Medoc II

Medoc II (also known simply as Medoc, foaled 1934) was a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1942 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won races at the Cheltenham Festival in 1938, 1940 and 1941 before defeating a strong field in the Gold Cup but his later career was severely limited by wartime restrictions.

Medoc II
SireVan
GrandsireAlcantara
DamMenthe Poivree
DamsirePot au Feu
SexGelding
Foaled1934[1]
CountryFrance
ColourBay
OwnerHugh Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton
TrainerReg Hobbs
Major wins
National Hunt Juvenile Stakes (1938)
Seven Springs Handicap Chase (1940, 1941)
Cheltenham Gold Cup (1942)

Background

Medoc was a bay gelding bred in France. He was sired by the French stallion Van, a high class flat racer who finished second in the Prix Dollar. Medoc's dam Menthe Poivree also produced Roi d'Egypte (sired by Van) whose wins included the Cathcart Challenge Cup at Cheltenham in 1942. She was a great-granddaughter of Sand Blast, whose other descendants have included Madam Gay.[2]

Medoc was bought by Hugh Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton and sent into training with Reg Hobbs at his Rhonehurst Stable in Upper Lambourn. Hobbs came to widespread public attention when he trained the American stallion Battleship to win the 1938 Grand National, ridden by his son Bruce.[3]

Racing career

Medoc showed promising early form as a steeplechaser winning the National Hunt Juvenile Chase as a four-year-old in 1938. He won the Seven Springs Handicap Chase in the 1940 Cheltenham Festival. He won at Plumpton Racecourse in March 1941[4] and went on to win the Seven Springs Handicap Chase for a second time. In November 1941 he finished second to Mixed Foursome in a chase at Cheltenham.[5]

Wartime restrictions meant that major sporting events were confined to the weekend and the 1942 Cheltenham Festival was run over successive Saturdays rather than consecutive days. On 14 March, Medoc contested the Grand Annual Chase and finished second by a head to Red Rower with Broken Promise a length back in third.[6] Medoc's more highly regarded stablemate Savon (runner-up in the 1941 Gold Cup) fell in the race and sustained a fatal injury.[7]

The 1942 Gold Cup was run in front of a sparse crown in cold foggy conditions although any mention of the weather was omitted in the BBC Radio commentary in case the reports gave information to the enemy.[7] Despite the conditions, the twelve-runner field was a strong one, containing as it did the previous winners Roman Hackle and Poet Prince. Red Rower was made the 3/1 favourite, with Medoc, ridden by Frenchie Nicholson, second choice in the betting on 9/2.[8] Medoc was in fourth place when the complexion of the race changed completely at the final ditch: the leader Solarium fell, bringing down Broken Promise and severely hampering Red Rower. Left with a clear lead, Medoc stayed on well to win by eight lengths from Red Rower, who was in turn four lengths clear of Schubert.[7]

National Hunt racing was suspended in September 1942 and Medoc was sent to race Ireland. When jump racing resumed in Britain at the end of 1944 Medoc was unable to resume his racing career owing to a decision of the National Hunt Committee not to accept entries on behalf of horses which had left the country after 1 June 1941.[9]

Assessment and honours

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Medoc a "poor" Gold Cup winner.[10] Medoc is remembered in the name of Medoc Close, a residential street in Cheltenham.[11]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Medoc (FR), bay gelding, 1934[1]
Sire
Van (FR)
1917		 Alcantara (FR)
1908		 Perth War Dance
Primrose Dame
Toison d'Or Le Sancy
Harfleur
Annarella (FR)
1910		 Doricles Florizel II
Rosalie
Saint Astra Ladas
Saint Celestra
Dam
Menthe Poivree (FR)
1927		 Pot au Feu (FR)
1921		 Bruleur Choubesrki
Basse Terre
Polly Peachum Spearmint
Lindoiya
Minieh (GB)
1914		 Minoru Cyllene
Mother Siegel
Red Sea Gallinule
Sand Blast (Family: 7-a)[2]
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References
  1. "Medoc pedigree". Pedigree Online. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  2. "Vicissitude - Family 7-a". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  3. Green, Reg (1993). The History of the Grand National: A Race Apart. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-58515-3.
  4. Peter O'Sullevan (1989). "Calling The Horses". Stanley Thomas.
  5. "Home Front: Week-end Racing". Townsville Bulletin. 24 Jan 1941.
  6. John Saville (2009). "Insane and Unseemly: British Racing in World War II". Matador.
  7. Harman, Bob (2000). The Ultimate Dream: The History of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84018-381-0.
  8. Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
  9. "English Racing Expands". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 Nov 1944.
  10. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 9781901570151.
  11. "Cheltenham Areas: History of Swindon Village and Wyman's Brook". cheltenham4u.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-02-18.
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