Last Updated on August 15, 2026
In racing, some names carry weight far beyond the confines of the sport. Nijinsky is one of them. The Canadian-bred colt, trained in Ireland by Vincent O’Brien, carved his place in history in 1970 by becoming the last horse to win the British Triple Crown of the 2000 Guineas, Derby, and St Leger.
More than half a century later, his name still sits in that exclusive company, untouchable and celebrated as the benchmark of brilliance.
Background and Pedigree
Nijinsky’s story begins far from Newmarket and Epsom. He was foaled in 1967 in Ontario, bred by E. P. Taylor at his Windfields Farm. Taylor had already established himself as a force in international bloodstock, and the colt was by Northern Dancer, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner who would go on to become the most influential stallion of the 20th century. His dam, Flaming Page, was a Canadian Oaks and Queen’s Plate winner, giving Nijinsky a pedigree stacked with both speed and stamina.
When he was sold as a yearling, Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien spotted his potential and bought him for Charles Engelhard, the American industrialist who would later inspire Ian Fleming’s James Bond villain Goldfinger. Engelhard was keen to compete on the biggest stage, and Nijinsky gave him exactly that.
Training and Early Races
Ballydoyle, O’Brien’s famed training base in County Tipperary, was where Nijinsky was moulded. Even among a stable packed with stars, he stood out. Described as a big, strong colt with a fluid stride, Nijinsky showed his class from the outset.
His debut came in July 1969 at the Curragh, where he won a maiden by three lengths. That was followed by the Railway Stakes, which he won with ease. It was clear that Nijinsky was not just another promising juvenile — he was something exceptional.
By the end of his two-year-old season, he had remained unbeaten, capped by victory in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, a race long seen as a pointer for Classic success.
Major Racing Wins and Highlights
The spring of 1970 brought the first of Nijinsky’s great tests. In the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, he faced the best colts of his generation. Ridden by the young Lester Piggott, already a Derby-winning jockey but not yet the household name he would become, Nijinsky travelled easily before quickening in the Dip. He pulled clear to win comfortably, announcing himself as a Classic champion.
Next came Epsom. The Derby of 1970 is remembered for the poise with which Nijinsky handled the track. Despite being a big horse, he moved smoothly around the undulations.
Piggott settled him just behind the leaders, and when asked to go two furlongs out, Nijinsky lengthened in that effortless way of the truly great. He strode past Gyr and won by two and a half lengths, looking as though he had more to give.
That summer he added the Irish Derby at the Curragh and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, confirming his status as Europe’s outstanding middle-distance colt. In the King George he swept past a strong field, including Blakeney and Crepellana, without breaking sweat.
By the time the St Leger came around, talk of the Triple Crown was everywhere. Not since Bahram in 1935 had a horse completed the treble. The distance of one mile, six furlongs at Doncaster was a fresh challenge, but Nijinsky, though not at his absolute best, dug deep. He held off Meadowville by a head. The margin was narrow, but history doesn’t measure margins — it records deeds, and Nijinsky had sealed his place in the record books.
His season ended with two defeats, but even they have become part of the legend. In the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, he was beaten a head by Sassafras, his only defeat of the year. Later, in the Champion Stakes, fatigue and the rigours of a long campaign caught up with him, and he was again beaten. Yet by then the job was done. The Triple Crown was his, and no horse has repeated the feat since.
The Legacy in Breeding
Retired to stud at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, Nijinsky carried his brilliance into the breeding shed. His influence as a stallion was enormous, particularly through his daughters. He sired winners across the globe, including Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner, and Shahrastani, who won the Derby in 1986. He was also a leading broodmare sire, with his bloodline filtering into countless pedigrees of top-class racehorses.
In Britain and Ireland, his impact was felt most strongly in stamina lines. Horses like Lammtarra and Generous, both Derby winners, carried Nijinsky’s legacy forward. He also sired Caerleon, a top miler who became a successful stallion in his own right. Through generations, Nijinsky’s genes can be found in champions worldwide, a constant reminder of his dominance.
Ongoing Legacy in Racing
What makes Nijinsky stand out is not just his racing record or his stud success, but the fact that he represents the end of an era. The demands of modern racing mean the Triple Crown has become almost impossible. Horses are campaigned more selectively, and the St Leger’s extreme distance is often avoided by Derby winners whose owners prefer to focus on shorter, more lucrative targets.
That is why Nijinsky’s Triple Crown of 1970 has grown in stature with every passing year. When the Racing Post or Timeform publish their all-time greats, Nijinsky is always near the top. His Timeform rating of 138 remains one of the highest ever awarded.
For fans who watched him race, he was unforgettable: a big, powerful colt with the elegance of a ballerina and the grit of a champion. For those who came later, his story is the stuff of legend. He was the horse that could do it all — speed in the Guineas, balance and class in the Derby, stamina and courage in the Leger.
Conclusion
Nijinsky’s name has become shorthand for excellence. His feats are still spoken of with reverence at racecourses across Britain and Ireland. For Canadian breeding, he was proof that greatness could be exported to the very heart of European racing. For O’Brien and Piggott, he was the horse that cemented their reputations.
More than fifty years on, no horse has managed to follow him into Triple Crown immortality. Nijinsky’s record stands alone, untouched by generations that have come since. In the story of racing, there are many champions, but only a handful that reshape the sport itself. Nijinsky was one of them.
