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Dual Group 1 Winner Blackbeard Retired to Coolmore

Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never–Muirin {Ire}, by Born To Sea {Ire}), a dual Group 1 winner this season for Aidan O'Brien, will miss the Breeders' Cup with a knee injury and has been retired to Coolmore Stud.

“Blackbeard was a little off after exercise this morning in preparation for the Breeders' Cup,” O'Brien said. “Unfortunately, when we had him X-rayed the radiographs showed a small chip in his right knee and a decision has been made to retire him. He's a typical No Nay Never; strong, early- maturing and very fast. He ran every month from April to September and improved and improved from one race to the next. The plan is for No Nay Never's other brilliant son Little Big Bear to be trained for the Guineas along with Saturday's winner Auguste Rodin, while Luxembourg also remains in training for next season.”

Ryan Moore, who has ridden the juvenile in all bar one of his eight starts, added, “Blackbeard was a very exciting horse to ride. He was tough as nails and the ultimate professional who continued to improve throughout the season and had a lethal turn of foot.”

Blackbeard, the first juvenile runner for Ballydoyle this year, made a winning debut at Dundalk on April 8, before posting his first stakes victory of the season in the Listed First Flier S. a month later. Notching three straight wins, he added the G3 Marble Hill S. to his record and was then fourth when sent to Royal Ascot for the G2 Coventry S.

A busy campaign saw Blackbeard return to the Curragh to be beaten a short-head by Shartash (Ire) in the G2 Railway S. in the build-up to another trio of victories, ultimately rounding off his career in the manner in which he started, by winning the G2 Prix Robert Papin, followed by the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S.

A 270,000gns Tattersalls December weanling purchase, Blackbeard was bred by Newstead Breeding and is the first foal from her dam, herself a winner on debut at two before finishing fourth in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. on her second start. Her second foal, a full-sister to Blackbeard, recently topped the Goffs Orby Sale when bought for €2.6 million by agent Richard Knight.

Coolmore's David O'Loughlin commented, “The whole Scat Daddy line couldn't be going any better. No Nay Never has obviously enjoyed a fantastic season, Justify has made a brilliant start in the US, Sioux Nation is churning out quality winners here in Europe and the first yearlings by No Nay Never's first son to stud, Ten Sovereigns, have gone down incredibly well. Blackbeard is very much his father's son and a hugely exciting prospect.”

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Dabirsim’s Horizon Dore Bounds To Delahante Triumph

Patrice Cottier trainee Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}–Sweet Alabama (Fr), by Enrique {GB}) took his tally to a perfect two-for-two when annexing Monday's Listed Prix Delahante at Marseille-Borely. The gelded 2-year-old had posted a five-length debut win at Salon-de-Provence last month and bounded to another wide-margin triumph on black-type bow in the 8 1/2-furlong juvenile contest. Foiling a Cottier exacta, Harry Way (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) nailed Horizon Dore's stablemate Cambronne (Fr) (Alex The Winner) on the line for second.

Monday, Marseille-Borely, France
PRIX DELAHANTE-Listed, €60,000, Marseille-Borely, 10-24, 2yo, 8 1/2fT, 1:40.83, gd.
1–HORIZON DORE (FR), 126, g, 2, by Dabirsim (Fr)
1st Dam: Sweet Alabama (Fr), by Enrique (GB)
2nd Dam: Hallen (Fr), by Midyan
3rd Dam: Haumette (Fr), by Mille Balles (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€45,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Michel Delaunay, Ecurie du Sud, Ecurie Gribomont, Daniel Dumoulin & Mlle Chantal Becq; B-Mlle Chantal Becq (FR); T-Patrice Cottier; J-Marvin Grandin. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €39,000. *1/2 to Cavale Doree (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}), GSW-Fr & GISP-US, $162,561.
2–Harry Way (Fr), 126, g, 2, Galiway (GB)–Miss Vinga (Fr), by High Rock (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Robert Bonaventure (FR); T-Nicolas Perret. €12,000.
3–Cambronne (Fr), 126, c, 2, Alex The Winner–Candie (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois; B-Mme Lisa Lemiere Dubois (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €9,000.
Margins: 6, HD, 1. Odds: 2.80, 3.60, 20.00.
Also Ran: Bolivie (Ire), Mqse De Maintenon (Ire), Pacific Boy (Fr), Hayejohn (Fr), Una Stonda (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

Horizon Dore, who posted an impressive five-length debut success going nine furlongs in a Sept. 24 newcomers' test at Salon-de-Provence in his only prior start, bounded to another wide-margin triumph with a dominant display in this black-type bow. Recovering from a sluggish getaway to track the leaders in fourth after passing the judge first time, the 14-5 second choice loomed large to launch his challenge full of run in early straight and surged clear of toiling rivals in style, once seizing control approaching the furlong pole, for a career high.

Pedigree Notes
Horizon Dore, the latest of eight foals and runners, is one of seven scorers out of a multiple-winning half-sister to five-time stakes placegetter Zayade (Fr) (Country Reel). His dam Sweet Alabama (Fr) (Enrique {GB}) is also half to Winter Springs (Fr) (Stormy River {Fr}), who finished second in the 2014 renewal of this contest. The March-foaled bay's third dam Haumette (Fr) (Mille Balles {Fr}), who hails from a family featuring European champion and Irish Derby-winning sire Prince Regent (Fr) (Right Royal {Fr}), is kin to G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris and dual G3 Prix d'Hedouville-winning sire Robore (Fr) (Zino {GB}). Horizon Dore is a half-brother to G3 Prix du Calvados victrix and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third Cavale Doree (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}).

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‘Tough, Genuine and Consistent’: Rock Of Gibraltar Dies at 23

Former world champion 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill–Offshore Boom {GB}, by Be My Guest) has died from heart failure at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland at the age of 23.

The son of Danehill was bred by the late Joe Crowley with his daughter Annemarie and son-in-law Aidan O'Brien. He was sent into training with the latter at Ballydoyle as a juvenile in 2001, later racing for the partnership of Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Magnier.

Rock Of Gibraltar's sensational racing career, which saw him land seven consecutive Group 1 races in 11 months, began in the April of his 2-year-old season when he broke his maiden over five furlongs in the hands of Mick Kinane at the Curragh. Kinane, Ballydoyle's stable jockey at that time, would be aboard for 12 of the colt's 13 starts, his one omission being when suspended for the 2000 Guineas. Rock Of Gibraltar, ridden that day at Newmarket by Johnny Murtagh, raced on the far side of the track, beating stablemate and race favourite Hawk Wing by a neck to land the first of his two Classic victories, with Kinane back in the saddle for his follow-up at the Curragh.

Kinane remembers his partnership with Rock Of Gibraltar as “the most fun I had riding any racehorse”.

He told TDN on Monday, “He was an exceptional racehorse. He loved racing, and he was the only horse I ever rode who would have a buck and kick and a squeal going down to the start. He had an unbelievable turn of pace. He was a fantastic miler, a brilliant 2-year-old and a brilliant 3-year-old.”

In hindsight, Rock Of Gibraltar's 2000 Guineas starting price of 9-1 seems extraordinarily generous. By the time he lined up for his seasonal debut on the Rowley Mile on May 4, 2002, he was already a dual Group 1 winner, having annexed the Grand Criterium and Dewhurst S. to conclude a juvenile campaign in which he won five of his seven races, including the G2 Gimcrack S. and G3 Railway S.

At three, he became the fifth horse in history to land the 2,000 Guineas double in Britain and Ireland, and then went on to add the St James's Palace S., Sussex S., and Prix du Moulin to his outstanding record, becoming the first horse to win seven consecutive Group 1 races in the northern hemisphere, beating a record previously held for 30 years by the great Mill Reef. In his final start, Rock Of Gibraltar was second to Domedriver (Ire), beaten less than a length in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington.

Horse of the Year in 2002, Rock Of Gibraltar embarked on his stud career at Coolmore the following season, effectively replacing Mozart, another top son of Danehill who had died the previous May after only one season at stud. 'The Rock' remained in Ireland for all bar one of the subsequent years, when he stood at the Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan in 2007. His 16 Group 1 winners include the top sprinter Society Rock (Ire), Eclipse S. winner and former useful sire Mount Nelson (GB), and the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Samitar (Ire). In recent seasons Rock Of Gibraltar has featured as the broodmare sire of subsequent winners of the 2,000 Guineas, Kameko and Poetic Flare (Ire).

Rock Of Gibraltar was out of the Be My Guest mare Offshore Boom (GB), who had been bought from her breeder Moyglare Stud by Crowley and the O'Briens in 1997 for IR£11,000. One of her later foals, also by Danehill, was the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial runner-up Nell Gwyn (Ire).

A lengthy essay in Racehorses of 2002 perhaps summed up the late stallion's racing career of 10 wins from 13 starts best when stating, “It goes almost without saying that the hardy Timeform epithet 'tough, genuine and consistent' fits Rock Of Gibraltar to a T.”

In tribute to Rock Of Gibraltar, Paddy Fleming, stud manager at Castlehyde, said, “He was healthy and looking great right up to the end. He was a fantastic racehorse and a very good sire who will be missed by all the staff here.”

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Observations: Desert Hero Graces Redcar

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Insights features TDN Rising Star Desert Hero.

2.30 Redcar, Novice, £8,000, 2yo, 9fT
DESERT HERO (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut at Haydock in June before finishing third to Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in Sandown's G3 Solario S. and William Haggas has opted for a confidence boost at this North East circuit. The King's relative of Dartmouth (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) should relish this extra two furlongs and should be winning this with ease to stay in Classic contention for 2023.

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