Imperial Commander (horse)

{{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Imperial Commander | image_name = [[File:Owner Mr Ian A Robinson.svg|120px]] | caption = Racing silks of Our Friends in the North | sire = [[Flemensfirth]] | grandsire = | dam = Ballinlovane | damsire = [[Le Moss]] | sex = Male | foaled = {{birth date|df=y|2001|3|29}} | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2017|4|6|2001|3|29}} | country = Ireland | colour = Bay | breeder = Owen Flynn & Laurence Flynn | owner = Our Friends in the North | trainer = [[Nigel Twiston-Davies]] | record = 21: 8-2-1 | earnings = £621,331 | race = [[Paddy Power Gold Cup]] (2008)<br />[[Ryanair Chase]] (2009)<br />[[Cheltenham Gold Cup]] (2010)<br />[[Betfair Chase]] (2010) | awards = | honours = | updated= 13 April 2013 }}

'''Imperial Commander''' (29 March 2001 – 6 April 2017) was a [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]] winning thoroughbred [[horse racing|racehorse]].

==Racing career==

===Early career=== Imperial Commander's first race was at Summerhill [[Point to point (steeplechase)|point-to-point]] in Ireland on 24 April 2005, a race he won by 8 lengths.<ref name=RPDB>{{cite web |url=https://www.racingpost.com/ |work=[[Racing Post]] |title=Horse Database|access-date=13 April 2013}}</ref>

His next racecourse appearance and first [[Horseracing in Great Britain#Organisation|under rules]] was a [[National Hunt flat race]] at [[Cheltenham Racecourse|Cheltenham]] on 25 October 2006. This too he won, and already he was being described as a 'future chaser on looks' by the [[Racing Post]].<ref name=RPDB />

He garnered one victory over [[Hurdling (horse race)|hurdles]], a £2000 race at [[Newcastle Racecourse|Newcastle]] in January 2007, but failed to win at Graded level, including attempts at the 2007 Cheltenham and [[Aintree Racecourse|Aintree]] festivals (although he was placed at the latter).

===As a steeplechaser===

As predicted by the Racing Post, it was as a chaser that his career really took off. He was victorious in his first two chases, both at Cheltenham in late 2007, and he won again in the [[Paddy Power Gold Cup]] at Cheltenham in November 2008, when he was ridden by [[Paddy Brennan (jockey)|Paddy Brennan]] for the first time. Returning to the Cheltenham Festival in 2009, he won the [[Ryanair Chase]] by 2 lengths from [[Voy Por Ustedes]] at [[odds]] of 6/1.

The following season he met former Cheltenham Gold Cup champion, Kauto Star, in the 2009 [[Betfair Chase]] at [[Haydock Park Racecourse|Haydock]], and was beaten by a mere nose.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/mar/19/imperial-commander-cheltenham-gold-cup |title=Imperial Commander tears up the Gold Cup's two-horse script |work=[[The Guardian|Guardian Online]] |date=19 March 2010 |access-date=20 March 2010 | location=London | first=Paul | last=Hayward}}</ref> He was less successful in that season's [[King George VI Chase|King George]] where he was below par, trailing in a 64 length 5th to the same horse, after nearly unseating Brennan at the second fence.<ref name=RPDB />

At Cheltenham the following March, he got his revenge. Again ridden by [[Paddy Brennan (jockey)|Paddy Brennan]], Imperial Commander won the [[2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/8456899.stm|title=Imperial Commander lands Cheltenham Gold Cup |date=19 March 2010|work=BBC Sport|access-date=28 October 2010}}</ref> beating [[starting price|favourites]] and previous champions [[Kauto Star]] and [[Denman (horse)|Denman]].

Defending his title in 2011, he hit the fourth-last fence and was soon pulled up. He was found to be [[Lameness (equine)|lame]], and was not seen again on a racecourse for nearly two years.

A comeback second in the 2013 [[Argento Chase]] at Cheltenham showed he was 'set to remain competitive in top company'<ref name=RPDB /> and a tilt at the [[Grand National]] was mooted. Thus, as a 12-year-old, Imperial Commander ran in the [[2013 Grand National]] as the top weight, ridden by his trainer's son, [[Sam Twiston-Davies]]. He went well for a circuit but dropped away quickly soon after and was pulled up.

==Pedigree== {{Pedigree| name = Imperial Commander, bay gelding, 21 May 2001| f = [[Flemensfirth]] (USA) 1992| ff = [[Alleged (horse)|Alleged]] (USA) 1974| fff = [[Hoist The Flag]] (USA) 1968| ffff = [[Tom Rolfe]] 1962| fffm = Wavy Navy| ffm = Princess Pout 1966| ffmf = [[Prince John (horse)|Prince John]] (USA)| ffmm = Determined Lady| fm = Etheldreda (USA) 1985| fmf = [[Diesis (horse)|Diesis]] 1980| fmff = [[Sharpen Up]] 1969| fmfm = Doubly Sure 1971| fmm = Royal Bund (USA)| fmmf = Royal Coinage| fmmm = Nato| m = Ballinlovane| mf = [[Le Moss]] 1975| mff = Le Levanstell 1957| mfff = Le Lavandou| mffm = Stella's Sister| mfm = Feemoss 1960| mfmf = [[Ballymoss]] 1954| mfmm = Feevagh| mm = Billy's Beauty| mmf = Arapaho 1973| mmff = Huntercombe 1967| mmfm = Persuader| mmm = Castlering| mmmf = Escart| mmmm = Royal Trix| }}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.jockeycolours.com/horses/Imperial_Commander.html?origin=wikipedia Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart] – ''Imperial Commander''

[[Category:2001 racehorse births]] [[Category:Cheltenham Festival winners]] [[Category:Cheltenham Gold Cup winners]] [[Category:Racehorses bred in Ireland]] [[Category:Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Thoroughbred family 2-a]] [[Category:2017 racehorse deaths]]