Ballymoss

Ballymoss ran four times as a two-year-old with limited success. His only victory came in the Laragh Maiden Plate at Leopardstown.

Racing at age three, Ballymoss began by running unplaced in the seven-furlong Madrid Handicap at the Curragh but then won the Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown over one and a half miles. As a result of his win, he attracted some support in the betting for the Epsom Derby, and his odds for the race shortened from 100/1 to 33/1.[2]

In the build-up to the Derby, Ballymoss incurred a minor injury, leading McShain to cancel his plans to travel to England for the race. At Epsom, Ballymoss exceeded expectations by finishing second of the twenty-two runners behind Crepello.[3] In his next race, he won the Irish Derby at the Curragh. At York in August, Ballymoss started odds-on favourite for the Great Voltigeur Stakes but finished well beaten behind Brioche. Possible explanations for his defeat included an inability to cope with the soft ground and a lack of fitness.[2]

In the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster, Ballymoss started at odds of 8/1 against fifteen opponents. His odds had drifted out from 5/1 when heavy rain softened the ground. He won the race by a length from Court Harwell, with Brioche third. On his final start of the year, Ballymoss ran in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October. He made no show in the race and finished unplaced behind the French filly Rose Royale. Following this effort, a plan to run Ballymoss in the Washington, D.C. International[4] was abandoned.

At age four, Ballymoss was beaten on his debut when he finished second to Doutelle in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester. He then won the Coronation Cup at Epsom from the French-trained colt Fric and the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown by six lengths from Restoration and Arctic Explorer before running in Britain's most important weight-for-age race, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. He was backed down from 11/4 to 7/4 favourite on the day of the race and took the lead a furlong and a half from the finish, pulling clear to win by three lengths from Almeria.[5]

In October, he was sent to Paris for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Starting at odds of 3.9/1, he was sent into the lead by Breasley early in the straight and was never seriously challenged, winning by two lengths from Fric. On his final appearance, he was shipped to Laurel Park Racecourse in the United States for the Washington, D.C. International, which also attracted entries from Germany, the Soviet Union, Venezuela, and Argentina.[6] He was made favourite despite the misgivings of Vincent O'Brien, who felt that he would be unsuited by the relatively tight turns and short straight. He finished third, beaten three and a half lengths by Tudor Era and losing second place by a head to the Australian champion Sailor's Guide. He was subsequently promoted to second when Tudor Era was disqualified.[7]