Scintillate was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classicOaks Stakes in 1979. She showed promising form as a two-year-old although she failed to win in three races. After recording her first win in the Sandleford Priory Stakes in the following spring she won the Oaks as a 20/1 outsider. She ran poorly in two subsequent races and was retired to brood where she had limited success as a broodmare.
After finishing third in a five furlong race on her racecourse debut, Scintillate ran in a seven furlong maiden race at Newbury Racecourse in early September. She appeared to be an unlucky loser, finishing second to Head Huntress after struggling to obtain a clear run in the straight. Later in the month the filly was moved up in class for the Hoover Fillies' Mile at Ascot Racecourse. She looked very impressive in the paddock and stayed on strongly in the straight to finish fourth behind Formulate, Odeon and Rimosa's Pet. In their annual Racehorses of 1978Timeform described her as a filly who would be sure to win races when tried over longer distances.
1979: three-year-old season
Scintillate began her three-year-old season in the Sandleford Priory Stakes over ten furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in May. In a slowly run race, she took the lead a furlong from the finish and won by half a length and a neck from Crystal Queen and Untitled. On 9 June Scintillate started a 20/1 outsider for the 201st running of the Oak Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse. The leading contenders included L'Ile du Reve who had won the Cheshire Oaks by seven lengths, Godetia, Just A Game and Rimosa's Pet. The ground, which had been good when Troy had won the Derby earlier in the week had become very soft after three days of heavy rain. Ridden by Pat Eddery, Scintillate was towards the back of the field in the early stages but was always going well, in contrast to several of the fancied horses, who were clearly struggling to cope with the conditions. She moved alongside the leaders in the final quarter mile and took a clear advantage inside the final furlong. She was never in danger of defeat and won very easily by three lengths from Bonnie Isle with Britannia's Rule a length away in third. After a break of more than two months, Scintillate reappeared in the Virginia Stakes over ten furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse in August and ran very disappointingly, finishing last of the five runners behind Abbeydale. When the filly contested the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp Racecourse on 16 September she was equipped with blinkersfor the first time. Starting at odds of 12/1 she never looked likely to win and finished ninth of the thirteen runners behind Three Troikas, beaten eight lengths.
Assessment
In 1978, the independent Timeform organisation gave Scintillate a rating of 102, thirty pounds below their top-rated two-year-old filly Sigy. In the Free Handicap, a rating of the best two-year-olds to race in Britain, she was rated eighteen pounds below the top-rated fillies Devon Ditty and Formulate. In the following year she was rated 119 by Timeform, while the International Classification rated her seventeen pounds inferior to the leading three-year-old filly Three Troikas. In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Scintillate an "inferior" winner of the Oaks.
Brood record
Scintillate was retired form racing to become a broodmare. She produced twelve foals between 1981 and 1995. She was exported to Japan in 1990.
