Pebbles (horse)

In June she ran in the Childwick Stud Stakes at Newmarket and won by three lengths from Sajeda, leading Brittain to comment that she was one of the best fillies he had trained.

Pebbles then started favourite for the Waterford Candelabra Stakes at Goodwood but sweated badly before the race and appeared to tire in the closing stages before finishing fifth behind Shoot Clear.

In the 1000 Guineas over one mile at the next Newmarket meeting, Pebbles started at odds of 8/1 behind the 6/5 favourite Mahogany, who had beaten Shoot Clear in the Fred Darling Stakes.

Pebbles sweated freely and became nervous and agitated before the race: as the fillies were moving onto the course she abruptly spun round and hit a gate.

Pebbles took the lead in the straight but was overtaken in the final furlong and beaten one and a half lengths by Katies, with the two fillies pulling well clear of their eight opponents.

In the closing stages she was switched to the outside and accelerated into contention before finishing second by a neck to the French-trained colt Palace Music who won in a course record time.

[7] Pebbles stayed in training at four and began her season by running in the inaugural Trusthouse Forte Mile at Sandown Park Racecourse in April.

On her next start, she was sent to Royal Ascot in June where she was matched against the 1984 St Leger winner Commanche Run, who had won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes by twelve lengths on his reappearance.

Commanche Run was a late withdrawal from the race, but the field included the Coronation Cup winner Rainbow Quest, who started 4/5 favourite.

Pebbles was expected to run next in either the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes or the Budweiser Million, but for unexplained reasons, she lost her appetite after her Eclipse win and Brittain decided to rest the filly until autumn.

[10] She was eased down in the last strides to win by three lengths from Slip Anchor, Palace Music and the Irish Oaks winner Helen Street.

Pebbles missed most of the pre-race parade after Brittain bribed one of the Aqueduct staff to open a walkway, allowing her to join the other runners at the last moment.

In the annual poll conducted by the Racegoers' Club, Pebbles received twenty-eight of the thirty votes to be named British Horse of the Year.

[11] Brittain described Pebbles as an extremely difficult horse to manage and one who could not be trained in the conventional way, noting that she spent more time swimming than galloping.