Saxon Warrior

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For Saxon warriors, see Saxons, Anglo-Saxon warfare, and Royal Saxon Army.
Saxon Warrior
2000 Guineas
(2018)

Saxon Warrior (foaled 26 January 2015) is a Japanese-bred, Irish-trained

2000 Guineas before finishing fourth when odds-on favourite for the 2018 Epsom Derby. He went on to be placed in the Irish Derby, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes
.

Background

Saxon Warrior is a bay colt with a narrow white blaze bred in Japan by Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt, a breeding company associated with the Coolmore Stud. Like most Coolmore horses he was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. For racing purposes Saxon Warrior was registered as being owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier and Michael Tabor although the precise details of his ownership differed from race to race.

He is from the eighth crop of foals sired by

Tokyo Yushun, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen and Japan Cup. Deep Impact's other progeny include Gentildonna, Harp Star, Kizuna, A Shin Hikari, Satono Diamond and Makahiki.[2] Saxon Warrior is the second foal of his dam Maybe who was awarded the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 2011 when she was undefeated in five races including the Moyglare Stud Stakes.[3] Maybe's dam Sumora was a half-sister to Dancing Rain and closely related to Dr Devious.[4]

Racing career

2017: two-year-old season

Saxon Warrior made his racecourse debut in a

8/1 in a fourteen-runner field. After racing towards the rear of the field for most of the way he began to make rapid progress in the last quarter mile, took the lead inside the furlong and won "comfortably" by three and a quarter lengths from Meagher's Flag.[5] Four weeks later, the colt was stepped up in class for the Group 2 Beresford Stakes over the same distance at Naas Racecourse. Ridden by Ryan Moore he was made the 5/6 favourite with the best of his four opponents appearing to be his stablemates Delano Roosevelt and Kew Gardens. After settling in third place, Saxon Warrior took the lead approaching the final furlong and went clear of his rivals to win by two lengths from Delano Roosevelt.[6]

On 28 October, Saxon Warrior, accompanied by his stablemates Seahenge (

National Stakes winner Verbal Dexterity, while the best of the British contenders appeared to be Roaring Lion and Chilean (Ascendant Stakes). Ridden by Moore, and starting the 13/8 favourite, Saxon Warrior tracked the leaders before going to the front two furlongs out. He was overtaken by Roaring Lion and hampered as his rival hung left but rallied "gamely" in the final strides to regain the advantage and win by a neck.[7] The colt's victory gave Aidan O'Brien a record-breaking 26th Group 1 win of the season and saw Saxon Warrior promoted to favourite for the following year's Epsom Derby.[8]

2018: three-year-old season

Commenting on Saxon Warrior's progress in the early spring of 2018, Aidan O'Brien said "He's done very well and is a massive, big, physical horse. He was a big horse last year but he's bigger this year... He'll probably go straight for the

Guineas."[9] As O'Brien predicted he made his seasonal debut in the 210th running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 5 May and with Moore engaged to ride Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby the colt was ridden by Donnacha O'Brien. Saxon Warrior was made the 3/1 second favourite behind Masar while the other twelve runners included Roaring Lion, Gustav Klimt (Superlative Stakes), Elarqam (Somerville Tattersall Stakes), Expert Eye, James Garfield (Greenham Stakes), Rajasinghe (Coventry Stakes) and Cardsharp (July Stakes). Saxon Warrior was not among the early leaders as Murillo set the pace from Cardsharp, but moved into the lead two furlongs out. Staying on strongly down the centre of the course he won by one and a half lengths from the 50/1 outsider Tip Two Win who took second place ahead of Masar, Elarqaman and Roaring Lion.[10] Donnacha O'Brien commented "It's very special. Obviously, I’m winning this race and riding in big races because of the position I’m in. I’m just very grateful. He's a very good horse, he's a proper horse".[11] Derrick Smith's son Paul said "It was really eye-catching, Donnacha couldn’t speak too highly of him. He said when he quickened it was all over in a flash. He probably got there sooner than he wanted to, but he had so much horse under him. It's very exciting when they have that speed and look like they’ll get further. All things point to June now."[12]

At Epsom Racecourse on 2 June Saxon Warrior started the 4/5 favourite in a twelve-runner field for the

Sandown Park a week later. He was beaten a neck by Roaring Lion after a sustained struggle over the final furlong and looked a slightly unlucky loser as he was bumped by his rival in the final strides. At York Racecourse on 22 August he contested the International Stakes but proved no match for Roaring Lion, and was beaten five length into fourth place. The colt produced a much better effort in the Irish Champion Stakes
at Leopardstown in which he took the lead in the straight and looked likely to win but was run down in the final strides and beaten a neck by his old rival Roaring Lion.

Saxon Warrior was found to be lame after his run in the Irish Champion Stakes and a veterinary examination revealed a serious injury to the flexor tendon in his left foreleg. Aidan O'Brien announced on 16 September that the colt was to be retired from racing.[13]

Stud career

Saxon Warrior stands as a stallion at Coolmore Stud for a service fee of €20,000.[14]

Notable progeny

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled Name Sex Major wins
2020 Victoria Road c Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Assessment and honours

In the official European Classification for 2017, Saxon Warrior was rated the second-best two-year-old of the season, three pounds behind his stablemate

U S Navy Flag.[15]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Saxon Warrior (JPN), bay colt 2015[1]
Sire
Deep Impact (JPN)
2002 		Sunday Silence (USA)
1986 		Halo
Hail to Reason
Cosmah
Wishing Well (horse) Understanding
Mountain Flower
Wind in Her Hair (IRE)
1991 		Alzao (USA) Lyphard
Lady Rebecca (GB)
Burghclere (GB) Busted
Highclere
Dam
Maybe (IRE)
2009 		Galileo
1998 		Sadler's Wells (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Fairy Bridge
Urban Sea (USA) Miswaki
Allegretta (GB)
Sumora
2002 		Danehill (USA) Danzig
Razyana
Rain Flower Indian Ridge
Rose of Jericho (USA) (Family: 1-t)[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Saxon Warrior pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ^ "Deep Impact - Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. ^ "Frankel crowned Horse Of The Year at Cartier Awards". ESPN.co.uk. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  4. ^ a b "Trampoline - Family 1-t". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  5. ^ "Irish Times Irish EBF Maiden result". Racing Post. 27 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Beresford Stakes result". Racing Post. 24 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Racing Post Trophy result". Racing Post. 28 October 2017.
  8. ^ Cook, Chris (28 October 2017). "Aidan O'Brien hits record 26th Group One win of year with Saxon Warrior". The Guardian.
  9. ^ "Aidan O'Brien 2018 Stable Tour: "Massive" Saxon Warrior heading straight for 2000 Guineas". Racing UK. 22 March 2018.
  10. ^ "2000 Guineas result". Racing Post. 5 May 2018.
  11. ^ "2,000 Guineas: Saxon Warrior wins at Newmarket for Aidan O'Brien". BBC Sport. 5 May 2018.
  12. ^ Press Association staff (5 May 2018). "Saxon Warrior takes 2,000 Guineas for Aidan O'Brien". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Massive double injury blow as Alpha Centauri and Saxon Warrior are retired". Racing Post. 16 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Saxon Warrior Coolmore stallion". coolmore.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  15. ^ "European-2yo-Classification" (PDF). britishhorseracing.com.

External links

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