Category: Horses

Remarkably, according to Timeform, the leaders in the older horse division in 2021 – Mishriff (131), Subjectivist (130) and Torquator Tasso (130) – were separated by just 1lb. All three horses are likely to return to training, as five-year-olds, in 2022, although Subjectivist did suffer a potentially career-threatening leg injury when winning the Gold Cup at Ascot in June.

Owned by Prince Faisal bin Salman and trained by John and Thady Gosden, Mishriff made the perfect start to 2021 by winning the most valuable race in the world, the Saudi Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February. He followed up in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in March, but did not race again until early July. Only third, beaten 3¾ lengths, behind St. Mark’s Basilica in the Coral-Eclipse, he subsequently failed by 1¾ lengths to concede 10lb weight-for-age to Derby winner Adayar in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. However, Mishriff returned to his best form with an impressive, 6-length defeat of Alenquer in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York in August.

The aforementioned injury limited Subjectivist to just two runs in 2021, but that didn’t stop Mark Johnston’s colt from creating a highly favourable impression. The son of Teofilo was already a Group 1 winner, having made all to win the Prix-Royal Oak, over 1 mile 7½ furlongs, at Longchamp on his final start as a three-year-old. However, he improved again for the step up to two miles and beyond, readily winning the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan in March and following up, impressively, in the Gold Cup at Ascot. Johnston has said that he will ‘make an attempt to bring him back’ to defend his title in 2022.

Trained in Germany by Marcus Weiss, Torquator Tasso made an inauspicious start to the campaign when only sixth of seven in the Grosser Preis der RP Gruppe at Mulheim on his reappearance in June. However, after teaming up with jockey Rene Piechulek, he won three of his four remaining starts, including the Grosser Preis von Baden at Baden-Baden in September and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October. Weiss admitted, before the latter race, that it ‘would be a fairy-tale’ if Torquator Tasso won, but win he did, defying odds of 72/1!

According to Timeform, the top three – or, in fact, the top four – staying hurdlers in 2020/21 were all trained in Ireland. They were, in order of preference, Flooring Porter (164), Sire Du Berlais (161) and, jointly, Beacon Edge (160) and Klassical Dream (160).

Trained by Gavin Cromwell, Flooring Porter began the 2020/21 season in handicap company but, after a 5lb rise in the weights for being beaten at Gowran Park on his reappearance in early October, made remarkable improvement. On his next start, at Navan in early December, he earned himself another 14lb rise after easily winning a better handicap by 12 lengths from the Bosses Oscar. Stepped up to Grade 1 company for the first time in the Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle just over three weeks later, he once again made all the running to beat the Storyteller by 6 lengths. He did not run again until the Cheltenham Festival, where he was only seventh choice of the 15 runners in the Stayers’ Hurdle, at 12/1, but travelled and jumped well to win, unchallenged, by 3¾ lengths from Sire Du Berlais.

Winner of the Pertemps Network Final at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Sire Du Berlais narrowly won the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan on his reappearance in November. Thereafter, he was restricted to just two runs, at Leopardstown and Cheltenham and proved no match for Flooring Porter on either occasion.

Beacon Edge recorded two routine wins in lesser races at the start of the 2020/21 and, in fact, was only beaten three-quarters of a length by subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle in the

Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in November. He also won his preparatory race for the Cheltenham Festival, the Boyne Hurdle at Navan in February, but could finish only fourth, beaten 5½ lengths, in the Stayers’ Hurdle. On his final start of the season, he lined up alongside Flooring Porter and the 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Klassical Dream, who was making his first start for 16 months, in the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown in April. Flooring Porter ran inexplicably badly, being pulled up before the final flight and Beacon Edge fell at the second last, leaving Klassical Dream to readily land the spoils.

According to Timeform, the novice chasing division was dominated by three horses who already fall into the ‘top class’ category, but are likely to make more than ordinary improvement. Collectively, Shiskin (171p), Energumene (169p) and Monkfish (167p) won 14 of their 15 races over fences in 2020/21 and, while Monkfish misses the 2021/22 season because of a tendon injury, all three remain outstanding chasing prospects.

Winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Shishkin made a seamless transition to the larger obstacles, winning all five starts with the minimum of fuss. He produced his best performance, so far, when easily accounting for Eldorado Allen, by 12 lengths, in the Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham in March, but followed up with a second Grade 1 win, in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April. Unsurprisingly, he is currently top-priced at 7/4 to complete a Cheltenham Festival hat-trick, in the 2021 Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Trained, like Monkfish, by Willie Mullins, Energumene missed an intended engagement in the Arkle Challenge Trophy after a last-minute setback, but cantered to a 16-length victory over stable companion Janidil in the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown on his return to action in late April. That was his second, bloodless Grade 1 victory over fences, having beaten another stable companion, Franco De Port, by 10 lengths, eased down, in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February, and took his career to 4-4 over the larger obstacles.

Owned by Susannah Ricci, Monkfish was the force majeure in the staying division, winning his first four starts between 2 miles 5 furlongs and 3 miles ½ furlong, including the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. His best performance of the season came in the Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown in February, when he easily beat the ill-fated Latest Exhibition by 11 lengths. He did, of course, lose his unbeaten record over fences when comfortably beaten by stablemate Colreevy – who had won the Liberthine Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – in the Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown on his final start. In his defence, he ‘probably didn’t run his true race’, according to his trainer, and definitely made a disastrous jumping error at a crucial stage.

No, it’s not a fairy tale. In 1964, Santa Claus really did win the Derby. In fact, for his followers Christmas came early that year because he also won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Irish Derby. The equine Santa Claus was bred in Warwickshire, but trained on the Curragh by Mick Rogers, son of his joint-owner, Mrs. Darby Rogers.

Having made a promising debut in the Anglesey Stakes, over six furlongs, at the Curragh – when ridden, at 5lb overweight, by stable jockey Willie Burke – in the autumn of 1963, Santa Claus subsequently trounced Chesham Stakes winner Mesopotamia by eight lengths in the National Stakes, over 7 furlongs, also at the Curragh. He was officially rated the best two-year-old in Ireland in 1963 and installed as ante-post favourite for the 1964 Derby.

Santa Claus reappeared in Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, for which he was sent off even-money favourite, with Burke once again in the saddle. He won, easily, by the three lengths from Young Christopher, thereby strengthening his position at the head of the Derby market. At Epsom, the inexperienced Burke was ‘jocked off’ by reigning champion jockey Arthur ‘Scobie’ Breasley and, at 15/8, Santa Claus was sent off the shortest-priced favourite for seven years in what was, at the time, the most valuable race in British history.

The security surrounding Santa Claus was tight. He was flown in on a chartered flight from Dublin under heavy guard and whisked away to Kempton Park, where he was stabled overnight. Mick Rogers said, ‘I’m not taking any chances. There’s a bundle riding on this horse and I want him just right Wednesday [Derby Day]. There’s always the danger of dopers in cases like this.’

Having settled Santa Claus at the rear in the early stages, Breasley switched him to the outside of the field with half a mile and produced him to lead close home and win going away. At the line, he was a length ahead of his nearest pursuer, Indiana, with Dilettante II a further two lengths behind in third place. Reflecting on his first Derby winner after twelve previous unsuccessful attempts, 50-year-old Breasley said, ‘He [Santa Claus] came down the hill to the corner [Tattenham Corner] so well that I knew he would win.’ However, Breasley was criticised, in some quarters, for making heavy weather of winning and never rode Santa Claus again.