Cape Verdi is a retired, Irish-bred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse. She was trained in England and Dubai during a racing career which consisted of eight races between May 1997 and July 1999. In 1998 she won the
1000 Guineas
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,60 ...
by five lengths and was the beaten favourite in
The Derby. She was named the
European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the 1998
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of the ...
. Cape Verdi was retired after two unsuccessful races as a four-year-old in 1999.
Background
Cape Verdi, a dark-coated bay filly, was bred in Ireland by her owner, Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud. Her sire, Caerleon, won the
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly ov ...
and the
Benson & Hedges Gold Cup in 1983 and went on to become an "excellent" stallion, siring the winners of more than 700 races including
Generous,
Marienbard
Marienbard (foaled 1997) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his win in the 2002 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Background
Marienbard is a bay horse bred in Ireland by Saif Ali. He was sired by the Caerleon, ...
and
Warrsan
{{Infobox racehorse
, horsename = Warrsan
, image_name =
, caption = Racing silks of Saeed Manana
, sire = Caerleon
, grandsire = Nijinsky
, dam = Lucayan Princess
, damsire = High Line
, sex = Stallion
, foaled = 1998
, country = Ire ...
. Her dam Afrique Bleu Azur finished last on her only racecourse appearance, but was well bred, being a sister of the
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the s ...
winner
Arcangues
Arcangues (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France in what was formerly the Basque province of Labourd.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arcanguais'' or ''A ...
.
Cape Verdi was first sent into training with
Peter Chapple-Hyam
Peter Chapple-Hyam (born 2 April 1963 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England) is a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He trained Dr Devious to win The Derby in 1992 and repeated the feat with Authorized in 2007. He managed two Group One wins in h ...
at
Manton, Wiltshire
Manton is a small village in Wiltshire, England, on the western outskirts of Marlborough just off the A4 Bath Road.
History
A settlement of twelve households and an estate held by Miles Crispin were recorded at ''Manetone'' in the 1087 Domesd ...
. After her third race she was bought by
Maktoum Al Maktoum and at the end of her first season her ownership was transferred to the Maktoum family's
Godolphin organisation. She was then moved to the stable of
Saeed bin Suroor
Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation.
He has been ...
, spending her winters in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics ...
before returning to race in England in summer.
Her name was reported to be an accidental misspelling of
Cape Verde
, national_anthem = ()
, official_languages = Portuguese
, national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole
, capital = Praia
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, demonym ...
.
Racing career
1997: two-year-old season
Cape Verdi began her career in a
maiden race
In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...
at the Guineas meeting at
Newmarket in May for which she was made odds-on favourite. She started slowly but was soon racing with the leaders before taking the lead a
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use i ...
out and winning by two lengths from the colt
Trans Island, a future
Group Race
Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as, in Europe, the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de ...
winner. Cape Verdi again took on colts in her second race whensent to
Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...
for the
Chesham Stakes
The Chesham Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take plac ...
. She was held up in the early stages by
John Reid before moving easily through to contest the lead in the last quarter mile. In the closing stages, the colt Central Park (a future double
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern race system introduce ...
winner) ran on more strongly and beat the filly by one and a half lengths.
Cape Verdi was off the course for two months before running in the
Lowther Stakes
The Lowther Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each ...
at
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...
in which she was matched against the
Princess Margaret Stakes
The Princess Margaret Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take ...
winner
Embassy
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...
. Reid once again held the filly up before challenging in the final quarter mile. Cape Verdi ran on strongly to catch Embassy in the final strides and win by a short head. The result was not decisive; Embassy had been carrying three
pounds more than Cape Verdi, and appeared to have been given an easy race by
Pat Eddery
Patrick James John Eddery (18 March 1952 – 10 November 2015) was an Irish flat racing jockey and trainer. He rode three winners of the Derby and was Champion Jockey on eleven occasions. He rode the winners of 4,632 British flat races, a ...
. Cape Verdi was however, made 11/8 favourite when the two fillies met again in the Group One
Cheveley Park Stakes
The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it ...
at Newmarket in October. The race was her last for Chapple-Hyam's stable as she had been bought by
Maktoum Al Maktoum and was about to join the
Godolphin team. Cape Verdi was held up as usual, but when Reid asked her to quicken she failed to respond, finishing a well-beaten fourth behind Embassy.
Embassy and Cape Verdi were sent to Godolphin's winter base in Dubai as the first and second favourites for the
1000 Guineas
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,60 ...
.
1998: three-year-old season
In Dubai Cape Verdi seemed to flourish, and after a "sparkling" performances in a private trial race she supplanted Embassy as favourite for the Guineas.
Cape Verdi returned from Dubai in May 1998 and was sent straight to the 1000 Guineas without a prep race. Cape Verdi was made 100/30 joint favourite and produced the best performance of her career. Ridden for the first time by
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and h ...
, she moved up to take the lead a furlong out before "surging" clear and winning by a growing margin of five lengths from the Irish-trained
Shahtoush
Shahtoush (foaled 29 April 1995) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning The Oaks in 1998. In a racing career which lasted from August 1997 to September 1998 the filly ran eleven times and won three races. Shah ...
. ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' described the performance as an "arrogant dismissal" of the opposition while Dettori was enthusiastic: "I've never known a horse like her and she's amazing for a filly". Bookmakers responded by offering her at
2/1 for the
Oaks but within days were reporting significant support for the filly in the betting for the Derby.
After weeks of speculation it was announced on 28 May that Cape Verdi's owners would pay a £75,000 supplementary fee to run her in be the Derby, a race which no filly had won since
Fifinella
Fifinella was a female gremlin designed by Walt Disney for a proposed film from Roald Dahl's book '' The Gremlins''. During World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) asked permission to use the image as their official mascot, and t ...
in 1916 and which only two fillies attempted in the previous fifty years. Confidence and interest in the filly grew, and she was made favourite for the race. Her position looked even stronger when Shahtoush won the Oaks on the day before the Derby. On the day of the race itself she headed the betting at 11/4, ahead of the Irish colts Second Empire (
Grand Critérium
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...
) and
King of Kings (
2000 Guineas
The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...
), becoming the first filly to start favourite for the race since
Sceptre
A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty.
Antiquity
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
The ''Was'' and other ...
in 1902. She was held up in the early stages, but after being bumped and hampered by bigger, stronger opponents she made no impression in the straight and finished ninth of the fifteen runners, twelve lengths behind the winner
High-Rise.
Cape Verdi was expected to return in the
Sussex Stakes
The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), an ...
at
Goodwood but a hairline fracture of the hind
pastern
The is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone (proximal phalanx) and the short pastern bone (middle phalanx), which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to ...
, sustained in training, ruled her out for the rest of the season.
1999: four-year-old season
It was more than a year after her run in the Derby that Cape Verdi reappeared in the Group Two
Falmouth Stakes
The Falmouth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,6 ...
at Newmarket in July. Given the length of her absence her performance in finishing third to the French-trained Ronda after leading until the final furlong was promising one.
Cape Verdi started 7/2 second favourite for the Group One
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong ...
at
Glorious Goodwood
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House. It hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meeting in late ...
, but ran poorly, weakening in the closing stages and finishing last of the eight runners. Saeed bin Suroor was unable to give an immediate explanation for her performance.
Three weeks after her final race it was announced that Cape Verdi would be retired to
Sheikh Mohammed's Gainsborough Stud.
Assessment
At the 1999
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of the ...
Cape Verdi was named
European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, despite winning only one race that year. She was also the highest rated European three-year-old filly in the official International Classification with a rating of 120.
She was assessed at a peak figure of 126 by
Timeform
Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by ...
.
The "Cape Verdi" is a Group Two race named in the filly's honour run in January at
Meydan Racecourse
Meydan Racecourse is a racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The grandstand is over a mile in length, and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators.
Meydan opened on 27 March 2010, replacing Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which formerly occu ...
in Dubai.
Stud career
Cape Verdi has been bred to many leading stallions including
Gone West
Gone West (March 10, 1984 – September 7, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by William O. Reed, he was a son of the influential sire Mr. Prospector. His dam, Secrettame, was a daughter of 1973 U.S. Triple Crown winner Secret ...
,
Dubai Millennium
Dubai Millennium (2 March 1996 – 29 April 2001) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. The colt was trained in the United Kingdom and Dubai during his racing career from 1998 and 2000. He is notable for winning a series of major ...
and
Elusive Quality
Elusive Quality (January 27, 1993 – March 14, 2018) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a record-setting sprinter on the racetrack and the leading sire in North America of 2004. He sired the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones.
...
but has yet to produce a top class racehorse. She has produced minor winners in Benandonner and Salsa Verdi, both sired by
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of ...
and Nabucco, a stakes winner in England during 2013.
*2002 Dubai Opera (USA) : Bay filly, foaled 5 March, by Dubai Millennium (GB) – Unraced, dam of winners Rebel Song (IRE)(2009, by Refuse To Bend
) and Grigolo (2012, by Shamardal )
*2003 Benandonner (USA) : Chesnut colt (gelded), foaled 21 March, by Giant's Causeway (USA) – won 13 races and £148,883 from 117 starts in Britain 2006–15
*2004 Salsa Verdi (USA) : Bay filly, foaled 17 April, by Giant's Causeway (USA) – won once and placed twice from 3 races in England 2007
*2005 Paracel (USA) : Bay filly, foaled 8 May, by Gone West (USA) – won in France, dam of multiple winner I'm Back (IRE) by Exceed And Excel (AUS)
*2009 Nabucco (GB) : Bay colt, foaled 10 March, by Dansili (GB) – won 4 races including LR James Seymour Stakes, Newmarket in England 2012/13
*2010 Thouwra (IRE) : Bay colt, foaled 28 March, by Pivotal (GB) – won 3 races and second six times from 11 starts in England 2012–13
*2011 Tarrafal (IRE) : Bay colt, foaled 19 April, by Shamardal (USA) – placed four times from 9 starts in Britain 2014
Pedigree
References
{{Cartier Champion Three-year-old Filly
Cartier Award winners
1995 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 8-f
1000 Guineas winners