Roderic O'Connor (horse)

Roderic O'Connor (foaled 4 April 2008) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the Criterium International as a two-year-old and the Irish 2000 Guineas as a three-year-old. He is owned by Mrs John Magnier and was trained by Aidan O'Brien. He now stands as a stallion at Ballyhane Stud.

Roderic O'Connor
Racing silks of Susan Magnier
SireGalileo
GrandsireSadler's Wells
DamSecret Garden
DamsireDanehill
SexStallion
Foaled2008
CountryIreland
ColourBay
BreederSwettenham Stud
OwnerMrs John Magnier
TrainerAidan O'Brien
Record9: 3-1-1
Earnings£393,444[1]
Major wins
Criterium International (2010)
Irish 2000 Guineas (2011)

Breeding

Roderic O'Connor is the son of Galileo, who won The Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and multiple Champion sire. Galileo's sire was Sadler's Wells, winner of the Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes and multiple Champion sire. Roderic O'Connor's dam, Secret Garden won twice, including a listed race. Secret Garden's sire was Danehill, winner of the Sprint Cup and Champion sire.

Racing career

2010: two-year-old season

Roderic O'Connor finished third on his racecourse debut when starting at 20/1 for a seven furlong maiden at Leopardstown. He then won a maiden race at the Curragh, beating Master of Hounds by 2½ lengths. In the Dewhurst Stakes he took on Frankel and Dream Ahead. Starting as the 25/1 outsider he finished second, 2¼ lengths behind Frankel.[2] In his final start as a two-year-old he travelled to France for the Criterium International. He started the race the 5/2 second favourite and was ridden by Johnny Murtagh. He was ridden prominently during the early stages of the race and then quickened clear in the finishing straight. In the closing stages he drifted first left and then right, but he ran on again to win by 1½ lengths from Salto.[3]

2011: three-year-old-season

He started his three-year-old season 2000 Guineas and was amongst the favourites. Dewhurst winner Frankel was the hot favourite at 1/2, then came Roderic O'Connor and National Stakes winner Pathfork at 8/1. Racing Post Trophy winner Casamento started at 11/1. Frankel pulled away in the opening stages of the race and was never caught. Ridden by Ryan Moore, Roderic O'Connor was near the front of the chasing group, but faded with three furlongs still to run. He finished 38 lengths behind the winner in eleventh.[4] Roderic O'Connor then took on 2000 Guineas runner-up Dubawi Gold in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Under Joseph O'Brien (son of trainer Aidan O'Brien) he led from the start. Dubawi Gold closed in the final stages of the race, but could not catch him and Roderic O'Connor went on to win by ¾ length.[5] This was Joseph O'Brien's first Group 1 win. He then finished eighth in the Prix du Jockey Club, sixth in the Irish Derby and fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes.[1]

Assessment

He was officially rated as the 136th best horse in the world in 2011.[6]

Stud career

At the end of the 2011 season Roderic O'Connor was retired to stud. He stands as a stallion at Ballyhane Stud[7] and also as a shuttle stallion in Brazil during the 2012 season.[8] His 2012 stud fee is €9,000.[9]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Roderic O'Connor, bay colt, 2008[10]
Sire
Galileo (IRE)
b. 1998		 Sadler's Wells
b. 1981		 Northern Dancer*
b. 1961		 Nearctic
Natalma
Fairy Bridge
b. 1975		 Bold Reason
Special
Urban Sea
ch. 1989		 Miswaki
ch. 1978		 Mr. Prospector
Hopespringseternal
Allegretta
ch. 1978		 Lombard
Anatevka
Dam
Secret Garden (IRE)
b. 1999		 Danehill
b. 1986		 Danzig
b. 1977		 Northern Dancer*
Pas De Nom
Razyana
b. 1981		 His Majesty
Spring Adieu
Chalamont
ch. 1993		 Kris
ch. 1976		 Sharpen Up
Doubly Sure
Durtal
b. 1974		 Lyphard
Derna

Note: b. = Bay, br. = Brown, ch. = Chestnut

* Roderic O'Connor is inbred 3x4 to Northern Dancer, meaning that the stallion appears once in the third generation and once in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

gollark: Who are you asking?
gollark: Boooooooooring.
gollark: Lispbutmodified is quite a boring esolang.
gollark: Not mathematical "research" though.
gollark: I guess so, ish.

References
  1. "Roderic O'Connor". Racing Post. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  2. "Dewhurst Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  3. "Criterium International result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  4. "2000 Guineas result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  5. "Irish 2000 Guineas result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  6. "The 2011 World Thoroughbred Rankings". Horseracingintfed.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-18. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  7. "Roderic O'Connor to stand at Ballyhane Stud". Bloodstock.racingpost.com. 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  8. "Roderic O'Connor to shuttle to Brazil". Bloodstock.racingpost.com. 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  9. "Roderic O'Connor | Bloodstock Stallion Book". Bloodstock.racingpost.com. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  10. "Roderic O'Connor pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
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