Dr Devious (10 March 1989 – 7 March 2018) was an Irish-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing and sire. In a career which lasted from May 1991 until November 1992, he ran fifteen times and won six races. He is most notable as the winner of the Epsom Derby in 1992. Dr Devious's other most significant wins came in the Dewhurst Stakes and the Irish Champion Stakes. He was the second horse, after Bold Arrangement in 1986, to run in both the Kentucky Derby and the Epsom Derby.
Background
Bred by
Lyonstown Stud, near Cashel, County Tipperary,
Dr Devious was sired by
Ahonoora out of the
mare Rose of Jericho, a daughter of two-time Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Alleged. As a son of Ahonoora,
he is a representative of the
Byerley Turk sire line,
unlike more than 95% of modern thoroughbreds, who descend directly from the
Darley Arabian.
Rose of Jericho was an unraced mare who also produced the Greenlands Stakes winner Archway.
He was purchased by Italian businessman
Luciano Gaucci, owner of the Allevamento White Star breeding and racing operation who had had great success in the late 1980s with the colt
Tony Bin. Dr Devious, reportedly named after a
supervillain,
was trained throughout his career by Peter Chapple-Hyam.
Racing career
1991: two-year-old season
In the spring of 1991, the two-year-old Dr Devious won the May Maiden Stakes at Newbury, then in June ran second in the
Coventry Stakes at
Royal Ascot. Ridden for the remainder of the year by
Willie Carson, in July he won the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket and in August the
Vintage Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse. The horse had been sold by
Robert Sangster to
Luciano Gaucci before the
Vintage Stakes, but the agreement was that he would be leased back to Sangster for his next two races.
Back at Newmarket, on 2 October he finished a head second to Young Senor in a crowded field in the Tiffany Highflyer Stakes then just over two weeks later (wearing the Gaucci colours for the first time) ran in the Group One seven
furlong Dewhurst Stakes, Britain's most prestigious race for two-year-olds. He took the lead a furlong from the finish and won by two and a half lengths from Great Palm.
1992: three-year-old season
American
Jenny Craig purchased Dr Devious for a reported $2.5 million as a gift for her husband
Sidney Craig.
In April 1992, Dr Devious finished second to
Alnasr Alwasheek under the French-based American jockey
Cash Asmussen in the
Craven Stakes. In May of that year, the colt was shipped to
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, to compete in America's most prestigious horse race, the
Kentucky Derby. Racing on dirt, Dr Devious finished seventh to winner Lil E. Tee. After the race, Sidney Craig asked the advice of his American trainer,
Ron McAnally, who advised him that Dr Devious was a turf specialist and that he should send the colt back to England.
Dr Devious returned to England to run in the Epsom Derby on 3 June. Starting the Fractional odds second favourite in a field of eighteen, he took the lead a furlong from the finish and held off the challenges of St Jovite and Silver Wisp to win by two lengths.
Three and a half weeks after his Epsom win, Dr Devious met St Jovite again in the Irish Derby at the Curragh. Dr Devious was made odds-on favourite but was never able to make a serious challenge to St Jovite, who won by twelve lengths in record time.
Dr Devious ran three more times without recovering his best form. He finished sixth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, and unplaced on his final start in the Japan Cup.
Stud career
Retired to stud in Japan in 1993-96 and
Coolmore Stud in 1997–2001, he was eventually sent to Italy for stud duty at Allevamenti della Berardenga in 2002-16. Pensioned from stud duties in 2016, he was the leading sire in Italy on two occasions.
His most successful offspring has been the
gelding Collier Hill, a multiple winner of major international stakes whose victories include the 2004 and 2006 Stockholm Cup International, the 2005
Gerling-Preis and Irish St. Leger Stakes, and the 2006 Canadian International Stakes and Hong Kong Vase. He was also the sire of the Prix de l'Opéra winner Kinnaird.
Dr Devious died in Sardinia on 7 March 2018.
Pedigree
External links
