PINATUBO’S first crop foals in 2022 were a big hit, a filly selling for €320,000, and colts realising 270,000gns, 150,000gns and 140,000gns among others. This bodes well for the future, and he is sure to be among the most popular sires with yearlings this autumn,

In their annual Racehorses of 2019, Timeform made Pinatubo their European champion two-year-old, rating 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 successful in all his six starts in 2019.

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 rival in a new juvenile track record time.

Group 2 status

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.

As a three-year-old in 2020, Pinatubo raced four times, always in Group 1 events, and he increased his earnings to £966,090.

Racing over a mile for the first time, he finished third in the 2000 Guineas behind Kameko and Wichita. At Royal Ascot he was a close second to Palace Pier in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes, beaten only a length, 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 27 Group 1 winners sired by the mighty Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway), a double champion whose four Group 1 wins included the Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby.

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

RACE RECORD

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.

AT STUD

Retired to Stud in 2021, First crop are yearlings.

INFORMATION

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

Contact: Liam O’Rourke, Sam Bullard, Dawn Laidlaw, David Appleton or Jack Bloom

Telephone: +44 1638 730070

Email: hello@darley.co.uk

Web: www.darleystallions.com

Fee: £35,000