Borderlescott (foaled 12 April 2002) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist sprinter noted for his consistency and durability he raced 85 times on 25 different tracks in twelve seasons between 2004 and 2015. He won fourteen races and was placed second or third on thirty occasions. In his early career the gelding showed promising form, winning one minor race as a juvenile in 2004 and four handicap races in the following year. In 2006 he recorded his first major success when he won the Stewards' Cup. He failed to win in 2007 but emerged as a top-class sprinter in the following year when his wins included the Nunthorpe Stakes. He won the Nunthorpe Stakes again in 2009 and added a win in the King George Stakes in 2010. He won the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes in 2012 before being retired at the end of the year. He came out of retirement in 2013 and raced nineteen times without success before being retired again in 2015.
Background
Borderlescott is a small bay horse with a narrow white blaze bred by James Clark. He was sired by Compton Place, a sprinter who won the July Cup in 1997, before becoming a successful breeding stallion. Compton Place was a representative of the Byerley Turk sire line, unlike more than 95% of modern thoroughbreds, who descend directly from the Darley Arabian. Borderlescott's dam Jeewan, a daughter of the St Leger winner Touching Wood, won one minor race at Catterick Racecourse from seven attempts as a three-year-old in 1988. She was descended from Caerlissa, a broodmare who was the ancestor of other major winners including Flying Water and St Paddy.
As a yearling in October 2003, Borderlescott was consigned to the Doncaster Sales and was bought for 13,000 guineas by Robin Bastiman. Bastiman trained the horse at his stable at Cowthorpe in North Yorkshire.
Racing career
2004–2007: early career
Borderlescott began his racing career by finishing sixth in a maiden race over five furlongs at York Racecourse on 11 June. After finishing unplaced in a similar event at Carlisle later that month he ran third at Beverley before recording his first success in a nursery (a handicap race for juveniles) at Hamilton Park Racecourse on 31 July.
In his second season Borderlescott raced exclusively in handicaps and made steady improvement in his eight races. He won minor events at Haydock Park in May, Redcar and Ripon Racecourse in August and a more valuable event at York in October. In the last-named race, the Coral Sprint Trophy over six furlongs, he took the lead at half way, went clear of his seventeen rivals approaching the final furlong and held on to win by three quarters of a length from Machinist. The beaten horses included Les Arcs and Continent
Borderlescott began his third season by winning a handicap over six furlongs at York in May and was then sent to Royal Ascot where he finished fourth under a weight of 130 pounds in the Wokingham Stakes. He was then sent to Ireland and moved up in class for the Listed Belgrave Stakes at Fairyhouse where he was beaten a head by the seven-year-old Osterhase. On 5 August the gelding carried a weight of 131 pounds in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood Racecourse and started at odds of 10/1 in a field of 27 runners. Ridden as in most of his early races by Royston Ffrench he tracked the leaders before taking the lead 150 yards from the finish. In a blanket finish, he prevailed by a neck from Mutamared with five other runners within a length of the winner. In the Ayr Gold Cup in September, Borderlesscott carried top weight of 136 pounds and finished second of the 23 runners behind Fonthill Road, before being sent to France where he finished sixth in the Listed Prix de Bonneval at Chantilly Racecourse. On his final appearance of the year he was stepped up to Group Three level for the first time for the Bentinck Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 13 October. He took the lead a furlong out but was caught in the last stride and beaten a short head by the favourite Bygone Days.