THE champion two-year-old in France in 2017 when he won both the Group 1 Prix Morny and the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin, the handsome Unfortunately has retired to Cheveley Park Stud at Newmarket this spring at a very attractive fee. He also scored in one of Ireland’s top sprints as a three-year-old and altogether during his racing career he defeated no less than 17 different group winners.

Trained by Karl Burke at Middleham, Unfortunately was a winner at Hamilton Park second time out as a two-year-old; then three of his next four outings were in France, starting with a close second in the Listed Prix La Fleche at Maisons-Laffitte before being caught on the line in the Spindrifter Stakes at Pontefract. Stepping up in class, he returned to Maisons-Laffitte to win the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin in July from Frozen Angel and the Queen Mary Stakes heroine Heartache.

A month later Unfortunately was sent to Deauville for the Group 1 Prix Morny over six furlongs and he showed great speed and courage to score from his stablemate Havana Grey, the recent winner of the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, with two previously unbeaten French fillies, Different League (who had defeated Alpha Centauri at Royal Ascot) and Zonza third and fourth. Unfortunately was bought by Cheveley Park Stud soon after the Prix Morny and he had only one more race that season, behind champion U S Navy Flag in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on very soft ground, with Sands Of Mali in arrears.

Unfortunately was assessed as one of the eight best two-year-olds in Europe in 2017 on 116. The champion juvenile in France, he was only just below U S Navy Flag (122), Saxon Warrior (119), Roaring Lion and Expert Eye. Racing only a few times in 2018, mostly over six furlongs, he won the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes at Naas, coming from last to first to defeat St Patrick’s Day by half a length, and also ran prominently in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

Society Rock, the sire of Unfortunately, was a top-class sprinter who won the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock, besides running second in four Group 1 sprints. Unfortunately is from his first crop and the best of his eight blacktype performers.

Unfortunately is one of six winners produced by his dam Unfortunate, who was a winner at both two and three years.

His half-sister Look Busy (by Danetime) won 12 races, including the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park and Group 3 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh, as well as three listed races. The grandam of Unfortunately is a half-sister to the smart sprinter Singing Steven, whose wins included the Group 3 King George Stakes at Goodwood and the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot.

UNFORTUNATELY (IRE). Champion 2yr old colt in France in 2017. Won four races, £284,239, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Darley Prix Morny, Deauville, Gr.1, Prix Robert Papin, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.2, Renaissance Stakes, Naas, Gr.3, also placed second in Prix La Fleche -P du Carrefour Montesson, Maisons-Laffitte, L.

Retires to Stud in 2019.

Stands at: Cheveley Park Stud, Duchess Drive, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 9DD, England

Contact: Matthew Sigsworth or John Marsh

Telephone: +44 1638 730316

Email: enquiries@cheveleypark.co.uk

Web: www.cheveleypark.co.uk

Fee: £7,500