Sir Michael Stoute

This Side Up: Plus Ca Change….

At a time when so many people seem to be allowing a duty of vigilance to crumble into morbid defeatism, it seems a little unfair that our sport should be going through such a hard time even as we approach the 50th anniversary of the most luminous tour de force in the story of the modern breed. Of course, as some powerful evocations of the time have lately reminded us, Secretariat arrived as a sunbeam into a wider world darkened by Vietnam and civic unrest. And nor should we deceive...

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Champion Kalanisi Dies at 27

Champion Kalanisi (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}--Kalamba {Ire}, by Green Dancer) passed away earlier this week at the Flood family's Boardsmill Stud, the stud announced on Friday. He was 27. Bred by His Highness the Aga Khan's Studs in Ireland and trained by first Luca Cumani and then Sir Michael Stoute, he was crowned the 2000 American Champion Grass Horse after a season which saw him take the G2 Queen Anne S., run second in the G1 Eclipse S. and G1 International S. both to Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat), before returning to...

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“It Would Be A Huge Upset Were He To Be Beaten” – Desert Crown Back In The Brigadier Gerard

If there were one race you could have bet that TDN Rising Star and unbeaten Derby hero of 2022 Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) would make his comeback in it would have been the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. which carries Sir Michael Stoute's stamp more than any other in the British Pattern. One of his record-setting dozen successes in the key Sandown staging post was the yard's penultimate Blue Riband hero Workforce (GB) (King's Best), so with all the stars aligning the stage is set for the return of Saeed...

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'His Training Has Been Very Smooth Up To Now': Desert Crown Set for Sandown Return

NEWMARKET, UK--Oh, to be in England now that April's there. So wrote Robert Browning in 1845, though it is unconfirmed that this had anything to do with Classic trials. An unusually wet and cold April did little to lift the spirits this year, so we shall fast-forward to another line of his lovely poem. And after April, when May follows. May is becoming more marvellous by the day. There's York, of course, and who doesn't love York? It is a racecourse which comes close to perfection, from its location in...

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New Exhibit Space Unveiled At NHRM For Hall of Fame, as Stoute and Sea The Stars Formally Added

Sir Michael Stoute and Sea The Stars (Ire) were officially welcomed into the QIPCO British Champions Hall of Fame on Sunday, and the trainer was on hand at the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, where a new exhibition space was unveiled specifically for Hall of Fame members. The duo are the first members of the Class of 2023 to be announced, and the medal presentation took place in a new dedicated room in the museum's Thompson Gallery. The 10-time champion trainer has over 4,000 winners to his name, and...

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Wood Ditton Hero Passenger Supplemented To Dante Field

The Niarchos Family's Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) has been supplemented to the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York on May 18. His addition brings the potential field to 14 runners. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the Wood Ditton Maiden S. winner will follow the path of last year's G1 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who won the Dante en route to Classic honours at Epsom. Connections paid £14,000 to supplement Passenger, who was scratched from the Listed Dee S. at Chester earlier this week due to...

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Seven Days: Kings and Queens of the Heath 

It's a heady time of year to be on Newmarket Heath of a Saturday morning. You can tell by the convoy of smart cars when one of the big strings is about to arrive at the Al Bahathri, with Guineas weekend providing the perfect opportunity for owners to watch their horses work.  This past Saturday, either 2,000 Guineas day, Kentucky Derby day, or Coronation day, depending on your persuasion, was no exception. With the car park double-stacked and trainers and jockeys all about, Joe Foley, waiting for the off with...

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Hall-of-Famers and Returning Heroes

NEWMARKET, UK--With a line-up that included Hurricane Lane (Ire), Global Storm (Ire) and West Wind Blows (Ire), the G2 Jockey Club S. was ushered in, appropriately, with a deep rumble of thunder and crack of lightning. The threatened storm didn't amount to much, and by the time Hurricane Lane had blasted away from his rivals to cinch an important comeback victory by six lengths, the sky was brightening as much as the mood of Charlie Appleby. The trainer was visibly relieved to have his 2021 dual Classic winner back in...

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Observations: Classic Contender Infinite Cosmos at Newmarket

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Insights features Classic hopeful Infinite Cosmos. 16.45 Newmarket, Mdn, £15,000, 3yo, f, 10fT INFINITE COSMOS (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is one of the most exciting Oaks hopefuls in the Sir Michael Stoute stable, with the Rothschild colour-bearer having shown abundant promise in her debut second to Sea...

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Sir Michael Stoute And Sea The Stars Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

Sir Michael Stoute has described himself as "very grateful" at being inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame where he will join fellow legendary trainers Vincent O'Brien and Henry Cecil. The 77-year-old has saddled more than 4,000 winners, with his six Derby winners at Epsom including Shergar in 1981 and Desert Crown last year. Derby-winning champion Sea The Stars will also be inducted along with Stoute at next weekend's Qipco Guineas meeting at Newmarket. Stoute said, "I am very flattered and most grateful to have been inducted...

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Bitter Blow For Shadwell After Death Of Promising Stallion Eqtidaar

Shadwell Stud have been dealt a bitter blow with the news that Commonwealth Cup winner and young stallion Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has died.  A high-class sprinter for Sir Michael Stoute, Eqtidaar won the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in 2018.  The eight-year-old had achieved his greatest result in the sales ring on Tuesday when a filly consigned by Danny O'Donovan sold for £120,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze Up Sale to Peter and Ross Doyle on behalf of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation.  A statement published by...

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'He's Just Bombproof': View From the Stoute Stable as Desert Crown Nears Return

In the modern era, only Aidan O'Brien has trained more Derby winners than Sir Michael Stoute. The latter became almost instantly synonymous with the great race, and indeed woven into Derby folklore, when he first won it back in 1981. Few will need reminding that that was with Shergar (Ire), the horse whose infamy threatens to overshadow his brilliance, especially as the years wear on and the number of people who were there to witness Shergar's superiority first hand decreases. Forty-one years later, and with the not insignificant names of...

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