Niche (horse)
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| Niche | |
|---|---|
 Racing silks of Lady Carolyn Warren | |
| Sire | Risk Me |
| Grandsire | Sharpo |
| Dam | Cubby Hole |
| Damsire | Town and Country |
| Sex | Filly |
| Foaled | 1990 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Highclere Stud |
| Owner | Henry George Reginald Molyneux Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon |
| Trainer | Richard Hannon, Sr. |
| Record | 10: 6-1-1 |
| Earnings | £171,726 |
| Major wins | |
| Norfolk Stakes (1992) Lowther Stakes (1992) Nell Gwyn Stakes (1993) Falmouth Stakes (1993) | |
| Awards | |
| Timeform rating: 117 | |
| Last updated on May 14, 2009 | |
Niche (foaled 1990) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Group 3 classic trial the Nell Gwyn Stakes and coming 2nd in the 1,000 Guineas, before her career was cut short by a freak accident on the gallops.
Bred by Highclere Stud, Niche was owned by Lord Carnarvon - the Queen's racing manager, owner of top class fillies Lemon Souffle and Lyric Fantasy, and grandson of George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Trained by Richard Hannon, Sr., and ridden in all her races bar one by the (then) 57-year-old Lester Piggott, Niche started her career with three wins in a row, including the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes.
In her fourth race, the Cherry Hinton Stakes (one of the top 2yo filly races of the season) she met Sayyedati for the first time, finishing fourth carrying a penalty. These fillies would battle for honours throughout their two- and three-year-old careers. Before the end of her first season, Niche also went on to win the Group 2 Lowther Stakes over 6f.
At 3yo, Niche met Sayyedati in the classic trial the Nell Gwyn Stakes, beating her rival and placing her at the top of the betting for the 1,000 Guineas. Sayyedati hit back in the one mile fillies classic, beating Niche into 2nd when Lester Piggott reputedly felt that she became unbalanced in the Dip. Sayyedati would go on to win the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marios.
Niche went on to win the Group 2 Falmouth Stakes beating Dancing Bloom (Princess Royal Stakes) and Culture Vulture (Premio Emilio Turati, Prix Marcel Boussac, Fillies Mile), winning unchallenged in what would turn out to be her last race.