Our columnist reflects on his memorable 2000 Guineas win on Rock Of Gibraltar and reacts to Breeders' Cup frustration with Ladies Church.
I was sad to learn of the death of Rock Of Gibraltar last week, a colt who gave me a very special day when winning the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
He was a good spare to pick up. I think Mick Kinane was suspended at the time, so Jamie Spencer got on Hawk Wing and I got on Rock Of Gibraltar.
In that Guineas we didn’t know which side was best, it was a big field, but there was a sprint handicap the race before and the winner won on the far side so I always planned to go there. I got a lovely lead into the race from Redback and my colt was a very good winner.
It looked like Hawk Wing was a little unlucky and he did stay on well but I was hoping the two would meet again in the Irish 2000 as I said to Aidan ‘I kicked him early and I think he got a little tired so he could improve a nice bit for that’.
But that was the only chance I go on him. Hawk Wing went to the Derby, Rock Of Gibraltar the Irish 2000 and the rest is history. For me being a big Manchester United fan, Sir Alex Ferguson leading me and Rock Of Gibraltar into the winners’ enclosure in the 2000 Guineas was one of those dream moments of my career.
He was a very, very good horse. He won seven Group Ones in a row and was push button stuff. He’d sit back and had a great turn of foot. He was a brilliant colt, not big but with a great engine. He just got better and better, took his racing really well. He was a top horse who was always going to improve from Newmarket.
A special horse on a special day.
I was hoping to take Ladies Church to the Breeders’ Cup this week. She’s been training for it all year after winning a Group Two at the Curragh but is rated 110 and only first reserve in the Turf Sprint. I’m a bit disappointed – I thought the official rating would have got her in – there are others rated lower than her in the field.
It’s a long way to go over as a reserve, all the European horses are going over so you’re hoping a local one comes out and it’s very disappointing she didn’t make it over.
It was a race I thought would suit her really well, five-and-a-half furlongs on good to firm ground in Keeneland but it wasn’t to be. She had a valid excuse for her last run at the Curragh because of the soft ground and I’m just really disappointed for everyone in the yard and her owner.
Her next date is the Goffs breeding sale now. I didn’t want to take her all the way to America for nothing. If she doesn’t sell, we’ll bring her back to race on next year.
She’s been a very sound filly, we’ve got to know her through the season and we’ll have a big reserve on her and if she doesn’t hit that she’ll come back to us. She’s a Listed winner at two, a Group Two winner at three and is a fast filly with a good pedigree. If she doesn’t sell at Goffs she’ll be one of our big hopes for next season.
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