:Psidium (horse)

{{Infobox racehorse

| horsename =Psidium

| image_name = 120px

| caption = Racing silks of Etti Plesch

| sire =Pardal

| grandsire =Pharis

| dam = Dinarella

| damsire = Niccolo dell’Arca

| sex = Stallion

| foaled = 1958

| country = Ireland

| colour = Chestnut

| breeder = Etti Plesch

| owner = Etti Plesch

| trainer = Harry Wragg

| record = 11: 2-2-1

| earnings =£

| race = Epsom Derby (1961)

| awards =

| honours =

|updated=

}}

Psidium (foaled 1958) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career that lasted from 1960 to 1961 Psidium ran 11 times and won twice. He is best known for his win, as a 66/1 outsider, in the 1961 Epsom Derby. He later became a successful stallion.

Background

Psidium, a chestnut horse with a narrow white blaze, standing 16.1 hands high,{{Cite web|url=http://www.pedigreequery.com/psidium|title=Psidium Horse Pedigree}} was bred in Ireland by his owner Etti Plesch. His sire Pardal was a high class racehorse who won the Jockey Club Stakes and the Princess of Wales's Stakes. Psidium's dam, the Italian mare Dinarella finished fourth in the Oaks d'Italia and also produced the Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Thymus. Mme Plesch named all her horses after flowers, with Psidium being named after the guava flower{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xdgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-OcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5230,369153&dq=psidium+derby&hl=en|title=Psidium wins Epsom Derby|publisher=Spokesman-Review|access-date=2011-11-07}}

Psidium was sent into training with Harry Wragg{{cite web|url=http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=1201 |title=Horseracing History Online - Person Profile : Harry Wragg |publisher=Horseracinghistory.co.uk |access-date=2011-11-07}} at his Abington Place stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Racing career

=1960: Two-year-old season=

Psidium ran seven times as a two-year-old in 1960. He won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Kempton and finished third in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. In the Free Handicap, an assessment of the year's best two-year-olds, Psidium was given a rating of 116 lb, 17 lb below the top weight Opaline.{{cite book | last1 = Mortimer | first1 = Roger |last2=Onslow|first2=Richard|last3=Willett|first3=Peter| title = Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing| publisher=Macdonald and Jane’s | year = 1978| isbn = 0-354-08536-0}}

=1961: Three-year-old season=

On his three-year-old debut, Psidium finished third in the 2000 Guineas Trial at Kempton. He then finished 18th of the 22 runners behind Rockavon in the 2000 Guineas. For his next start, he was sent to France for the Prix Daru over 2100 m, in which he finished fourth behind Moutiers. He was ridden in the race by Lester Piggott, who expressed his view that Psidium did not stay the distance.

At Epsom, Psidium was ridden by French jockey Roger Poincelet. He was not considered a serious contender, starting at odds of 66/1 in a field of 28. The race was run on rock-hard ground in front of a crowd estimated at 250,000, which included the Queen and the Queen Mother.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSxgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fm8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5594,110450&dq=psidium+derby&hl=en|title=Psidium scores Derby upset|publisher=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix|access-date=2011-11-07}} Psidium was held up towards the back of the field, and was not in contention when the leaders turned into the straight. In the final quarter of a mile, Poincelet moved Psidium to the wide outside and the colt produced a sudden burst of acceleration to move past the field. He overtook Dicta Drake inside the final furlong and won going away by two lengths, with Poincelet easing down. Mme Plesch was reportedly astonished by her colt's performance, saying that she "never expected he would finish in the first ten."{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=k44tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HZ0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4467,139208&dq=psidium+derby&hl=en|title=Psidium scores upset|publisher=Montreal Gazette|access-date=2011-11-07}} Shortly after his victory, Psidium was injured in training and never ran again.

Assessment

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Psidium a "poor" Derby winner.{{cite book|last1 = Morris | first1 = Tony |last2=Randall|first2=John|title=A Century of Champions|publisher= Portway Press|year=1999|isbn=1-901570-15-0}}

Timeform awarded Psidium a rating of 130, which is considered the minimum mark for an above average European Group One winner.{{cite book | last1 = Morris | first1 = Tony |last2=Randall|first2=John| title = Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions| publisher=Guinness Publishing | year = 1990| isbn = 0-85112-902-1| edition = Third }}

Stud career

Psidium stood as a stallion at the Cheveley Park Stud at Newmarket. He was the leading British sire (in winning prize money) in 1966, thanks to the achievements of his son Sodium, which won the Irish Derby and the St Leger. Psidium was exported to Argentina in 1970.

Pedigree

{{Pedigree

|name = Psidium (IRE), chestnut stallion, 1958{{cite web|url=http://www.chef-de-race.com/classic_winners/english_derby/psidium.htm |title=English Derby Winner: Psidium |publisher=Chef-de-race.com |access-date=2011-11-07}}

|inf =

|f = Pardal (FR)
1947

|m = Dinarella (ITY)
1947

|ff = Pharis
1936

|fm = Adargatis
1931

|mf = Niccolo dell'Arca
1938　

|mm = Dagherotipia
1936　

|fff = Pharos

|ffm = Carissima

|fmf = Asterus

|fmm = Helene de Troie

|mff = Coronach