Busaca

Busaca (8 March 1974 – after 1983) was a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Racing only as a three-year-old she won five of her eight races and was rated one of the best British fillies of her generation over middle and long distances. After winning three minor races in spring she finished second in the Ribblesdale Stakes and then recorded her first major win when taking the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock Park in July. In the following month she moved up to the highest class to win the Yorkshire Oaks over a field which included The Oaks winner Dunfermline. She was retired from racing after finishing fourth in the Prix Vermeille but had no success as a broodmare.

Busaca
Sire	Busted
Grandsire	Crepello
Dam	Saraca
Damsire	Shantung
Sex	Mare
Foaled	8 March 1974[1]
Country	France
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Dollanstown Stud
Owner	Marianne Esterhazy
Trainer	Peter Walwyn
Record	8: 5-1-0
Major wins
Lancashire Oaks (1977) Yorkshire Oaks (1977)
Awards
Timeform rating 122 (1977)

Background

Busaca was a bay mare with no white markings bred in France by the County Kildare-based Dollanstown Stud. She was sired by Busted who won the Eclipse Stakes and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1967, a year in which he was voted British Horse of the Year.[2] As a breeding stallion he sired many major winners including Bustino, Mtoto and Erins Isle. Busaca's dam Saraca was a top-class French racemare who won the Prix Vermeille and finished second in the Prix de Diane in 1969. She was a descendant of the influential broodmare Lost Soul, the ancestor of many leading turf performers including Hethersett, Doyoun and Neasham Belle.[3]

During her racing career, Busaca was owned by Marianne Esterhazy and trained by Peter Walwyn at Seven Barrows, near Lambourn in Berkshire.

Racing career

1977: three-year-old season

Busaca was unraced as a two-year-old and began her racing career in the spring of 1977 by finishing unplaced in a seven furlong maiden race. She recorded her first win in a maiden over ten furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse and followed up in a minor event over one and a half miles at Salisbury Racecourse. She then completed a hat-trick when winning a handicap race over one and a half miles at Kempton Park Racecourse on 21 May,[4] before being moved up in class for the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. The race saw her matched against Triple First, a filly who had won the May Hill Stakes and the Musidora Stakes before finishing fourth to Dunfermline in The Oaks. She proved the best of the British fillies, but was beaten four lengths into second place by the Irish-trained Nanticious. In July she faced four opponents in what appeared to be a weakly-contested race for the Group Three Lancashire Oaks at Haydock Park. Ridden by Pat Eddery, she started the 1/2 favourite,[5] took the lead a quarter of a mile from the finish, and won easily by four lengths from Olwyn. Later that month, the form of the race was boosted when Olwyn recorded an upset victory over Nanticious and six others in the Group One Irish Oaks (a race which had been considered as a target for Busaca).[6]

In August Busaca, with Eddery again in the saddle, started at odds of 5/1[5] for the Group One Yorkshire Oaks over one and a half miles on firm ground at York Racecourse. Her opponents included Dunfermline, Triple First (who had won the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood), Sassabunda (runner-up in the Irish Oaks), Royal Hive and the leading Polish three-year-old Konstelacja. Busaca was always among the leaders in a slowly-run race before going to the front half a mile from the finish. She stayed on strongly in the straight to win by a length from Royal Hive, with Dunfermline five lengths back in third. Busaca was then sent to France for the Group One Prix Vermeille over 2400 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 18 September. The race was won by the locally trained Kamicia, with Busaca losing out in a three-way photo-finish for second against Royal Hive and Fabuleux Jane. The unplaced fillies included Trillion, Nanticious and Olwyn.[6]

Assessment

In the official International Classification for 1977, Busaca was rated the sixth-best three-year-old filly in Europe behind Dunfermline, Madelia, Trillion, Kamicia and Mrs McArdy. The independent Timeform organisation gave Busaca a rating of 122 in 1977, making her eleven pounds inferior to their top-rated three-year-old filly Dunfermline. In their annual Racehorses of 1977 they described her a strong filly, who would have done even better if campaigned over longer distances.[6]

Breeding record

Busaca was retired from racing to become a broodmare at the Dollanstown Stud. She had very little success, producing two confirmed foals, neither of whom appeared on the racecourse:

• Heeria, a bay filly, foaled in 1979, sired by Habitat. Unraced.[7]
• Elsaca, bay filly, 1983, by Ela-Mana-Mou. Unraced.[8]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Busaca bay mare, 1974[1]

Sire Busted (GB) 1963	Crepello (GB) 1954	Donatello	Bleheim
			Delleana
		Crepuscule	Mieuxce
			Red Sunset
	Sans le Sou (IRE) 1957	Vimy	Wild Risk
			Mimi
		Martial Loan	Court Martial
			Loan
Dam Saraca (GB) 1966	Shantung (FR) 1956	Sicambre	Prince Bio
			Sif
		Barley Corn	Hyperion
			Schiaparelli
	Hevea (FR) 1961	Herbager	Vandale
			Flagette
		Princesse Reine	Prince Chevalier
			Kingscavil (Family 21-a)[3]

References

1. "Busaca pedigree". equineline.com. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
2. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
3. "Wagtail - Family 21-a". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
4. George Ennor (21 May 2002). "All our Yesterdays". Racing Post.
5. Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
6. Timeform staff (1978). Racehorses of 1977. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-25-1.
7. "Heeria - Statistics". equibase.com.
8. "Elsaca - Statistics". equibase.com.