THE Ballydoyle runner Bolshoi Ballet, a son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), produced a career best performance to win the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga last year on his final start, and took his winning to north of £1 million in so doing.
Two years earlier he won his first Grade 1 when successful in the Belmont Derby, while in Ireland his three wins include a pair of Group 3 races at Leopardstown, the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and the Ballysax Stakes. Others to complete the Derrinstown/Ballysax double include Galileo, High Chaparral, champion National Hunt sire Yeats and Fame And Glory.
A four-length winner of a maiden over a mile at two, Bolshoi Ballet was back at the track for his first two starts at three, winning both times, after which he started favourite for the Derby at Epsom. He was struck into in the early stages of the race, and finished seventh.
Bolshoi Ballet showed that form was all wrong when he reappeared in the Belmont Derby, and he took this in smart style. When he won the Sword Dancer last year he recorded a Beyer speed figure of 107, the highest of any horse racing on turf in North America in 2023.
Bolshoi Ballet is the best of five winners from his unraced dam, all are by Galileo, and the best of the rest is Southern France. He won the Group 3 Ballycullen St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh, a listed race at Navan, while his many placed efforts included runner-up finishes in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup, and he was also placed in two classics, the Group 1 Irish St Leger, and the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster, However, his best win came in Australia where he landed the Group 2 Sandown Classic.
Their dam Alta Anna (Anabaa) has three wining siblings, and two of them are the stakes-winning full-sisters Abbatiale (Kaldoun) and Aubergade. The former was a Group 3 winner and she was denied a classic win by a short head, going down to the hot favourite Zainta in the Group 1 Prix de Diane-French Oaks. She has also been the better of the two at stud, producing a dual Group 3 winner, Bewitched, while a number of other stakes winners trace back to her.
Bolshoi Ballet’s fourth dam, the stakes winner Almyre (Wild Risk), had nine winning offspring, the best of which was the Group 2 winner, Group 1 Coronation Cup runner-up and successful sire, Ashmore (Luthier). However, Almyre has established an outstanding family, and many household names on both the flat and under National Hunt rules can trace back to her.
Standouts on the level include champions Arcangues (Sagace), winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, three-time Group 1 winner Aquarelliste (Danehill), Luxembourg (Camelot) and Angara (Alzao), who all trip easily off the tongue. Meanwhile, over jumps, family members such as Coko Beach (Cokoriko) and Derrinross (Scorpion) are very familiar.
Race record
BOLSHOI BALLET (IRE), Bay horse, 2018. Top rated older horse in Ireland in 2023 (11-14f.). Won 5 races, value £1,021,438, at 2, 3 and 5, from 1 mile to 1 mile 4 furlongs, Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes, Belmont Park, Gr.1, Sword Dancer Stakes, Saratoga, Gr.1, Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Leopardstown, Gr.3, Ballysax Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, also placed second in Wolferton Stakes, Ascot, L. and third in Aston Park Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3 and Vintage Crop Stakes, Navan, L.
At stud
Retired to stud in 2024.
Information
Stands at: The Beeches Stud, Lismore, Co. Waterford, P51 H70H, Ireland
Contact: Robert McCarthy, Bobby McCarthy, or Peter Kenneally
Telephone: +353 58 56254
Email: thebeechesstud@outlook.com
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €3,000