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James
Underwood reviews HORSES of the YEAR 94 Cornwall Gardens, London SW7
4AX. HORSE OF THE YEAR
- ROCK OF GIBRALTAR MILER OF YEAR
- HAWK WING OLDER HORSE OF YEAR -
GOLAN 2-Y-O COLT OF YEAR -
HOLD THAT TIGER 2-Y-O FILLY OF YEAR
- RUSSIAN RHYTHM 10F HORSE OF YEAR
- NAYEF 3-Y-O COLT OF YEAR
- HIGH CHAPARRAL 3-Y-O FILLY OF YEAR -
KAZZIA SPRINTER OF YEAR
- KYLLACHY STAYER OF YEAR
- ROYAL REBEL ********** ROCK OF GIBRALTAR's sequence of seven Gp 1 wins has been widely chronicled, as was the ill luck that deprived him of an eighth in the Breeders Cup Mile. He was a unique racehorse in recent times, not even the remarkably tough Giant's Causeway being able to boast such an unbroken run of high-class form from early in his two-year-old year until now. The admiration his talent and determination evoked must be shared with his trainer, who has kept him at the top of his form so long. Rock of Gibraltar's run in the Breeders Cup Mile was as good as any of his previous performances and only his jockey's misjudgment prevented him ending the year on a triumphal note that would have echoed throughout Europe. Owned by SUE MAGNIER and ALEX FERGUSON, bred by JOE CROWLEY and MR. AND MRS. AIDAN O'BRIEN and trained by AIDAN O'BRIEN. HAWK WING would undoubtedly have won the 2,000 Guineas rather than be runner-up to Rock of Gibraltar if his jockey had been more aware of what was going on on the other side of the track and had started his run earlier. Hawk Wing ran on like a lion when asked and failed only narrowly. He didn't race over a mile again, however, but ran a great race in the Epsom Derby to be second to High Chaparral and then won the Eclipse before that narrow defeat in the Irish Champion Stakes. Hopefully we will see him again next year and he can prove his true worth. Owned by SUE MAGNIER and MICHAEL TABOR, bred by HILL 'N DALE and trained by AIDAN O'BRIEN. GOLAN at his best has shown that he is a very good racehorse and his victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Ascot, where he beat another top-class older horse, Nayef, clinched this award for him. Marienbard might have challenged him for this award after his Arc run if he had had better form earlier in his life. Golan wasn't the most consistent of racehorses but when he was good he was very, very good. Owned by the WEINSTOCK FAMILY, bred at BALLYMACOLL STUD and trained by MICHAEL STOUTE. HOLD THAT TIGER laid his claim to being the best young colt of the year when he won the Grand Criterium on Arc day, but his run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Colts, where it is reasonable to think he would have won if he'd been well away and his jockey had shown a little more initiative in getting a better position for him during the progress of the race, made him really look something special. The ground he made up to finish third to another obviously very smart colt in Vindication suggested that he is a colt with a very bright future. Owned by SUE MAGNIER and MICHAEL TABOR, bred by TEN BROECK FARM and trained by AIDAN O'BRIEN RUSSIAN RHYTHM left no doubt in racegoers' minds that she was an exceptional filly when she won the Princess Margaret and Lowther Stakes, in the latter race being pushed virtually out of the race at the distance and then coming back to show great speed in wim1ing decisively. She was reportedly in season when she was only second in the Cheveley Park but even at her best this filly bred for a mile and further would have been up against it to have beaten the flying, sprint-bred Air Express filly Airwave on that very fast ground. Russian Rhythm has every chance to land a classic next year. Owned by CHEVELEY PARK, bred by BRUSHWOOD STABLES and trained by MICHAEL STOUTE. NA YEF couldn't get to Golan, his main challenger for this title, in the final furlong battle over the mile and a half of the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot but he turned the tables when they met in the Juddmonte International, over two furlongs less at Yark. Last year he had wound up his season with a convincing win the Dubai Champion Stakes to emphasise just how smart he is over the shorter trip. Owned and bred by HAMDAN AL-MAKTOUM and trained by MARCUS TREGONING. HIGH CHAPARRAL was the main rival of Rock of Gibraltar for the Horse of the Year award. He suffered his only defeat in 2002 in the Are, when he was rusty after being struck down by the illness which put his stable out of action for a long time during the summer. In spite of that this winner of both the Epsom and Irish Derbys was able to travel across the Atlantic and beat his peers and elders in great style in the Breeders' Cup Turf He is a truly high-class horse and a worthy Derby winner. Owned by SUE MAGNIER AND MICHAEL TABOR, bred by SEAN COUGHLAN and trained by AIDAN O'BRIEN. KAZZIA, a German-bred daughter of the Shirley Heights horse Zinaad, was a smart filly during the first part of the season, when she both the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks. In both races she showed her great determination in running on and beating off her challengers in protracted struggles. Islington was probably her nearest pursuer for his title. Owned by GODOLPHIN, bred by FRAU R GRUNEWALD and trained by SAID BIN SUROOR. KYLLACHY was a tremendously fast sprinter who, after winning the Temple Stakes and then unluckily losing the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, put up a remarkable performance in the Nunthorpe at York to win after being sluggishly away and taken right across the track behind the field before coming through to swamp his rivals. He has now taken his smart speed genes to stud. Owned by THURLOE THOROUGHBREDS V, bred by WHEELERS LAND STUD and trained by HENRY CANDY ROYAL REBEL proved himself a truly formidable stayer when he responded to Johnny Murtagh's strong driving to win the Ascot Gold Cup for the second year running. One of the scalps he took there was that of the talented Irish stayer Vinnie Roe, a dual winner of the Irish St Leger and another fine staying horse. Owned by PETER SAVILL, bred by the BLOOMSBURY STUD and trained by MARK JOHNSTON.
©
James Underwood 2003. |
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