Barney Roy

Barney Roy (foaled 29 January 2014) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning his only race as a juvenile in 2016 he emerged as a top-class performer in the following year. He won the Greenham Stakes and finished second in the 2000 Guineas before recording his biggest victory in the St James's Palace Stakes. He went on to finish second in the Eclipse Stakes and third in the International Stakes before being retired to stud at the end of the year. His spell at stud proved unsuccessful and he returned to racing in the 2019 season.

Barney Roy
Racing silks of
Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd
and Godolphin
SireExcelebration
GrandsireExceed and Excel
DamAlina
DamsireGalileo
SexGelding
Foaled29 January 2014[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederEliza Park International
OwnerSullivan Bloodstock Ltd
Godolphin
TrainerRichard Hannon Jr.
Charlie Appleby
Record14: 7-3-2
Earnings£982,695
Major wins
Greenham Stakes (2017)
St James's Palace Stakes (2017)
Prix de Montretout (2019)
Al Rashidiya (2020)
Jebel Hatta (2020)
Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (2020)

Background

Barney Roy is a bay horse with a white blaze and three long white socks bred in England by Eliza Park International. In November 2014 he was consigned to the Tattersalls December Foals sale and bought for 30,000 guineas by A T Bloodstock.[2] In the following August the yearling was put up for auction at the Goffs Doncaster Premier Yearlings Sale and was bought for £70,000 by the bloodstock agents Peter & Ross Doyle.[3] The colt entered the ownership of Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd and was sent into training with Richard Hannon Jr. at East Everleigh in Wiltshire.

He was from the first crop of foals sired by Excelebration, an outstanding miler whose wins included the Prix du Moulin, Prix Jacques Le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.[4] Barney Roy's dam Alina showed little racing ability, being retired after running unplaced in two races as a two-year-old in France in 2012.[5] She was the daughter of the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes winner Cheyenne Star and a descendant of the American broodmare Blazon who was a half-sister to both Exceller and Capote.[6]

Racing career

2016: two-year-old season

Barney Roy made his racecourse debut in a maiden race over one mile at Haydock Park on 24 September and started at odds of 9/1 in a ten-runner field. Ridden by Sean Levey he took the lead inside the final furlong and drew away to win by three and a half lengths from the favourite Fujaira Bridge.[7]

2017: three-year-old season

Before the start of the 2017 season, Barney Roy was privately acquired by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin stable. He was ridden in all of his races as a three-year-old by James Doyle.

Barney Roy made his seasonal debut in the Greenham Stakes (a major trial race for the 2000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 22 April. He started the 5/2 second favourite behind the other Godolphin runner Dream Castle, whilst the best-fancied of the other eight contenders was the Patton Stakes winner War Secretary. After tracking the leaders, Barney Roy overtook Dream Castle to assume the lead inside the final furlong and stayed on well to win by two lengths.[8] Richard Hannon commented "He has relaxed enormously... I was a bit worried coming back from a mile to seven and you can see why, as he just took his time getting going. I thought he was in trouble, then he went 'whoosh'. I've liked him for a long time, though. He has got a chance of going to the Guineas."[9] In the 209th running of the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 6 May, Barney Roy started the 7/2 second choice in the betting behind the Irish colt Churchill. He raced in mid-division before making a forward move in the last quarter mile but lost ground when stumbling badly approaching the final furlong. He recovered well and stayed on in the closing stages to take second place, a length behind Churchill and a neck in front of the French-trained Al Wukair.

Despite being regarded as a potential Epsom Derby contender, Barney Roy was kept to a mile and reappeared in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on 20 June. Churchill went off at odds of 1/2 with Barney Roy next in the betting on 5/2. The other six runners were Thunder Snow, Rivet, Lancaster Bomber (fourth in the 2000 Guineas), Peace Envoy (Rochestown Stakes), Forest Ranger and Mr Scaramanga. Barney Roy settled in fourth place as Rivet and Lancaster Bomber set the pace, before moving to the outside to make his challenge in the straight. He went to the front a furlong out and kept on to win by a length and a head from Lancaster Bomber and Thunder Snow, with Churchill well beaten in fourth.[10] After the race Hannon said "He is the horse we always thought he was. We went to the Guineas to prove he is a good horse and he did that. He was slightly unlucky there and he has won very well today. He has a lovely long stride and he uses that. He takes time to get going and no doubt he will get further. I thought this track would suit him as the dips at Newmarket just caught him out."[11]

On 8 July Barney Roy was moved up in distance and matched against older horses in the Eclipse Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown Park. Starting the 9/4 second favourite behind the Derby runner-up Cliffs of Moher he settled in midfield before moving up to challenge for the lead in the straight. After a sustained struggle against the four-year-old Ulysses he was beaten a nose by his older rival in a photo-finish. In August Barney Roy faced Ulysses again in the International Stakes at York Racecourse. Racing on softer ground than he had previously encountered he briefly took the lead in the straight but was overtaken a furlong out and came home third behind Ulysses and Churchill. On 21 October the colt started 9/2 second favourite for the Champion Stakes at Ascot but ran poorly and finished ninth of the ten runners, seventeen lengths behind the winner Cracksman.

On 17 November it was announced that Barney Roy had been retired from racing. Hannon described him as "by far the best colt I've trained and the most athletic horse I have seen".[12]

2018: stud career

Barney Roy began his stallion career at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £10,000.[12] In May 2018 Darley announced that Barney Roy was subfertile and options were being considered about his future, including a possible return to racing.[13]

2019: five-year-old season

After proving to be infertile at stud, Barney Roy was gelded and sent back into training with Charlie Appleby for the 2019 season.[14] On 1 May Barney Roy began his comeback in the Listed Paradise Stakes over the straight mile at Ascot. Ridden by William Buick he started the 6/4 favourite and took the lead approaching the final furlong but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten a neck by the four-year-old Zaaki. Three weeks later he was sent to France and started the 4/5 favourite for the Listed Prix de Montretout over 1600 metres at Longchamp, a race which saw him reunited with Doyle. After struggling to obtain a clear run in the closing stages he accelerated into the lead 50 metres from the finish and won by half a length from Bayoun.[15] At Royal Ascot on 18 June the gelding was made 5/1 favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes but never looked likely to win and came home eighth of the sixteen runners behind Lord Glitters. He did not race again in 2019.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Barney Roy (GB) bay gelding 2014[1]
Sire
Excelebration (IRE)
2008		 Exceed and Excel (AUS)
2000		 Danehill Danzig
Razyana
Patrona Lomond
Gladiolus
Sun Shower (IRE)
2001		 Indian Ridge Ahonoora
Hillbrow
Miss Kemble Warning
Sarah Siddons
Dam
Alina (IRE)
2010		 Galileo (IRE)
1998		 Sadler's Wells Northern Dancer
Fairy Bridge
Urban Sea Miswaki
Allegretta
Cheyenne Star (IRE)
2003		 Mujahid Danzig
Elrafa Ah
Charita Lycius
Seme de Lys (family: 21-a)[6]
  • Barney Roy was inbred 4 × 4 to Danzig, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
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gollark: It uses [REDACTED] and Procedure Xi-4, as well as [DATA EXPUNGED] in order to [FURTHER INFORMATION REDACTED BY ORDER OF POTAT-O5 COUNCIL].

References
  1. "Barney Roy pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Tattersalls December Foals Sale 2014 - Catalogue". Racing Post.
  3. "Doncaster Premier Yearlings Sale - Catalogue". Racing Post.
  4. "Excelebration - Progeny". Racing Post.
  5. "Alina - Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
  6. "Wagtail - Family 21-a". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
  7. "ebfstallions.com Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 24 September 2016.
  8. "Greenham Stakes result". Racing Post. 22 April 2017.
  9. "Barney Roy foils Dream Castle in Greenham at Newbury". Sky Sports. 22 April 2017.
  10. "St James's Palace Stakes result". Racing Post. 20 June 2017.
  11. Graham Clark (20 June 2017). "Barney Roy proves his worth with battling St James's Palace Stakes success". The Independent.
  12. Milnes, David (17 November 2017). "Darley announce retirement of Hannon star Barney Roy". Racing Post.
  13. Scully, Mark. "Barney Roy could return to training as fertility issues curtail stallion career". Racing Post. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  14. Milnes, David (25 April 2019). "Barney Roy in training with Charlie Appleby after flopping at stud". Racing Post.
  15. "Prix de Montretout result". Racing Post. 23 May 2019.
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