young Eclipse 1782 Assassin 1783 Saltram 1784 Serjeant 1785 Aimwell 1786 Noble 1787 Sir Peter Teazle 1788 Sir Thomas 1789 Skyscraper 1790 Rhadamanthus 1791 Eager 1792 John Bull 1793 Waxy 1794 Daedalus 1795 Spread Eagle 1796 Didelot 1797 colt by Fidget 1798 Sir Harry 1799 Archduke 1800 Champion 1801 Eleanor ♥ 1802 Tyrant 1803 Ditto 1804 Hannibal 1805 Cardinal Beaufort 1806 Paris 1807 Election 1808 Pan 1809 Pope 1810 Whalebone 1811 Phantom 1812 Octavius 1813 Smolensko 1814 Blucher 1815 Whisker 1816 Prince Leopold 1817 Azor 1818 Sam 1819 Tiresias 1820 Sailor 1821 Gustavus 1822 Moses 1823 Emilius 1824 Cedric 1825 Middleton 1826 Lap-dog 1827 Mameluke 1828 Cadland 1829 Frederick 1830 Priam 1831 Spaniel 1832 St. Giles 1833 Dangerous 1834 Plenipotentiary 1835 Mundig 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Phosphorus 1838 Amato 1839 Bloomsbury 1840 Little Wonder 1841 Coronation 1842 Attila 1843 Cotherstone 1844 Orlando 1845 The Merry Monarch 1846 Pyrrhus The First 1847 Cossack 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Teddington 1852 Daniel O'Rourke 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Andover 1855 Wild Dayrell 1856 Ellington 1857 Blink Bonny ♥ 1858 Beadsman 1859 Musjid 1860 Thormanby 1861 Kettledrum 1862 Caractacus 1863 Macaroni 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Hermit 1868 Blue Gown 1869 Pretender 1870 Kingcraft 1871 Favonius 1872 Cremorne 1873 Doncaster 1874 George Frederick 1875 Galopin 1876 Kisber 1877 Silvio 1878 Sefton 1879 Sir Bevys 1880 Bend Or 1881 Iroquois 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 St. Blaise 1884 St. Gatien Harvester 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Merry Hampton 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Donovan 1890 Sainfoin 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Sir Hugo 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Jeddah 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Volodyovski 1902 Ard Patrick 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Cicero 1906 Spearmint 1907 Orby 1908 Signorinetta ♥ 1909 Minoru 1910 Lemberg 1911 Sunstar 1912 Tagalie ♥ 1913 Aboyeur 1914 Durbar 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Fifinella ♥ 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Grand Parade 1920 Spion Kop 1921 Humorist 1922 Captain Cuttle 1923 Papyrus 1924 Sansovino 1925 Manna 1926 Coronach 1927 Call Boy 1928 Felstead 1929 Trigo 1930 Blenheim 1931 Cameronian 1932 April the Fifth 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Mahmoud 1937 Mid-day Sun 1938 Bois Roussel 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Pont l'Eveque 1941 Owen Tudor 1942 Watling Street 1943 Straight Deal 1944 Ocean Swell 1945 Dante 1946 Airborne 1947 Pearl Diver 1948 My Love 1949 Nimbus 1950 Galcador 1951 Arctic Prince 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Phil Drake 1956 Lavandin 1957 Crepello 1958 Hard Ridden 1959 Parthia 1960 St. Paddy 1961 Psidium 1962 Larkspur 1963 Relko 1964 Santa Claus 1965 Sea Bird 1966 Charlottown 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Blakeney 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Roberto 1973 Morston 1974 Snow Knight 1975 Grundy 1976 Empery 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Shirley Heights 1979 Troy 1980 Henbit 1981 Shergar 1982 Golden Fleece 1983 Teenoso 1984 Secreto 1985 Slip Anchor 1986 Shahrastani 1987 Reference Point 1988 Kahyasi 1989 Nashwan 1990 Quest for Fame 1991 Generous 1992 Dr Devious 1993 Commander in Chief 1994 Erhaab 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Shaamit 1997 Benny the Dip 1998 High-Rise 1999 Oath 2000 Sinndar 2001 Galileo 2002 High Chaparral 2003 Kris Kin 2004 North Light 2005 Motivator 2006 Sir Percy 2007 Authorized 2008 New Approach 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Workforce 2011 Pour Moi 2012 Camelot 2013 Ruler of the World

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

v t e Epsom Oaks winners

1779 Bridget 1780 Tetotum 1781 Faith 1782 Ceres 1783 Maid of the Oaks 1784 Stella 1785 Trifle 1786 Yellow Filly 1787 Annette 1788 Nightshade 1789 Tag 1790 Hippolyta 1791 Portia 1792 Volante 1793 Caelia 1794 Hermione 1795 Platina 1796 Parisot 1797 Nike 1798 Bellissima 1799 Bellina 1800 Ephemera 1801 Eleanor † 1802 Scotia 1803 Theophania 1804 Pelisse 1805 Meteora 1806 Bronze 1807 Briseis 1808 Morel 1809 Maid of Orleans 1810 Oriana 1811 Sorcery 1812 Manuella 1813 Music 1814 Medora 1815 Minuet 1816 Landscape 1817 Neva 1818 Corinne 1819 Shoveler 1820 Caroline 1821 Augusta 1822 Pastille ‡ 1823 Zinc 1824 Cobweb 1825 Wings 1826 Lilias 1827 Gulnare 1828 Turquoise 1829 Green Mantle 1830 Variation 1831 Oxygen 1832 Galata 1833 Vespa 1834 Pussy 1835 Queen of Trumps 1836 Cyprian 1837 Miss Letty 1838 Industry 1839 Deception 1840 Crucifix ‡ 1841 Ghuznee 1842 Our Nell 1843 Poison 1844 The Princess 1845 Refraction 1846 Mendicant 1847 Miami 1848 Cymba 1849 Lady Evelyn 1850 Rhedycina 1851 Iris 1852 Songstress 1853 Catherine Hayes 1854 Mincemeat 1855 Marchioness 1856 Mincepie 1857 Blink Bonny † 1858 Governess 1859 Summerside 1860 Butterfly 1861 Brown Duchess 1862 Feu de Joie 1863 Queen Bertha 1864 Fille de l'Air 1865 Regalia 1866 Tormentor 1867 Hippia 1868 Formosa ₩ ‡ 1869 Brigantine 1870 Gamos 1871 Hannah ₩ 1872 Reine 1873 Marie Stuart 1874 Apology ₩ 1875 Spinaway 1876 Camelia (dh) 1876 Enguerrande (dh) 1877 Placida 1878 Jannette 1879 Wheel of Fortune 1880 Jenny Howlet 1881 Thebais 1882 Geheimniss 1883 Bonny Jean 1884 Busybody 1885 Lonely 1886 Miss Jummy 1887 Reve d'Or 1888 Seabreeze 1889 L'Abbesse de Jouarre 1890 Memoir 1891 Mimi 1892 La Fleche ₩ 1893 Mrs Butterwick 1894 Amiable 1895 La Sagesse 1896 Canterbury Pilgrim 1897 Limasol 1898 Airs and Graces 1899 Musa 1900 La Roche 1901 Cap and Bells II 1902 Sceptre ₩ ‡ 1903 Our Lassie 1904 Pretty Polly ₩ 1905 Cherry Lass 1906 Keystone II 1907 Glass Doll 1908 Signorinetta † 1909 Perola 1910 Rosedrop 1911 Cherimoya 1912 Mirska 1913 Jest 1914 Princess Dorrie 1915 Snow Marten 1916 Fifinella † 1917 Sunny Jane 1918 My Dear 1919 Bayunda 1920 Charlebelle 1921 Love in Idleness 1922 Pogrom 1923 Brownhylda 1924 Straitlace 1925 Saucy Sue 1926 Short Story 1927 Beam 1928 Toboggan 1929 Pennycomequick 1930 Rose of England 1931 Brulette 1932 Udaipur 1933 Chatelaine 1934 Light Brocade 1935 Quashed 1936 Lovely Rosa 1937 Exhibitionnist 1938 Rockfel 1939 Galatea II 1940 Godiva 1941 Commotion 1942 Sun Chariot ₩ 1943 Why Hurry 1944 Hycilla 1945 Sun Stream 1946 Steady Aim 1947 Imprudence 1948 Masaka 1949 Musidora 1950 Asmena 1951 Neasham Belle 1952 Frieze 1953 Ambiguity 1954 Sun Cap 1955 Meld ₩ 1956 Sicarelle 1957 Carrozza 1958 Bella Paola 1959 Petite Etoile 1960 Never Too Late 1961 Sweet Solera 1962 Monade 1963 Noblesse 1964 Homeward Bound 1965 Long Look 1966 Valoris 1967 Pia 1968 La Lagune 1969 Sleeping Partner 1970 Lupe 1971 Altesse Royale 1972 Ginevra 1973 Mysterious 1974 Polygamy 1975 Juliette Marny 1976 Pawneese 1977 Dunfermline 1978 Fair Salinia 1979 Scintillate 1980 Bireme 1981 Blue Wind 1982 Time Charter 1983 Sun Princess 1984 Circus Plume 1985 Oh So Sharp ₩ 1986 Midway Lady 1987 Unite 1988 Diminuendo 1989 Snow Bride 1990 Salsabil 1991 Jet Ski Lady 1992 User Friendly 1993 Intrepidity 1994 Balanchine 1995 Moonshell 1996 Lady Carla 1997 Reams of Verse 1998 Shahtoush 1999 Ramruma 2000 Love Divine 2001 Imagine 2002 Kazzia 2003 Casual Look 2004 Ouija Board 2005 Eswarah 2006 Alexandrova 2007 Light Shift 2008 Look Here 2009 Sariska 2010 Snow Fairy 2011 Dancing Rain 2012 Was 2013 Talent

Legend - ₩ = Fillies Triple Crown Winners, † = Epsom Derby Winners, ‡ = 2,000 Guineas Stakes Winners

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