Yellow Band

colour: fawn, born: 19XX-XX, hight: XX cm, weight: 32,7 kg

There is a school fo thought that suggests that Yellow Band could have become the most successful post-war Irish  stud dog.

The fact that he currenly heads one of Irelandīs five major breeding lines is incredible bearing in mind
a) he averaged only one service for every five bookings and
b) he consequently was considered too big a risk for many of Irelandīs top broods.

Yellow Band made his track debut at 19 moths of age and by his fifth race, he already had a 29,60 win at Enniscorthy on his card. After a short run of defeats, he was entered in the 1977 Shelbourne 575 where he won a heat in 32,24 but was eliminated in the semis. John Donohoe returned his charge to Shelbourne in the spring of 1978 and won over 525 in 29,39 and over 575 in 32,19 and 32,33. "Band was then entered in the 600 yard Cambridgeshire. He won his first and second round heats in 33,65 and 33,73. Following a neck defeat in the semis, Donohoe gave his charge a run at local track Enniscorthy before returning for the final. It was in that 550 yard event that Yellow Band lowered the track record to 30,60. He was though beaten in the Shelbourne final five nights later by Cautious Cal. A plan to run the dog in the English St Leger backfired when he injured a shoulder in a Wembley trial.

Teh 72 pound fawn made his return just before th 1978 Guinness 600. He reached the final with one victory, a 33,39 in the semis. In the final he finished third beaten over eight lengths by Ivy Hall Solo who clocked 33,47.

Yellow Band was then sent to Dunmore for the Sean Graham 700. He won first time around the track in an excellent 39,40 for 700 yards. He was nine spots slower when winning his next heat. In the semis, he was beaten five lengths by local champion Townview Man in 39,44.

"Band" bounced back though to win the final in 39,42 from Black Blossom with Townview Man in third. A Ģ5,000 a side match race against Townview was set-up for a week later. Yellow Band was beaten on merit by two lengths in 39,48 - though he had travelled an estimated 2,500 miles between Enniscorthy and Dunmore in the previous rounds. He was retired soon afterwards with a race record that showed 44 races, 17 wins, 11 seconds, 7 thirds.

Yellow Bandīs dam Monalee Peg, is a sister to Irish Derby winner Monalee Pride.