The 86th running of the Irish Derby was held on Wednesday 27th June 1951 over 1 mile 4 furlongs of The Curragh. Subscriptions were 60 sovereigns with a pot of 4000 sovereigns added, 750 sovereigns to the second and 250 sovereigns to the third. The winner was owned by HH Begum Aga Khan, bred in France by Sir Alfred Butt, trained by Harry Wragg and ridden by Charlie Smirke. The winner won by 3/4 length in 2 minutes 33 seconds, with 4 lengths between second and third.

IRISH DERBY 1951

FRAISE DU BOIS (Bay colt by Bois Roussel out of Sugar Hills) SR 1947

The winning owner won 7081.25 sovereigns, (The equivalent of £211,400 in today's terms based on Bank of England inflation calculator).
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Pos. Horse Weight Jockey Owner Trainer
1 FRAISE DU BOIS 9.0 Charlie Smirke HH Begum Aga Khan Harry Wragg
2 SIGNAL BOX 9.0 Martin Molony Mr Francis Dennis Corporal Darby Rogers
3 BOLIVAR 9.0 Eph Smith Mr Herbert Kerr P J Higgins
4 FAUX PAS 9.0 W Henry Carr Mrs R Foster Joseph Lawson
5 CHADWICK MANOR 9.0 James Eddery Mr Joseph McGrath Paddy Prendergast
6 LOUGH ENNEL 9.0 Aubrey Brabazon Lt-Col H Boyd-Rochfort Richard McCormick
7 SHORTGRASS 9.0 T P Burns Mr J P Mallick J P Mallick
8 FAIR CONTRACT 9.0 Maurice Hartnett Miss Dorothy Paget Charles A Rogers
9 ANTHONY WAYNE 9.0 Herbert Holmes Mr R S Clark Michael Collins
10 CLAUDIUS 9.0 Douglas Page Lady Maud Fitzwilliam Richard H Warden
11 LAURIE HENTON 9.0 James Mullane Mr A L Hawkins Paddy Prendergast
12 MAGIC SLIPPER 9.0 Patrick Powell jnr Mrs Anna Maria King Maxwell Arnott
13 OCEAN ECHO 9.0 Robert Quinlan Mr Joseph McGrath Seamus McGrath
14 OLD NAPOLEON 9.0 John Power Mr N W Waddington Stuart Murless
15 SECOND VIEW 9.0 Thomas Burns Mr T I Breen Patrick Oakes
16 SIGNAL PRINCE 9.0 Kenneth Gethin Mr W R Porter P J Higgins
  Betting

TRAINER PROFILE
Harry Wragg was born on 10th June 1902 at Sheffield and although his family did not have racing connections, he and his 2 brothers became very successful jockeys. Sam Wragg, born 7 years after Harry, won the 1940 Epsom Derby on Pont L'Eveque (SR 1974), while Sam, born in 1912, won the 1944 Jockeys Championship. As a jockey Harry was renowned for holding his mounts up until the last minute, earning the nickname 'the Head Waiter', but it brought him success, including 3 Epsom Derby wins. He first won the Epsom Derby in 1928 with Felstead (SR 1923), then in 1930 with Blenheim (SR 1964) and for a final time in 1942 with Watling Street (SR 2002). In 1947 he moved to the training ranks at Abington Place in Newmarket where he was equally successful for the next 36 years. He trained a number of Classic winners, including the 1961 Epsom Derby winner Psidium (SR 1966). He was also successful on his ventures across the Irish Sea, winning the Irish Derby 3 times, firstly in 1951 with Fraise Du Bois (SR 1947), then in 1956 with Talgo (SR 1961) and lastly with Fidalgo (SR 2006) in 1959. He died in October 1985 aged 83 and is buried in Newmarket.
5/2 jf Fraise Du Bois
5/2 jf Signal Box
8/1 Chadwick Manor
9/1 Faux Pas
100/7 Bolivar
20/1 Fair Contract
20/1 Claudius
25/1 Magic Slipper
33/1 Signal Prince
40/1 Lough Ennel
50/1 Laurie Henton
50/1 Ocean Echo
100/1 Shortgrass
100/1 Anthony Wayne
100/1 Old Napoleon
100/1 Second View
  Over round 111%
FORMLINE:- The winner won by 3/4 length in 2 minutes 33 seconds having, earlier in the season, been unplaced when 100/6 in the Epsom Derby behind Arctic Prince (SR 2060). In the Epsom Derby Signal Box (20/1) finished third, beaten 6 lengths and a head to Arctic Prince, with Claudius (100/1) and Faux Pas (66/1) also unplaced. Fraise Du Bois was later runner-up to Talma (SR 1999) in the Doncaster St Leger beaten 4 lengths.

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774 former courses

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400 former courses

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140 former courses

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264 pages

235 former courses
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