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French Holly (26 March 1991 – 5 November 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing who competed in National Hunt racing. During a racing career which lasted from February 1996 until October 1999 he won ten of his twenty races and was placed on six occasions. He won two of his six flat races before switching to hurdling in the autumn of 1997. He was unbeaten as a novice winning five races including the Tolworth Hurdle and Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle. In the following year he won the Christmas Hurdle but then sustained three consecutive defeats when matched against the reigning Istabraq. He was then sent to France where he defeated a strong field in the Prix La Barka before finishing fourth in the French Champion Hurdle. He won his first and only steeplechase in October 1999 but was killed in a training accident seven days later.
In November 1991, French Holly (already gelded) was sent as a foal to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale where he was sold for $2,000 to David Mullins. He was later bought privately by Kieren Flood and was sent into training with Ferdy Murphy at Leyburn, North Yorkshire.
French Holly was not particularly adept at jumping obstacles, relying on his size and strength to compensate. In 1998 Ferdy Murphy said of him: "When he's out in front like that he doesn't bother shortening up at a hurdle, he just goes and kicks them out of the way and goes straight through. He's so big he gets away with it. A smaller horse might hurt himself".
After a break of more than ten months, French Holly returned for the Champion Bumper at the 1997 Cheltenham Festival. Ridden by Richard Hughes, he was among the leaders before weakening in the closing stages to finish sixth of the twenty-five runners, nine and a half lengths behind the Irish-trained winner Florida Pearl. In the following month he made a second unsuccessful attempt to win the Jack White Memorial Flat Race at Punchestown, finishing third behind Arctic Camper and Cloone Bridge. In June at Royal Ascot, French Holly made his only appearance in a conventional Flat racing when he finished eleventh of the thirteen runners in the Queen Alexandra Stakes.
On 18 March 1998, French Holly made his second appearance at the Cheltenham Festival when he was one of eighteen novices to contest the Grade I Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs. In the build-up to the race, Murphy had doubts about running the horse on the prevailing fast ground. Ridden by Thornton, he was made the 2/1 favourite ahead of Cloone Bridge, Erintante, Lady Rebecca and Torboy who were grouped together on 8/1. He raced just behind the leaders before taking the lead three hurdles from the finish. He went clear of the field approaching the next flight and won impressively by fourteen lengths from Torboy with Cloone Bridge two and a half lengths back in third place. After the race, Murphy said that the gelding would probably be aimed at the following year's World Hurdle before pursuing a career over fences.
With Thornton suffering from a leg infection Adrian Maguire took over the ride on French Holly when the gelding was matched against the reigning Champion Hurdler Istabraq in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown Racecourse. Starting the 9/4 second favourite he took the lead from the start and maintained his advantage until he was overtaken by Istabraq approaching the last. He finished second, a length behind Itabraq and seven lengths clear of Zafarabad in third. In the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on 16 March, French Holly, partnered once again by Thornton, was the 11/2 second choice in the betting behind the 4/9 favourite Istabraq. He took the lead three hurdles from the finish but was soon overtaken by Istabraq and lost second place to Theatreworld in the closing stages. French Holly met Istabraq for the third time in the Aintree Hurdle over two and a half miles in April a race which also attracted his half-brother Deano's Beeno. Starting second favourite again, he took the lead three hurdles from the finish and landed in front over the last but was overtaken by Istabraq soon afterwards and finished second, a length behind the favourite.
In the early summer of 1999, French Holly was sent to compete in France where he was based with Murphy's daughter in Normandy and reportedly enjoyed excursions to the beach at Deauville. In the Prix La Barka 4300 metres on soft ground at Auteuil Hippodrome on 30 May, he was matched against some of the leading French hurdlers including Bog Frog and Earl Grant, the winners of the last two runnings of the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle). He took the lead at the final hurdle and won by three lengths from Kimbi, with a gap of eight lengths back to Mon Romain in third. A reportedly "ecstatic" Murphy said that "the whole purpose of bringing him here and running him over the bigger obstacles was to give him the experience he needs for a chasing campaign next season and we want to win the Millennium Gold Cup". French Holly returned to France three weeks later for the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil over 5100 metres. His cause was not helped when he collided with another runner at a practice hurdle and unseated Thornton before the race. Restrained by Thornton in the early stages of a slowly-run race he stayed on in the closing stages but finished fourth behind Vaporetto, Mon Romain and Asolo. Murphy felt that the firmer ground and slow pace had contributed to the horse's defeat.
On 5 November, French Holly was fatally injured in a training accident. Murphy explained "Andrew Thornton was here riding him and the horse came down and snapped his neck and was killed instantly. Everyone is devastated. The vet who has looked after him since he came here was here, and she is gutted. He will be very hard to replace".
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