Idolised Ida last of the line
Pardon the melancholy, but a little piece of me retired when Carl Di Iorio revealed in Winning Post last week that Royal Ida had run his last race.
Royal Ida’s sire, Star Pyramul, was a son of Favoured Bay, an outstanding racehorse who would have beaten the Bart Cummings-trained Lord Dudley in the 1976 Australian Cup had he not blundered about 50 metres from the post.
I’ve been a dedicated follower of the Favoured Bay-Star Pyramul sire line for just on 40 years. When you have a favourite horse, and it all began with Favoured Bay, you just stick!
For the most part, Favoured Bay and Star Pyramul produced bread-and-butter racehorses, but you’ll remember a few, I’m sure — Burano, Thelma Josephine, Priceless Prince, Favoured Boy, Colebrook, Kilbaha Star, Pyramul Boy and Game Lad among them.
I got to know the idiosyncrasies of these horses so well that I claim about 50-per cent accuracy as to when and where they would win. A pity a great many of them found themselves with trainers who didn’t know them so well.
The Star Pyramuls, as individuals, had a very narrow winning distance range; few ever got beyond 1600 metres, they were best kept fresh and few, if any, ever "backed up".
Fittingly, Royal Ida, Star Pyramul’s best son — though Hero Wind was a worthy challenger — was the last Star to race. With no sons at stud, the dynasty has ended and for me there will forever be something missing in racing.
Great Western (Vic)