Provoke (foaled 1962) was a BritishThoroughbredracehorse andsire. In a career which lasted from autumn 1964 until September 1965, he ran seven times and won four races. He won theClassicSt Leger as a three-year-old in 1965, defeatingMeadow Court by ten lengths. He was later exported to stand as a stallion in the Soviet Union.

Provoke was a bay horse with a narrow whiteblaze and whitesocks on his hind feet, bred and owned byJakie Astor.^[1] He was sired by theKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winnerAureole. His dam, Tantalizer was a good racemare who was placed in theIrish Oaks and theRibblesdale Stakes and was a half-sister of the outstanding stayer Trelawny. As a descendant of the mare Popinjay, Provoke was a member of the same branch of Thoroughbred family 1-n which producedSwale andShadeed.^[2]

Astor sent the colt into training with Dick Hern at stables inWest Ilsley inBerkshire.

Provoke was slow to mature and was not highly tried as a two-year-old. He made his only racecourse appearance in late October, when he finished unplaced in the Theale Plate atNewbury Racecourse.^[3]

Provoke began the 1965 season by finishing fourth in the Glasgow Maiden Stakes atYork Racecourse in early May and then finished second in the Shaw Maiden Plate at Newbury later in the month. He was never beaten again. In June, Provoke recorded his first win when taking the Childrey Maiden Stakes over thirteen furlongs at Newbury. He then won the Cranbourn Chase Stakes atAscot in July and theMelrose Stakes atYork in August.^[3]

In September, Provoke was sent toDoncaster to contest the St Leger. Provoke was ridden byJoe Mercer and started as a 28/1 outsider in a field of eleven runners. Meadow Court, the winner of theKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes started 4/11 favourite in a race which was run on extremely soft ground. Provoke was well-suited and by the muddy conditions and after taking the lead three furlongs from the finish he pulled clear of the opposition to win by ten lengths. Meadow Court's connections offered no excuses apart from the state of the ground, which was described as the worst for 39 years.^[4] The result was described as "one of the biggest upsets in British horse racing history".^[5]

Provoke remained in training in 1966, but was afflicted by a viral infection and did not run.^[3]

Provoke was given a rating of 130 byTimeform in 1965.^[6]

In their bookA Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Provoke an "average" St Leger winner.^[7]

In 1966 Provoke was sold and exported to the Soviet Union. He died shortly after his arrival in Russia.^[3]

• Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
• Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
• 1962 racehorse births
• Thoroughbred family 1-n
• St Leger winners

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata