Hula Angel (foaled 19 March 1996) was an American-bred, British-trained

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

best known for winning the

Irish 1,000 Guineas The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is sched ...

in 1999. As a two-year-old she showed steady improvement in six races, winning a

maiden Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

on her third appearance and finishing third in the

Oh So Sharp Stakes The Oh So Sharp Stakes is a Group 3 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 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it ...

before winning the Group Two

Rockfel Stakes The Rockfel Stakes is a Group 2 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 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is sc ...

. In the following spring she finished sixth in 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 ...

before recording her biggest win in the Irish equivalent at the

Curragh The Curragh ( ; ) is a flat open plain in County Kildare, Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Japanese Gardens. Pollardstown Fen, the larges ...

. She was well beaten in two subsequent races and was retired from racing at the end of the year. Hula Angel finished ahead of the 1,000 Guineas winner

Wince Windows CE, later known as Windows Embedded CE and Windows Embedded Compact, is a discontinued operating system developed by Microsoft for mobile and embedded devices. It was part of the Windows Embedded family and served as the software found ...

in three of their four racecourse meetings. She has had some success a dam of winners.

Background

Hula Angel was a bay mare with a narrow white blaze bred in Kentucky by Maktoum Al Maktoum's Gainsborough Farm. As a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the ...

she was sent to Europe and put up for auction in October 1997 at Goffs where she was bought for

IR£ The pound ( Irish: ) was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the symbol was £ (or £Ir for distinction.) The Irish pound was replaced by the euro on 1 January 1999. Euro currency did not begin circulation until ...

85,000 by the bloodstock agents BBA Ireland. The filly entered the ownership of Jim Fleming and was sent into training with

Barry Hills Barry Hills (born 2 April 1937) is a retired British thoroughbred horse trainer. He lives in Lambourn, England. Biography Barry Hills had three sons in his first marriage, to Maureen Newson: John, Michael, and Richard. John (died 2014) was a h ...

Lambourn Lambourn is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies just north of the M4 Motorway between Swindon and Newbury, and borders Wiltshire to the west and Oxfordshire to the north. After Newmarket it is the largest centre of r ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

. She was ridden in all but one of her races by her trainer's son Michael Hills. She was sired by Woodman an American-bred stallion who raced in Europe, winning the

Anglesey Stakes The Anglesey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs and 63 yards (1,265 metres), and it is sched ...

and the Futurity Stakes as a two-year-old in 1985. He later had great success as a breeding stallion in the United States, siring

Hector Protector Hector Protector (foaled 1988 in Kentucky) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and top sire of racehorses in Japan. He was a full brother to the Champion filly Bosra Sham, who was trained by Henry Cecil. She was a champion m ...

, Hansel,

Timber Country Timber Country (foaled April 12, 1992 in Kentucky - February 24, 2016) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the first horse to ever win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), Am ...

Bosra Sham Bosra Sham (28 February 1993) is a retired American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse trained in England. In a career which lasted from August 1995 until August 1997, she ran ten times and won seven races. Bosra Sham won several important races inclu ...

and

Hawk Wing Hawk Wing (foaled 1999 in Kentucky) is an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Owned by the Magnier family and trained by Aidan O'Brien, the horse won three Group One races and was the leading horse in the world in 2003. ...

. Her dam Jode was a half-sister to the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

winner Spend A Buck.

Racing career

1998: two-year-old season

On her racecourse debut Hula Angel started at odds of 8/1 in

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 ...

over seven

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains, or approximately 201 metres. It is no ...

Sandown Park Racecourse Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt racing, National Hunt races and one Group One, Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Sta ...

on 4 July in which she finished seventh of the ten runners behind the colt Aljabr. Racing against female opposition in a maiden over the same distance at Goodwood on 30 July she finished third behind the

Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil (11 January 1943 – 11 June 2013) was a British flat racing horse trainer. Cecil was very successful, becoming Champion Trainer ten times and training 25 domestic Classic winners. These comprised four winners o ...

-trained Bionic. On 19 August in a maiden at Kempton she recorded her first success as she led from the start and won by four lengths from the favourite Oriental Fashion. The filly was moved up sharply in class when she was sent to Ireland for the

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 races, Pattern race sys ...

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is schedu ...

at the

on 6 September. Starting a 14/1 outsider she led for most of the way before fading in the closing stages and finishing eighth of the thirteen runners behind

Edabiya Edabiya (foaled 8 April 1996) is a retired Irish-trained thoroughbred Group 1 winner racehorse. Background Edabiya, a chestnut horse, was foaled on 8 April 1996. She is the third foal of Ebaziya. Her sire is Rainbow Quest. She is owned by Aga ...

. After a four-week break, Hula Angel returned in the Listed

over seven furlongs at

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

on 3 October. After being restrained by Hills in the early stages she struggled to obtain a clear run in the last quarter mile but stayed on to take third place behind Smittenby and Fragrant Oasis with favourite

in fifth place. Two weeks later over the same course and distance she started at odds of 10/1 in a fourteen-runner field for the Group Two Rockfel Stakes. Wince started favourite while the other runners included Subito (Blue Seal Stakes), Atlantic Destiny (

Sirenia Stakes The Sirenia Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres, and it is scheduled to take p ...

), Fragrant Oasis and Valentine Waltz. After settling just behind the leaders she went to the front a furlong from the finish and won by a length and a quarter from Valentine Waltz, with the other Hills-trained runner Hasty Words a hort head away in third place.

1999: three-year-old season

Hula Angel began her second season in 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 ...

run that year over the July Course at Newmarket on 2 May. Starting at odds of 14/1 she tracked the leaders on the stands-side (the right-hand side from the jockeys' viewpoint) but made little progress in the closing stages and finished sixth behind Wince, Wannabe Grand, Valentine Waltz, Capistrano Day and Pescara. Three weeks later at the Curragh she faced Wince yet again in the Irish 1000 Guineas and started a 16/1 outsider whilst her old rival was made the 5/4 favourite. The other fifteen runners included Edabiya, Sunspangled, Mythical Girl (

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 tak ...

), Show Me The Money (

Round Tower Stakes The Round Tower Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to tak ...

, Cornwallis Stakes,

Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes The Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 me ...

), Capistrano Day and Carambola ( Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial). Hills positioned her on the outside just behind the leaders as Carambola set the pace, before beginning to make progress approaching the final quarter mile. She took the lead a furlong from the finish and held on under strong pressure to win by a neck and a head from the outsiders Golden Silca and Dazzling Park. After the race Barry Hills said "She has done it well today. The ground was on the fast side for her at Newmarket. Obviously the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot is on the agenda, but I would like to run her over a mile and a quarter at some stage and she could go for the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood." Hula Angel failed to reproduce her Curragh form in two subsequent races. In the

Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is sche ...

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...

on 16 June she finished unplaced behind

Balisada Balisada (10 February 1996 – 20 July 2017) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 1998 she competed in maiden races and won at her third attempt. In the following season she made rapid improvement and recorded ...

after being hampered two furlongs from the finish. On her final appearance she made little impact as she finished seventh of the eight runners in the

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 ( ...

at Newmarket on 9 July.

Breeding record

Hula Angel was retired from racing to become a broodmare. In 2008 she was put up for auction at the Inglis Weanling & Breeding Stock Sale and was bought for $528,220 by Heritage Bloodstock. She has produced at least eleven foals and six winners: *Stormy Love, a chestnut colt, foaled in 2002, by

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway () is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcano, volcanic fissure eruption, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province active in the region during the Paleogene period. ...

. Failed to win in four races. *Sicilian, bay colt (later gelded), 2003, by

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...

. Won one race. *Shevchenko, brown colt (gelded), 2004, by

Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar (from the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq , meaning "Mountain of Tariq ibn Ziyad, Tariq") is a monolithic limestone mountain high dominating the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated near the end of a nar ...

. Won three races. *The Fist of God, bay colt (gelded), 2005, by Sadler's Wells. Won six races. *Gazardiel, bay colt (later gelded), 2007, by

Redoute's Choice Redoute's Choice (15 August 1996 – 26 March 2019) was a multiple Group One-winning Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and also a Leading sire in Australia, champion sire. He is by the phenomenal international sire Danehill (horse), Danehill ( ...

. Won one race. *Sarasini, bay filly, 2008, by

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. ...

. Won one race in South Africa. *Everglades Island, bay colt, 2010, by

Montjeu Montjeu (4 April 1996 – 29 March 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained thoroughbred horse racing racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1998 to November 2000, he ran sixteen times and won eleven races, including ...

. Failed to win in two races. *Tigris River, bay colt (gelded), 2011, by Montjeu. Won four races. *Promise Me, bay mare, 2012, by Montjeu *Angels Seven, bay filly, 2013, by

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...

. Failed to win in three races. *Hula High, colt, 2015, by

High Chaparral High Chaparral (1 March 1999 – 21 December 2014) was an Irish Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In a career that lasted from September 2001 to October 2003, he ran 13 times and won 10 races. His w ...

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist, 2 1996 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 1-s Irish Classic Race winners