Palace Pier (horse)

Palace Pier (foaled 20 March 2017) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won two minor events as a juvenile and a handicap race on his three-year-old debut before emerging as a top-class performer with victories in the St James's Palace Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois

Palace Pier
Racing silks of Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
SireKingman
GrandsireInvincible Spirit
DamBeach Frolic
DamsireNayef
SexColt
Foaled20 March 2017[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederHighclere Stud & Floors Farming
OwnerHamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
TrainerJohn Gosden
Record5: 5-0-0
Earnings£460,544
Major wins
St James's Palace Stakes (2020)
Prix Jacques le Marois (2020)

Background

Palace Pier is a bay colt with a white star bred in England by the Highclere Stud & Floors Farming. As a yearling in October 2018 he was put up for auction at Tattersalls and bought for 600,000 guineas by the trainer John Gosden.[1] He entered the ownership of Godolphin but was before his racing career began he was transferred to the ownership of Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

He was from the second crop of foals sired by Kingman who was named Cartier Horse of the Year in 2014 when he won the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois.[2] Palace Pier's dam Beach Frolic was an unraced half-sister to Bonfire (Dante Stakes) and Joviality (Windsor Forest Stakes). She was a great-granddaughter of the French broodmare Miss Satin (foaled 1975) whose other descendants have included Blue Bunting and Miss Satamixa (Prix Jacques le Marois).[3]

Racing career

2019: two-year-old season

Frankie Dettori rode Palace Pier on both of his races in 2019. The colt began his track career in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Sandown Park on 30 August when he started the 11/8 favourite and won by three and three quarter lengths after taking the lead a furlong from the finish and drawing away from his opponents in the closing stages.[4] On 18 September, over the same course and distance, the colt started at odds of 1/8 for a novice race (for horses with no more than two previous wins) in which he led from the start and won by four and a half lengths from Mars Landing despite being eased down in the final furlong.[5]

2020: three-year-old season

The flat racing season in England was disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and Palace Pier did not make his reappearance until 6 June when he carried top weight of 131 pounds in a handicap race over one mile on the synthetic Tapeta at Newcastle Racecourse. Ridden by Robert Havlin he started the 11/10 favourite and won in "impressive" style by three lengths after coming from well off the pace to take the lead inside the final furlong.[6] Two weeks after his win at Newcastle the colt was stepped up sharply in class to contest the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in which he was partnered by Dettori and started at odds of 4/1. Pinatubo started favourite while the other five runners included Wichita (second in the 2000 Guineas), Positive (Solario Stakes), Threat (Gimcrack Stakes), Arizona (Coventry Stakes) and Royal Dornoch (Royal Lodge Stakes). After starting slowly and racing towards the rear of the field Palace Pier began to make progress on the final turn, moved into contention a furlong out, and overtook Pinatubo in the closing stages to win "readily" by a length.[7] After the race John Gosden said "The race panned out well. Frankie said he wanted to ride him a little cold and settle him... It was no fluke, he is a very talented horse... It's a stiff old mile at Ascot and he showed his stamina" before indicating that the colt would be aimed at the Prix Jacques le Marois.[8] Dettori, who was winning his 73rd race at Royal Ascot commented "It was hard to really get him fit, but John thought let's start him in a handicap which should wake him up, and it did... We always thought a lot of Palace Pier but his work in the spring wasn't what we thought it could've been, but since Newcastle he's turned a page. I expect him to improve".[9]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Palace Pier (GB), bay colt, 2017[1]
Sire
Kingman (GB)
2011		 Invincible Spirit (IRE)
1997		 Green Desert (USA) Danzig
Foreign Courier
Rafha (GB) Kris
Eljazzi (IRE)
Zenda (GB)
1999		 Zamindar (USA) Gone West
Zaizafon
Hope (IRE) Dancing Brave (USA)
Bahamian
Dam
Beach Frolic (GB)
2011		 Nayef (USA)
1998		 Gulch Mr Prospector
Jameela
Height of Fashion (FR) Bustino (GB)
Highclere (GB)
Night Frolic (GB)
2001		 Night Shift (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Ciboulette (CAN)
Miss d'Ouilly (FR) Bikala (IRE)
Miss Satin (Family: 4-n)[3]

References
  1. "Palace Pier pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Kingman - Race Record". Racing Post.
  3. "St Marguerite - Family 4-n". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  4. "Betway British EBF Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 30 August 2019.
  5. "Max Patel Wealth Manager Of Choice Novice Stakes result". Racing Post. 18 September 2019.
  6. "Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap result". Racing Post. 6 June 2020.
  7. "St James's Palace Stakes result". Racing Post. 20 June 2020.
  8. "Pier an aptly-named winner of St James's Palace Stakes". 20 June 2020 – via RTÉ. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. Stevens, James (20 June 2020). "Palace Pier Edges Pinatubo in St. James's Palace Stakes". The Blood-Horse.
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