Easily one of the greatest ever racehorses on flat, Nijinsky, so-named after the famous ballet dancer; Vaslav Nijinksy, was foaled in 1967 at E.P Taylor’s Windfields Farm in Canada and was a superb bay colt by Northern Dancer.

He was soon acquired by minerals magnate Charles Engelhard and then sent to the iconic Ballydoyle stables in Ireland.

Under the watchful eye of the supremely gifted trainer, Vincent O’Brien, Nijinsky was put through his paces, though it became obvious very quickly that he was going to be special.

Possessing an extraordinarily smooth yet powerful galloping stride which made his rivals look stationary, he very quickly adapted to O’Brien’s style which was based on rigour and detail, with Nijinsky quickly establishing himself.

A Perfect Debut

Launching his career in 1969, Nijinsky got off to a perfect start in Curragh, winning the July Erne Stakes with ease and under Liam Ward, he swiftly made light of the Irish premier juvenile prizes. Having won the Railway Stakes by 2.5 lengths, he then rode to glory in the Anglesey Stakes, over seven furlongs.

Then came top-tier triumphs in his second year and he easily stepped up to win the National Stakes at Curragh before O’Brien then sent him to England to where he teamed up with the brilliant Lester Piggott. The duo essentially made a mockery of a top-class field in the prestigious Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and Nijinsky sealed his status as the undefeated European Champion Two-Year-Old.

Breaking Down His Greatest Achievements

Arguably, the horse’s greatest achievement came in 1970, when his Triple Crown Classic Triumph saw him enter the record books and cement his place as the ultimate all-rounder; blessed with blistering pace, gruelling stamina and superb balance.

Ridden by Piggot, this was almost the perfect match; The 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, Nijinsky really put on a show of raw speed, easily pulling clear to win the straight mile classic by two lengths.

Meanwhile, The Epsom Derby was a display of outstanding balance on the undulating track, on which he easily swept past the French champion, Gyr to comfortably secure victory while he followed this up with the destruction of his older peers in the King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Nijinsky’s third Classic came of course, in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster and, although he endured a bout of mid-summer ringworm that delayed his training, Nijinsky was in the field on Doncaster’s Town Moor. Despite Piggott holding him back initially, he unleashed a devastatingly late run over the one mile, six furlong course and won under a hands-and-heels ride in spectacularly dramatic fashion.

In doing so, he became the first horse since Bahram to triumph in the Triple Crown; a feat that many feel will never be repeated.

Relaxing Retirement

Despite losing out by a head in Europe’s ultimate prize; the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, following a dramatic late surge, Nijinsky retired not long after with 11 wins from 13 races having lost weight after Doncaster, following a gruelling and exhausting season.

Home from then on became Kentucky’s iconic Claiborne Farm where Nijinsky became a powerhouse stallion. Legendary champions Golden Fleece and Ferdinand (who won the 1986 Kentucky Derby) and Lammtarra were all sired by him and as such, cemented his global racing history bloodline until he passed in 1992.