Sire Blushing Groom Dam I Will Follow Foaled 1981 Died 7 July 2007 Owner Khalid Bin Abdullah Sex Stallion | Grandsire Red God Damsire Herbager Country United States Parents Blushing Groom Trainer Jeremy Tree Earnings 482,133 GBP | |
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Rainbow Quest (1981–2007) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion broodmare sire.
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Background
Rainbow Quest was a bay horse with two white socks and a small white star bred in Kentucky by British businessman, Alan Clore. He was sired by Blushing Groom out of the mare I Will Follow.
1983: two-year-old season
Rainbow Quest began his racing career at Newmarket Racecourse in August 1983 when he defeated twenty-nine opponents in the El Capistrano Stakes. In the following month, he beat nineteen rivals in the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes over one mile at Newbury Racecourse. In October, Rainbow Quest was matched against El Gran Senor, Siberian Express (winner of the Prix Morny), and Superlative (July Stakes) in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. El Gran Senor took a lead in the closing stages, but Rainbow Quest cut his advantage back to half a length at the line. In the 1983 International Classification, Rainbow Quest was rated the second best two-year-old in Europe, one pound behind El Gran Senor.
1984: three-year-old season
On his three-year-old debut Rainbow Quest was beaten a short-head by Lear Fan in the Craven Stakes and then finished fourth behind El Gran Senor, Chief Singer, and Lear Fan in the 2000 Guineas. He was then diverted from the Epsom Derby to the Prix du Jockey Club, in which he finished third behind Darshaan and Sadler's Wells. He was then sent to Ireland, where he finished second in the Irish Derby, beaten a length by El Gran Senor. In August, Rainbow Quest returned to England and recorded a victory in the Great Voltigeur Stakes. On his final appearance of the season, he contested the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longcamp in October. He was made favourite for the race by British bookmakers but finished eighteenth of the twenty-two runners behind Sagace.
1985: four-year-old season
Rainbow Quest began his third season with an easy win in the Clive Graham Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in May. He then ran in the Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs Racecourse and recorded a win from Old Country. In July, Rainbow Quest finished second to Pebbles in the Eclipse Stakes and third behind Petoski and Oh So Sharp in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. On his final appearance, he ran for the second time in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He finished a neck behind Sagace but was awarded the race when French horse was disqualified for causing interference.
Stud record
Riviera Red, from Rainbow Quest's 2000 crop, was a moderate racehorse, but attracted some attention when he was the equine model for the proposed White Horse at Ebbsfleet statue.
As a result of irreparable complications following surgery for colic, Rainbow Quest was euthanized on July 7, 2007 at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud near the village of Cheveley in East Cambridgeshire.
Major winners
c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
Broodmare sire
Rainbow Quest was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 2003 and 2004. Among his daughters' top runners were: