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where the horse is always the hero
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Section sponsored by - Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Posted 2014-12-22 20:12:40  
2014 A CLASSIC YEAR FOR IRISH-BREDS & IRISH STALLIONS

The classics, considered by many to be the ultimate prize in horse racing, was dominated by Irish-breds and Irish stallions in 2014. They began at Newmarket in May, with a 2,000 Guineas of real strength in depth, the market led by Kingman. NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) was a surprise winner, yet undoubtedly talented, winning by half a length despite hanging in the final furlong, and provided Richard Hannon with his first Classic winner since taking over from his father. Bred in Ireland by Frank Dunne, NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) is the first foal out of the Galileo (IRE) mare Forest Storm, who Jim Bolger trained to be Listed-placed and comes from the family of Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Forest Flower.

The following day saw an Irish-bred take the fillies’ counterpart, the 1,000 Guineas. MISS FRANCE (IRE) tracked the leaders before challenging a furlong out and kept on well, without doing much in front, which masked the superiority of her win. She is a half-sister to Listed performers, and has the class of her dam Miss Tahiti (IRE), who won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac in 1995 and was three-times Group 1 placed.

Champion Trainer Aidan O’Brien placed AUSTRALIA on a dangerously high pedestal with the label of ‘the best horse he has ever trained’. Running with great credit to finish third in the 2,000 Guineas over a distance probably shorter than ideal, the Epsom Derby was always going to be his moment, and boy, did he rise to the occasion. He travelled around Epsom’s undulating track with awesome ease, and this ease landed him in front too soon, but his class always prevailed, keeping Racing Post Trophy winner Kingston Hill at bay back in second, with another 3 ¼ lengths back to the third horse. The runner-up’s withdrawal from the Irish Derby made for a less competitive contest, but the style of his win maintained his esteem. Kept well back off the pace, he glided up the Curragh straight smoothly, Joseph O’Brien looking back over his shoulder to see his adversaries fading further away, all under notable pressure.

He faced more challenging foes in the Juddmonte International Stakes at the York Ebor Festival, most notably French Derby winner The Grey Gatsby (IRE), who he raced upsides with at the back of the field. More pressure was required in a more competitive field, but he drew away from his challengers with ease to record a comfortable two length success over The Grey Gatsby (IRE), with Telescope (IRE) back in third to complete a 1-2-3 for Irish stallions Galileo (IRE) and Mastercraftsman (IRE). Being by the great Galileo (IRE) and out of the six-time Group 1 winning mare Ouija Board, AUSTRALIA was bred to be a champion, and his career as a stallion at Coolmore Stud will be treated with as much anticipation as his racing career was.

The sons of Coolmore Stud’s Mastercraftsman (IRE) may have had to settle for runner-up positions at Epsom and York, but at Doncaster he reigned supreme. Roger Varian’s KINGSTON HILL was sent off favourite in the Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes, despite the threat of ground being firmer than his ideal. Andrea Atzeni said he ‘rode him like the best horse in the race’, and he won like it, drawing wide to unleash the necessary extra speed needed to overtake his rivals. Kingston Hill’s Leger success, along with The Grey Gatsby (IRE)’s victory in the Irish Champion Stakes provided their sire Mastercraftsman (IRE) with two Group 1 winners this year from his first batch of three year olds.

Now a sire of three Group 1 winners, Champion Racehorse Sea The Stars (IRE) has come to enjoy further success and prestige in his stud career, standing at the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud in County Kildare. He completed the dominance of Irish stallions in the 2014 Classics, siring Oaks heroine TAGHROODA, with that success extending her unbeaten record to 3 from 3, later made 4 from 4 with her win in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. The manner of her Oaks win was as impressive as her record, travelling strongly throughout, with being hampered four furlongs out doing nothing to stop her taking the lead two furlongs later. She drew away impressively to beat Tarfasha (IRE) by 3 ¾ lengths, completely a 1-2 for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, as well as for Irish stallions, the second filly being by Teofilo (IRE) of Kildangan Stud. 

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