Horse Profiles

OCTOBER 2009

Sea The Stars
Sea The Stars, who made his mark in history when he was victorious in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on 4 October 2009, has been retired from racing nine days later...

DUBAI DUTY FREE SHERGAR CUP 2009

Remembering Shergar

Shergar’s name is etched in racing folklore as much for his headline-grabbing demise as for his exceptional performances on the racecourse, the most scintillating of those being his record-breaking victory in the 1981 Derby...

ROYAL ASCOT 2009

JJ The Jet Plane and Connections

Named after an American cartoon character, JJ The Jet Plane, was all the rage for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot following an impressive four-length victory in the Listed Leisure Stakes at Windsor on 1 June...

Cannonball and Connections

Home-bred at Ramsey Farm in Kentucky, Cannonball made an inauspicious debut at Belmont Park in May, 2007, when he failed to beat a horse in a five-furlong dirt maiden...

Mythical Flight and Connections
Mythical Flight, who is by the champion South African stallion Jet Master, made an impressive debut for owner Chris Van Niekerk and trainer Sean Tarry when taking a maiden over five furlongs at Clairwood by four and a half lengths in June, 2006... 

Sacred Kingdom and Connections
An AUS$200,000 purchase at the 2005 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Sacred Kingdom began life as Jumbo Star and was bred by Andy and Julia Calvert at their Kornong stud farm in Streatham, Western Victoria... 

Scenic Blast and Connections
A son of Scenic, who dead-heated in the 1988 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, England, Scenic Blast has emerged as one of Australia’s leading sprinters over the past two seasons... 

Takeover Target and Connections
Joe Janiak bought the broken down and unraced Takeover Target for a mere AUS$1,400. The gelding made a resounding early impression on his trainer/owner, leaving Janiak with 30 stitches to a head wound after flooring him before a barrier trial. 

GRAND NATIONAL 2009

Black Apalachi
Initially trained by Philip Rothwell, Black Apalachi made the perfect start to his career, winning a two-mile bumper at Down Royal on 15 January, 2004...

Butler’s Cabin
Butler’s Cabin was a 25,000 guineas purchase at Tattersalls in October, 2001. He made his racecourse debut for owner JP McManus and trainer Jonjo O’Neill in a bumper at Folkestone...

Chelsea Harbour
A beaten favourite on his debut in a bumper at Punchestown in April, 2005, Chelsea Harbour mixed running in bumpers and hurdle races before eventually breaking his duck...

Cloudy Lane
Trevor Hemmings’ homebred Cloudy Lane was runner-up on his career debut in a Uttoxeter bumper on 30 April, 2005... 

King Johns Castle
A winner of his fourth start in Irish point-to-points, King Johns Castle was raced by his breeder John O’Neill in the early part of his career...

My Will
My Will made a splash in the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National betting market with an eye-catching fifth behind stablemate Kauto Star...

Silver Birch
A graduate of the Irish point-to-point scene, Silver Birch was previously owned by Paul Barber and trained by Paul Nicholls... 

Snowy Morning
A winner of seven of his 20 starts, Snowy Morning has become one of Ireland’s leading chasers and rarely finishes out of the frame...

War Of Attrition
After falling on his only start in a point-to-point at Horse & Jockey in March, 2003, War Of Attrition did better on his debut under rules...

MORE

Comply Or Die

2008 Winner of the Grand National...

Madison Du Berlais

2008 winner of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury... 

Golden Miller

It is fitting that in 2009 we should have a contender for the Gold Cup / Grand National double in Denman, as this year will be the 75th anniversary of the first and, to date, only time that this incredible achievement has been completed...