Petition was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was officially rated the second-best two-year-old in Britain in 1946 when he won the New Stakes, Richmond Stakes, Gimcrack Stakes and Champagne Stakes. He won on his debut in 1947 but sustained an injury when finishing unplaced in the 2000 Guineas and failed to win in two subsequent races that year. In 1948 he returned to his best form to beat a strong field in the Eclipse Stakes. He was retired to stud where he became a successful and influential breeding stallion.
As a two-year-old, Petition was ridden in most of his races by Harry Wragg. He made his racecourse debut at York Racecourse in May finishing third in the Eglington Stakes. In the following month, he was sent to Royal Ascot for the New Stakes over five furlongs. He started at odds of 7/4 and won from Goldsborough with the future Prix de l'Arc de TriompheMigoli in third. The opposition to Petition in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse was not strong and he won easily at odds of 1/5. In August he started 13/8 favourite for the Gimcrack takes over six furlongs at York and won from Sayajirao a colt who went on to win the Irish Derby and the St Leger Stakes in the following year. Petition ended his season in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster Racecoursein September. Edgar Britt, an Australian jockey, took over from Wragg on Petition, and the colt won his fourth consecutive race at odds of 21/20.
1947: three-year-old season
Petition began his second season in the Henry VIII Stakes at Hurst Park Racecourse, a trial race for the 2000 Guineas, and won by ten lengths from Sayajirao. Following this race he was considered the only horse likely to challenge the undefeated Tudor Minstrel in the Guineas, but his chance was lost just before the start when he reared up and fell backwards. He ran in the race but made no impression and finished unplaced, returning with a back injury which kept him off the racecourse for three months. Petition reappeared at Goodwood for the one-mile Sussex Stakes, which was then a race restricted to three-year-olds. He finished second, beaten by Tudor Mintrel's unbeaten stable companion Combat. On his only other race of the season he was again matched against Tudor Minstrel in the Knight's Royal Stakes at Ascot in September. On this occasion he finished third behind Tudor Minstrel and the French-trained seven-year-old Vagabond.
1948: four-year-old season
On his four-year-old debut, Petition recorded his first success for a year when he won the Victoria Cup, a seven furlonghandicap race carrying a weight of 129 pounds. He next ran in the Rous Memorial Stakes at Royal Ascot where he was unsuited by the slow pace and finished second to his only rival Oros. In July he was moved up in distance for one of Britain's most prestigious and valuable weight-for-age races, the Eclipse Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse. He was ridden by Ken Gethin, he started at 8/1 in a field which included Migoli, Sayajirao and the future American championNoor. Petition produced a late run to win by a short head from Sayajirao with Noor in third place.
Assessment
In 1946, Petition was rated the second best two-year-old to race in Britain in the official Free Handicap, two pounds behind Tudor Minstrel. The independent Timeform organisation gave him a peak annual rating of 130 in 1948, placing him five pounds below the top-rated older horses Arbar and Tenerani.
