Le Moss (3 April 1975 – 17 August 2000) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist stayer, he excelled at distances of two miles and beyond, winning eleven times from fifteen races between 1977 and 1980. He showed good form as a three-year-old, winning the Queen's Vase and finishing second in the classic St Leger Stakes, but reached his peak as an older horse. In 1979 he completed the "Stayers' Triple Crown" by winning the Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup. He won the same three races as a five-year-old, defeating the future champion Ardross on each occasion, and in doing so becoming the only horse ever (or since) to win the "Stayers' Triple Crown" twice. He was then retired to stud where he had some success as a sire of steeplechasers.
Background
Le Moss was a chestnut horse with a narrow white blaze and three white socks bred in Ireland by the McGrath Trust Company, a family breeding operation run by Joseph McGrath. His sire was the McGrath-owned Le Levanstell, who won the Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1961 before a successful stud career. Le Moss's dam, Feemoss came from a strong staying family, being a daughter of the Yorkshire Oaks winner Feevagh and a half-sister to the Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Laurence O. Feemoss had previously produced the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Levmoss and the Prix de Diane winner Sweet Mimosa, both of which were also by Le Levanstell and therefore a full-brother and full-sister to Le Moss.
As a yearling, Le Moss was sent to the sales and was bought for 26,000 guineas by representatives of the Italian lawyer Carlo d'Alessio. During his racing career, Le Moss carried d'Alessio's red, white and green racing silks and was trained by Henry Cecil at his Warren Place Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk. He proved a difficult horse to train but gave his all on the racecourse. Joe Mercer, who rode the horse to some of his biggest wins described him as "very brave, and once he got his head in front very little would pass him".
Racing career
1978: three-year-old season
After finishing unplaced on his only race as a two-year-old, Le Moss was a "very impressive" winner of a maiden race at Newmarket Racecourse on his first appearance in 1978. He established himself as one of the leading stayers of his generation at Royal Ascot in June when he was ridden by Geoff Baxter to win the Queen's Vase over two miles at odds of 7/4. The following month, again ridden by Baxter, he defeated the mighty Sea Pigeon in the valuable Tennent Trophy over one mile and seven furlongs at Ayr. Re-united with stable jockey Mercer in August, he was an impressive winner of the March Stakes over one and three-quarter miles at Goodwood prior to tackling the final classic of the season, the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster, a race in which he finished second of the fourteen runners, one and a half lengths behind the 28/1 outsider Julio Mariner.
1979: four-year-old season
Le Moss began his four-year-old season by beating two opponents in the Lymm Stakes over two miles at Haydock Park in May. He was then sent to Royal Ascot in June, where he was ridden by Lester Piggott in the Ascot Gold Cup over two and a half miles. He started at odds of 7/4 and won by seven lengths from his six-year-old stable companion Buckskin who started favourite. With Mercer back in the saddle, he then won the Goodwood Cup over two miles five furlongs and completed the Stayers' Triple Crown by winning the Doncaster Cup over two and a quarter miles in September.
1980: five-year-old season
In early 1980, Le Moss sustained an injury and could not be galloped, being instead brought back to fitness by a programme of swimming. He did not appear until Royal Ascot where he started the 3/1 favourite to retain the Gold Cup. Ridden by Joe Mercer, he led from the start and repelled the persistent challenge of the Irish-trained four-year-old Ardross to win by three-quarters of a length. In the Goodwood Cup, Le Moss started 4/7 favourite, despite being required to concede two pounds to Ardross. In a repeat of their Ascot clash, Le Moss and Ardross dominated the closing stages of the race, with the older horse winning by a neck. The pair met for a third time in the Doncaster Cup. Le Moss led from the start and completed his second Cup hat-trick, again beating his rival by a neck.