Spion Kop

Spion Kop (1917–1941) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1919 until 1921, Spion Kop ran fourteen times winning two races. After an undistinguished early career in which he lost his first six races, he improved as a three-year-old to win The Derby in record time in 1920. After his retirement from racing he had some success as a stallion. Background Spion Kop, a "strong, handsome" bay horse with a white blaze and four white socks, was bred by his owner Major Giles Loder who had inherited the Eyrefield Stud near Caragh in County Kildare from his uncle Eustace "Lucky" Loder in 1914. He was named after the Battle of Spion Kop (1900). Spion Kop's sire Spearmint had been Eustace Loder's most successful horse winning the Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris in 1906. At stud, he was fairly successful, siring Royal Lancer (St Leger), Zionist (Irish Derby) and Plucky Liege. Hammerkop, Spion Kop's dam was a top-class staying racehorse who won the Yorkshire Oaks in 1903 and the Cesarewitch Handicap in 1905, but produced no other winners in a long stud career. Spion Kop was sent into training with Peter Gilpin at his Clarehaven Stables at Newmarket, Suffolk.