DEATH OF MOZART

By Sarah Whitelaw
14 May 2002

Last season’s champion sprinter, Mozart, has died at the age of four.

He had been standing at Coolmore Stud until he died of colitis despite efforts to save him.

Mozart was a quick two year old, winning the Houghton Stakes over Group 1 winner Count DuBois. Mozart also ran fourth to Tobougg in the Dewhurst Stakes. He wasn’t quite up to the top level at two, but progressed into a champion.

Disappointing his first two starts at three, Mozart set a fast pace in the Irish 2000 Guineas and was beaten a neck by stablemate Black Minnaloushe, defeating champion Minardi. He then narrowly won the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs, defeating Aldebaran.

Mozart’s tour de force came in the July Cup. He blitzed a field of the best sprinters in the U.K., defeating King’s Stand Stakes winner Cassandra Go by four lengths and leaving the rest well behind.

Mozart won the Nunthorpe Stakes over champion Nuclear Debate, despite his saddle slipping at the start. The big bay was disappointing in the Breeders Cup Sprint behind Squirtle Squirt. He was retired to stud at the end of the season.

Trained by Aiden O’Brien, Mozart was owned by Michael Tabor. A son of outstanding sire Danehill he was out of Spectacular Bid mare Victoria Cross. His second dam was Glowing Tribute (dam of Kentucky Derby hero Sea Hero), a broodmare of the year in North America.

With Danehill starting to make his mark as a sire of sires, Mozart is a sad loss to Coolmore.