Junius (horse)
Junius was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After fetching a price of $300,000 as a yearling he was sent to race in Europe where he had his greatest success as a two-year-old in 1978. Following a narrow defeat on his debut he won twice in Ireland before traveling to England and winning the Group One Middle Park Stakes in record time. He failed on his only appearance in the following year and was retired from racing. He stood as a breeding stallion in Ireland and Japan but had little impact as a sire of winners.
Background
Junius was a "neat" brown horse with a white blaze and three white socks bred in Kentucky by Warner L. Jones Jr. He was from the third crop of foals sired by the American sprinter Raja Baba whose other offspring included Summer Mood, Sacahuista and Is It True. Junius's dam, Solid Thought was a high-class racemare who won the Santa Ynez Stakes and the Honeymoon Handicap in 1960. She produced several other winner including Gentle Thoughts. Solid Thought was a descendant of the broodmare Traverse, making her a distant relative of Hasty Road, Bold Bidder and Intrepidity.As a yearling Junius was offered for sale and bought for $300,000. The colt entered the ownership of Simon Fraser and was sent to Europe where he was trained by Vincent O'Brien at Ballydoyle.
Racing career
1978: two-year-old season
On his racecourse debut, Junius started at odds of 1/3 in a minor race over five furlongs but was beaten a short head into second place. At the Curragh in September he was opposed by eleven horses in a six furlong maiden race and accelerated clear of his rivals to win by four lengths from Rare Duke. Two weeks later, over the same course and distance, Junius won the Suir Plate, beating the previously unraced Pittsville by half a length.For his final appearance of the season Junius was sent to England and moved up to Group One level for the Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse on 5 October. He was his trainer's first juvenile runner in Britain that year and started at odds of 7/1 in a ten-runner field. Main Reef, who had been disqualified after finishing first in the Mill Reef Stakes, started favourite, whilst the other contenders included Stanford, Young Generation and King of Spain. Ridden by Lester Piggott, Junius disputed second place as Main Reef set the early pace, before going to the front at half way. He got the better of a sustained struggle with Young Generation before drawing ahead to win by a length. The winning time 1:11.0 was a new course record for a two-year-old.