IN its annual Racehorses of 2019, Timeform not only made Pinatubo their European champion two-year-old, they rated him on 134, an astonishing 14lbs above all his contemporaries, comparing him with such other unbeaten legendary juveniles as The Tetrarch, Tudor Minstrel and Frankel.

Pinatubo was an easy winner of all his six starts in 2019 and it seems certain that he will be very popular as a stallion at Dalham Hall in his first season there this year.

Pinatubo easily won his first two starts, including the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom’s Derby meeting. He was then sent to Royal Ascot for the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs, for which Lope Y Fernandez was favourite, but Pinatubo cantered home more than three lengths clear of his Irish rival in a new juvenile track record time.

Stepping up to Group 2 status for the Qatar Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, he added another victory by five lengths from subsequent Solario Stakes winner Positive. Travelling to Ireland for the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh, Pinatubo went to the front two furlongs from home and gradually extended his advantage, passing the post a remarkable nine lengths ahead of group winners Armory and Arizona.

In Pinatubo’s final outing that season, the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, he beat Arizona by two lengths, with Wichita a similar distance away third and the rest of the field well strung out.

As a three-year-old in 2020, Pinatubo raced four times, always in Group 1 events, and he increased his earnings to £987,010. He was a hot favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, racing over a mile for the first time, but had to settle for third prize behind Kameko and Wichita.

Then at Royal Ascot he was a close second to Palace Pier in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes, beaten only a length with Wichita third, before returning to winning form in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, in which his old rival Lope Y Fernandez was second.

Finally, Pinatubo was second to Persian King in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, with Circus Maximus third. He was never defeated over distances below a mile and in the International Classifications for 2020 he was assessed on 122, joint second-best three-year-old miler in Europe.

Pinatubo is one of over 25 Group 1 winners sired by the mighty Shamardal, a double champion whose four Group 1 wins included the Prix du Jockey Club, and who died last year.

Pinatubo’s dam, Lava Flow, and his grandam, Mount Elbrus, were listed winners in France, and his third dam is an own-sister to Rafha, who scored in the Group 1 Prix de Diane and was dam of those very successful stallions Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

PINATUBO (IRE), Bay 2017. Champion 2yr old colt in Europe in 2019. Won seven races, £987,010, from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, Darley Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Goffs V. O’Brien National Stakes, Curragh, Gr.1, Prix Jean Prat, Deauville, Gr.1, Qatar Vintage Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.2, Chesham Stakes, Ascot, L, also placed second in Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, ParisLongchamp, Gr.1, St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, and third in 2000 Guineas, Newmarket, Gr.1.

Retires to Stud in 2021

Stands at: Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9HE, England.

Contact: Dawn, David, Franziska, Antonin, Claudia or Lucie

Telephone: +44 (0)1638 730070

Email: hello@darley.co.uk

Web: www.darleystallions.com

Fee: £35,000