In 1980, his two-year-old season. Spindrifter won 13 of his 19 races, equalling the 20th century record at that time for juveniles. Ten of them were consecutive. He also finished second five times and was only once out of the money, his form figures being 1211111111112212120. His victories came at Hamilton (2), Redcar (2), Pontefract (where his score was 21112), Catterick (4), Thirsk (1) and Leicester (1). It was a relatively early example of Sir Mark Prescott’s mastery of the programme book. He was not entertaining an angel unawares, for he asked the horse’s owner Graeme Waters quite early in the season whether he would like to win a big race or a lot of races. Waters plumped for the quantity over quality.
Next year he notched win number 14 under Elaine Mellor, but soon after he was kicked by a stablemate while at exercise, breaking his off-fore. He had to be put down.
Three of his victories were at Pontefract, who took the opportunity to name a race after him in July 1981. His premature demise was just a few days later. Subsequently Mr Waters kindly gave a perpetual trophy to embellish the race, which continues to this day. The prize money was £40,000 in 2024.
Spindrifter’s achievement could never be replicated now. The conditions of his 13th win, at Catterick, meant he had to give just three pounds to a winner of one race and ten pounds to a couple of maidens. After similar exploits by precocious two-year-olds such as Nagwa (1975), Provideo (1984) and finally Timeless Times in 1990 the little conditions races with favourable terms for multiple winners that their trainers farmed were done away with.
The Bard, who won 16 times as a two-year-old in 1885, is not commemorated. He was no flash in the pan, for he reappeared in the Derby to finish second to the great Ormonde, the pair ten lengths clear of the rest. He won six races at the age of three, including the Doncaster Cup over two and a quarter miles, taking his record to 23 out of 25.
Spindrifter sounds like it should mean something else, such as a type of bird or a boat. “Spindrift” is the spray blown from waves during a gale. A spindrifter is a type of drain used in tropical fish tanks.