Category: Horses

Justify is a three year old thoroughbred racehourse of high acclaim. He recently retired and did so undefeated after an illustrious career of six runs, ending his career with a stunning American Triple Crown. This accolade has only been achieved 12 times previous, and is a title awarded for winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Justify had his toughest task in the Preakness Stakes where he had to really dig in to edge out Bravazo by 1/2 length.

This Triple Crown feat was first achieved in 1913 by Sir Barton, and previous to Justify, it was a title gained by American Pharoah in 2015. Prior to that it hadn’t been awarded since 1978 (to Affirmed). Other winners are a who’s who of racing greats such as War Admiral, Citation and Secretariat.

Before his triple crown win, Justify also had convincing wins between
February and April of 2018, including a grade I win in the Santa
Anita Derby in April. Mike E. Smith was jockey onboard for all but one
of the six wins. Amassing earnings of almost $4 million, Justify was
purchased for $500,000 just two years ago at Keeneland’s September
yearling sale. It’s rumoured that breeding rights have been sold to
Coolmore for an incredible $60 million.

The chestnut colt is the son of Scat Daddy (2004) and Stage Magic
(2007). Scat Daddy himself is a descendand of Nijinsky which is a
very noteworthy connection and indication of good genes. With six very impressive wins spanning such a short period of time Justify has shown himself to be a class above during his brief racing career.

At three years old his retirement would appear unusual if not for an
ongoing ankle problem. “Justify had some filling in his ankle, and he
is just not responding quick enough for a fall campaign,” trainer Bob
Baffer stated this week. Jockey Mike Smith went on to call him “a gift
from God”. A Breeders’ Cup Classic farewell had been on the cards, but
sadly will not now happen.

Best Mate, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2004, was the first horse since Arkle to win the three consecutive renewals of the Blue Riband of steeplechasing. Shortly after his third victory, his former trainer, Henrietta Knight said, “I don’t compare Best Mate with Arkle. It’s looking ahead that I prefer to do.”

 

Best Mate could, conceivably, have gone on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup again, had he not tragically collapsed and died, from a suspected heart attack, after being pulled up on his first start of the 2005/06 season. Comparisons with Arkle, while futile, are inevitable and while Timeform Ratings – billed as the “definitive assessment” of horse racing form – suggest that Arkle was a class apart, conventional wisdom suggests that the respected provider dropped a clanger in its assessment of the legendary Irish ‘chaser.

 

In any event, Best Mate was, without question, a hugely talented performer. He finished first or second in 21 of his 22 starts under National Hunt Rules, won 11 of his 16 steeplechases and amassed over £1 million in prize money. In his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, in 2000, he started 6/1 second favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but, despite running on strongly in the closing stages, could never quite reach the eventual winner, Sausalito Bay, and finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length.

 

Best Mate was sent over fences at the start of the 2000/01 season and by the time he lined up for his first attempt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in 2002, he had already won the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown and second, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

 

Sent off 7/1 second favourite behind defending champion Looks Like Trouble, he quickened to lead approaching the final fence and ran on well to beat Commanche Court by 1¾ lengths. He completed a notable double when easily beating Truckers Tavern by 10 lengths in 2003 and, although he had to work harder in 2004, his half a length win over Sir Rembrandt was enough to earn his place in Cheltenham folklore.

Black Caviar was an exceptional Australian racemare who retired from racing undefeated in 25 races between 2009 and 2013. Fifteen of her victories came at Group 1 level, beating the record previously held by compatriot, and former Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year, Kingston Town, who won 14 Group 1 races, including the W.S. Cox Plate three times, between 1979 and 1982.

 

By Bel Esprit – and hence from the family of Royal Academy, Nijinsky and Northern Dancer – out of an unraced dam, Helsinge, Black Caviar was owned by a syndicate that included Gary and Kerryn Wilkie, Colin and Jannene Madden, Neil Werrett, Pam Hawkes and David and Jill Taylor and trained, in Melbourne, by Peter Moody. Her name was derived from that of her granddam, Scandinavia, where people have a predilection for fish eggs, including salmon roe or, in other words, salmon or red caviar. Her racing colours – salmon with black spots – were a natural progression of the same idea.

 

The closest Black Caviar came to defeat was on the one and only occasion she raced outside Australia, in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012. Sent off at prohibitive odds of 1/6, Black Caviar took command inside the final furlong under hands and heels riding only for jockey Luke Nolen to ease down prematurely in the closing stages, allowing Moonlight Cloud to close to within a head as the pair flashed past the post. Nolen said afterwards, “I didn’t mistake the winning post. I just tried to let her coast home and she stopped under me, but I got away with it. I didn’t ease her down.”

 

Having narrowly avoided calamity at Ascot – where trainer Peter Moody conceded she was below par – Black Caviar returned to Australia and didn’t race again until the following February. When she did, though, she won the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington, the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley and the T. J. Smith Stakes at Randwick – all Group 1 contests – with consummate ease, at long odds-on, before her eventual retirement from racing, as a six-year-old, in April 2013.