THE first crop of foals by Poet’s Word are eagerly expected this spring, especially at Boardsmill Stud in Co Meath, where he is standing his second season as a stallion. A grandson of Dubawi, he was the champion older horse over middle distances in 2018, when his wins included the Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, both at Ascot. During his racing career he defeated no less than 23 individual Group 1 winners.
Poet’s Word, who cost £300,000 as a yearling, is undoubtedly the best son of his sire Poet’s Voice, who was also an Ascot star when winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Other top performers by Poet’s Voice include Australian Group 1 star Trap For Fools and four European classic winners, among them Italian Derby star Summer Festival.
Raced only once as a two-year-old, when he was fourth, Poet’s Word was never out of the money in five outings the next season, winning comfortably at Goodwood and Nottingham. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and improving all the time, he chalked up two more wins at four, including the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood, beating Second Step.
Then as a five-year-old Poet’s Word showed even greater improvement and was officially rated as one of the best half dozen horses in the world on 126 in the World Rankings, with Cracksman the only European horse above him, while Crystal Ocean and Enable were on 125. He defeated Cracksman in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes by two lengths, then in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes he got the better of Crystal Ocean by a neck after a tremendous duel, these two finishing nine lengths clear of the third horse Coronet. Poet’s Word was also second to the three-year-old champion Roaring Lion in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York.
Poet’s Word’s dam Whirly Bird won five races and she has produced five winners, including Malabar who won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes and the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes, both at Goodwood; she is also grandam of the Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Beckford.
The next dam Inchyre was dam of two blacktype winners, Ursa Major and Inchiri, and she was a half-sister to the high-class miler and successful stallion Inchinor. Their dam Inchmurrin was a champion filly with three blacktype wins and she is ancestress of no fewer than 20 stakes winners, a very strong family indeed!
POET’S WORD (IRE), Bay 2013. Champion older horse in Europe in 2018 (11-13f.). Won seven races, £2,952,762, from 1 mile 2 furlongs to 1½ miles, 3 to 5 years including, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Betfred Glorious Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.3, Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3, also placed second in Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Meydan, Gr.1, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, Qipco Champion Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, sportingbet.com Huxley Stakes, Chester, Gr.3.
Retired to Stud in 2019.
Stands at: Boardsmill Stud, Trim, Co Meath, Ireland
Contact: William or John Flood
Telephone: +353 (0) 87 2380583 or 9066772
Email: info@boardsmillstud.com
Web: www.boardsmillstud.com
Fee: €5,000