Hall Of Fame - Banner

Original article written by Danny Warren posted 12 years 3 weeks ago

Everyone loves a great race mare, but words do not come easily to describe the impact that one beautiful big mare made to the SIM.
To put her post racing career into perspective, there are currently 1049 actively listed players in the SIM and of all those, there are just three players who allow their bankbooks to be open, who have more money than this one magnificent pale chestnut with a perfect stripe down her pretty face foals earned on the track.
One of those is her owner and breeder.

The equine lady in question is Banner and in a world where blue hens are rare, she was royal purple.

The beginning of her story goes back, way back to the “old” SIM of which there are just faded monochromatic photographs and flickering reels of films to remind us of the original stars of the SIMturf.

Ara Davies had the good fortune to breed and race one of the better fillies of the day in War Song, who won two Gr.1’s amongst her six wins in 18 starts, proving to be just as fast on turf as she was on dirt and earning $2,664,800. She would go on to produce five millionaires, but there was never any doubt who Ara wanted to send War Song to for her first foal.
The lucky stallion was Loki Flame, who had also just retired after a stunning career of his own, winning nine of his 12 starts, six of those being at Gr.1 level including the Louisville Derby. Loki Flame had Ara as one of his biggest fans while racing and the chance to send her mighty mare to him was too good to pass up. Loki Flame would eventually prove that he had few peers at stud, with his foals earning over $76,000,000 at a winners to runners rate of 83.2%, with 30% of his runners going on to be stakes winners.

The breeding barn date between Loki Flame and War Song came to fruition on a brisk, but clear night as a high pitched squeal from a newborn chestnut filly announced the arrival of a new star.
The filly was tall and ungainly looking as one would expect, but from the moment she rose to stand, she displayed tremendous balance and as the days and weeks went on, it was obvious to anyone who saw her that there was something a bit special about her.

Ara decided to name her Banner and she certainly was an inspiration to all who would watch her run.

The filly continued to grow and grow and even before she began serious work, she was measured at 17 hands. But despite the fact that tall yearlings can have balance issues, Banner had the grace of a prima ballerina and the looks of a movie star. Banner had an incredibly beautiful face, with a broad intelligent forehead, kind eyes and a “butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth” demeanour with her handlers, with whom she would dip her head so that they could reach between her ears where she liked being stroked the most.

It was a time for expansion for the SIM with the development of racecourses in Europe to supplement the American racetracks, allowing many more options for the growing number of trainers and with Banner showing some promise in her education, Ara decided that Banner would try her luck in the new frontiers.
Ara did have one worry, the majority of tracks in Europe were turf and although War Song could handle both surfaces, Loki Flame only ever raced on dirt, and as well as Banner was progressing, no-one would know until raceday whether she could handle the turf.

Nine nervous young fillies lined up in Paris for a 7f maiden, and the field broke in every direction as the gates opened. Banner sat midfield, her tall frame and bold stripe down her forehead standing out like a beacon. While the other fillies staggered around the turn, the perfectly balanced Banner shot through on the rail and powered away for an easy four length win. The jockey returned to weigh in with a taciturn look on his face, hopped off and then leaned into Ara’s ear and simply said “I think you might have something here”.

Banner dropped back to the five furlongs of the $200,000 Nuntrope Stakes in London, facing five rivals, three of which were impressive last start winners in Confined, Romantisize and Escenathepunished. The race turned out to be a classic, with Escenathepunished and Confined looming up to leader Romantisize at the furlong post, only for Banner to fearlessly dive between the three of them to grab victory right on the line by a head, with margins of a neck and a nose separating the others. The photo finish of this race is still housed to this day in the SIMMuseum of Racing History.

Ara had taken careful note of how Banner had been running on her races and after some time, settled on sending the filly across the Irish Sea to run in the highly anticipated Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs. With interest in all of the new tracks already high, the local and worldwide newspapers had gone into overdrive to promote the race, which although was small in numbers of runners was exceptionally high in quality. Apart from the undefeated Banner, there was Goodbye Farewell, who after being nosed out in a photo on debut by Star Studded, had won both of her subsequent races by big margins. There was also Undefeated who had astounded the crowds in France on debut with a 12 length victory and Four of Wands who on the same day in Paris had left no-one any less impressed.
Stormy Fling was the rank outsider and went hell for leather in the early going, hotly pursued by Four of Wands, with Undefeated and Goodbye Farewell stalking and Banner tailing them all. Four of Wands zipped by Stormy Fling on turning, as Undefeated took off after her, leaving Goodbye Farewell flat footed. Undefeated reached Four of Wands, but had a fight on her hands to get past, while Banner was flying home out wide. When the three fillies hit the line it was impossible to tell who had won and it took all of ten minutes for the judges to announce that Undefeated had stuck her nose in front of Four of Wands, with Banner just a half head away in third.

Banner was a tired filly and Ara felt that she had done enough for her first season.
While spelling, Banner began to fill her frame with muscle and when she returned to the stable for her preparatory work, there was no stronger horse in Ara’s barn. The big filly was still her sweet natured self, but now she looked like a racehorse, perfectly conformed, perfectly balanced and now more focussed on her trackwork.

Ara, still very mindful of the way that Banner had finished off her races and her breeding, wanted to see if she could still produce her brilliant sprint over a decent distance and cautiously entered her in a 1 1/16 mile Allowance in Paris, knowing that it would be more a learning experience to see how Banner would handle the journey. She needn’t had worried. Banner cruised along just behind the pace and then exploded in the straight, the jockey never flinching to flick the reins as she won without raising a sweat by 10 lengths.

Struggling to contain her excitement, Ara entered Banner in the 1 ½ mile Vodaphone Oaks Stakes and couldn’t believe her luck when just four others arrived on raceday. Only Escenathepunished looked any threat on paper and Banner arrived, coat gleaming in the sunshine and a very short priced favourite. To this day in London, experienced racegoers talk about the day Banner won the Oaks. She broke surprisingly well, but soon dropped back, leaving Real Prospect to lead Dreams to Dream as the big chestnut settled third in front of Escenathepunished on the fence and Miss Emerica running greenly out wide. It stayed this way until the four furlong post, where Banner strode to the lead and just kept going, stretching further and further away from her rivals the longer the race went. She never even heard another fillies hoof beats as the margin grew to ridiculous proportions. The crowd had plenty of time to find their feet and gave Banner a resounding standing ovation as she strolled over the line an estimated 22 lengths clear from Escenathepunished who after being locked away all race, finally broke free and finished six lengths clear of third placed Dreams to Dream. A painting depicting Banner’s victory runs the entire length of the public bar named in her honour at London racecourse.

Trainers were scurrying away from facing Banner and after a small freshen up, she arrived again in Ireland for the 1 ½ mile Irish Oaks. Whilst not destroying this field with anything like the same ease as she did in London, Banner worked no harder than she had to and won comfortably, picking up $480,000 for what was essentially a track gallop and guaranteeing that she would win the first ever European Champion Three Year Old Filly SIMMY award.

Banner was already a hero in the eyes of most racing fans around the world and she had more than earned a chance to run in the Steward’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf over 1 3/8 miles at Long Island Park in New York. Here Banner was to meet some gilt edged quality. All In Fun was already a dual Gr.1 winner and had lost just once, Fiji’s Charisma was the reining champion, but the masses were all supporting the amazing, undefeated Solstice, who was trying for win twenty one in what was already decided to be her final race.
Banner also had old rivals Monstrous Storm and Four of Wands, making this race a real highlight of the day.
The race was run at a solid but not overly fast pace as the various jockeys all watched other to see when and if another was making a move. Banner was awkwardly positioned behind midfield and on the rail approaching the turn. As front runners weakened, Banner found it hard to find gaps to run through and Four of Wands shot to the lead. All In Fun looked all over a winner as she edged up alongside, but then the crowd rose as one as Solstice streaked down the outside and eased away to win her last start, retiring as an immortal. All In Fun never gave up for third, while Banner gained ground hand over fist once clear, just missing out on third behind Four of Wands in a brave effort.

Banner was again needing a rest after her trip, but looked bright and happy on her return from the paddock in France.
Back then the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was run early in the year and it was a race that Ara had always regarded as the best in the “real life” world and she desperately wanted to win. In the SIM it had been run just three times, with the brilliant Effortless Focus the inaugural winner and the first of all three male wins.
Once again, Banner looked truly magnificent in the mounting yard for her first up assignment, and over the gruelling 1 ½ mile journey, it was not going to be easy. The seven other runners included Chicago Million’s winner The Ant Man, dual Gr.2 winner Affirmed Champion and scariest of all, dual Japan Cup winner and victor of eleven of 12 races, Notable Dancer.
Surprise leader, Hero of the Wind travelled without challenge and skipped clear as heads turned for home and one of the biggest shocks in history was a real possibility. Notable Dancer began to claw back the margin, but just as he reached the leader, a roar from the stands signalled that Banner was making her run. With her home fans spurring her on, Banner was just a blur as she rocketed straight past and to the display of most of the crowd throwing their hands and hats into the air, hit the line a full three lengths clear of Notable Dancer, with Hero of the Wind running the race of their life to hold off The Ant Man for third.
Ara was emotional in her acceptance speech, heaping all the praise on her great filly for being the first female to win the race. Banner, with her winners rug barely covering her massive torso, was too busy accepting the pats of the many children lined along the fence to notice, many of which dressed in the green and blue of her famous silks.

The mile and a quarter Coral-Eclipse Showcase Stakes is a time honoured race where champions collide. But there was no champion horses brave enough to challenge Banner and she defeated a disappointing opposition by six and a half lengths, to another standing ovation from the London crowd.

Now an international phenomenon, Banner followed her usual path and followed her London win by journeying to Ireland, this time for the 1 5/16 mile Tattersalls Gold Cup, again against moderate horses. She treated them with utter contempt and not even a modern day wide angle lens would have found her rivals in the same frame as she pocketed another $480,000.

Having not visited Asia before and with challenges not coming in Europe, Ara sent Banner to Tokyo for a run in the $2,000,000 Hong Kong Vase over a mile and a half to end her year, the Hong Kong Jockey Club hosting the race in Japan while their own track was still being developed. Ara had already had an incredible year, with Conduit running rampant all over North America and she racked up many frequent flyer points travelling the globe to watch her stars in action. Banner did not travel at all well to Japan and had little of her perky energy as she walked with her head down around the saddling enclosure. She was flat footed at the gates, but scurried up along the rail to be with the others. A gasp went up around the track as the tiring leader Sophistication dropped back on top of her, checking her badly, but Banner was a horse who loved winning more than anything and in perhaps her gutsiest performance, ground down the straight and dove at the line to steal a seemingly impossible victory by a head.

The end of the year saw more glory placed beside Banner’s name when she won the SIMMY awards for European Champion Older Mare and the European Horse of the Year. Ara made the tough decision to announce Banner’s retirement from racing at the ceremony, the winner of $3,924,000 with nine wins from 11 starts as she felt that the time had come to see what Banner could do in the breeding barn.

Ara had no doubts to who she would send Banner either.
Banner went straight to perhaps the SIM’s first genuine superstar, the Triple Crown winner Priceless Forever, who had already produced millionaires such as Elusive Pegasus and Effortless Focus. The resultant foal was the filly Pennant, who was given to The Steward and debuted with a 12 length win. She finished with five wins and five seconds from 10 races and earned $1,537,000. Nowadays she is known best as the Dam of Streamer, Pentagon, Emblem, Top Honour and Fighter.

Ara also knew exactly who Banner would see next.
Her mighty Conduit had now retired, unbeaten in 17 starts and arguably the greatest horse the SIM had ever seen. He was out of Ara’s star mare Rain Dancer and the combination of DNA of Conduit and Banner had the SIMWorld salivating. That foal, a colt, had his mothers looks and finished his career just like his Sire……unbeaten.
His name was Atlas, the winner of each of his 18 starts and $12,763,200, along with eight SIMMY awards. Atlas at stud had 174 winners of over $20,000,000.
When contemplating a dream match race between father and son, Ara replied that it would be an incredible race, but she thought Conduit would just get there, but while Conduit may have been her pick as best horse she ever bred, felt that Atlas was the most fun to campaign.

Banner went back to Conduit and produce the filly Map who won seven of 9 and over $2,000,000 and produced fellow $2,000,000 earner Knot amongst her foals.

It was about this time that the Dark Ages hit and SIMRacing went into limbo. On return Ara had many a sleepless night contemplating who Banner should visit next, with her other great mare Rain Dancer nearing the end of her days.

Banner next went to Chesapeake Bay producing millionaire filly Siren, who in turn watched as her foals earned nearly $2,000,000.

Jet Ski was next on Banner’s list of male suitors and Chart was born. He won six Gr.1 races and over $4,000,000 and surprisingly given his breeding, he was not that popular at stud, siring just 126 foals, with 68 winners.

After a year off, Banner produced the brilliant Everest, sired by Three of Crowns. Everest won eleven Gr.1’s in his 27 starts, earning $4,638,500 and four SIMMY Awards. At stud, Everest sired 198 winners with six millionaires including Imposing, Acme, Northern Hero, Scream In The Wind, The Demon and Peaked.

Bongo was Banners next foal by Bago, and she won ten of her 18 races and $1,118,780, but didn’t have a great deal of success at stud, at least compared with her siblings.

Banner next visited Le Dauphin Noir and produced Waterloo, who was strangely ignored once retiring to stud, despite winning four Gr.1’s amongst 19 wins and earning over $2,000,000. Waterloo is still standing at the ripe old age of 15 for $5000 and has 17 winners from just 42 runners.

The mighty Black Condor was matched up with Banner and Gr.1 winning Calafia was born. She won nine of 19 and her 4yo Calafita and 5yo I Me Me Mine have both earned six figures so far on the track.

Banner’s penultimate foal was Watchglass who won five of 14, and has just been pensioned. She is best known as the Dam of highly rated young stallion Mammoth and has a 2yo by Tejano’s Quest and a yearling by Noah to perhaps evn further Banner’s fame.

Banner was then barren for a year, but then a final trip to the breeding barn to visit Vernacular ensured that her final foal would be a beauty. Trafalgar won thirteen races, seven of them Gr.1’s, winning over $2,500,000 and three SIMMY awards. The 11 year old is still going strong, having so far sired 123 winners at time of writing, 27 stakes winners and foal earnings of over $11,000,000 and climbing everyday, with his best so far the magnificent Andre who has won twelve of fifteen.

Banner has now passed onto the great pasture in the sky, but her legacy lives on through her involvement in the very best of pedigrees. She won a SIMMY for Broodmare of the Year to add to her other great triumphs.

If any further proof is required of her importance and influence to the SIM consider this:
Her own foals earned $33,106,880 on the track and have, in turn been responsible either as Sire or Dam for their own foals winning $86,442,160 with the possibility that that figure could even reach $100,000,000.

There were very few that flew as high as Banner.

---

Back to Racing articles