First Trump

{{Infobox racehorse

| horsename = First Trump

| image =

| caption =

| sire = Primo Dominie

| grandsire = Dominion

| dam = Valika

| damsire = Valiyar

| sex = Stallion

| foaled = 4 February 1991

| country = United Kingdom

| colour = Chestnut

| breeder = P D Rossdale and D H Clifton

| owner = Mollers Racing

| trainer = Geoff Wragg

| record = 12: 5-3-1

| earnings = £186,677

| race = July Stakes (1993)
Richmond Stakes (1993)
Middle Park Stakes (1993)

| awards = European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (1993)

| honours =

|updated= August 25, 2007

}}

First Trump (1991–2015) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In 1993 he has named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt at the Cartier Racing Awards. In his championship season he won five of his six races including the Group One Middle Park Stakes, the Group Two Richmond Stakes and the Group Three July Stakes. He was retired to stud after failing to win in six starts as a three-year-old in 1994.

Background

First Trump, a 15.3 hands high{{cite web |url=http://waltonfields.co.uk/ |title=Stallions Walton Fields |publisher=Waltonfields.co.uk |date=2010-10-30 |accessdate=2012-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425081920/http://waltonfields.co.uk/ |archive-date=2012-04-25 |url-status=dead }} chestnut horse with a narrow white stripe and three white socks, was sired by Primo Dominie out of the mare Valika.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/84334/first-trump |publisher=Racing Post |title=First Trump pedigree |date=2011-06-02 |accessdate=2011-10-19}} Primo Dominie was a high-class two-year-old and sprinter who won four Group races in 1984 and 1985 before going on to sire over six hundred winners during his stud career. Apart from First Trump, his best offspring was the Premio Roma winner Imperial Dancer.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/303688/primo-dominie |title=Primo Dominie Stud Record |publisher=Racing Post |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}} Valika failed to win a race, but was a half-sister of the European Champion Sprinter Mr Brooks. Unusually for a top-class modern racehorse, his pedigree includes neither Northern Dancer nor Mr. Prospector.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Horse+Racing%3A+Eclectic+mix+as+Doncaster+gets+European+auction+season...-a0158129781 |title=Doncaster gets European auction season under way|via=The Free Library |date= |accessdate=2011-10-20}}

First Trump was sent as a yearling to the Tattersalls sales in September 1992, where he was bought for 66,000 gns by John Ferguson Bloodstock.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/1088/valika/progeny-sales|url-access=subscription |title=Valika Sales statistics |publisher=Racing Post |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}}{{dead link|date=October 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} During his racing career he was owned by Mollers Racing an organisation financed by a trust fund set up by Eric Moller who died in 1988.{{cite news|author=Greg Wood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/jun/30/horseracing.gdnsport31 |title=Wragg to riches if Dancer delivers|newspaper=The Guardian |date= 2006-06-30|accessdate=2011-10-20 |location=London}} First Trump was trained throughout his career by Geoff Wragg at Newmarket, Suffolk and ridden in all his races by Michael Hills.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/84334/first-trump |publisher=Racing Post |title=First Trump race record |date=2011-06-02 |accessdate=2011-10-19}}

Racing career

=1993: two-year-old season=

First Trump began his career in a maiden race at Yarmouth in June. He was made 5/4 favourite and took the lead inside the final furlong to win by a length.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/104/yarmouth/1993-06-02/114334 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Breckland Maiden Stakes result|date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}} He followed up at Newbury three weeks later, winning a minor stakes race by a length and a half.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/36/newbury/1993-06-22/114805 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Wildhern Stakes result|date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}}

In July at Newmarket he was moved up to Group class for the first time in the July Stakes. He was made third favourite behind the Norfolk Stakes winner Turtle Island and Wahiba Riva who had finished third in the Coventry Stakes. First Trump seemed to be struggling in the early stages but ran on strongly in the final furlong to take the lead close to the finish and win by half a length.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/174/newmarket-july/1993-07-07/115227 |publisher=Racing Post |title=July Stakes result |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}} He was given a hard ride by Hills whose use of the whip on an inexperienced horse attracted some attention. The Independent's correspondent offered the opinion that First Trump had the makings of "a fine performer when his education is complete."{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-niche-corners-a-place-at-santa-anita-piggott-cruises-to-another-topflight-win-but-whip-misuse-by-another-pilot-brings-an-enforced-break-greg-wood-reports-from-newmarket-1483646.html |title=Greg Wood reports from Newmarket |newspaper=The Independent |date=1993-07-08 |accessdate=2011-10-20 |location=London}} The betting for the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood three weeks suggested that the race was effectively a match between First Trump and the Coventry Stakes winner Stonehatch. The race reflected the betting, as the two colts pulled well clear of the other runners inside the final furlong, with First Trump being driven out by Hills to prevail by half a length.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/21/goodwood/1993-07-28/115813 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Richmond Stakes result|date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}} After the race he was offered at 16/1 for the following year's 2000 Guineas.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-zafonic-bogged-down-by-feet-of-clay-lofty-views-of-the-guineas-winner-are-brought-to-earth-as-he-is-felled-by-bigstone-1487889.html |title=Zafonic bogged down by feet of clay |newspaper=The Independent |date=1993-07-29 |accessdate=2011-10-20 |location=London}}

First Trump started joint favourite for the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury in September, but could never reach the leaders and lost his unbeaten record, finishing third to Polish Laughter. On his final start of the season, First Trump returned to his home track of Newmarket for the Group One Middle Park Stakes. He was fourth choice in the betting at 6/1 behind Turtle Island, who, since his defeat in the July Stakes, had won the Group One Phoenix Stakes and the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes. First Trump was held up in the early stages, in accordance with his trainer's instructions, before being moved to the outside to make his challenge in the final furlong. He "accelerated instantly"{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-twocard-trick-trumps-turtle-wragg-produces-a-pair-in-the-middle-park-to-show-his-long-suit-in-classic-aces-as-the-bluff-is-called-on-the-manton-juvenile-pack-1508074.html |title=Two-card trick trumps Turtle|newspaper=The Independent |date=1993-10-01 |accessdate=2011-10-20 |location=London}} to take the lead in the closing strides and win by a head from his stable companion, the future July Cup winner Owington.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/38/newmarket/1993-09-30/117212 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Middle Park Stakes result |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}}

=1994: three-year-old season=

Although First Trump's breeding suggested that he was most unlikely to be effective over longer distances, he was aimed at the 2000 Guineas, but was withdrawn from the race after suffering a ligament injury.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-break-beats-llewellyn-1368475.html |title=Racing: Break beats Llewellyn – Sport |newspaper=The Independent |date=1994-04-07 |accessdate=2011-10-20 |location=London}} Instead, he began his season in late May, when he took on older horses in the Prix du Palais Royal at Longchamp and finished a length and a half second to Young Ern.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/211/longchamp/1994-05-26/119248 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Prix du Palais Royal result|date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}}

His next two races appeared to confirm the doubts about his stamina as he finished unplaced over one mile in the St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Between these two races he was sold as a prospective stallion to the National Stud.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-baileys-bound-for-national-1415317.html |title=Racing: Baileys bound for National – Sport |newspaper=The Independent |date=1994-07-21 |accessdate=2011-10-20 |location=London}}

A return to sprint distances brought about an improvement in form, but no wins, as he finished second Lake Coniston in both the Prix de Meautry at Deauville and the Diadem Stakes at Ascot.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/2/ascot/1994-09-24/122253 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Diadem Stakes result|date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}} On his final start he finished fourth to Zieten in the Challenge Stakes.

Assessment

At the Cartier Racing Awards for 1993, First Trump was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. In the official International Classification of two-year-olds, however, he was rated only the seventh best colt to race in Europe in 1993, three pounds below Grand Lodge.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing--class-of-93-new-breed-slides-into-mediocrity-opera-house-zafonic-and-grand-lodge-head-the-flat-ratings-but-the-handicappers-warn-of-a-slump-in-standards-richard-edmondson-on-a-dearth-of-quality-1406580.html |title=Opera House, Zafonic and Grand Lodge head the Flat ratings|newspaper=The Independent |date=1994-01-13 |accessdate=2011-10-19 |location=London}}

Stud career

First Trump retired to the National Stud at the end of his three-year-old season. Between 2002 and 2006 he stood at the Throckmorton Court stud in Worcestershire.{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalstud.net/latestnews-Archive.asp?ID=26 |title=Latest News |publisher=National Stud |date= |accessdate=2011-10-20 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He formerly stands at the Walton Fields Stud near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire for a fee of £1,500. First Trump Died in 2015.

He has sired the winners of over three hundred winners, but none of them at Group One level. His most important winners have been Mrs P (Flying Childers Stakes), Torosay Spring (Summer Stakes) and Media Mogul (Will Rogers Stakes). His Listed winning daughter Two Clubs produced the Champion Sprinter Red Clubs. He has also had some success with jumpers including the Cheltenham Festival winner Reveillez.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/84334/first-trump |title=First Trump Stud Record |publisher=Racing Post |date= |accessdate=2011-10-19}}

Pedigree

{{Pedigree

|name = First Trump (GB), chestnut stallion, 1991{{cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=2441945®istry=T&horse_name==First%20Trump%20(GB)&dam_name==Valika&foaling_year=1991&nicking_stats_indicator=Y |title=First Trump pedigree |website=Equineline|date=2012-05-08 |accessdate=2012-06-30}}

|inf =

|f = Primo Dominie (GB)
1982

|m = Valika (GB)
1985

|ff = Dominion
1972　

|fm = Swan Ann
1971　

|mf = Valiyar
1979　

|mm = Double Finesse
1975

|fff = Derring-Do

|ffm = Picture Palace

|fmf = My Swanee

|fmm = Anna Barry

|mff = Red God