Strong Suit

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Strong Suit
Chestnut
BreederMcDowell Farm, Gainsborough Farm & Robert N. Clay
OwnerJulie Wood
Qatar Racing Fahad Al Thani
TrainerRichard Hannon Sr.
Simon Callaghan
Record16: 5-2-2
Earnings£346,561
Major wins
Coventry Stakes (2010)
Jersey Stakes (2011)
Lennox Stakes (2011)
Challenge Stakes (2011)

Strong Suit (foaled 9 February 2008) is an American-bred, British-trained

furlongs to one mile and was rated among the twenty best racehorses in the world at his peak. As a juvenile in 2010 he won the Coventry Stakes and was placed in both the Phoenix Stakes and the Middle Park Stakes. In the following year he took the Jersey Stakes, Lennox Stakes and Challenge Stakes as well as being narrowly beaten in the Prix Jean Prat
. He failed to win as a four-year-old and made no impact when sent to race in the United States. After his retirement from racing he stood as a breeding stallion in India.

Background

Strong Suit is a chestnut horse with a large white

East Everleigh in Wiltshire. Strong Suit was ridden in all but one of his European starts by Richard Hughes
.

His sire, Rahy (1985–2011), sired the winners of over three hundred races, including more than thirty at Group One/Grade I level. Apart from Strong Suit, his best progeny included Noverre, Serena's Song and Fantastic Light.[5] Strong Suit's dam Helwa never contested a race but was a granddaughter of Private Colors, a full-sister to Personal Ensign.[6]

Racing career

2010: two-year-old season

Strong Suit made his racecourse debut in a

Royal Ascot and started the 15/8 favourite in a thirteen-runner field. After being repeatedly denied a clear run in the last quarter mile he produced a strong late run, caught the leader Elzaam in the last stride and won by a nose.[8] Hughes commented "He's a bit raw and goofy. When I pulled him out to go around one after a couple of furlongs, he cocked his jaw and ran into the back of the other horse. It was like hitting a stationary car. How he got back up to win after that I don't know".[2]

On 8 August, Strong Suit was sent to Ireland to contest the Group 1

Zoffany and Glor Na Mara. On his final start of the season the colt contested the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 1 October. Racing on soft ground he proved no match for the easy winner Dream Ahead
but came home second of the eight runners.

In the official end of the year classification, Strong Suit was give a rating of 113, making him the 17th best juvenile colt in Europe.[9]

2011: three-year-old season

On 16 April Strong Suit started second favourite for the

2000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newbury but made no impact and came home last of the six runners behind Frankel. He then underwent an operation to correct a breathing problem.[10] After an absence of two months the colt returned to the track in the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot a race in which he carried a five-pound weight penalty for his Coventry Stakes win a year previously. He started at odds of 11/1 in a nine-runner field which included New Deerfield (King Charles II Stakes), Splash Point (UAE 2000 Guineas), Havane Smoker (runner-up in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches), Oracle (third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas) and the previously undefeated Western Aristocrat. After racing second place Strong Suit took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by half a length from New Deerfield.[11]

Strong Suit was sent to France for the

photo-finish. Later that month he was matched against older horses for the first time in the Lennox Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood Racecourse and started the 5/2 field in a nine-runner field which included Delegator (Duke of York Stakes), Red Jazz (Challenge Stakes), Libranno (Richmond Stakes). After tracking the leaders he went to the front a furlong out and accelerated away in the closing stages to win "comfortably" by one and a half lengths from Red Jazz.[12] His assistant trainer Richard Hannon Jr. said "He might be a horse for the Sussex Stakes next year. I think he will get a mile in time but there are so many nice races like this for him to mop up".[13]
Following the race he was acquired privately by Qatar Racing.

Strong Suit was off the racecourse for well over two months before returning in the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on 8 October. In a field of eight he started 13/8 favourite, just ahead of the filly

1000 Guineas. After tracking the pacemaking Across The Rhine he went to the front approaching the final furlong and quickly went clear of the field to win by four and a half lengths from Chachamaidee.[14]

For his final run of the season Strong Suit was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on 5 November. He started second favourite behind Goldikova but was never able to challenge the leaders and came home tenth of the thirteen runners.

In the 2011 World Thoroughbred Rankings Strong Suit was given a rating of 123, making him the 17th best racehorse in the world and the fifth-best three-year-old colt.[15]

2012: four-year-old season

On his first run of 2012 Strong Suit ran in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June but a third win at the meeting never looked likely to materialise and he finished tenth of the eleven runners behind Frankel. A return to six furlongs in the following month brought no better results as he came home eighth behind Mayson in the July Cup at Newmarket. At Newbury in August the colt was ridden by Ryan Moore produced his best effort of the season in the Hungerford Stakes as he produced a strong late run but failed narrowly to overhaul the 25/1 outsider Lethal Force.[16] In the Haydock Sprint Cup on 8 September he started the 11/2 third choice in the betting but after leading for most of the way he tired badly in the closing stages and finished seventh behind Society Rock. In the Park Stakes a week later he started favourite but came home fourth behind Libranno after never threatening to win.

At the end of the year he was transferred to the stable of

Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita Park in February 2013.[17]

Stud record

At the end of his racing career Strong Suit was retired to become a breeding stallion at the Manjri Stud in Pune, India.[18]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Strong Suit (USA), chestnut stallion[1]
Sire
Rahy (USA)
1985 		Blushing Groom (FR)
1974 		Red God (USA) Nasrullah (GB)
Spring Run
Runaway Bride (GB) Wild Risk (FR)
Aimee
Glorious Song (CAN)
1976　 		Halo (USA) Hail To Reason
Cosmah
Ballade (USA) Herbager (FR)
Miss Swapsco
Dam
Helwa (USA)
1995　 		Silver Hawk
1979　 		Roberto Hail To Reason
Bramalea
Gris Vitesse Amerigo (GB)
Matchiche (FR)
Team Colors
1988 		Mr. Prospector Raise a Native
Gold Digger
Private Colors Private Account
Grecian Banner (Family: 6-a)[6]
  • Strong Suit was inbred 4 × 4 to Hail To Reason, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

  1. ^ a b "Strong Suit pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ^
    Daily Telegraph
    .
  3. ^ "Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale – Catalogue". Racing Post.
  4. ^ "St Leger Yearling Sales – Catalogue". Racing Post.
  5. ^ "Rahy stud record". Racing Post.
  6. ^ a b "Cream Cheeks – Family 6-a". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  7. ^ "Berkshire County Blind Society Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 14 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Coventry Stakes result". Racing Post. 15 June 2010.
  9. ^ "2011 World Rankings" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Breathing op for Strong Suit". Sky Sports. 22 April 2011.
  11. ^ "Jersey Stakes result". Racing Post. 15 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Lennox Stakes results". Racing Post. 26 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Strong Suit takes Lennox Stakes with confident display". BBC. 26 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Challenge Stakes result". Racing Post. 8 October 2011.
  15. ^ "2011 World Thoroughbred Rankings". International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities. January 2012.
  16. ^ "Hungerford Stakes result". Racing Post. 18 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Arcadia Stakes". Racing Post. 3 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Royal Ascot Winner Strong Suit to Stud in India". Paulick Report.

External links

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