Saxon Warrior
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Saxon Warrior (foaled 26 January 2015) is a Japanese-bred, Irish-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. As a two-year-old in 2017 he was one of the best colts of his generation in Europe, winning all three of his races including the Beresford Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy. On his three-year-old debut the colt won the
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 (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each yea ...
before finishing fourth when odds-on favourite for the
2018 Epsom Derby {, class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; float:right; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" width="280px" ! colspan="3" style="border:1px solid black; background-color: #77DD77;" , Also Ran The ...
. He went on to be placed in the
Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) 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 dista ...
,
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
and
Irish Champion Stakes The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...
.


Background

Saxon Warrior is a bay colt with a narrow white blaze bred in Japan by Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt, a breeding company associated with the
Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is the headquarters of one of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champio ...
. Like most Coolmore horses he was sent into training with
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 ...
. For racing purposes Saxon Warrior was registered as being owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier and
Michael Tabor Michael Barry Tabor (born 28 October 1941) is a British racehorse owner. As a partner in Coolmore Stud, he is one of only four racehorse owners to have won both the Epsom Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Tabor has extensive business interest ...
although the precise details of his ownership differed from race to race. He is from the eighth crop of foals sired by Japanese Triple Crown champion Deep Impact, who was the
Japanese Horse of the Year The Japanese Horse of the Year is the highest honor given to the most outstanding horse in Japanese thoroughbred horse racing. It is awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. This ...
in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the Tokyo Yushun,
Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade 1 races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...
,
Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds three-years-old and above and the world's largest betting horserace. It is run in late December each year, over ...
and
Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...
. Deep Impact's other progeny include Gentildonna, Harp Star, Kizuna,
A Shin Hikari A Shin Hikari (japanese language, Japanese エイシンヒカリ, foaled 3 May 2011) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He began his racing career as a three-year-old in 2014 when he won his first five races including the Listed Irela ...
, Satono Diamond and
Makahiki The Makahiki season is the ancient Hawaiian New Year festival, in honor of the god Lono of the Hawaiian religion. It lasts four consecutive lunar months, approximately from October/November through February/March. It is a time for men, women ...
. Saxon Warrior is the second foal of his dam Maybe who was awarded the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 2011 when she was undefeated in five races including 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 ...
. Maybe's dam Sumora was a half-sister to
Dancing Rain Dancing Rain (foaled on 24 April 2008) is a retired Thoroughbred mare that was bred in Ireland and raced in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Japan. Dancing Rain was the unanticipated winner of the 2011 Epsom Oaks and won the Preis der ...
and closely related to
Dr Devious Dr Devious (10 March 1989 – 7 March 2018) was an Irish-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse and Sire (horse), sire. In a career which lasted from May 1991 until November 1992, he ran fifteen times and won six races. H ...
.


Racing career


2017: two-year-old season

Saxon Warrior made his racecourse debut 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 ...
over one mile 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 ...
on 27 August in which he was ridden by his trainer's son
Donnacha O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien (born 22 July 1998) is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey who competed in Flat racing. O'Brien is the son of multiple champion trainer Aidan O'Brien and brother of jockey and trainer Joseph O'Brien. Donnacha O'Brien ...
and started at odds of 8/1 in a fourteen-runner field. After racing towards the rear of the field for most of the way he began to make rapid progress in the last quarter mile, took the lead inside the furlong and won "comfortably" by three and a quarter lengths from Meagher's Flag. Four weeks later, the colt was stepped up in class for the
Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to: * Alkaline earth metal The alkaline earth metals are six chemical elements in group (periodic table), group 2 of the periodic table. They are beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (B ...
Beresford Stakes over the same distance at
Naas Racecourse Naas Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, approximately 18 miles from Dublin. The course stages both Flat racing and National Hunt racing and in 2010 fifteen race meetings were held there. The Naas Races Company w ...
. Ridden by Ryan Moore he was made the 5/6 favourite with the best of his four opponents appearing to be his stablemates Delano Roosevelt and Kew Gardens. After settling in third place, Saxon Warrior took the lead approaching the final furlong and went clear of his rivals to win by two lengths from Delano Roosevelt. On 28 October, Saxon Warrior, accompanied by his stablemates Seahenge ( Champagne Stakes), The Pentagon ( Tyros Stakes) and Coat of Arms was sent to England to contest the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at
Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's List of British flat horse races#Group 1, 36 annual Group One, Group 1 flat races, the St Leger ...
. The Irish contingent was completed by the
National Stakes The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 me ...
winner Verbal Dexterity, while the best of the British contenders appeared to be
Roaring Lion Roaring Lion (22 February 190811 July 1999) was a Trinidadian calypsonian (calypso singer/composer). His 65-year career began in the early 1930s and he is best known for his compositions "Ugly Woman" (1933), " Mary Ann" and "Netty, Netty", wh ...
and Chilean ( Ascendant Stakes). Ridden by Moore, and starting the 13/8 favourite, Saxon Warrior tracked the leaders before going to the front two furlongs out. He was overtaken by Roaring Lion and hampered as his rival hung left but rallied "gamely" in the final strides to regain the advantage and win by a neck. The colt's victory gave Aidan O'Brien a record-breaking 26th Group 1 win of the season and saw Saxon Warrior promoted to favourite for the following year's
Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...
.


2018: three-year-old season

Commenting on Saxon Warrior's progress in the early spring of 2018, Aidan O'Brien said "He's done very well and is a massive, big, physical horse. He was a big horse last year but he's bigger this year... He'll probably go straight for the
Guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
." As O'Brien predicted he made his seasonal debut in the 210th running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile 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 5 May and with Moore engaged to ride
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...
in 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 ...
the colt was ridden by Donnacha O'Brien. Saxon Warrior was made the 3/1 second favourite behind Masar while the other twelve runners included Roaring Lion, Gustav Klimt ( Superlative Stakes), Elarqam ( Somerville Tattersall Stakes), Expert Eye, James Garfield ( Greenham Stakes), Rajasinghe (
Coventry Stakes The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take plac ...
) and Cardsharp (
July Stakes The July Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and ...
). Saxon Warrior was not among the early leaders as Murillo set the pace from Cardsharp, but moved into the lead two furlongs out. Staying on strongly down the centre of the course he won by one and a half lengths from the 50/1 outsider Tip Two Win who took second place ahead of Masar, Elarqaman and Roaring Lion. Donnacha O'Brien commented "It's very special. Obviously, I’m winning this race and riding in big races because of the position I’m in. I’m just very grateful. He's a very good horse, he's a proper horse". Derrick Smith's son Paul said "It was really eye-catching, Donnacha couldn’t speak too highly of him. He said when he quickened it was all over in a flash. He probably got there sooner than he wanted to, but he had so much horse under him. It's very exciting when they have that speed and look like they’ll get further. All things point to
June June is the sixth and current month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. Its length is 30 days. June succeeds May and precedes July. This month marks the start of su ...
now." At Epsom Racecourse on 2 June Saxon Warrior started the 4/5 favourite in a twelve-runner field for the
2018 Epsom Derby {, class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; float:right; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" width="280px" ! colspan="3" style="border:1px solid black; background-color: #77DD77;" , Also Ran The ...
. Ridden by Moore he stumbled at the start and had difficulty obtaining a clear run in the straight before staying on in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Masar, Dee Ex Bee and Roaring Lion. Four weeks later at the Curragh the colt started favourite for the
Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) 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 dista ...
, but despite making steady progress in the straight he never looked likely to win and finished third, beaten half a length and a neck by Latrobe and Rostropovich. He was then dropped back in distance and matched against older horses in the ten-furlong
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
at
Sandown Park 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 races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racin ...
a week later. He was beaten a neck by Roaring Lion after a sustained struggle over the final furlong and looked a slightly unlucky loser as he was bumped by his rival in the final strides. At
York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot Racecourse, Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It att ...
on 22 August he contested the
International Stakes The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards ...
but proved no match for Roaring Lion, and was beaten five length into fourth place. The colt produced a much better effort in the
Irish Champion Stakes The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...
at Leopardstown in which he took the lead in the straight and looked likely to win but was run down in the final strides and beaten a neck by his old rival Roaring Lion. Saxon Warrior was found to be lame after his run in the Irish Champion Stakes and a veterinary examination revealed a serious injury to the flexor tendon in his left foreleg. Aidan O'Brien announced on 16 September that the colt was to be retired from racing.


Stud career

Saxon Warrior stands as a stallion at
Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is the headquarters of one of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champio ...
for a service fee of €20,000.


Notable progeny

''c = colt, f =
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 ...
'', g =
gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...
''


Assessment and honours

In the official European Classification for 2017, Saxon Warrior was rated the second-best two-year-old of the season, three pounds behind his stablemate U S Navy Flag.


Pedigree


References


External links


Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart
– ''Saxon Warrior'' {{2000 Guineas Winners 2015 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 1-t 2000 Guineas winners