Inglis Drever

Inglis Drever (18 March 1999 – October 2009) was a champion racehorse trained in the North of England by Howard Johnson. He was one of the most successful hurdle racing horses to date and won the World Hurdle three times, bettered only by the former champion Big Buck's. He is seen by many as having been the greatest staying hurdler of all time.

Inglis Drever
Sire	In The Wings
Dam	Cormorant Creek
Damsire	Gorytus
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	18 March 1999[1]
Country	Great Britain
Colour	Bay
Breeder	R J McAlpine & D O Pickering
Owner	Graham & Andrea Wylie
Trainer	Howard Johnson
Record	35: 17-8-3
Earnings	£796,952
Major wins
Winter Novices' Hurdle (2003) Leamington Novices' Hurdle (2004) Champion Hurdle Trial (2005) Kingwell Hurdle (2005) World Hurdle (2005, 2007, 2008) John Smith's Hurdle (2005) Long Distance Hurdle (2005, 2006, 2007) Cleeve Hurdle (2008)

Racing career

Flat racing

His career started as a Flat horse, where he was trained by Sir Mark Prescott and won 4 of his 12 starts under Flat rules.

National Hunt racing

It was over hurdles, however, that Inglis Drever excelled, winning on his first run over hurdles in November 2003 at Aintree.

Victory in the 'Fighting Fifth Hurdle' at Newcastle had many believing that the Champion Hurdle was a serious prospect for the horse. Inglis Drever won the first-ever running of the '2005 Ladbroke World Hurdle'. After suffering a career-threatening injury with a fall at Newbury, he was unable to defend his title 2006. (My Way De Solzen)

He did, however, return to the track and reclaimed 'The World Hurdle' crown in both 2007 and 2008. In 2008, he was the oldest horse at the time to win The World/Stayers Hurdle. He was ridden by three different jockeys on all three of his Cheltenham Festival wins.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Inglis Drever (GB), bay gelding, 1999

Sire In The Wings (GB) 1986	Sadler's Wells (USA) 1981	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
			Natalma
		Fairy Bridge	Bold Reason
			Special
	High Hawk (IRE) 1980	Shirley Heights	Mill Reef
			Hardiemma
		Sunbittern	Sea Hawk
			Pantoufle
Dam Cormorant Creek (GB) 1987	Gorytus (USA) 1980	Nijinsky	Northern Dancer
			Flaming Page
		Glad Rags	High Hat
			Dryad
	Quarry Wood (GB) 1968	Super Sam	Above Suspicion
			Samaria
		Phrygia	Mossborough
			Lenaea (Family: 2-n)

Retirement and death

Inglis Drever picked up a leg injury in the 'Long Distance Hurdle' at Newbury in November 2008. His trainer, Howard Johnson, had reported him to be recovering well. However, in January 2009, Inglis Drever was retired as a result of this injury.

He was euthanised after suffering a bout of colic on 16 October 2009.^[2]

References

1. "Inglis Drever pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
2. "Hurdle champion Inglis Drever dies".