Big Race History: Geoffrey Freer Stakes

Events / Malcolm Pannett / 13 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Mubtaker (right) opens his Geoffrey Freer account beating High Pitched and Warrsan (5th)

"Mubtaker - the winning most horse in the history of the race - came close to making it four wins but veered off a true line and was caught by Lochbuie in the final strides going down by a neck"

In the early years of the century Mubtaker made the Geoffrey Freer Stakes his own winning three years in a row. Malcolm Pannett looks at the origins of the race that celebrates its 60th anniversary this Saturday.

Originated in 1949 as the Oxfordshire Stakes, the Geoffrey Freer commemorates the Clerk of the Course who masterminded Newbury's rebirth as a racecourse after the Second World War.

During the war Newbury was used as an American Supply Depot. When peace broke out it was not surprising that the racetrack had been devastated by its alternate use. However the stalwart efforts of Freer and his team restored the course to its former glory and soon after Freer inaugurated the Oxfordshire Stakes.

A Jockey Club Handicapper who sat on the Pattern Race Committee, Freer was also a breeder in his own right producing, among others, Tofanella the grand-dam of the unbeaten dual Arc-winner Ribot. He died in 1968 and the year after the Oxfordshire Stakes was renamed in his honour.

The first race was won by the Noel Murless-trained Ridge Wood (1949) ridden by Gordon Richards. Over the years many good stayers have been attracted by the one-mile five-furlong trip and numerous previous and future winners of races like the Gold Cup and St Leger are represented in the roll of honour. Indeed Ridge Wood went on to win the St Leger himself.

Notable winners include Charlottown (1966) that year's Derby winner; Hopeful Venture (1967) owned by Queen; Levmoss (1968) who won the following season's Gold Cup and Arc; Ile de Bourbon (1978) the sire of Kahyasi; Niniski (1979) who went on to take that year's Irish St Leger; Nicholas Bill (1980) Jockey Club Cup Winner and son of dual Geoffrey Freer-winner High Line.

High Line had won in 1970 and 1971 becoming the second dual winner after Sovrango (1961 and 1962). They were followed by dual Gold Cup-winner Ardross (1981 and 1982) before Mubtaker (2002 to 2004) put his mark on the contest with three wins (see below).

The 1989 winner Ibn Bey not only went on to win the next season's Irish St Leger but, via his owner's, became the sponsor of the race for three years when between 1991 and 1993 it was run as the Ibn Bey Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

Other memorable victors include Moon Madness (1987) the previous year's St Leger winner; Drum Taps (1991) dual Gold Cup winner; Shambo (1992) who went on to win the Ormonde Stakes twice; Phantom Gold (1996) former winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes; Papal Bull (2007) the Chester Vase and King Edward VII Stakes winner who finished second to Duke Of Marmalade in last year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The race was downgrade to Group 3, from Group 2, in 2006.

25 years ago - Baynoun, owned by the Aga Khan, made it five wins in a row with victory over Alphabatim and Opale. The son of Sassafras took over from Petrizzo at the three pole opening up a clear lead and still had three lengths in hand over the odds-on favourite Alphabatim at the line. Baynoun was the middle leg of an Aga Khan hat-trick in the race started by Khairpour (1983) and completed by Shernazar (1985). Baynoun's winning run came to an end next time out but he was far from disgraced finishing a gallant second to Commanche Run in the St Leger

10 years ago - A final victory for Silver Patriarch who had been beaten just a short-head Benny The Dip in the Derby two years before. Craigsteel was sent off favourite, on the back of his Princess Of Wales's Stakes win at Newmarket's July Meeting, and tried to make all. His pilot, Richard Quinn, kicked for home three furlongs out but the move was covered by Pat Eddery and the son of Saddlers' Hall hit the front at the one pole holding on from a game adversary by half a length to notch his eighth success. The grey won a Group 1 in Italy as well as the Coronation Cup and Jockey Club Stakes in addition to his most famous win in the 1997 St Leger.

Five years ago - Marcus Tregoning's Mubtaker, in the colours of Hamdan Al Maktoum, completed a three timer to become the winning most horse in the history of the race. Each time the son of Silver Hawk was sent off at odds-on and won commandingly. In 2002 the margin was two lengths to High Pitched with nearly double that back to Persian Punch in third. 12 months later, having only run - and won - once since, Mubtaker cruised home with a three-and-a-half length gap to Systematic. In 2004 Mubtaker took the record after forging two-and-a-half lengths clear of Dubai Success. The following year Mubtaker came close to making it four. Still leading inside the final furlong the now eight-year-old veered off a true line and was caught by Lochbuie in the final strides going down by a neck.

Last year - Another success for a St Leger winner as Jeremy Noseda's Sixties Icon just got up in a tremendous finish. After early pace-setter Peppertree Lane capitulated three furlongs from home first Donegal and then Templestern showed in the lead. But Sixties Icon, who had been slowly away, was closing in all the time and inch by inch he started to get up finally thrusting past Templestern in the last stride to record the seventh of his eight victories. Win number three had been the 2006 St Leger which was run at York that year.