A EUROPEAN champion over 10 furlongs twice, Fascinating Rock was an extremely tough and consistent racehorse who won eight of his 15 career starts, spread over four seasons.
He also has a good outcross pedigree, as he is the best son of Australian champion Fastnet Rock bred in Europe, and his dam is a winning daughter of Polar Falcon out of a winning half-sister to international champion Gothenberg. He looks good value at only €5,000 in his fifth season at Ballylinch.
Not surprisingly, several foals by Fascinating Rock have brought substantial prices at the sales, with the filly out of Lady Livius selling for €185,000 at Goffs, where there was also €160,000 paid for the yearling daughter of Bebhinn.
He had his first runners in 2020 and so far he has had five winners of eight races, with Earls Rock scoring in the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita this month, and Killer Mambo winning three times in Rome.
Fastnet Rock, the sire of Fascinating Rock, is a son of Danehill and he was the champion three-year-old colt in Australia, with Group 1 victories in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield and the Lightning Stakes at Flemington. He has sired 39 individual Group 1 winners worldwide, including two brilliant sprinters in Merchant Navy, who won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, and the triple Prix de la Foret hero One Master.
After just one outing as a two-year-old, Fascinating Rock won his first three starts the next season, including the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Navan and the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown.
After a 10-month break, Fascinating Rock soon showed as a four-year-old how much he had improved, comfortably winning the Listed Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown and then defeating Parish Hall in the Group 3 Mooresbridge Stakes, before finishing a close second to Al Kazeem in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, also at the Curragh.
He ended that season by winning the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown, before travelling to Ascot for the Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes and winning there from Group 1 stars Found and Jack Hobbs.
The Curragh was the scene of all three of Fascinating Rock’s starts in his final season, beginning with a third placed finish to Found in the Group 3 Mooresbridge Stakes. However, in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup he defeated Found for the second time, winning by almost four lengths, and he ended a brilliant racing career by only just failing to carry 10st to victory in the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes.
FASCINATING ROCK (IRE), Bay 2011. Jt Champion older horse in Europe in 2015 (9.5-10.5f.). Jt Champion older horse in Ireland in 2015 & 2016. Won eight races, £1,152,569, from 1 mile to 1½ miles, 3 to 5 years including, Qipco Champion Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Tattersalls Gold Cup, Curragh, Gr.1, Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, KPMG Enterprise Kilternan Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, Navan, Gr.3, So You Think EBF Mooresbridge Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, Heritage Stakes, Leopardstown, L, also placed second in Tattersalls Gold Cup, Curragh, Gr.1, Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, and third in Camelot EBF Mooresbridge Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3.
Retired to Stud in 2017, and sire of the winners of 8 races, and £118,901, including EARLS ROCK (IRE).
Stands at: Ballylinch Stud, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Contact: John O’Connor
Telephone: +353 (0) 56 7724217
Email: info@ballylinchstud.ie
Web: www.ballylinchstud.com
Fee: €5,000