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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‘Everything Was Done to Try To Save Him’: Derby Hero Desert Crown Euthanised

Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), the brilliant winner of the 2022 Derby, has been euthanised at Newmarket Equine Hospital after failing to recover from an injury sustained on the gallops in August.

“Everything was done to try to save him, we thought he was making progress but then he just started going backwards,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Desert Crown was bred by Gary Robinson of Strawberry Fields Stud. He made just one appearance as a two-year-old to post a facile maiden victory at Nottingham and reappeared at three, the jungle drums banging loudly in the build-up to the G2 Dante S., which he won in imperious fashion to prompt him being backed into favouritism for the Derby. Similarly commanding at Epsom, he gave jockey Richard Kingscote his first Derby victory and his trainer a sixth success in the race since Shergar (GB) in 1981.

Desert Crown was beaten for the first time in what transpired to be his final start of only a four-race career when second to Hukum (GB) in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. this spring. In preparation for an intended start in the G1 Juddmonte International he fractured his off-fore fetlock on Sunday, August 20 and was transported immediately to Newmarket Equine Hospital for surgery. He has remained there until the decision was taken for him to be humanely put down on Monday afternoon.

Robinson added, “With a severe injury like that there is a lot of pressure with the weight of the animal standing on it, but we really thought he was going to get there and it's very sad he didn't make it.

“You can try and help them with supports for the leg but at the end of the day they've got to be able to stand on their own. He had the best available treatment anywhere in the world, if he couldn't be saved here then he couldn't be saved anywhere.

“He was a fantastic horse and his Derby win was an incredible day that we'll never forget.”

James Savage, assistant trainer to Sir Michael Stoute, said, “He was a brilliant racehorse with an exceptional mind and we never really got to the bottom of him. We always thought that he was going to be a better horse with each race. To win a Derby on his third start was amazing in itself really. It's very sad. He could have reached the moon.”

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James Horton to Relocate to Newmarket

After parting ways with owner John Dance, conditioner James Horton will return to Newmarket to begin training next term on his own. When leading chaser Bravemansgame (Fr) (Brave Mansonnien {Fr})–co-owned by Dance–was barred from running in the Aintree Grand National meeting early this year, the horse was later allowed to continue his career when Bryan Drew took sole ownership. Dance's other horses, most with Horton, were cleared to run, though under different names, in May but with the announcement Monday of “further concerns coming to light”, another interim stop had been put on the runners.

“In light of the ongoing uncertainty for James Horton and his team, he is to part ways with owners John and Jess Dance in North Yorkshire and relocate to Newmarket to train independently from there next season,” per an issued statement. “He is very grateful for the opportunities which have been given, where he has trained some wonderful horses and looks forward to the future ahead.”

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Bay Bridge Back With A Bang At Kempton

Sir Michael Stoute trainee Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}–Hayyona {GB}, by Multiplex {GB}), winless in three Group 1 starts since annexing last term's G1 Champion S., regained the winning thread with a confidence-boosting success in Saturday's G3 Unibet September S. at Kempton.

The 8-11 favourite hit the board in both G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup earlier in the campaign and went postward this first outing at the 12-furlong trip coming back off a fifth in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot. Bay Bridge broke well and was positioned fourth passing the judge first time before tanking along in third down the backstraight. Waiting patiently for the cutaway once turning for home, he quickened in style to seize control approaching the final furlong and stayed on strongly thereafter to easily defeat Candleford (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) by 3 3/4 lengths, becoming a record seventh winner of the contest for Stoute.

“We were unsure about the distance, so we've ticked that box and that's a real big plus,” said Stoute after adding another edition to his record haul. “We'll do some thinking now with the owners as to where we go next. The [faster] ground stopped him earlier in the season, so he had an enforced break. He was very impressive today and I like the way he did it.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Bay Bridge is the fourth of eight foals and one of three scorers from four runners out of a half-sister to G2 Prix Eugene Adam victor Shimraan (Fr) (Rainbow Quest). He is full to a weanling colt and a half to the unraced 2-year-old colt Lucky Hour (GB) (Time Test {GB}). His stakes-winning third dam Shemaya (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), who produced G1 Prix du Jockey Club second Shamkiyr (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), is kin to G3 Prix Allez France victrix Shemima (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), herself the dam of G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Cormorant (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Listed Prix Madame Jean Couturie victrix Shemala (Ire) (Danehill). Descendants of Shemala, herself a daughter of G1 Prix de Diane heroine Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}), include G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Shakeel (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}).

Saturday, Kempton, Britain
UNIBET SEPTEMBER S.-G3, £90,000, Kempton, 9-9, 3yo/up, 11f 219y (AWT), 2:30.87, st/sl.
1–BAY BRIDGE (GB), 133, h, 5, by New Bay (GB)
1st Dam: Hayyona (GB), by Multiplex (GB)
2nd Dam: Shemriyna (Ire), by King Of Kings (Ire)
3rd Dam: Shemaya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
O-James Wigan & Ballylinch Stud; B-London Thoroughbred Services Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Richard Kingscote. £51,039. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, G1SP-Fr & Ire, 14-7-2-2, $1,512,681. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Candleford (Ire), 133, g, 5, Kingman (GB)–Dorcas Lane (GB), by Norse Dancer (Ire). O/B-Barnane Stud Ltd (IRE); T-William Haggas. £19,350.
3–Max Vega (Ire), 133, g, 6, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Paraphernalia (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). (€47,000 RNA Wlg '17 GOFNOV; €25,000 Ylg '18 GOFOR). O-The Pickford Hill Partnership; B-Tullpark Ltd (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £9,684.
Margins: 3 3/4, 2, 3/4. Odds: 0.73, 11.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Belloccio (Fr), Shandoz (GB), Israr (GB), Fortino (Chi).

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