# Imperial Commander (horse) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Imperial_Commander_(horse) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Imperial_Commander_(horse).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Commander_(horse) > Source revision: 1311455819 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse Imperial Commander Racing silks of Our Friends in the North Sire Flemensfirth Dam Ballinlovane Damsire Le Moss Sex Male Foaled (2001-03-29)29 March 2001 Died 6 April 2017(2017-04-06) (aged 16) 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 Major wins Paddy Power Gold Cup (2008) Ryanair Chase (2009) Cheltenham Gold Cup (2010) Betfair Chase (2010) Last updated on 13 April 2013 **Imperial Commander** (29 March 2001 – 6 April 2017) was a [Cheltenham Gold Cup](/source/Cheltenham_Gold_Cup) winning thoroughbred [racehorse](/source/Horse_racing). ## Racing career ### Early career Imperial Commander's first race was at Summerhill [point-to-point](/source/Point_to_point_(steeplechase)) in Ireland on 24 April 2005, a race he won by 8 lengths.[1] His next racecourse appearance and first [under rules](/source/Horseracing_in_Great_Britain#Organisation) was a [National Hunt flat race](/source/National_Hunt_flat_race) at [Cheltenham](/source/Cheltenham_Racecourse) on 25 October 2006. This too he won, and already he was being described as a 'future chaser on looks' by the [Racing Post](/source/Racing_Post).[1] He garnered one victory over [hurdles](/source/Hurdling_(horse_race)), a £2000 race at [Newcastle](/source/Newcastle_Racecourse) in January 2007, but failed to win at Graded level, including attempts at the 2007 Cheltenham and [Aintree](/source/Aintree_Racecourse) 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](/source/Paddy_Power_Gold_Cup) at Cheltenham in November 2008, when he was ridden by [Paddy Brennan](/source/Paddy_Brennan_(jockey)) for the first time. Returning to the Cheltenham Festival in 2009, he won the [Ryanair Chase](/source/Ryanair_Chase) by 2 lengths from [Voy Por Ustedes](/source/Voy_Por_Ustedes) at [odds](/source/Odds) of 6/1. The following season he met former Cheltenham Gold Cup champion, Kauto Star, in the 2009 [Betfair Chase](/source/Betfair_Chase) at [Haydock](/source/Haydock_Park_Racecourse), and was beaten by a mere nose.[2] He was less successful in that season's [King George](/source/King_George_VI_Chase) where he was below par, trailing in a 64 length 5th to the same horse, after nearly unseating Brennan at the second fence.[1] At Cheltenham the following March, he got his revenge. Again ridden by [Paddy Brennan](/source/Paddy_Brennan_(jockey)), Imperial Commander won the [2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup](/source/2010_Cheltenham_Gold_Cup),[3] beating [favourites](/source/Starting_price) and previous champions [Kauto Star](/source/Kauto_Star) and [Denman](/source/Denman_(horse)). Defending his title in 2011, he hit the fourth-last fence and was soon pulled up. He was found to be [lame](/source/Lameness_(equine)), and was not seen again on a racecourse for nearly two years. A comeback second in the 2013 [Argento Chase](/source/Argento_Chase) at Cheltenham showed he was 'set to remain competitive in top company'[1] and a tilt at the [Grand National](/source/Grand_National) was mooted. Thus, as a 12-year-old, Imperial Commander ran in the [2013 Grand National](/source/2013_Grand_National) as the top weight, ridden by his trainer's son, [Sam Twiston-Davies](/source/Sam_Twiston-Davies). He went well for a circuit but dropped away quickly soon after and was pulled up. ## Pedigree Pedigree of Imperial Commander, bay gelding, 21 May 2001 Sire Flemensfirth (USA) 1992 Alleged (USA) 1974 Hoist The Flag (USA) 1968 Tom Rolfe 1962 Wavy Navy Princess Pout 1966 Prince John (USA) Determined Lady Etheldreda (USA) 1985 Diesis 1980 Sharpen Up 1969 Doubly Sure 1971 Royal Bund (USA) Royal Coinage Nato Dam Ballinlovane Le Moss 1975 Le Levanstell 1957 Le Lavandou Stella's Sister Feemoss 1960 Ballymoss 1954 Feevagh Billy's Beauty Arapaho 1973 Huntercombe 1967 Persuader Castlering Escart Royal Trix ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RPDB_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RPDB_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RPDB_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-RPDB_1-3) ["Horse Database"](https://www.racingpost.com/). *[Racing Post](/source/Racing_Post)*. Retrieved 13 April 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hayward, Paul (19 March 2010). ["Imperial Commander tears up the Gold Cup's two-horse script"](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/mar/19/imperial-commander-cheltenham-gold-cup). *[Guardian Online](/source/The_Guardian)*. London. Retrieved 20 March 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Imperial Commander lands Cheltenham Gold Cup"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/8456899.stm). *BBC Sport*. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010. ## External links - [Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart](http://www.jockeycolours.com/horses/Imperial_Commander.html?origin=wikipedia) – *Imperial Commander* v t e Cheltenham Gold Cup winners 1924 Red Splash 1925 Ballinode 1926 Koko 1927 Thrown In 1928 Patron Saint 1929 Easter Hero 1930 Easter Hero 1931 no race 1932 Golden Miller 1933 Golden Miller 1934 Golden Miller 1935 Golden Miller 1936 Golden Miller 1937 no race 1938 Morse Code 1939 Brendan's Cottage 1940 Roman Hackle 1941 Poet Prince 1942 Medoc II 1943 no race 1944 no race 1945 Red Rower 1946 Prince Regent 1947 Fortina 1948 Cottage Rake 1949 Cottage Rake 1950 Cottage Rake 1951 Silver Fame 1952 Mont Tremblant 1953 Knock Hard 1954 Four Ten 1955 Gay Donald 1956 Limber Hill 1957 Linwell 1958 Kerstin 1959 Roddy Owen 1960 Pas Seul 1961 Saffron Tartan 1962 Mandarin 1963 Mill House 1964 Arkle 1965 Arkle 1966 Arkle 1967 Woodland Venture 1968 Fort Leney 1969 What a Myth 1970 L'Escargot 1971 L'Escargot 1972 Glencaraig Lady 1973 The Dikler 1974 Captain Christy 1975 Ten Up 1976 Royal Frolic 1977 Davy Lad 1978 Midnight Court 1979 Alverton 1980 Master Smudge 1981 Little Owl 1982 Silver Buck 1983 Bregawn 1984 Burrough Hill Lad 1985 Forgive 'n Forget 1986 Dawn Run 1987 The Thinker 1988 Charter Party 1989 Desert Orchid 1990 Norton's Coin 1991 Garrison Savannah 1992 Cool Ground 1993 Jodami 1994 The Fellow 1995 Master Oats 1996 Imperial Call 1997 Mr Mulligan 1998 Cool Dawn 1999 See More Business 2000 Looks Like Trouble 2001 no race 2002 Best Mate 2003 Best Mate 2004 Best Mate 2005 Kicking King 2006 War Of Attrition 2007 Kauto Star 2008 Denman 2009 Kauto Star 2010 Imperial Commander 2011 Long Run 2012 Synchronised 2013 Bobs Worth 2014 Lord Windermere 2015 Coneygree 2016 Don Cossack 2017 Sizing John 2018 Native River 2019 Al Boum Photo 2020 Al Boum Photo 2021 Minella Indo 2022 A Plus Tard 2023 Galopin Des Champs 2024 Galopin Des Champs 2025 Inothewayurthinkin 2026 Gaelic Warrior --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Imperial Commander (horse)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Commander_(horse)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Commander_(horse)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.