Buckskin (racehorse)

Buckskin was slow to mature and did not run in public until the autumn of his three-year-old season. After finishing unplaced on his debut, he won two minor races in the French provinces over distances of 2100 and 2800 metres. At the end of the season, it appeared likely that the colt's future career would be in hurdle races.[4]

Buckskin began the 1977 season at Évry in March, and won a handicap race over 2800 metres by five lengths. On 3 April, the colt was moved up in class for the Group Three Prix de Barbeville over 3100 metres at Longchamp Racecourse in which he was opposed by the double Ascot Gold Cup winner Sagaro. Ridden by Yves Saint-Martin, he started the 2.6/1 second favourite and, according to Timeform, "slaughtered"[4] the field, winning by twenty lengths from Sagaro, who was in turn eight lengths clear of the other runners. Three weeks later, Buckskin and Sagaro met again in the Prix Jean Prat (now the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier) over the same course and distance. On this occasion, Buckskin started the 1/5 favourite and again won easily, although the margin of victory was only four lengths. Buckskin had been receiving weight from Sagaro on the first two meetings, but when the two met next, in the Group One Prix du Cadran over 4000 metres a month later, it was at level weights. Starting the 3/10 favourite, Buckskin was headed by his rival 300 metres from the finish, but rallied to regain the lead in the closing stages and won by half a length.[4]

In June, Buckskin was sent to England and started favourite for the Ascot Gold Cup, but was beaten five lengths by Sagaro who was being ridden for the first time that year by Lester Piggott,[5] leading to speculation that he needed soft ground to produce his best form. He was less successful when brought back to shorter distances, finishing unplaced in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville Racecourse in August, having twisted a plate in the race and then running third in Preis von Europa over 2400 metres in Germany. He returned to 4000 metres for the Prix Gladiateur at Longchamp in October, but looked unimpressive before the race and finished third behind the British-trained gelding John Cherry.[4]

In 1978, Buckskin was moved to England to be trained by Peter Walwyn near Lambourn in Berkshire. Walwyn found that the horse had foot problems which made him difficult to train and on his debut for his new handler, Buckskin was disappointing, being well-beaten by Shangamuzo in the inaugural running of the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot in April. Buckskin was fitter when he returned to France three weeks later for his second Prix du Cadran, for which he started favourite and won easily by three lengths from Duky and Hawkberry. At Ascot in June he started 11/8 favourite for the Gold Cup, with his main opposition expected to come from Shangamuzo and the Park Hill Stakes winner Royal Hive. Ridden by Pat Eddery, Buckskin turned into the straight in second place but then faded and finished fourth behind Shangamuzo, Royal Hive and Hawkberry. After the race Wildenstein was highly critical of Eddery, describing him as "a boy" who would never ride for him again,[6] and saying that if Saint-Martin or Lester Piggott had ridden the horse he would have won the race. Walwyn came to the defence of his jockey[7] and shortly afterwards, Wildenstein removed Buckskin from Walwyn's stable and sent him to be trained by Henry Cecil at Newmarket.[8]

Buckskin's training problems worsened, as his flat feet and weak suspensory ligaments made him an extremely fragile horse[9] and in all his subsequent races he appeared with heavily bandaged forelegs. In September he faced a rematch with Shangamuzo in the Doncaster Cup over two and a quarter miles. Ridden by Joe Mercer and starting at odds of 5/2 he took the lead in the straight and drew away from his opponents to win by eight lengths, with Billion taking second ahead of Shangamuzo and Sea Pigeon. Timeform described the performance as "overwhelming".[8] Three weeks later Buckskin ended his season with a win in the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket Racecourse, beating Shangamuzo by eight lengths.[8]

Despite fears that his legs and feet would not stand up to further training, Buckskin returned as a six-year-old with the Ascot Gold Cup as his objective. He was never allowed to go at full speed in home gallops and poultices were applied to his legs after every piece of work. It was decided that he would have only one preparatory race and that, win-or-lose, the Gold Cup would be his last appearance on the racecourse.[10] Buckskin prepared for the Gold Cup in the Henry II Stakes on soft ground at Sandown Park Racecourse in May. Ridden by Mercer, and starting at odds of 10/11 he drew away from the field in the straight and won by fifteen lengths[9] from Pragmatic (winner of the Yorkshire Cup) and Arapahos. After the race Cecil warned that the horse had only a fifty per cent chance of appearing at Ascot.[2]

In June Buckskin favourite for the Gold Cup as he had done for the two previous years. Mercer opted to ride the horse in preference to the stable's other runner Le Moss, a four-year-old who had finished second in the St Leger and was partnered by Lester Piggott. Looking somewhat uncomfortable on the firmer ground, Buckskin took the lead half a mile from the finish but was unable to establish a decisive advantage and was challenged in the straight by Le Moss. The stable companions raced together until the final furlong, when Buckskin was eased down by Mercer and finished second, beaten seven lengths by his younger rival.[2] After the race, Cecil virtually ignored the winner, being much more concerned with the condition of the runner-up.[11] In his 1983 memoir On The Level Cecil said that Buckskin's defeat made him "feel like Judas Iscariot".[12]