Tagalie

Tagalie was British Thoroughbred racehorse who is one of only four fillies to have won the Epsom Derby. She was also the second of only four greys to have won the race. She achieved this feat as a three-year-old in 1912, a year in which she also won the 1000 Guineas.

Tagalie was bred by her owner, the financier Walter Raphael.^[1] She was sired by Cyllene, an Ascot Gold Cup winner, who went on to become a highly successful stallion. In addition to Tagalie, he sired three other winners of the Epsom Derby and through his grandson, Phalaris, he is the direct male-line ancestor of most modern thoroughbreds. Her dam was the French-bred mare Tagale, from whom she inherited her grey coat.^[2] Raphael sent the filly to his private trainer Matthew Dawson Waugh at his Somerville Lodge Stable. ^[3]

Tagalie showed some promise as a juvenile in 1911. She won the Post Stakes and was then sent to Newamrket for the Cheveley Park Stakes, the most important race of the season for British two-year-old fillies, in which she finished third to Bellisle.

On her three-year-old debut, Tagalie was sent straight for the 1000 Guineas for which she started a 20/1 outsider. Ridden by the New Zealand jockey Les Hewitt^[4] she led from the start and won by one and a half lengths from Alope, with Belleisle third. As Hewitt was already to committed to ride another horse in the Derby, Tagalie was ridden at Epsom by the American Johnny Reiff.^[5] As at Newmarket, she led from the start and was never in any danger, winning by four lengths from Jaeger and Tracery. Three days later she ran in the Oaks. On this occasion she was held up instead of making the running and finished unplaced behind Mirska. Tagalie never recaptured her Derby-winning form. On her next start she ran unplaced behind Prince Palatine in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July. In an attempt to win an unconventional Triple Crown, Tagalie was sent to Doncaster in September for the St. Leger Stakes, but made no impression in finishing unplaced behind Tracery.

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Tagalie the thirty-sixth best British filly or mare of the 20th Century . ^[6]

Tagalie produced only four foals, but they included Allenby, by Bayardo, who finished second in the 2000 Guineas and won the Newmarket Stakes in 1920.