Tap On Wood

Tap On Wood had an unusually active two-year-old season for a top-class European racehorse: by September he had already run ten times and won six races at distances from five to seven furlongs. He was ridden in most of his races that year by the British jockey Ernie Johnson. He won the Donnington Castle Stakes at Newbury Racecourse but his other successes came against moderate opposition. On his tenth start he was beaten when attempting to concede nine pounds by Warmington in the Heronslea Stakes at Ayr Racecourse. On his next appearance the colt was sent to Ireland to contest the Group Two National Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh. Tap On Wood took the lead approaching the final furlong and held off the challenge of Dickens Hill to win by a head with Sandy Creek (subsequent winner of the William Hill Futurity) in third place. His win was only confirmed after the racecourse stewards overruled an objection by the rider of the runner-up who claimed that Tap On Wood had caused interference by hanging to the right in the closing stages. Tap On Wood was sent to France and moved up to Group One Class for the Grand Critérium at Longchamp Racecourse on 8 October. He started a 21/1 outsider and finished sixth of the twelve runners, six lengths behind the winner Irish River. On his final appearance of the year he was well-beaten when finishing sixth behind Kris in the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury.[3]

Tap On Wood began his second season in April at Salisbury Racecourse where he finished a well-beaten fourth behind Lake City in the 2000 Guineas Trial. Two weeks later, the colt was sent to Yorkshire to contest the Timeform Racecard Stakes over one mile at Thirsk Racecourse and won by half a length from the filly Abbeydale. The form of his win was boosted when Abbeydale finished second to One In A Million in the 1000 Guineas. On 5 May, Tap On Wood started a 20/1 outsider in a field of 20 runners for the 171st running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket Racecourse.[4] The favourite for the race was Kris, who had won the Greenham Stakes on his seasonal debut, while Lyphard's Wish, who had defeated the previous year's champion two-year-old Tromos in the Craven Stakes was also strongly fancied. Ridden by the American jockey Steve Cauthen, Tap On Wood raced towards the back of the field before moving up to contest the lead with three furlongs left to run. In the closing stages three colts drew clear of the field, with Tap On Wood challenged by Kris on the rails to his right and Young Generation on his left. In what Timeform described as "a memorable finish" Tap On Wood prevailed by half a length from Kris, with Young Generation a short head away in third place, giving Cauthen his first win in a British classic race.[5] Cauthen would go on to win a total of ten British classic races in his career.[6][7]

On 6 June, Tap On Wood was moved up in distance to contest the 200th Derby Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse. He was never in serious contention and finished twelfth of the twenty-three runners behind Troy. Cauthen reported that the colt was never going well at any stage of the race. Shortly after the Derby, Tap On Wood was found to be suffering from a viral infection and was off the course for the next three months. During this period the form of his 2000 Guineas win was boosted: Kris won the St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Celebration Mile while Young Generation who had defeated older horses the Lockinge Stakes in May, traveled to France to take the Prix Jean Prat.[5]

Tap On Wood returned in the Kiveton Park Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse in September for which he was required to carry a ten-pound weight penalty for his classic win. Starting at odds of 11/4[8] he looked impressive before the race and won convincingly by a length and one and a half lengths from R B Chesne and Alert. Tap On Wood was scheduled to meet Kris for a third time in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot later that month but he suffered a recurrence of the viral infection and did not race again.[5]