Oats

Oats (27 April 1973 – 13 January 1990) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed promise as a two-year-old before establishing himself as one of the best British colts of his generation in the following year when he won the Blue Riband Trial Stakes and finished third in The Derby. As a four-year-old he won the Jockey Club Stakes and the Ormonde Stakes before his career was ended by injury. After his retirement he became a very successful sire of National Hunt horses. Background Oats was a "strong, attractive" bay horse with a small white star bred in Ireland by T E Kelly. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Northfields, an American horse whose biggest win came in the Louisiana Derby in 1971, before spending most of his stud career in Europe. His other winners included Northjet, Northern Treasure (Irish 2,000 Guineas), No Pass No Sale (Poule d'Essai des Poulains) and North Stoke (Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes). Oats' dam Arctic Lace finished third in the 1969 Irish 1,000 Guineas and was a granddaughter of Fair Alycia, whose other descendants included Bold Lad (IRE). As a yearling, the colt was offered for sale and bought for 7,000 guineas by David Oldrey. Oats was sent into training with Peter Walwyn at Lambourn in Berkshire. Racing career