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Imagine (foaled 20 February 1998) was an Irish
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 1000 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 schedule ...
and The Oaks in 2001. In a racing career which lasted from August 2000 to June 2001 the
filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...
ran ten times and won four races. As a two-year-old, Imagine ran six times, winning the Group Three
C. L. Weld Park Stakes The Weld Park Stakes is a Group 3 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 scheduled ...
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 ...
and finishing second in 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 ...
at Newmarket. The following spring, the filly was beaten in her first two races before winning the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh. Imagine recorded her most valuable success on her final appearance, winning the
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
Oaks over one and a half miles at
Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...
. She never raced again, but proved to be a successful broodmare.


Background

Imagine is a dark-coated bay mare sired by the thirteen time Champion sire
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 ...
. She was the last foal of her dam, the American bred mare Doff the Derby, who had become famous a decade earlier as the dam of The Derby winner
Generous Generous is an adjective form of generosity. Generous may also refer to: * Generous (horse) Generous (8 February 1988 – 15 January 2013) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1991 won both the Epsom and the Irish ...
. Doff the Derby was a half-sister of the leading racemare
Trillion ''Trillion'' is a number with two distinct definitions: *1,000,000,000,000, i.e. one million 1,000,000, million, or (ten to the twelfth Exponentiation, power), as defined on the long and short scales, short scale. This is now the meaning in bot ...
, who in turn produced the multiple
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 ...
winner
Triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...
. Imagine was bred by a partnership between Barronstown Stud, who owned Doff the Derby, and Orpendale, a breeding company associated with the Coolmore organisation. Like many Coolmore horses, Imagine was trained by
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
at
Ballydoyle Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current trai ...
. The filly usually raced in the colours of Susan Magnier, the wife of
John Magnier John Magnier (born 10 February 1948) is an Irish business magnate. He is a leading thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry. Magnier was a senator in the upper house of the Oireachtas, ...
although she was partly owned by Diane Nagle one of the owners of Barronstown.


Racing career


2000: two-year-old season

Imagine initially bypassed
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 ...
s, making her first appearance in the Listed Debutante Stakes 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 ...
in August 2000 and finishing third behind the more experienced fillies Affianced and Sequoyah. She was then moved up to
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 ...
level for the
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 ...
over the same course two weeks later. Ridden by the British veteran
George Duffield __NOTOC__ George Duffield MBE (born 30 November 1946) is an English retired flat racing jockey. He served a seven-year apprenticeship with Jack Waugh, and rode his first winner on 15 June 1967 at Great Yarmouth Racecourse on a horse called Sy ...
, she finished sixth of the ten runners behind Sequoyah. Eleven days later Imagine was dropped in class for maiden race at
Gowran Park Gowran Park is a horse race course in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the Annely Estate near the village of Gowran. The first meeting was held in 1914. and the first ever racecourse commentary in Ireland took place here in 1952. Gowra ...
and recorded her first win, ridden for the first time by
Mick Kinane Michael J. Kinane (born 22 June 1959) is an Irish former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009. A prolific winner of the Irish, English and French Classic races over two decades, Kinane h ...
. Nine days late, Imagine was sent to England to contest the Group One Fillies' Mile at
Ascot Ascot, Ascott or Askot may refer to: Places Australia * Ascot, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane * Ascot, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a locality * Ascot Park, South Australia, suburb of Adelaide * Ascot (Ballarat), town near Ballarat in Victoria ...
. She led for most of the way, but weakened in the closing stages and finished fourth to Crystal Music. On 30 September, Imagine, running for the fifth time in forty-one days contested the Group Three C. L. Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh. Starting the 5/2 favourite against eleven other fillies, she led from the start and held the late challenge of Katherine Seymour to win by half a
length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...
. Imagine's final appearance of 2000 came in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in October. In a close and rough finish, Imagine overcame interference to finish third, beaten a short head and half a length by Sayedah and Katherine Seymour, but was promoted to second place when the runner-up was disqualified after a steward's inquiry.


2001: three-year-old season

Imagine reappeared as a three-year-old in the
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 ...
in April. She started the 9/10 favourite but was beaten five and a half lengths by the easy winner Rebelline. On 7 May, Imagine was made favourite for the Listed Athasi Stakes but finished third behind Cool Clarity and Rose Gypsy. The field for the
Irish 1000 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 schedule ...
at the Curragh included Rebelline, Cool Clarity, Sequoyah, Katherine Seymour and Crystal Music, who started favourite, while Imagine was not fancied and started a 16/1 outsider. Ridden by
Seamie Heffernan James Anthony "Seamie" Heffernan (born 17 July 1972) is an Irish flat racing jockey associated for most of his career with the stable of horse racing trainer Aidan O'Brien. From a family with no racing connections, Heffernan was introduced to t ...
, Imagine was restrained in the early stages before moving up to fourth place a quarter of a mile from the finish. Imagine took the lead just inside the final
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 any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
and ran on strongly to win by two lengths from Crystal Music. Imagine's win, which came one day after O'Brien had trained the first three horses in the
Irish 2000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and i ...
, enabled Sadler's Wells to equal the record of 45 individual Group One/
Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
set by
Sir Tristram Sir Tristram (7 April 1971 – 21 May 1997) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who stood at stud in New Zealand, where he sired an extraordinary 45 Group One winners, including three Melbourne Cup winners. His progeny earned him 17 off ...
. Twelve days after her win in the Irish classic, Imagine started 3/1 favourite against thirteen opponents in the Epsom Oaks. O'Brien had not been able to run his horses in Britain earlier in the season because of restrictions on the movement of livestock imposed as a result of the
2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease on farms across most of the British countryside. Over 6 million cows and ...
. Ridden by Kinane, Imagine was restrained at the back of the field in the early stages and seemed to be struggling just after halfway as she seemed unable to handle the downhill section of the course. She turned into the straight in eighth place but then made steady progress down the centre of the course to challenge the leader Relish the Thought inside the last quarter mile. Imagine overtook Relish the Thought 150
yards The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3  feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly ...
from the finish and won by one and a quarter lengths with the fast-finishing second favourite Flight of Fancy (owned by the Queen) taking second place in the last strides. The first three were all daughters of Sadler's Wells. After the race O'Brien said that Imagine was "an amazing filly to win like that when it was ground she didn't like." Shortly after the Oaks, Imagine sustained an injury (described by O'Brien as a "stone bruise") which interrupted her training. During her break she gained a great deal of weight and it proved impossible to bring her back to peak fitness for a run in the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
. In September it was announced that she would be retired from racing.


Assessment and honours

In the 2001 International Classification (the forerunner of the
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...
), Imagine was given a rating of 117, making her the equal tenth best three-year-old filly in the world (and the third best in Europe), six pounds below the top-rated
Banks Hill Banks Hill (foaled February 24, 1998 in England) was a French Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. She was bred and raced by Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms. She was sired by Danehill, a multiple Champion sire in England, Ireland, and France and ...
. The independent
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 th ...
organisation gave Imagine a rating of 119.


Stud record

Imagine was retired to become a broodmare for the Coolmore Stud, and proved highly successful. Her first foal was
Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...
, by Danehill who won the
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, formerly the Grand Critérium, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of ...
and was fatally injured when second favourite for the 2006 Epsom Derby. She went on to produce the Group Two winners Viscount Nelson and Kitty Matcham as well as Red Rock Canyon, who won only one minor race but acted as
pacemaker A pacemaker, also known as an artificial cardiac pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to co ...
for the Ballydoyle champions
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...
and
Duke of Marmalade Duke of Marmalade (12 March 2004 – 5 November 2021) was an Irish Thoroughbred horseracing, racehorse and sire (horse), sire. He is best known for winning five consecutive Conditions races, Group One races in 2008, for which he was named Carti ...
. *2003 Horatio Nelson (IRE) : Bay colt, foaled 30 April, by Danehill (USA) – won 4 races including G1 Grand Critérium Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, Longchamp; G2 Futurity Stakes, Curragh; G3 Superlative Stakes, Newmarket; 2nd G1 Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket from 7 starts in Ireland and England 2005-6 *2004 Red Rock Canyon (IRE) : Bay colt, foaled 8 May, by Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) – winner and 2nd G3 Meld Stakes, Leopardstown; 3rd G1 Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown; G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, Curragh; 3rd G2 Royal Whip Stakes, Curragh; 3rd G3 International Stakes, Curragh; 4th G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot in Ireland, England, U.S.A. and Dubai 2006–10 *2005 Kitty Matcham (IRE) : Bay filly, foaled 21 May, by Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) – won 2 races including G2 Rockfel Stakes, Newmarket from 10 starts in Ireland and England 2007-8 *2007 Viscount Nelson (USA) : Bay colt, foaled 6 February, by Giant's Causeway (USA) – won 4 races including G2 Al Fahidi Fort, Meydan; LR Hurricane Run Stakes, Tipperary; LR Silver Stakes, Curragh; 2nd G2 Champagne Stakes, Doncaster; 2nd G2 Godolphin Mile, Meydan; 3rd G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh; 3rd G1 Eclipse Stakes, Sandown from 20 starts in Ireland, England, France, U.S.A. and Dubai 2009–12 *2008 Guessing (USA) : Bay filly, foaled 27 February, by Kingmambo (USA) – unplaced in Ireland and New Zealand 2011–12 *2010 Point Piper (USA) : Bay colt, foaled 16 March, by Giant's Causeway (USA) – won and placed twice from 5 starts in Ireland 2012–13; won 2 races including G3 Longacres Mile H, Emerald Downs and placed 6 times including 3rd G2 Oaklawn H, Oaklawn Park; G3 Mineshaft H, Fairgrounds from 12 starts to date (4/11/16) in the U.S.A. 2015–16. *2011 Adeste Fideles (USA) : Bay filly, foaled 14 March, by Giant's Causeway (USA) – won one race and placed three times from seven starts in Ireland 2013–14 *2013 General Macarthur (USA) : Bay colt, foaled 19 March, by War Front (USA) – won twice and placed 2nd once and 4th twice, including G3 Meld S, Leopardstown from 11 starts to date (4/11/16) in Ireland 2015–16 *2018
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...
(USA) : Bay colt, foaled 11 February, by
American Pharoah American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first ...
(USA) - has won twice and placed 2nd twice, including G1
Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day Stage (bicycle race), bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in ...


Pedigree


References

{{Epsom Oaks Winners 1998 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 4-n Epsom Oaks winners