Tag: Epsom Derby

Derby Winner North Light Dies At 23

Derby winner North Light (Ire) (Danehill) was euthanized on Mar. 20 due to complications from laminitis, The Stronach Group announced on Thursday. The 23-year-old stallion had been pensioned since 2020 and will be laid to rest at Adena South in Ocala Florida.

Bred and raced by Ballymacoll Stud and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the son of G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Sought Out (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) won one of two starts at two, and added the G2 Dante S. and G1 Derby in succession during the spring of 2004. A half-brother to multiple group winner Cover Up (Ire) (Machiavellian), he then found only Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) too good in the G1 Irish Derby and ended his season with a fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At four, he was second in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S., and ended his career with a mark of 7-3-3-0 and $1,989,577 in earnings.

Upon retirement, a majority interest in North Light was purchased by Frank Stronach, who stood the bay at his Adena Springs in Kentucky beginning in 2006. Moved to Adena North in Canada for his fifth season in 2010, he was leased to Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud in England for one season in 2014. Repatriated to Canada beginning in 2015, he was pensioned in October of 2019 and lived out the rest of his days at Adena South.

 

Among his nine worldwide stakes winners were G1 St Leger hero Arctic Cosmos, who also was placed in three other group races, GII Del Mar H. hero Celtic New Year, Grade III winners Chips All In and Go Forth North, and Brazilian Group 2 winner Gol Tricolor (Brz). His daughters have produced five stakes winners, three of them Grade/Group 1 scorers–triple top-level winner War Like Goddess (English Channel), G1 Coolmore Classic heroine Lighthouse (Mizzen Mast), and Olympic Jolteon (Brz) (Elmustanser {GB}).

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Steve Cauthen, BC Winner Pebbles To Be Inducted Into British Hall of Fame

American jockey Steve Cauthen and the outstanding turf mare Pebbles (GB) (Sharpen Up {GB}) will be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the official Hall of Fame for Flat racing in Britain. The newest inductees will be recognized on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Oct. 21, with Cauthen making a rare trip over from the US.

Cauthen becomes just the fifth rider to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Pebbles becomes the first of her gender to be inducted alongside the likes of Frankel (GB) and his legendary late sire Galileo (Ire). Cauthen and Pebbles teamed to win the 1985 Eclipse S. at Sandown.

Now 63, Cauthen is the only jockey in history to have ridden the winners of both the Derby and Kentucky Derby and is the youngest to have ever won the US Triple Crown aboard Affirmed in 1978. He is the only jockey to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, which he did alongside the late boxer Muhammad Ali. Cauthen was Britain's champion jockey on three occasions and rode the winners of 10 English Classics, all but one for trainer Sir Henry Cecil, including Derby winners Slip Anchor and Reference Point.

“I'm grateful to have had so many brilliant opportunities on both sides of the pond and to still be recognised for my achievements is really quite special to me.

“Having been inducted into America's Hall of Fame some years back, it's an honour to now celebrate my induction into Great Britain's Hall of Fame, and I'm looking forward to marking this moment with family and friends on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot later this month.”

 

 

Trained by Clive Brittain, Pebbles overcame quirkiness and a variety of setbacks and became the first British-conditioned winner of a Breeders' Cup race when successful in the 1985 Turf at Aqueduct. She had previous won the G1 1000 Guineas and the G1 Champion S. at Newmarket prior to her American conquest.

Said Brittain, “I still think about her today and can see her fresh in my mind, particularly with her boyfriend, Come On The Blues. Theirs was a great love story and he accompanied her wherever she went–even travelling out to America with her for the Breeders' Cup Turf. That day was the only time that I've been racing and felt nervous, but I just did the same as we'd have done at home and it all worked out.”

Speaking on behalf of Godolphin, the racing operation owned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Pebbles's owner, managing director Hugh Anderson added, “Pebbles was a uniquely talented and very tough racehorse with an outstanding race record. She truly was one of the best racehorses of the 1980s and a flagbearer for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's racing operation at the time. She is a very deserving inductee to the Hall of Fame and His Highness is delighted to see her achievements recognised in this way.”

 

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“He’ll Be Sorely Missed” – Derby Winner Adayar Retired

Derby and King George winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has been retired from racing with his trainer Charlie Appleby saying the Godolphin-owned five-year-old was “a pleasure to train”.

Adayar provided Appleby with a second G1 Derby success at Epsom in 2021 when ridden by Adam Kirby before going on to beat his elders in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot the following month under William Buick.

He was subsequently beaten in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Champion S. and only made it to the track twice last season, albeit going close in the Champion S. when beaten just half a length by Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}).

Connections brought him back as a 5-year-old in the hope of adding to his top-level tally-but while he made a successful comeback in the rescheduled G3 Gordon Richards S. at Newmarket in May, he was beaten into third in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot and was turned over at short odds on his latest and final start at Newmarket.

Appleby told www.godolphin.com, “Adayar provided the team with two outstanding days on the racecourse at Epsom and Ascot and has been a firm favourite in the yard for the past three seasons. He has been an absolute pleasure to train.

“He will be sorely missed at Moulton Paddocks but we look forward to watching him in his new career at stud and are quite sure he will be a huge success.”

The fourth foal out of Dubawi (Ire) mare Anna Salai who won the G3 Prix de la Grotte and was second in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, the Godolphin homebred is a full-brother to the stakes winner Military Order (Ire). His extended family features Group 1 winner National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), and the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. heroine Ave (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

Kirby said, “Adayar will always hold a special place in my heart, as he gave me the biggest win of my career.

“Obviously what he achieved means he's a great horse. He had a very high cruising speed and he could really quicken and keep lengthening, which takes a bit of doing.

“He had a great mind. I'd never ridden him before Epsom, but he travelled round very strong and he made everything easy for me. He had a great turn of foot, but what he achieved speaks for itself–he was obviously very, very talented on his day and I'm sure he will do well as a stallion.”

 

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Murphy Eyes Irish Derby For White Birch After Epsom Third

John Murphy has reported White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) to have come out of his third-placed Derby effort in good order and says that he is looking forward to the rematch with Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh insisting “there's no hiding now”.

Despite breaking slowly at Epsom on Saturday, White Birch made tremendous late ground to finish a good third under Colin Keane, leaving connections optimistic about what the future may hold for the grey.

“It was a relief. We were absolutely delighted. He came home safe and sound, not a bother on him,” said Murphy on Tuesday. 

“He is on the cards for the Irish Derby–that's Plan A. He's come back 100 per cent and all is good. He's progressive. Every run seems to be better, so we hope that curve continues. He's in very good shape.

“The first plan is the Irish Derby and he will have loads of other entries in the meantime, but we will just play it by the horse. We have to take on the winner now. There's no hiding now-you have got to do it. Hopefully one of these good races will go his way. You never know.”

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