He was a chestnut horse sired by Donatello II (by Blenheim) in his last year of life. His dam was the race winner, and Star mare, Crepuscule by Mieuxce. Crepuscule created a British bloodstock record by producing Classic winners, Honeylight and Crepello as her first two foals.[2] Crepello was a half-brother to Honeylight (won One Thousand Guineas Stakes) and Twilight Alley (Ascot Gold Cup Stakes).[3]
At age three Crepello raced only twice but won two Classic Races. The first was the 2,000 Guineas, followed by a victory over future star Ballymoss in the Epsom Derby. Crepello's winning time of 2:35.4 seconds was the fastest since 1936. However, this was to be the great horse's last race. His tendons, always delicate, began to cause significant problems and he missed the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes before being retired not long before the St Leger Stakes.
He only had five starts but was undefeated in his last three, all of which are now Group One races.[4]
^ ab"Names". The Deltic Preservation Society Online. Chesterfield: Deltic Preservation Society. 20 January 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2010. The racehorse Crepello rose to fame in 1957 when it won the Derby and 2000 Guineas races
^Leicester, Sir Charles, Bloodstock Breeding, J.A. Allen & Co, London, 1969
^Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
^Nock, O.S. (1985). British Locomotives of the 20th Century: Volume 3 1960-the present day. London: Guild Publishing/Book Club Associates. pp. 70–71. CN9613.
^"D9012/9012/55012". The Chronicles of Napier. P.A. Bettany. Retrieved 12 January 2010. in honour of racehorse owned by Sir Victor Sassoon, won The Derby and 2,000 Guineas
