Unite (horse)

Unite
Sire	Kris
Grandsire	Sharpen Up
Dam	Pro Patria
Damsire	Petingo
Sex	Mare
Foaled	3 April 1984^[1]
Country	Ireland
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	E. J. Loder
Owner	Sheikh Mohammed
Trainer	Michael Stoute
Record	5:3-1-0
Major wins
Oaks Stakes (1987) Irish Oaks (1987)
Awards
Top-rated European three-year-old filly, 11 furlongs plus (1987) Timeform rating: 83p in 1986, 126 in 1987

Unite (3 April 1984 – July 1995) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the Epsom Oaks in 1987. She finished second in her only race as a two-year-old and won a minor race in the spring of 1987 before winning the Oaks. She followed up with an easy win in the Irish Oaks but was retired from racing after running poorly in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. She had some success as a broodmare.

Background

Unite was a "rangy, rather angular"^[2] chestnut mare with white socks on her hind feet bred by Edmund Loder at the family's Eyresfield Stud near the Curragh in County Kildare. She was the second of two classic winners, following the Triple Crown winner Oh So Sharp, sired by Kris the leading British miler of 1979. Unite's dam Pro Patria was a granddaughter of My Game, whose other descendants included Marling, Marwell and the Ascot Gold Cup winner Paean.^[3]

As a yearling, Unite was sent to the Highflyer Yearling Sale at Newmarket and bought for 310,000 guineas by Sheikh Mohammed. The filly was sent into training with Michael Stoute at Newmarket,^[4] and was ridden to her biggest successes by Walter Swinburn.

Racing career

As a two-year-old in 1986, Unite bypassed maiden races and made her debut in the Blue Seal Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot Racecourse in September. She started odds-on favourite, but after taking the lead at half way she showed inexperience ("running green") and finished second, three lengths behind the winner White Mischief.^[4]

Unite made her three-year-old debut at Newmarket Racecourse in April when she contested a one mile Graduation Stakes (a race for horses which had won no more than one race). She won the race by one and a half lengths from the Henry Cecil-trained In The Habit.^[2]

Unite was then moved up sharply to contest the 208th running of the Oaks Stakes (named for sponsorship reasons the Gold Seal Oaks) over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 6 June.^[5] Stoute had originally intended to run the filly in the Irish 1000 Guineas, but after her win at Newmarket he decided that she needed further than a mile to show her full potential. Unite started at odds of 11/1 against ten opponents, with Scimitarra, the winner of the Lupe Stakes being made the 5/2 favourite ahead of Three Tails on 3/1. The first two in the betting were both owned by Sheikh Mohammed and Unite carried her owner's third colours, with a distinguishing blue cap. Swinburn positioned the filly just behind the leaders before taking the lead from Scimitarra entering the final furlong. In the closing stages the filly drew clear of her opponents to win by five lengths from Bourbon Girl, who was in turn three lengths ahead of Three Tails. Scimitarra broke down injured and was pulled up by her jockey Steve Cauthen.^[6] Five weeks after her Epsom win Unite started 8/13 favourite for the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. She was never seriously challenged and won easily by three lengths from Bourbon Girl with the subsequent Irish St Leger winner Eurobird four lengths further back in third.^[7]

On 25 July Unite contested Britain's most prestigious all-aged race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over one and a half miles at Ascot and started at odds of 13/2 in a field which included Reference Point, Triptych, Moon Madness, Tony Bin and Acatenango. She appeared to be going well until the final turn, but then dropped back rapidly to finish eighth of the nine runners, more than twenty lengths behind the winner Reference Point. It was subsequently revealed than the filly had suffered a broken blood vessel during the race.^[2]

Assessment

In 1986, the Independent Timeform organisation gave Unite a rating of 83p, the "p" indicating that she was likely to improve.^[4] In the following year he was given a Timeform rating of 126, six pounds below the top-rated three-year-old filly Indian Skimmer. In the official International Classification she was rated the fourth-best European three-year-old filly (behind Miesque, Indian Skimmer and Milligram) and the best in the 11 furlongs plus division with a rating of 125.^[2] In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Unite an "average" winner of the Oaks.^[8]

Stud record

Unite was retired from racing after her defeat in the King George and became a broodmare for her owner's Darley Stud. Unite died in July 1995.^[9] She produced two winning daughters:

United Kingdom, bay filly 1989, sired by Danzig, won one race^[10]
La Confederation, bay filly 1991, sired by Nureyev, won three races including the Sun Chariot Stakes. Granddam of the Jockey Club Cup winner Veracity.^[11]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Unite (IRE), chestnut mare, 1984^[1]
Sire Kris (GB) 1976	Sharpen Up (GB) 1969	Atan	Native Dancer
		Atan	Mixed Marriage
		Rocchetta	Rockfella
		Rocchetta	Chambiges
	Doubly Sure (GB) 1971	Reliance	Tantieme
		Reliance	Relance
		Soft Angels	Crepello
		Soft Angels	Sweet Angel
Dam Pro Patria (IRE) 1976	Petingo (GB) 1965	Petition	Fair Trial
		Petition	Art Paper
		Alcazar	Alycidon
		Alcazar	Quarterdeck
	Joyful (GB) 1962	Princely Gift	Nasrullah
		Princely Gift	Blue Gem
		My Game	My Babu
		My Game	Flirting (Family: 14-c)^[3]

References

1 2 "Unite pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
1 2 3 4 Timeform staff (1988). Racehorses of 1987. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-46-4.
1 2 "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Pretty Polly - Family 14-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
1 2 3 Timeform staff (1987). Racehorses of 1986. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-44-8.
↑ Ron Trevorrow (5 June 1987). "Carson all set to land prize". Evening Times. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
↑ "Unite wins Oaks by five lengths". New Straits Times. 8 June 1987. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
↑ "Unite lands classic double easily". New Straits Times. 13 July 1987. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
↑ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 978-1-901570-15-1.
↑ Hickman, Janet (5 June 2002). "Bloodstock Briefing: Oaks winners at stud: who has fared best since 1982.". The Racing Post. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
↑ "United Kingdom race record". Racing Post. 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
↑ "La Confederation race record". Racing Post. Retrieved 2013-08-14.

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 2014 Taghrooda 2015 Qualify 2016 Minding

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

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