GENEROUS HONOURED AT EPSOM

Graham Buddry remembers the outstanding 1991 Derby winner

- Graham Buddry

Many racecourses and equine centres have lifesize statues of famous racehorses which have become synonymous with them.

When I went racing at Epsom some years ago I saw a magnificent sculpture which gleams in the sunshine but with so many great champions having raced there over the years it was a guessing game as to which one had been immortalised.

There are many and varied first choices depending on your age and, therefore, which superstars you first became aware of. Is the statue of Nijinsky? Perhaps Sea Bird II or even one of the far older legions. A more modern champion, such as Galileo?

All are worthy yet all are wrong for the imposing adornment to the paddocks is that of Generous, the pride and joy of the late Prince Fahd Salman, So what made Generous so special?

Foaled on February 8, 1988, on breeding alone Generous had it all, starting with a sire line from the great Northern Dancer. The dam side was more American-based and included a Preakness Stakes winner as well as the victor of the 1970 Kentucky Derby.

As a foal he fetched 80,000 Irish guineas and that increased to 200,000 when he was later sold to Prince Fahd Salman at Goffs Yearling Sales and he was soon shipped to the Oxfordshire stables of Paul Cole.

BREEDING ALONE GENEROUS HAD IT ALL, STARTING WITH A SIRE LINE FROM THE GREAT NORTHERN DANCER

High hopes were embellished when the colt made his racecourse debut at Ascot on May 2, 1990 over five furlongs, winning perhaps a trifle cosily. Six weeks later he returned to Ascot for the pomp of the Royal meeting and a crack at the Coventry Stakes, finishing second of the 13 runners. Connections still believed in the colt enough to run him in the Champagne Stakes at Goodwood where he could finish no better than a well held third.