Santiago (horse)

Santiago (foaled 11 March 2017) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed some promise as a two-year-old in 2019, running second on his first two starts before taking a maiden race on his final appearance of the year. In 2020 he improved when moving up in distance to win the Queen's Vase and the Irish Derby.

Santiago
SireAuthorized
GrandsireMontjeu
DamWadyhatta
DamsireCape Cross
SexColt
Foaled11 March 2017[1]
CountryIreland
ColourBay
BreederLynch Bages Ltd
OwnerMichael Tabor, Susan Magnier & Derrick Smith
TrainerAidan O'Brien
Record5: 3-2-0
Earnings£444,235
Major wins
Queen's Vase (2020)
Irish Derby (2020)

Background

Santiago is a bay horse with a white star and snip and three white socks bred in Ireland by Lynch Bages Ltd, a breeding company associated with the Coolmore Stud. Like many Coolmore horses he was owned in partnership by Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.

He was sired by Authorized who won the Epsom Derby and International Stakes in 2007. Authorized's other offspring have included Nichols Canyon, Hartnell, Seal of Approval, Complacent (Spring Champion Stakes) and Ambivalent (Pretty Polly Stakes).[2] Santiago was the first foal of his dam Wadyhatta who showed modest form in France, winning two minor race in 2015.[3] She was a grand-daughter of the Kentucky-bred broodmare Allez Les Trois, making her a close relative of Anabaa Blue, Tamayuz and Urban Sea.[4]

Racing career

2019: two-year-old season

Santiago was ridden in all three of his races as a two-year-old by his trainer's son Donnacha O'Brien. The colt made his debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse on 18 July when he started at odds of 8/1 and finished strongly to take second place, half a length behind the favorite Howling Wolf.[5] On 2 August Santiago started 9/4 second favourite for a similar event over the same distance at Galway and came home second of the eleven runners beaten three and a quarter lengths behind the filly Alpine Star.[6] In a maiden over one mile on soft ground at Listowel Racecourse on 12 September Santiago recorded his first victory as he led for most of the way and won by one and a quarter lengths from Sunchart at odds of 1/2.[7]

2020: three-year-old season

The 2020 flat racing season in England and Ireland was disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and Santiago did not make his reappearance until 19 June when he was sent to England to contest the Group 2 Queen's Vase over one mile and six furlongs at Royal Ascot. Ridden by Ryan Moore he went off the 100/30 third choice in the betting behind the filly Born With Pride (winner of the Montrose Stakes) and the Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up Berkshire Rocco in an eight-runner field which also included Al Dabaran (Pat Eddery Stakes). After being restrained by Moore in the early stages, Santiago took the lead two furlongs from the finish and won by almost three lengths from Berkshire Rocco despite hanging to the right in the closing stages.[8] After the race Aidan O'Brien said "He's a lovely straightforward horse. He travelled well and we always thought he would stay well. He's an easy horse to train and an easy horse to get fit. We've been thinking he was an ideal St Leger horse so we'll look for another run somewhere between now and then really... the Irish Derby would come too quick but we'll see what the lads want to do."[9]

Despite O'Brien's misgivings Santiago reappeared for the Irish Derby, which was run "behind closed doors" at the Curragh on 27 June when he was partnered by Seamie Heffernan and went off 2/1 favourite. His thirteen opponents included Crossfirehurricane (Gallinule Stakes), Arthur's Kingdom (second in the King Edward VII Stakes) and the filly New York Girl (winner of the Weld Park Stakes and fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas). With no overseas contenders and only three previous Group race winners in attendance the event appeared to be a substandard edition of the classic. In a race run in heavy rain, Santiago settled towards the rear before making progress and switching to the outside in the straight. He took the lead two furlongs out, opened up a clear advantage and kept on well to hold off the challenge of his stablemate Tiger Moth to win by a head.[10] O'Brien who was winning the race for a record fourteenth time and trained the first four finishers said "We're delighted with that. He's a lovely staying type of horse and they went an honest gallop. We thought he might be a St Leger horse and be one to look forward to as a Cup horse next year, and the horses behind him are still babies, so they're there to look forward to as well" while Heffernan commented "He's a tough horse to come back from a mile and six furlongs last week, but the Curragh suited him... This horse has guts, and, if you have guts, you don't always have to be on the best horse in the race".[11]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Santiago (IRE), bay colt, 2017[1]
Sire
Authorized (IRE)
2004		 Montjeu (IRE)
1996		 Sadler's Wells (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Fairy Bridge
Floripedes (FR) Top Ville (IRE)
Toute Cy
Funsie (FR)
1999		 Saumarez (GB) Rainbow Quest (USA)
Fiesta Fun
Vallee Dansante (USA) Lyphard
Green Valley (FR)
Dam
Wadyhatta (GB)
2012		 Cape Cross (IRE)
1994		 Green Desert (USA) Danzig
Foreign Courier
Park Appeal Ahonoora (GB)
Balidaress
Thamarat (GB)
2003		 Anabaa (USA) Danzig
Balbonella (FR)
Al Ishq (FR) Nureyev (USA)
Allez Les Trois (USA) (Family: 9-h)[4]
  • Santiago was inbred 4 × 4 to Danzig, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References
  1. "Santiago pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Authorized - Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. "Wadyhatta - Race Record". Racing Post.
  4. "Adelaide - Family 9-h". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  5. "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden result". Racing Post. 18 July 2019.
  6. "James's Gate Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden result". Racing Post. 2 August 2019.
  7. "Tote Ireland Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden result". Racing Post. 12 September 2019.
  8. "Queen's Vase result". Racing Post. 19 June 2020.
  9. "Santiago with an emphatic win in the Queen's Vase". ITV Racing. 19 June 2020.
  10. "Irish Derby result". Racing Post. 27 June 2020.
  11. Forristal, Richard (27 June 2020). "Santiago Tops O'Brien Quartet in Irish Derby". The Blood-Horse.
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