Golden Horde (horse)

Golden Horde (foaled 11 February 2017) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2019 he was one of the best colts of his generation in Europe, winning the Richmond Stakes, running second in the Middle Park Stakes and finishing third in the Prix Morny. On his first run as a three-year-old he won the Commonwealth Cup.

Golden Horde
Racing silks of AlMohamediya Racing
SireLethal Force
GrandsireDark Angel
DamEntreat
DamsirePivotal
SexColt
Foaled11 February 2017[1]
CountryIreland
ColourChestnut
BreederCN Farm Ltd
OwnerAlMohamediya Racing
TrainerClive Cox
Record7: 3-1-1
Earnings£366,291
Major wins
Richmond Stakes (2019)
Commonwealth Cup (2020)

Background

Golden Horde is a chestnut colt with a white star bred in Ireland by CN Stables Ltd. As a yearling in August 2018 he was consigned to the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale and was bought for £65,000 by the trainer Clive Cox[2] who took him into traniing at his stable at Lambourn in Berkshire. Golden Horde races in the colours of AlMohamediya Racing and has been ridden in most of his races by Adam Kirby.

He was from the second crop of foals sired by Lethal Force, an outstanding sprinter whose wins included the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and the July Cup.[3] Golden Horde's dam Entreat showed modest racing ability, winning one minor races from eight starts.[4] Her other foals have included the Pipalong Stakes winner Exhort. Entreat's dam River Saint was a half-sister to Serena's Song.[5]

Racing career

2019: two-year-old season

On his racecourse debut Golden Horde started at odds of 6/1 for a maiden race over six furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 17 May and finished fourth of the twelve runners, three and a quarter lengths behind the winner Light Angel.[6] On 3 May at Windsor Racecourse the colt started the 6/5 favourite for a Novice race (for horses with no more than two previous wins) and recorded his first success as he won "readily" by four and a half length from Indian Creak after leading from the start.[7] He was then stepped up in class for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in which he started a 33/1 outsider and came home fifth of the seventeen runners behind Arizona, Threat, Guildsman and Fort Myers after hanging to the left in the closing stages.

At Goodwood Racecourse on 1 August Golden Horde contested the Richmond Stakes and went off at odds of 15/2 in a thirteen-runner field which also include Threat (who started favourite) and Guildsman. After settling in second place behind the front-running Misty Grey he went to the front approaching the final furlong and got the better of a "sustained duel" with Threat to win by three quarters of a length.[8] Clive Cox commented "He is very talented and has got a lot of ability and a great mind... He got into a lovely rhythm and Adam said that it didn't feel they were going that fast which is the sign of a good horse. I'm delighted with his progression and I still think he is improving... It was great to watch the last 50 yards as he was gaining, not folding."[9]

Seventeen days after his win at Goodwood, Golden Horde was sent to France for the Group 1 Prix Morny over 1200 metres on heavy ground at Deauville Racecourse and finished third behind Earthlight and the filly Raffle Prize with Arizona in fourth and A'Ali (Prix Robert Papin) in fifth. On his final run of the season, the colt faced his previous rivals Earthlight and Threat in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 28 September. Starting a 16/1 outsider he took the lead a furlong from the finish but was overtaken by Earthlight in the closing stages and beaten a neck into second place.[10]

In the official rating of European two-year-olds for 2019 Golden Horde was rated the seventh-best juvenile of the year behind Pinatubo, Earthlight, Kameko, Arizona, Millisle and Mums Tipple.[11]

2020: three-year-old season

The 2020 flat racing season in England was disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and Golden Horde did not reappear until 19 June when he started the 5/1 third favourite for the Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs at Royal Ascot. The Round Tower Stakes winner Lope Y Fernandez started favourite ahead of Pierre Lapin (Mill Reef Stakes) while the other thirteen runners included Millisle, Mums Tipple and the American-trained filly Kimari. Racing up the stands-side (the left side from the jockeys' viewpoint) he was in contention from the start, went to the front at half way and kept on well to win "readily" by a length and a half from Kimari with third place going to the 50/1 outsider Ventura Rebel.[12] After the race Cox said "I was very proud of him. He's a lovely, big strong horse. He was a wonderful two-year-old, but with the size and scope, he's really strengthened into that frame as a three-year-old. He's uncomplicated and has a great cruising speed... He couldn't have pleased me more".[13]

On 11 July Golden Horde was matched against older horses for the first time in the Group 1 July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse and started the 2/1 favourite in a twelve-runner field. He took the lead soon after the start but was overtaken in the last quarter mile and finished third behind Oxted and the Irish challenger Sceptical.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Golden Horde (IRE), chestnut colt, 2017[1]
Sire
Lethal Force (IRE)
2009		 Dark Angel (IRE)
2005		 Acclamation (GB) Royal Applause
Princess Athena (IRE)
Midnight Angel (GB) Machiavellian (USA)
Night At Sea
Land Army (GB)
2001		 Desert Style Green Desert (USA)
Organza
Family At War (USA) Explodent
Sometimes Perfect
Dam
Entreat (GB)
2006		 Pivotal (GB)
1993		 Polar Falcon (USA) Nureyev
Marie d'Argonne (FR)
Fearless Revival Cozzene (USA)
Stufida
River Saint (USA)
1996		 Irish River (FR) Riverman (USA)
Irish Star
Imagining Northfields
Image Intensifier (Family: 7)[5]
gollark: The Bible is awful and includes random junk about whatever.
gollark: Do what you want as long as it doesn't harm others, anyway.
gollark: People *constantly* say "something something your picture is a pizza", even though it is CLEARLY* hyperbolic geometry.
gollark: I am of course familiar with the general concept though - my profile picture contains subliminal pizza advertising.
gollark: It seems very conspiracy-theoretic and pointless.

References
  1. "Golden Horde pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "UK Premier Yearling Sale Lot 441". Goffs UK.
  3. "Lethal Force Stud Record". Racing Post.
  4. "Entreat race record". Racing Post.
  5. "Myrrha - Family 7". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  6. "Starlight Raceday Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 May 2019.
  7. "Synergy Commercial Finance Funding UK Businesses EBF Novice Stakes result". Racing Post. 3 May 2019.
  8. "Richmond Stakes result". Racing Post. 1 August 2019.
  9. "Golden Horde wins the Qatar Richmond Stakes". itv.com. 1 August 2019.
  10. "Middle Park Stakes result". Racing Post. 28 September 2019.
  11. "European two-year-old Classification 2019" (PDF). Britishhorseracing.com. January 2020.
  12. "Commonwealth Cup result". Racing Post. 19 June 2020.
  13. Dietz, Andrew (19 June 2020). "Golden Horde Gives Trainer Cox a Sweep of Royal Sprints". The Blood-Horse.
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