Homing (horse)

After finishing unplaced on his racecourse debut, he was sent to York Racecourse in October where he contested a minor race over six furlongs. He appeared to be struggling in the early stages but made rapid progress in the second half of the race and won by one and a half lengths from Fast Colour a colt who had previously won the Champion Trophy at Ripon Racecourse in August.[5]

In the early part of 1978, Homing showed unremarkable form, and was beaten in his first four races. In June, he was moved up in distance and won the Bass Clubman's Handicap at Haydock Park Racecourse from Spring To Mind, Portese and Fool's Prayer. He then dropped back in distance and won handicap races over a mile at York and Haydock. In August he was allotted top weight in the Rose of York Handicap, but finished ninth of the fifteen runners behind Petronisi.[6]

On 3 September, Homing was moved up sharply in class for the Group Two, Prix du Rond Point over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse. Ridden by the Scottish jockey Willie Carson he started a 16/1 outsider, with the four-year-old filly Sanedtki being made favourite. Homing took the lead from the start, went clear of his opponents in the straight, and won by four lengths from Sanedtki (who was carrying six pounds more than the colt) in a new course record time of 1:35.6. Three weeks later, Homing met Sanedtki again, this time at a difference of two pounds, in the Group One Prix du Moulin over the same course and distance. Homing again attempted to make all the running but was caught 100 metres from the finish and beaten two lengths by Sanedtki. There was a gap of five lengths back to the rest of the field which included Nishapour (Poule d'Essai des Poulains), Kenmare (Prix Jacques Le Marois), Carwhite (Prix d'Ispahan) and Dom Racine (Prix Jean Prat).[6]

A week after his defeat in the Moulin, Homing returned to England for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (then a Group Two race) over one mile at Ascot Racecourse and started 9/2 second favourite behind the Vincent O'Brien-trained Stradavinsky. The other runners included the 1000 Guineas winner Enstone Spark, the Queen Anne Stakes winner Radetzky and the Jersey Stakes winner Camden Town. Homing started slowly but quickly took the lead and dominated the race,[7] drawing away from his rivals in the straight to win easily by five lengths from Stradavinky, who in turn finished well clear of the rest.[6]