pp q 20 Saturday, August 6, 2011 racingpost.com/mobile TONY MORRIS’S TODAY GIANTS OF THE TURF TEENOSO T IS probably the oldest adage in the business and it’s one whose truth I learned very early in my I 50-plus years of fascination with the world of racing and breeding: “Nothing can make a fool of Nothing soft about this a man like a horse.” We form opinions that can easily grow into prejudices, pro or anti, and very often we become confounded by subsequent events. To avoid disillusionment it’s essential to outstanding performer acknowledge that it’s natural to be wrong and there’s no shame in race on soft ground in 1984 but he changing our minds. TEENOSO proved himself better than ever and One horse who caused me to bay colt, born April 7, 1980 showed me just how wrong I had change my mind on more than one been. He started his third campaign occasion was Teenoso, whose early Pedigree on good ground at Newbury, failing as results persuaded me that he was a a hot favourite to give 6lb to Gay nonentity but whom I eventually Battle Joined Lemur and Dazari in the John Porter came to recognise as an outstanding Ack Ack Stakes. To that point I could hold to performer. Youth Fast Turn my conviction, but what came after In fact I was prejudiced against (b 1973) compelled me to admit my error. Teenoso from the start because I Dark Star The Ormonde Stakes at Chester was recalled having seen his sire, Youth, in Gazala run on ground described as good to the 1976 King George and taking a Belle Angevine firm, and Teenoso quickened up nicely very negative view about him. He had on the turn for home to win readily. just won the Prix du Jockey-Club in Mossborough That was only a Group 3 though; impressive style so came to Ascot as a Ballymoss could he be equally convincing at the short-priced favourite. Paddock Furioso Indian Call top level in such conditions? inspection revealed him as a great big (ch 1971) boat of a horse with no semblance of Pinza ENDING him to France for the refinement and he ran deplorably, Violetta Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud finishing next to last. Urshalim seemed a wise move; he could It was no doubt unfortunate that S expect to get a soft surface Bred by EB Moller & White Lodge Stud in there. In fact it was good to my only sighting of Youth – a tip-top Kentucky performer on the evidence of his firm again and Teenoso turned in an displays in France, Canada and the US Race record impressive performance, securing his – had come on the occasion of his one second Group 1 win at the end of a Ran 13 Won 6 2nd 1 3rd 3 strongly run race – and after having really poor effort, but I couldn’t erase Earned £452,001 the memory of that day at Ascot. Just Big races won Derby Trial Stakes, clouted Piggott over the eye and why Eric Moller would send his Derby Stakes, Ormonde Stakes, drawing blood coming out of the beautifully bred Oaks runner-up Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King stalls. Furioso to that long-backed, ugly George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Now I was beginning to think that brute was hard to imagine. Group 1-winning progeny None Teenoso and Lester Piggott in command in the 1983 Epsom Derby Teenoso was better than I’d imagined I wasn’t present when Teenoso and the King George confirmed me in made his debut in a minor 6f event at forced a number of abandonments. from vintage Derby. The colt had On his return from Ireland Teenoso that view. He faced tougher rivals Newmarket at the end of August, but I Fortunately Lingfield survived, albeit obviously improved significantly in was targeted at the St Leger, but he than ever on the fastest ground he didn’t seem to have missed much; he with heavy ground, and the rerouted recent weeks and those Newmarket missed that date after a mishap in his had encountered, and two of the four finished far back in a field of 21. He Wragg colt turned in a highly and Lingfield wins confirmed him as a prep, the Great Voltigeur. If his third other Classic winners lined up against had two more runs as a two-year-old satisfactory performance in the Derby mudder; if it kept raining he might place at York initially seemed him – Time Charter and Darshaan and I saw them both, without taking Trial, leading from halfway and even seem a worthy favourite. disappointing it hardly amounted to a – were preferred to him in the ring. too much notice of him. Seventh, staying on stoutly to win by three It did keep raining, climaxing with disaster, as he was conceding 7lb to Under a masterly Piggott ride making no show, as a 50-1 shot in a lengths from the favoured Shearwalk. a thunderstorm of Wagnerian intensity the pair who beat him. When we Teenoso led for the first half-mile, was 7f contest at Doncaster, he signed off It seemed strange that a colt who on Derby eve; for the first time since learned that he had come out of the back in front with five furlongs left for the year with a better effort over had taken until mid-April to break his Coronach waded home in front in race lame on his off-fore and unable and was never headed again. Eclipse the Rowley Mile, leading until maiden – and on his fifth start 1926 the Classic was going to be run to run again that year he almost hero Sadler’s Wells challenged hard in halfway then fading into fourth, – should be a realistic Derby on heavy ground. The conditions, warranted complete forgiveness. the straight but he could make no unable to muster a change of gear. contender, but this was turning out to allied to the blind faith in his jockey, While I applauded the decision to impression on the leader, who was The improvement, modest though it be a strange year. Few of the previous meant Teenoso was clear favourite at keep Teenoso in training at four I going away again at the finish. Only was, perhaps owed something to the season’s top two-year-olds had 9-2 when the stalls opened. wasn’t confident about his chances of the Grundy-Bustino duel of 1975 had ground, softer than he had previously promised to stay middle distances and This was not a Derby like Roberto’s enhancing his reputation. True, his been run in faster time. experienced. of those who had allowed that hope or The Minstrel’s, when Piggott’s third place on fast ground in the Irish Teenoso was going to start favourite At the end of his first season, when Danzatore and Dunbeath were now in brute strength proved crucial. This Derby wasn’t bad, but he was so for the Arc before picking up an injury Harry Wragg retired and son Geoffrey disgrace, Gorytus was ruled out by time it was all about the nous he had clearly favoured by a soft surface that a few days before the race. No matter. took over at Abington Place, Teenoso the prevailing soft ground and acquired over 35 years in the saddle, I thought he would need another rainy He had done enough to prove that he could not be regarded as anything out Caerleon was being reserved for the his familiarity with Epsom’s unique season to bring out the best in him. was an outstanding middle-distance of the ordinary. True, he had some Prix du Jockey-Club. switchback and his certainty that he Teenoso did not have the chance to performer under any conditions. scope and seemed likely to prove The last two Derby trials came and could rely on Teenoso’s stamina and more effective over longer trips, but went with Morcon winning ability to cope with the soggy surface. he was rated stones behind the best of Goodwood’s Predominate Stakes Exuding confidence throughout, the Your recollections of Oh So Sharp his contemporaries and nobody could easily and Salmon Leap preserving his maestro soon had his mount on the HHBrilliant filly, brilliant trainer, brilliant HHWent to see the Oaks after my second envisage his becoming a colt with unbeaten record with a narrow victory heels of the leaders, brought him third jockey. gunhoare, Barbados year exams at college. Oh So Sharp Classic aspirations. over four-year-old Erin’s Hope in the into Tattenham Corner and sent him HHI was 19 years old when I first started needed two handlers in the parade and The No.1 priority for Teenoso in the Nijinsky Stakes at Leopardstown. on early in the straight. Teenoso’s looked a picture and I put a whole £5 spring of 1983 was to make him a Guineas hero Lomond was perhaps victory was gained with the minimum watching racing and she was my superstar, what a filly. A triple crown on the nose. Never in any doubt. maiden winner, and he couldn’t the class horse heading for Epsom, of fuss by three lengths over readmanp manage that on his reappearance at but was he going to stay 1m4f? Many Carlingford Castle. heroine, I reckon she could have won the Derby. jactay HHThere have been many great fillies, Haydock where he made late ground had their doubts. What Teenoso did not do at Epsom including Goldikova, Miesque and to wind up a neck short.