Harbinger
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The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1), July 2010
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Harbinger as a yearling, Oct 2007
In 2010 Highclere climbed the highest peak. After his win in Ascot’s King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes that July, Harbinger was the best horse on the planet. In the annual World Thoroughbred Rankings he was allotted 135, six pounds ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, and anyone who saw his final racecourse appearance will not wonder why.
In the last furlong Harbinger put an astonishing eleven lengths between himself and a field which included the English and Irish Derby winners, Workforce and Cape Blanco, as well as the dual Arc de Triomphe second Youmzain. The clock stopped at 2minutes 26.78 for the mile and a half. Harbinger had taken almost half a second off the record.
It was the sixth victory in a nine race career which exemplified the policy of patience and of keeping faith. For while the bay Dansili colt had the quality to make 180,000 guineas as a yearling, the Admiral Rous Syndicate had only stable visits and Sir Michael Stoute’s cautious optimism during Harbinger’s unraced two year old season. But it was worth the wait.
Pedigree
Harbinger
Dansili (GB)
Penang Pearl (GB)
Danehill (USA)
Hasili (IRE)
Bering
Guapa (GB)
Race record
| Date | Racecourse | Race name | ||
| Distance | Jockey | Position | Racing Post race result (opens in a new window) |
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| 24/07/2010 | Ascot | The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1) | ||
| 1m4f | Olivier Peslier | 1st | Link to race result | |
| 19/06/2010 | Ascot | The Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2) | ||
| 1m4f | Ryan Moore | 1st | Link to race result | |
| 07/05/2010 | Chester | The Ormonde Stakes (Gr 3) | ||
| 1m5.5f | Ryan Moore | 1st | Link to race result | |
| 17/04/2010 | Newbury | The John Porter Stakes (Gr 3) | ||
| 1m4f | Ryan Moore | 1st | Link to race result | |
| 24/10/2009 | Newbury | The St Simon Stakes (Gr 3) | ||
| 1m4f | Ryan Moore | 3rd | Link to race result | |
| 18/08/2009 | York | The Great Voltigeur Stakes (Gr 2) | ||
| 1m4f | Ryan Moore | Unplaced | Link to race result | |
| 28/07/2009 | Goodwood | The Gordon Stakes (Gr 3) | ||
| 1m4f | Ryan Moore | 1st | Link to race result | |
| 06/05/2009 | Chester | The Hull City A.F.C Premier Dream Maiden Stakes | ||
| 1m2.5f | Ryan Moore | 1st | Link to race result | |
| 16/04/2009 | Newmarket Rowley Mile | The Wood Ditton Stakes | ||
| 1m | Ryan Moore | 2nd | Link to race result | |
Link to Racing Post race record (opens in a new window)
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