ST MARK’S BASILICA RETIRED

28 Sep 2021 10:18


 

Brilliant three-year-old St Mark’s Basilica has been retired. His trainer Aidan O’Brien describing him as possibly the best horse he’s ever had at Ballydoyle and Coolmore’s most important stallion prospect since Galileo.
St Mark’s Basilica will end his racing career as the joint top-rated horse in training and unbeaten at 3 following a flawless classic campaign that saw him win the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, G1), Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1), Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1), and Irish Champion Stakes.Speaking about St Mark’s Basilica’s brilliance and the decision to retire him, O’Brien told the Racing Post: “He’s a wonderful horse, possibly the best we have ever had in Ballydoyle. For us, he is as important a horse as has retired from here since Galileo, because he is a Siyouni. He gets his speed from him, and he relaxes and quickens and has all the determination from Galileo.
“After the Irish Champion Stakes he was grand, but he was sore again when we got him back up to full work so that’s why we had to pull back off him. I discussed it with the lads to let them know what the picture was. I ticked him over for a while and we had a chat about it.”
A son of Siyouni and Galileo’s G3 winning daughter Cabaret, St Mark’s Basilica is a half-brother to the Coolmore Stud based classic winner Magna Grecia.



100 STAKES WINNERS FOR UNCLE MO

Uncle Mo  ‘s Crystal Quest  rallied down the stretch to win the Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs March 24 to give his sire his 100th black-type stakes win.Uncle Mo stands for $150,000 at …

Read more >>

PREMIER’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE ENTRIES

2 Aragosta Mike de Kock 118 19 Barbaresco J A Janse van Vuuren 104 18 Cousin Casey Sean Tarry 123 1 Dave The King Mike de Kock 126 14 Emirate Gina Roy Magner 105 4 …

Read more >>

US CHAMPION DIES

The 2020 older-dirt male champion Improbable, a Grade 1 winner at 2 and 4 who stood at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., died Saturday night at Rood & Riddle Equine in Lexington, Ky., where he …

Read more >>

THE LONGINES WORLD’S BEST RACEHORSE RANKINGS

The official listing of the world’s best racehorses (For 3yos and upwards which raced between 1st January and 10th March 2024) NATIONAL TREASURE (USA) [121] and SENOR BUSCADOR (USA) [121] share the top spot in …

Read more >>

CHAMPION SIRE RETIRED

Former Champion Australian sire Exceed And Excel has been retired from stud duties. A son of Danehill out of the US-bred mare Patrona (Lamond), Exceed And Excel secured $375,000 at the 2002 Inglis Australian Easter …

Read more >>

VERRY ELLEEGANT DIES

The Australasian racing industry are in mourning following the news of the passing of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant when foaling in Ireland. By Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, Verry Elleegant was bred by Don …

Read more >>

© All rights reserved Action Racing Online - ARO