Senga (horse)

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Senga
Racing silks of Niarchos Family
SireBlame
GrandsireArch
DamBeta Leo
DamsireA.P. Indy
SexMare
Foaled15 March 2014[1]
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederFlaxman Holdings
OwnerNiarchos Family
TrainerPascal Bary
Record10: 3-1-2
Earnings£593,636
Major wins
Prix de la Grotte (2017)
Prix de Diane (2017)

Senga (15 March 2014 – 28 June 2018) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2016 she showed promising form as she won her second of her three races and finished a close fourth in the Prix Marcel Boussac. In the following year she won the Prix de la Grotte on her seasonal debut and recovered from defeats in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Sandringham to record her biggest win in the Prix de Diane. She was beaten in her three subsequent races and was retired from racing at the end of the year. She died in 2018.

Background

Senga was a bay mare with a white

blaze bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings, a company set up to manage the racing interests of her owners the Niarchos family. She was sent into training with Pascal Bary at Chantilly and was ridden in all of his races by Stéphane Pasquier
.

She was from the third crop of foals sired by Blame, who was the

Ballerina Stakes), Nadal (Arkansas Derby) and Fault (Santa Margarita Stakes).[2] Senga's dam Beta Leo showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race from five starts in France.[3] She was a daughter of the Prix de Cabourg winner Denebola who was in turn a daughter of Coup de Genie who won the Prix Morny and was a full-sister to Machiavellian.[4]

During Senga's racing career Longchamp Racecourse was closed for redevelopment and many major races were transferred to other tracks.

Racing career

2016: two-year-old season

Senga made her debut at

Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, run that year over 1600 metres at Chantilly Racecourse on 2 October. Starting a 16/1 outsider she pulled hard in the early stages and briefly struggled to obtain a clear run in the straight but finished strongly to finish fourth behind Wuheida, Promise To Be True and Dabyah, beaten one and three quarter lengths by the winner.[7]

2017: three-year-old season

On her first appearance as a three-year-old Senga started favourite for the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte, run that year over 1600 metres at Chantilly on 16 April, with the best fancied of her six opponents being the unbeaten Lady Frankel and the Prix d'Aumale winner Toulifaut. After racing "keenly" in fourth place she took the lead approaching the last 200 metres and won "a shade cosily" by a length from La Sardane.[8] After the race Bary said "She was a bit nervous beforehand, maybe because she was fresh, but they tend to be a little like that in the family. She relaxed well during the race, she had the perfect trip and quickened well to show her class. It was not too hard a race and the perfect re-introduction this year."[9] On 13 May Senga started favourite for the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Deauville but after racing just behind the leaders for most of the way she tired on the very soft ground and came home eleventh of the eighteen runners behind Precieuse. In the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly on 6 June she was restrained in the early stages before finishing well but never looked likely to win and came home third of the five runners behind La Sardane and Gold Luck.

Two weeks after her defeat in the Prix de Sandringham Senga was one of sixteen fillies to contest the Group 1 Prix de Diane over 2100 metres at Chantilly and started a 21.8/1 outsider. The

stalls, and settled towards the rear of the field as the outsiders Normandie and Haya of Fortune set the pace. She produced a sustained run on the outside in the straight, overtook Shutter Speed 300 metres from the finish and stayed on in the closing stages to win by a length from the fast-finishing Sistercharlie.[10] Pascal Bary commented "I never gave up on her. She's got a fantastic pedigree and a great physique".[11]

After a two-month break Senga returned in the

Del Mar Racetrack on 4 November, in which she started at odds of 9/1. After tracking the leaders she made some progress in the straight but was unable to maintain her challenge and finished eighth behind Wuheida.[13]

Breeding record

At the end of her racing career Senga was retired to become a broodmare. She was in foal to Galileo when she died on 28 June 2018.[14]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Senga (USA), bay mare, 2014[1]
Sire
Blame (USA)
2006 		Arch (USA)
1995
Kris S
 Roberto
Sharp Queen
Aurora Danzig
Althea
Liable (USA)
1995 		Seeking The Gold Mr. Prospector
Con Game
Bound Nijinsky (CAN)
Special
Dam
Beta Leo (USA)
2007 		A.P. Indy (USA)
1989 		Seattle Slew Bold Reasoning
My Charmer
Weekend Surprise Secretariat
Lassie Dear
Denebola (USA)
2001 		Storm Cat Storm Bird (CAN)
Terlingua
Coup de Genie Mr. Prospector
Coup de Folie (Family: 2-d)[4]
  • Senga was inbred 4 × 4 to Mr. Prospector, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of her pedigree.

References

  1. ^ a b "Senga pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ^ "Blame – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. ^ "Beta Leo – race record". Racing Post.
  4. ^ a b "Emma – Family 2-d". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  5. ^ "Prix des Marettes result". Racing Post. 9 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Prix Guemul result". Racing Post. 6 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Prix Marcel Boussac result". Racing Post. 2 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Prix de la Grotte result". Racing Post. 16 April 2017.
  9. ^ Cronin, Sean (April 16, 2017). "Blame's Senga Annexes the Prix de la Grotte". Thoroughbred Daily News.
  10. ^ "Prix de Diane result". Racing Post. 18 June 2017.
  11. ^ Knox, Beth (June 18, 2017). "Senga wins Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly". Eurosport UK.
  12. ^ "Prix de l'Opéra result". Racing Post. 1 October 2017.
  13. ^ "Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf result". Racing Post. 4 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Classic Heroine Senga Passes Away". Thoroughbred Daily News. July 4, 2018.
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