Tomorrow is Derby Day here in Great Britain, the Derby being the most famous annual horse race in the country. A horse called Prince Nureyev is running with odds of 6/10. Prince Nureyev has previously won the prestigious Newbury handicap and would look good for a place if it weren’t for the unattractive odds.

Other arts are also represented in the race this year Sculpture: Alberto Giacometti at 8/10 and literature: The Great Gatsby at 7/10.

My horse, Cooper, a Trakhener/Hanoverian yearling colt got 2nd place in his class at the Morven Park Sporthorse Breed Show on Wednesday

Congratulations Corrival and Cooper.

Cassandra, I'm impressed with your depth of knowledge. Would you be interested to start a CriticalDance Racing Tips column? They couldn't be any worse than the Today programme (BBC Radio4).

<small>[ 06 June 2003, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Well, I'm hoping Funny Cide wins the Belmont and the Triple Crown tomorrow....

Saturday was not a good day for Russian ballet as I’m afraid Prince Nureyev came last. American literature fared rather better though with The Great Gatsby coming a very impressive second after leading the field for most of the race.

Sorry Stuart, I would make a very poor tipster as I tend to choose horses according to the attractiveness of their names, mind you that method is as good as any and I have got lucky a couple of times using that system.

However names don't come more attractive than that of Prince Nureyev which illustrates the down side of my system. Presumably after Prince N.'s poor performance in the Derby he is being turned into pet food this very moment, a fate luckily spared dancers when they fail to perform with distinction.

There was, of course, the great horse Nijinsky of some years past...

And don't forget, a horse called Nureyev, sire (in human terms, father of) Prince Nureyev, won the English 2000 Guineas in around 1980!

Horses with balletic names have a fine tradition, despite prince Nureyev. I got most of this from Thoroughbred Times website.

Northern Dancer (1961-1990) can count at least ten sons as truly outstanding sires including Nijinsky II, Nureyev and Sadler’s Wells.

Nijinsky II was Northern Dancer’s first-and best-international champion. Winner of the first 11 races of his 13-start career. Not long after his death in 1992, he surpassed his sire’s record for stakes winners, with a career total of 155 stakes winners from 862 foals .

Nureyev (died 1990), the top-priced yearling of his year, finished first in his three starts, culminating in the 1980 Two Thousand Guineas. Though he lost that race in the stewards’ room and never ran again because of a wind infirmity, Nureyev proved his brilliance. He sired Theatrical and Fadeyev.

Sadler’s Wells has become Northern Dancer’s most dominant son at stud. Sire of a long succession of top-class milers and middle-distance horses, Sadler’s Wells has led the English sire list a modern record 12 times and French list four times.

Diaghilev, by Sadler's Wells, is the most expensive horse ever sold at public auction in Europe, having cost £3.57 million as a yearling 3 years ago. Last year at Ascot he failed to match his form & seems to have lost favour. His name is now River Dancer & seems to have moved Downunder. There is another horse called Diaghilev in Germany, a dressage colt.

There's an Australian racehorse called Lady Pavlova.
I couldnt' find a horse called Ballerina in Google, but found this cute little story,
http://www.thereporter.com/Current/Columnists/Moy/moysun100602.html, called 'A horse ballerina, of course, of course'.
Quote: "My big problem now is how to make the tutu so it doesn't irritate Tyler. If I tie it behind the saddle and across his back, it could make him buck. This would not be appropriate for a ballerina."

There is also a German horse called Fred Astaire. I'm hoping my little (Adam) Cooper will grow up to be a dressage star.

I follow flat/NH racing(being a horsey person)...guess who had a bet on Prince Nureyev at 25/1 and it came in first!!!
There is a horse going today called La Sylphide,there was one the other day called Sylphide that won 25/1 again...there are a few horses with ballet names..e.g Kirovski , Dame Alicia (runs in Ireland mostly) , Ballet master ..there are too many to mention really.

Forgot to mention , the win at 25/1 was before the last place on saturday.I wouldn't mind giving out a few tips as i can usually pick winners esp,if at a festival e.g Cheltenham etc.

If only....

Nureyev looking to dance at Ascot
By MICHAEL FLEET for The Scotsman

PRINCE NUREYEV can bounce back from a traumatic experience in the Vodafone Derby to take the Woodcote Stud Classified Stakes at Ascot tomorrow.

Rod Millman’s three-year-old slipped coming down Tattenham Hill at Epsom and finished tailed off last behind Kris Kin. Fears that the horse was badly injured were soon dispelled but the Cullompton trainer has given Prince Nureyev time to recover and he looks to have found an ideal race for him. He had earned his place in the premier Classic by giving 7lb and a short-head beating to Santando in a Newbury handicap in May.

click for more

Prince Nureyev was 2nd in the Woodcote Stakes yesterday.

Dance linked names do seem popular with owners:

Dance can put her best foot forward
By Alan Keyte, The Western Mail


RUSSIAN DANCE can bounce back from his odds-on debut defeat to score at Windsor this evening.

She was the centre of attention at Newmarket at the end of last month, but she was firmly put in her place by Surf The Net, who went past her to win by a length.

However, Kieren Fallon was not hard on his mount and the winner's trainer, Richard Hannon, indicated afterwards that his filly could be a bit special.

click for more

<small>[ 14 July 2003, 01:25 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Nijinsky Dancer is going at Killareny in Ireland tonight and is quiet well backed although not favourite.