Zee Zee Top (foaled 21 April 1999) is a British
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 ...
. She did not race until the autumn of her three-year-old season when she won a minor race on her debut and then finished second in the
Severals Stakes. In the following year she showed top-class form to win the
Middleton Stakes and
Prix de l'Opéra
The Prix de l'Opéra is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles) each ...
as well as being placed in the
Pretty Polly Stakes and
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to Filly, fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at ...
. As a broodmare she produced
Izzi Top
Izzi Top is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2010 until October 2012 she ran twelve times and won six races. As four-year-old in 2012 she won two Conditions races, Group One races- the Pretty Polly Stakes (I ...
and Jazzi Top (winner of the
Prix de la Nonette
The Prix de la Nonette is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled t ...
).
Background
Zee Zee Top is a dark bay mare with no white
markings
Marking may refer to:
Symbols
Marking may refer to human-made symbols and annotations in several contexts:
On vehicles
* Aircraft marking
* Emergency vehicle equipment markings
** Battenburg markings, emergency vehicle patterns
* Vehicle marki ...
bred in England by the
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
-based Meon Valley Stud She was sent into training with Michael Stoute at
Newmarket, Suffolk
Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, 14 miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 14 miles northeast of Cambridge. In 2021, it had a population of 16,772. It is a global ...
.
She was sired by Zafonic, the best European two-year-old of 1992 who went on to win 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 ...
in the following year. The best of Zafonic's other offspring included
Xaar
Xaar (14 March 1995 – 16 May 2021) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (horse), sire, best known for his performances as a two-year-old in 1997. In his juvenile season, he won four of his five races, including the Prix de Cabou ...
, and
Zafeen
Zafeen (25 April 2000) was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Trained in the United Kingdom, he showed good form as a two-year-old in 2002, winning two of his six races including the Mill Reef Stakes and finishing second in the Prix M ...
. Her dam
Colorspin won the
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks 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 and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it ...
in 1986
and went on to become an outstanding broodmare whose other foals included
Opera House
An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...
and
Kayf Tara
Kayf Tara (18 March 1994 – 8 December 2022) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.
Background
Kayf Tara was bred in England by the Meon Valley Stud. His dam Colorspin won the Irish Oaks and had previously produced the multiple Group ...
.
Racing career
2002: three-year-old season
On 7 October 2002 at
Pontefract Racecourse
Pontefract Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England.
Layout
The track is left-handed undulating course with a sharp bend into the home straight. Horses drawn low (i.e. on the inside of the ...
, Zee Zee Top made her track 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 on
firm ground and started the
4/6 favourite in a six-runner field. Ridden by
Kieren Fallon
Kieren Francis Fallon (born 22 February 1965 in Crusheen, County Clare, Ireland) is a retired Irish professional flat racing jockey and was British flat racing Champion Jockey, British Champion Jockey six times.
Care ...
she took the lead approaching 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 quickly drew away from her opponents to win by seven
lengths. Fallon was again in the saddle ten days later when the filly was stepped up in class for the
Listed Severals Stakes on softer ground 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 ...
and was matched against older fillies and mares. Starting at 12/1 she was restrained in the early stages before making steady progress to take second place, two lengths behind the four-year-old Salim Toto.
2003: four-year-old season
Zee Zee Top began her second campaign in the Listed Middleton Stakes over ten furlongs 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 14 May and started the 11/10 favourite against five opponents including
Chorist and Golden Silca (second in 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 ...
and
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 ...
). After settling behind the leaders she was sent into the lead by Fallon at half way and kept on well to win by a length from Chorist, from whom she was receiving three pounds in weight.
Brett Doyle
Brett Doyle (born 30 August 1972 in Newmarket, England) is a flat race jockey. Doyle has ridden 147 winners in Hong Kong across a number of stints. He rode 18 winners in the 2010/11 season, during which his best partnership was with Thumbs Up, wi ...
took the ride when Zee Zee Top was sent to Ireland and started favourite 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 ...
Pretty Polly 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 ...
on 28 June. She was beaten a neck into second place by the three-year-old Hanami but was relegated one place for hampering the third-placed finisher Snippets as she switched left to obtain a clear run inside the last quarter mile. She was then stepped up to the highest class for the Group 1
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to Filly, fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at ...
at
Goodwood Racecourse
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 l ...
on 2 August in which she was ridden by
Johnny Murtagh
Johnny Murtagh (born 14 May 1970) is an Irish flat racing trainer and former jockey from Bohermeen, near Navan, Kells, County Meath. As a jockey he won many of the major flat races in Europe, including all the Irish Classi ...
and came home third behind
Russian Rhythm
Russian Rhythm is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active broodmare who was bred in the United States but trained in the United Kingdom. During a racing career which lasted from June 2002 until May 2004 she ran ten times and won seven races. ...
and the French filly Ana Marie. Later that month she was tried over one and a half miles in the
Yorkshire Oaks
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile ...
but never looked likely to win and finished sixth of the eight runners behind
Islington
Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
, beaten six and a half lengths by the winner.
Fallon and Zee Zee Top were reunited when the filly was sent to France and went off a 14/1 outsider for the Prix de l'Opéra over 2000 metres on holding ground at
Longchamp Racecourse
The Longchamp Racecourse (, ) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for ...
on 5 October.
Bright Sky started favourite, while the other nine runners included
Yesterday, Ana Marie, Next Gina (
Preis der Diana
The Preis der Diana is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Düsseldorf over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and takes place in early Augus ...
), Trumbaka (
Prix Corrida
The Prix Corrida is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs), and ...
), Sweet Folly (
Prix Cléopâtre
The Prix Cléopâtre is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs) at Saint ...
) and Comercante (
Prix de Psyché
The Prix de Psyché is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take p ...
). Zee Zee Top raced towards the rear and turned into the straight in tenth place before launching a strong late run in the last 300 metres. She took the lead in the final strides and prevailed in a "blanket finish", beating Yesterday by a head, with Bright Sky and Trumbaka a neck and a head away in third and fourth.
Breeding record
At the end of her racing career Zee Zee Top was retired to become a broodmare for the Meon Valley Sud. She produced at least eleven foals and four winners:
*Zee Zee Gee, a bay filly, foaled in 2005, sired 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 ...
. Unraced.
*Green Top, bay filly, 2006, by
Green Desert
''Green Desert'' is the twenty-seventh major release and the fifteenth studio album by electronic artists Tangerine Dream. The music was recorded in Berlin in 1973, during a period when Peter Baumann had temporarily left Germany to tour Nepal and ...
. Unraced.
*Rock N Roll Ransom, bay colt (later
gelded), 2007, by
Red Ransom. Won four races.
*
Izzi Top
Izzi Top is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2010 until October 2012 she ran twelve times and won six races. As four-year-old in 2012 she won two Conditions races, Group One races- the Pretty Polly Stakes (I ...
, bay filly, 2008, by
Pivotal. Won six races including
Pretty Polly Stakes and
Prix Jean Romanet
The Prix Jean Romanet is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles) at Deauville in ...
.
*Monzza, bay filly, 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 ...
. Unraced.
*Jazzi Top, bay filly, 2012, by
Danehill Dancer
Danehill Dancer was a bay horse bred by L. K. and K. McCreery and foaled on 20 January 1993. He was sired by Danehill, who won the Haydock Sprint Cup in 1989. Danehill Dancer's dam is Mira Adonde, a daughter of Sharpen Up. Mira Adonde was tra ...
. Won three races including the
Prix de la Nonette
The Prix de la Nonette is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled t ...
.
*Dance Rock, bay colt (later
gelded), 2013, by
Oasis Dream
Oasis Dream (foaled 30 March 2000) is retired thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom. He was the highest-rated two-year-old in the 2002 European flat racing season and won the Cartier Racing Award f ...
. Failed to win in nine races.
*Fizzi Top, bay filly, 2014, by
Frankel
Frankel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer
* Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality
* Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philoso ...
. Unraced.
*Emaraaty, bay colt, 2015, by
Dubawi
Dubawi (foaled 7 February 2002) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. He has proven himself a top-class sire (horse), sire.
Background
Dubawi is a bay horse with no white markings bred in Ireland by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Moham ...
. Won three races.
*Snazzi Top, bay filly, 2016, by
Invincible Spirit
Invincible Spirit (foaled 17 February 1997) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he won two out of his four races, but as a three-year-old, he only raced twice and was unsuccessful on both occasions. In 20 ...
.
*Flyin High, bay colt, 2018, by
Siyouni.
Pedigree
References
{{Reflist
1999 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 13-e