Soviet Song (Ire) (Marju {Ire}–Kalinka {Ire}, by Soviet Star), the winner of five Group 1 contests between the ages of two and five, was euthanized at age 15 at Oak Lodge Stud in Kentucky Monday after struggling with foot issues.
“She was put down on Monday, sadly,” said Dan Downie of Elite Racing Club, which bred and campaigned Soviet Song. “She was special in lots of ways. She was homebred and our first-ever Group 1 winner and she went on to win five.”
“She had been struggling with her feet and it got progressively worse,” Downie added. “I was over in Kentucky for the Breeders' Cup and went to see her. We agreed–me and Suzy [Fitzsimons] who runs Oak Lodge Stud where she was–that she couldn't carry on like that. She was an amazing horse, really.”
Trained by James Fanshawe and campaigned as a homebred by Elite Racing Club, Soviet Song capped an unbeaten 2-year-old campaign in 2002 with a win in the G1 Fillies' Mile over the following year's G1 Epsom Oaks winner Casual Look (Red Ransom). Soviet Song failed to find the winner's circle in four attempts at three, although she was not disgraced, her best effort being a second in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. She returned with a vengeance at four, however, taking The Curragh's G2 Ridgewood Pearl S. and finishing second in the G1 Queen Anne S. before collecting three straight Group 1s in the Falmouth S., Sussex S. and Matron S., the Falmouth and the Matron over the dual Guineas winner Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}). She defended her Falmouth title the following year over international Group 1 winner Alexander Goldrun (Ire) (Gold Away {Ire}), and was second in that year's Sussex. In her final campaign, Soviet Song won Royal Ascot's G2 Windsor Forest S. and finished second in the Sussex and G1 Sun Chariot S. She retired with nine wins from 24 starts and earnings of £1,168,370.
“She was really good because she won a group race at two and raced on until she was six,” said Fanshawe. “She was the best filly I've trained. She won five Group 1s and as a 4-year-old she was the highest-rated filly in the world. When she won the Falmouth at the age of five that was special.”
“The thing about Soviet was she wasn't just a brilliant filly and mare, she had tremendous character,” Fanshawe added. “She had a great personality. She had presence, that aura about her. Elite membership increased significantly when she was in training. She played up to that when Elite came round on their visits; she loved all that.”
Johnny Murtagh, who rode Soviet Song to four of her five Group 1 wins, added, “it's very sad news. She was a terrific filly– top drawer. The day she won at Leopardstown [the Matron S.] beating Attraction was one of my favorite memories of her. She was up there with the best I've ridden.”
Soviet Song did not have the same good fortune as a broodmare, producing just two live foals. One of those is a yearling filly by Speightstown who has joined Fanshawe.
“Her career as a mare didn't really happen, but hopefully this yearling will do us proud,” said Downie. “She will be named shortly.”
While Soviet Song has yet to produce a winner, Fanshawe has had luck with other members of the family for Elite Racing, most notably last year's G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}), who is out of Soviet's Song's full-sister Sister Act (GB).
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