Little Wolf (horse)

Little Wolf was a "strong, close-coupled, quite attractive" bred by his owner Lord Porchester. Porchester, later the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, owned the Highclere Stud and served as racing manager to Queen Elizabeth II from 1969. Little Wolf was from the second crop of foals sired by Grundy, an outstanding racehorse who won The Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1975. Grundy sired several other good winners, but his stock tended to be slow-maturing stayers and he was sold and exported to Japan in 1983. Little Wolf was trained throughout his racing career by Dick Hern at West Ilsley in Berkshire. ==Racing career==

1980: two-year-old season Little Wolf ran only once as a two-year-old, when contesting a maiden race over six furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in October. He started slowly but won by one and a half lengths from Casa Esquillina and twenty-three others. In their annual Racehorses of 1980, Timeform described the colt as an "interesting prospect" who was "sure to make a good colt over middle distances". 1981: three-year-old season Little Wolf began his three-year-old season at Newmarket Racecourse in spring when he ran in the ten furlong Heathorn Stakes, an early trial race for the Epsom Derby. He appeared to be less than fully fit but finished well and finished third behind Shotgun. Any hopes that the colt would develop into a Derby contender were ended when he was sidelined by a viral infection. After a break of two and a half months, Little Wolf returned in the Scottish Derby over eleven furlong in July. Ridden by Graham Sexton he started at odds of 5/1 and won by a neck from Six Mile Bottom after leading for most of the race. The colt then showed good form in defeat when finishing second to Glint of Gold in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York Racecourse. In September he was matched against older horses for the first time in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot and finished third behind Critique and Fingal's Cave. On his final appearance of the season, Little Wolf started the 7/4 At Newmarket in October, Little Wolf was moved up in distance for the Jockey Club Cup over two miles. Ridden by Carson he carried top weight in the Group Three race and started 9/4 favourite. He appeared to be struggling at one point but moved through to take the lead three furlong from the finish and drew away from the field to win by six lengths from Halsbury, with the Irish horse Ore three lengths away in third place. Little Wolf sustained a gash to his leg during the race but recovered for his final appearance of the season in the Prix Royal-Oak. Little Wolf started the 2/1 favourite for the Group One race over 3100m at Longchamp on 24 October but appeared unsuited by the very soft ground and finished sixth of the thirteen runners behind Denel. On 16 June, Little Wolf started the 4/1 second favourite for the Gold Cup over two and a half miles on firm ground at Royal Ascot. Ore started the 7/4 favourite after a win in the Henry II Stakes, with other contenders including Line Slinger, Balitou, Khairpour and Indian Prince. Six weeks after his win at Ascot, Little Wolf, carrying top weight of 133 pounds, started the 4/9 favourite for the Goodwood Cup in which his main rivals appeared to be Santella Man and Karadar, who had finished first and second in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot. Carson sent the favourite into the lead three furlongs from the finish and held the late challenge of Karadar to win by half a length, breaking the course record by three seconds. Carson dismounted immediately after the finish, and it quickly became apparent that the horse had sustained an injury to his left foreleg. ==Assessment==

In 1980, the independent Timeform organisation gave Little Wolf a rating of 88P, the "P" indicating that in their opinion the colt was likely to be capable of much better form than he had shown. ==Stud career==

Little Wolf was retired from racing to stand as a breeding stallion at Burley Lodge Stud in Berkshire at a fee of £1,500. His last recorded foals were born in 1994. ==Pedigree==