Roaring Lion (horse)
Roaring Lion | |
---|---|
Grey | |
Breeder | RanJan Racing Inc |
Owner | Qatar Racing |
Trainer | John Gosden |
Record | 13: 8-1-2 |
Earnings | £2,723,865 |
Major wins | |
Royal Lodge Stakes (2017) Dante Stakes (2018) Eclipse Stakes (2018) International Stakes (2018) Irish Champion Stakes (2018) Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (2018) | |
Awards | |
Top-rated British 2-y-o Colt (2017) European Horse of the Year (2018) Cartier Champion Three-year-old Colt (2018) World's best three-year-old (2018) |
Roaring Lion (March 11, 2015 – August 23, 2019) was an American-bred British-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2018 European Horse of the Year after winning the Juddemonte International Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes, and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
He was the top-rated British-trained two-year-old of 2017, when he won three races, including the
on August 23, 2019, at the age of four.Background
Roaring Lion was a grey colt bred in Kentucky by RanJan Racing Inc. As a yearling he was offered for sale at Keeneland in September 2016 and bought for $160,000 by the bloodstock agent David Redvers.[1] He subsequently entered the ownership of Qatar Racing and was exported to England where he was sent into training with John Gosden at Newmarket, Suffolk. He was ridden in all but one of his races by Oisin Murphy
He was sired by
Racing career
2017: two-year-old season
Roaring Lion made his debut in a minor race over one mile at
For his next race, Roaring Lion was stepped up in class for the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket and started 11/4 second choice in the betting behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Nelson, the winner of the Juvenile Stakes. The only one of the other three runners to be given any chance was Mildenberger, who had won the Stonehenge Stakes and finished third in the Vintage Stakes. Roaring Lion took the lead from the front-running Mildenberger approaching the final furlong and held off a challenge from Nelson to win by a neck.[7] When aked if the colt might be a contender for the following year's Epsom Derby Murphy replied "I haven't ridden a Derby horse in a while, so I'm not sure if he is one or not. But he certainly has a big future".[8]
On his final appearance of the season Roaring Lion was moved up again in class for the
In the official European Classification for 2017, Roaring Lion was rated the third-best two-year-old of the season behind the Irish-trained colts
2018: three-year-old season
Spring
Roaring Lion began his second season by starting odds-on favourite for the
Summer
On 3 June 2018 Roaring Lion was one of twelve colts to contest the
At York in August Roaring Lion started at 3/1 when he faced Saxon Warrior yet again in the International Stakes in an eight runner field which also included the Group 1 winners Poet's Word (the 8/5 favourite), Thunder Snow, Benbatl (Dubai Turf), Latrobe (Irish Derby) and Without Parole (St James's Palace Stakes). After tracking the leaders on the inside rail he gained valuable racing room when the field tracked right to race up the stands-side in the straight. He went to the front inside the last quarter mile, drew clear of his rivals and won by three and a quarter lengths from Poet's Word, with third place going to the 50/1 outsider Thundering Blue.[15] Gosden said "I had a difficult spring with him and he wasn't enjoying it, but he's been getting better and better and this wasn't a fluke. He wasn't really with me at the time of the Craven and the Guineas but the Guineas put him right. He's a proper horse with a massive middle on him and he’s got stronger as the year’s gone on... the curve is upward all the way."[16]
Autumn
The Irish Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at
Roaring Lion was aimed at one of the major races on British Champions' Day at
For his final race, Roaring Lion was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Classic on dirt at Churchill Downs on 3 November and started the 8/1 fifth choice in the betting. After racing in mid-division he dropped out of contention in the last half mile and finished tailed-off last of the fourteen runners.
At the 2018
Stud career
Roaring Lion began his career as a stallion at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire in 2019. His stud fee for his first season was announced in November 2018 as £40,000.[24] In 2019, having covered 133 mares in Europe, he was shuttled to the Cambridge Stud in New Zealand for the southern hemisphere breeding season.[25] In early August, shortly after leaving quarantine, Roaring Lion became seriously ill with horse colic and underwent surgery twice to remove sections of his small intestine. On 23 August he was found to be suffering from another bout of colic and was euthanized at the Cambridge Equine hospital.[26]
Notable progeny
c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
Foaled | Name | Sex | Major Wins |
2020 | Dubai Mile | c | Critérium de Saint-Cloud |
Pedigree
Sire Kitten's Joy (USA) 2001 |
El Prado (IRE) 1989 |
Sadler's Wells | Northern Dancer |
---|---|---|---|
Fairy Bridge | |||
Lady Capulet | Sir Ivor | ||
Cap and Bells | |||
Kitten's First (USA) 1991 |
Lear Fan | Roberto | |
Wac | |||
That's My Hon | L'Enjoleur | ||
One Lane | |||
Dam Vionnet (USA) 2009 |
Street Sense (USA) 2004 |
Street Cry | Machiavellian |
Helen Street | |||
Bedazzle | Dixieland Band | ||
Majestic Legend | |||
Cambiocorsa (USA) 2002 |
Avenue of Flags | Seattle Slew | |
Beautiful Glass | |||
Ultrafleet | Afleet | ||
Social Conduct (Family: 9-f)[4] |
References
- ^ "Keeneland 2016 September Yearling Sale – Catalogue". Racing Post.
- ^ "Kitten's Joy – Stud Record". Racing Post.
- ^ "Vionnet – Profiles". Equibase.
- ^ a b "Toxophilite Mare – Family 9-f". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ^ "Fly London Southend Airport To Lyon EBF Novice Stakes result". Racing Post. 18 August 2017.
- ^ "32Red On The App Store/British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes". Racing Post. 8 Sep 2017.
- ^ "Royal Lodge Stakes result". Racing Post. 30 Sep 2017.
- ^ Kieckhefer, Bob (30 September 2017). "Roaring Lion Pounces in Royal Lodge". The Blood-Horse.
- ^ "European-2yo-Classification" (PDF). britishhorseracing.com.
- ^ "Dante Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 May 2018.
- Guardian.
- Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Eclipse Stakes result". Racing Post. 7 July 2018.
- ^ Cook, Chris (7 July 2018). "Roaring Lion defies Aidan O'Brien team tactics to win Eclipse". The Guardian.
- ^ "International Stakes result". Racing Post. 22 August 2018.
- ^ Wood, Greg (22 August 2018). "Oisin Murphy rides Roaring Lion to victory in Juddmonte International". The Guardian.
- ^ "Irish Champion Stakes result". Racing Post. 15 September 2018.
- Irish Times.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth II Stakes result". Racing Post. 20 October 2018.
- ^ Andersen, Steve. "Roaring Lion surges in Queen Elizabeth II Stakes". Daily Racing Form.
- ^ Stevens, Martin. "Roaring Lion to retire to Tweenhills at end of three-year-old campaign". Racing Post.
- Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "The 2018 World Thoroughbred Rankings". Horseracingintfed.com. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ Scully, Mark (16 November 2018). "European Horse of the Year Roaring Lion introduced at £40,000". Racing Post.
- ^ Stevens, Martin (August 24, 2019). "Here's hoping the sole crop of Roaring Lion cubs do their father proud". Racing Post. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ Baxter, David (August 23, 2019). "Roaring Lion loses life after suffering another bout of colic". Racing Post. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Roaring Lion pedigree". Equineline.
External links
- Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart – Roaring Lion