Qatar Racing's MG1SW Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy-Vionnet, by Street Sense), who won Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on British Champions Day, will stand at Tweenhills in 2019. The John Gosden trainee, who was winning his fourth Group 1 in a row after the Coral Eclipse, Juddmonte International S., and QIPCO Irish Champions S., will be joined by fellow Group 1 winner and Qatar Racing colorbearer Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}–Atlantic Destiny {Ire}, by Royal Academy) at Tweenhills next year.
“Roaring Lion has been the horse of a lifetime for us; he has exceeded our expectations whilst cementing his status as the best 3-year-old colt in Europe after winning four Group 1s this season,” said Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Racing. “My brothers and I are incredibly passionate about horse racing and to have a horse like him has been a truly magnificent experience. His victories at Sandown and York were incredible and then to follow it up in Ireland was an amazing feeling. We always knew how good he could be, we just hoped he would prove it. He did that at York and has been incredible ever since.”
Bred by Ranjan Racing, Inc. in Kentucky, the grey was famously purchased by Qatar Racing's bloodstock and racing manager David Redvers for only $160,000 out of the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Off the mark for Gosden at first asking last August, the colt made it two on the bounce trying Kempton's all-weather and saluted in the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. last September. Facing off against Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in Doncaster's G1 Racing Post Trophy S., he found that rival a neck too good that day and was sent to winter quarters. Third in the G3 Craven S. resuming this term and a close fifth to old rival Saxon Warrior in the G1 2000 Guineas in May, he rolled to a 4 1/2-length victory in the G2 Dante S. at York and was a solid third to his Craven conqueror Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G1 Epsom Derby upped to 1 1/2 miles. It was the last time Roaring Lion would taste defeat this season, as his four Group 1 victories followed. A Breeders' Cup start will be decided later, depending on how the colt comes through Saturday's effort and his record currently stands at 12-8-1-2 and $3,575,197 in earnings.
“Roaring Lion has run his final race in Britain, but the Breeders' Cup has always been an option and we are definitely not ruling it out just yet,” Sheikh Fahad added.
Said Gosden, “He stands over a lot of ground, has a great head and outlook, great neck and shoulder, and wonderful depth. He has all the attributes of a top-class middle-distance horse but with this tremendous turn of foot. It is very important in a stallion that they can take their racing. We started in February, have been hard at it since then, and he is still showing all the right signs and credentials.”
Out of the GI Rodeo Drive S. third Vionnet, Roaring Lion's second dam is the two-time Grade III winner Cambiocorsa (Avenue of Flags), a full-sister to MGSW and Breeders' Cup Sprint victor California Flag (Avenue of Flags). She in turn produced Grade II winners Moulin de Mougin (Curlin) and Schiaparelli (Ghostzapper), as well as SW & GSP Bronson (Medaglia d'Oro) and MSW Alexis Tangier (Tiznow).
“We've loved Roaring Lion since we first set eyes on him back in September 2016,” said Redvers. “I'm a big fan of his sire Kitten's Joy and Roaring Lion was easily the best looking and best moving colt we'd seen by him.”
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