Rainbow Quest (horse)

Rainbow Quest (1981–2007) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion broodmare sire.

Rainbow Quest was a bay horse with two white socks and a small white star bred in Kentucky by British businessman, Alan Clore. He was sired by Blushing Groom out of the mare I Will Follow. As a yearling, he was purchased by Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms for $950,000 at the 1982 Fasig-Tipton July Sale.

Sent into training with Jeremy Tree, Rainbow Quest began his racing career at Newmarket Racecourse in August 1983 when he defeated twenty-nine opponents in the El Capistrano Stakes. In the following month, he beat nineteen rivals in the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes over one mile at Newbury Racecourse. In October, Rainbow Quest was matched against El Gran Senor, Siberian Express (winner of the Prix Morny), and Superlative (July Stakes) in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. El Gran Senor took a lead in the closing stages, but Rainbow Quest cut his advantage back to half a length at the line. In the 1983 International Classification, Rainbow Quest was rated the second best two-year-old in Europe, one pound behind El Gran Senor.^[1]

On his three-year-old debut Rainbow Quest was beaten a short-head by Lear Fan in the Craven Stakes and then finished fourth behind El Gran Senor, Chief Singer, and Lear Fan in the 2000 Guineas. He was then diverted from The Derby to the Prix du Jockey Club, in which he finished third behind Darshaan and Sadler's Wells. He was then sent to Ireland, where he finished second in the Irish Derby, beaten a length by El Gran Senor. In August, Rainbow Quest returned to England and recorded a victory in the Great Voltigeur Stakes. On his final appearance of the season, he contested the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longcamp in October. He was made favourite for the race by British bookmakers but finished eighteenth of the twenty-two runners behind Sagace.^[2]

Rainbow Quest began his third season with an easy win in the Clive Graham Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in May. He then ran in the Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs Racecourse and recorded a win from Old Country. In July, Rainbow Quest finished second to Pebbles in the Eclipse Stakes and third behind Petoski and Oh So Sharp in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. On his final appearance, he ran for the second time in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He finished a neck behind Sagace but was awarded the race when the French horse was disqualified for causing interference.^[3]

Rainbow Quest entered stud at his owner's farm in Berkshire, England in 1986. He was moved to the same operation's Banstead Manor Stud near Newmarket in 1986. The horse proved to be an excellent sire.

As a result of irreparable complications following surgery for colic, Rainbow Quest was euthanised on 7 July 2007 at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud near the village of Cheveley in East Cambridgeshire.^[4]

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Rainbow Quest was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 2003 and 2004. Among his daughters' top runners were:

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

• Rainbow Quest's pedigree and partial racing stats
• Rainbow Quest in Designing Speed in the Racehorse (p. 176, 177) by Ken McLean at Google Books