2006

AIDAN O’Brien may have wondered what surprises George Washington had in store for a packed crowd at Newmarket last Saturday.

However, his equine superstar is perfectly capable of getting on with the job when it matters, and he simply destroyed the Stan James 2000 Guineas field. He surged clear to beat market rival Sir Percy by two and a half lengths, with Olympian Odyssey, the long-time leader, a length and a half away in third. Araafa and Misu Bond fared best of the rest.

This was one of the most authoritative Guineas performances of recent years. Undoubtedly a colt with a clear idea of his own importance in the overall scheme of things, George Washington, under Kieren Fallon, was asked for an effort at the two-furlong post.

Cutting his rivals down with ease, he was soon in front and settled the issue in a matter of strides. He edged right and pricked his ears, but was always in control. A performance like this was exactly what the sport needed.

Racegoers will want to see George Washington strutting his stuff before and after the next big assignment. He was mischievous rather than downright uncooperative in the saddling area, behaved well in the parade and on the way to the post, but then flatly refused to enter the winners’ enclosure afterwards.

“George Washington has always believed he was so much better than everything around, and he’s been like that since he was born,” said O’Brien. “It’s a credit to everyone at home who’ve got him to put his best foot forward, and convince him that when he goes into the stalls he should finish in front.”

The trainer was already on record as saying that George Washington was the fastest he had trained, so there were doubts that he would see out the mile as well as previous Ballydoyle winners, King Of Kings, Rock Of Gibraltar and Footstepsinthesand.

Sir Percy, making his move towards the stands’ side, did nothing wrong and would have been a clear-cut winner in an ordinary year. This was his first defeat and there is reason to suppose he will stay the Derby trip. He is certainly far more likely to line up than his conqueror, even if the pair of them are joint-favourites in some lists.

O’Brien is not thinking along those lines. “I don’t know that it would be fair to stretch him over further when I didn’t think he would get a mile,” he said.

[As predicted, Sir Percy went on to win the Derby, while the champion Europe two-year-old George Washington, winner of the Group 1 National Stakes and Phoenix Stakes, also won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. At stud he sired just a single foal, and met with a fatal accident at the Breeders’ Cup]

2006

THE majority of event riders can only dream of winning the world’s biggest three-day event. For Australian Andrew Hoy, he had a long time to dream, all of 27 years.

However, what a weekend the British-based rider had after all that time, backing up his Kentucky Rolex win seven days earlier on Master Monarch with victory in the British four-star equivalent at Badminton on Sue Magnier’s Irish thoroughbred, Moonfleet.

As the first Australian to win Badminton since Laurie Morgan’s victory in 1961 on Salad Days, the 47-year-old Hoy is now lining himself up for the grand slam at Burghley in September, and will be aiming to replicate Pippa Funnell’s treble in 2003.

He and Moonfleet won Burghley two years ago.

Boasting a record field of 30 Irish-breds from 72 runners, it was not surprising that one had made it to the head of the leader board by Sunday afternoon. Moonfleet was poetry in motion throughout all three phases, giving one of the finest dressage performances ever seen at Badminton.

He continued with his graceful presence in the cross-country and show jumping, eventually winning by a margin of 10.7 penalties from the German rider Ingrid Klimke on her 2005 European bronze medal ride, Sleep Late.

Bred in Dunboyne, Co Meath by Basil Brindley, this son of Strong Gale and the Bargello mare Blue Suede Shoes was intended for racing. Foaled by Basil’s daughter Buddy in 1991, the dark brown gelding was sent to the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale in 1995.

Paul Shanahan, acting for Sue Magnier of Coolmore Stud, made the winning bid of 50,000gns. Named Empty Wagon, the then five-year-old ran in a point-to-point under Enda Bolger, his only outing, and fell at the fifth.

Empty Wagon was sent to event rider Polly Holohan, who brought the renamed youngster up to intermediate level before he was sent to Hoy, the aim being to have him further schooled before returning for J.P. Magnier to ride.

Named after a house in the Caribbean, Moonfleet never returned to Ireland but, instead, has continued to improve every year. This win topped off a great weekend for the Magniers after their success in the 2000 Guineas with the Aidan O’Brien-trained George Washington.

“To lead after the dressage, and finish on that score, was a marvellous achievement by both horse and rider,” Sue Magnier said this week.

“I thought their cross-country round, in particular, was a joy to watch. Andrew and his team have done a wonderful job with him, and great credit also goes to Polly Holohan in Fethard who did all the groundwork in his early years.”

She added: “Combined with George Washington and Speciosa winning the two classics at Newmarket, it was a great weekend for the Irish-bred horse.”

[Blue Suede Shoes bred three blacktype National Hunt winners, Commercial Artist (Furry Glen), Mass Appeal (Furry Glen), and Moonfleet’s full-brother Macallister (Strong Gale). Commercial Artist won the then Grade 2 Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown and two editions of the Grade 2 P Z Mower Chase at Thurles, and was second in the Grade 1 Dennys Gold Medal Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

Mass Appeal won a Grade 2 novice chase at Leopardstown, a Grade 3 and a listed hurdle at Naas, and was also runner-up in the Grade 1 Dennys Gold Medal Novice Chase at Leopardstown. The best of Macallister’s four wins came in a Grade 3 hurdle at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival meeting]

Oldham sees

his first winner in person

1956

IRISH three-year-old form was shown up in a poor light at the Guineas fixture at the Curragh on Wednesday and Thursday last.

The first of the season’s classics, the Irish 2000 Guineas was won by the English-trained colt, Lucero, while on Thursday it was the turn of France through the medium of Pederoba. This was a great triumph for young French trainer Alec Head and it was a particularly pleasing one for jockey W.R Johnstone, whose first success in an Irish 1000 Guineas this was.

Johnstone had previously ridden the winners of the four other Irish classic events, Pederoba being his 29th classic race winner in all.

Lucero, owned by Mr G.A. Oldham and trained by Harry Wragg, was beautifully handled by E Mercer. Wragg stayed at Chester to see his representative, Golovine, win the Chester Cup, but Lucero’s owner was present after a hectic journey from New York, via Cherbourg and Paris, arriving at the Curragh shortly before the big race.

Mr Oldham was especially delighted with the success of Lucero, as this was the first occasion he had been present at a race meeting when one of his horses carried his livery to victory. Lucero has certainly proved a bargain for Mr Oldham as the colt was purchased as a yearling at Ballsbridge for him by Mr Bert Kerr for only 1,400gns. Lucero was bred in Ireland by Mr Joseph McGrath.

[A son of Solonaway and the unraced Fair Trial mare Cuguan, Lucero won three times as a three-year-old, later adding the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood]