a 50's 60's racehorse named Red April?

Isinglass

Isinglass

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I realise this will be before most people's timeframe, however I know some of you have the old form books etc.

I have been asked by a guy I know whether anyone can remember a horse named Red April? This is one of those weird stories, he has just bought an anicient Alvis from an even more ancient lady who named the car after what was then her favourite racehorse. She and her husband used to drive about the country in their Alvis going to old race meetings to watch this horse. He does not have moe information than that, ir gelding or filly, or who rained etc. The lady did say the horse ran at Hurst Park - not that this narrows it down much!

I have looked it up in all the places I normally look, and this name does not appear, just thought I would ask if anyone on here had ever heard of the horse.

Thanks!
 
1940's actually ~ Red April was a top class staying chaser in the late '40's and ran against the likes of Cottage Rake and Prince Regent. I'll dig up some more details later.
 
From the RP

Red April (1937)
Red April, a half-brother to Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Red Rower, won the County Hurdle in 1942, was third in the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in consecutive years (1945-46), won the Hurst Park Grand National Trial in 1950, and the following year, at the age of 14, ended his career with victory in the Queen Elizabeth Chase at Hurst Park, a handicap which was more than twice as valuable as the Gold Cup.
Red April also won a race at Wincanton named after Lord Stalbridge, who bred him and owned him until dying of syphilis in 1949.
 
Wow, thank you so much Rory - I am very impressed with your detective work! I had a feeling there was really a arcehorse as this elderly lady is frail and has only bits of her memory left but she light sup so much when talking about him.

I will pass all of this back to the guy who now has her car and he is going back to visit the old lady next week so can go armed with info about the horse so he can chat better to her.

I notice some of the info you ive is form the RP - how did you get that? I can only get back into the 80's on the site.

Many thanks again!
 
Thanks again, have now found out loads mroe about Red April and just hoping to get a photo of him from the elderly car owner who is called Santa Fitch-Peyton.
 
Isinglass said:
Thanks again, have now found out loads mroe about Red April and just hoping to get a photo of him from the elderly car owner who is called Santa Fitch-Peyton.
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I would wager that Santa Fitch-Peyton is the mother of David Fitch-Peyton, who is/was manager of Whitley Stud in Gloucestershire.
 
Venusian said:
When he ran third in the Gold Cup in 1945, the winner was his half-brother Red Rower.
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I hate to disagree with Venusian, but Red April was third in the 1946 Gold Cup ~ he was 3rd in the Champion Hurdle the year that his half brother won the Gold Cup (1945); both horses were ridden by Davy Jones who rode at 7st 10lb a matter of months later. Davy was a remarkable jockey who rode exclusively on the flat from 1948. He was the jockey of the runner up when Lester Piggott rode his first winner; he also rode one of the horses involved in the first dead heat determined from a photograph. He continued riding until forced to retire by convention on his 65th Birthday, even riding two Kenyan Classic winners in his early sixties and continued to ride out until 1989. He has two sons who still train ~ Peter and Thomas Michael (universally known as Buck). He died in 1992 and his ashes were spread near the site of the old Gold Cup start on the day after Cool Ground won his Gold Cup
 
Thanks again, all this info is very much appreciated! I think you are right about Santa's family, Sonya Fitch-Peyton used to be stud manager at Hollington Stud near Highclere, Mary Gordon Watson's place.

If I ever find a photo of Red April I will put it up so that people can see the horse of this subject!
 
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