THE new flat turf season will soon be here, and with it the fifth anniversary of one of the most impressive performances in an Irish sprint in recent times.
Even allowing for the heavy ground and the runner-up carrying a 5lb penalty, the winner’s performance in the Listed Cork Stakes over six furlongs that March was unforgettable.
The result looked inevitable even a quarter of a mile out. An Saighdiur was at the rail, Flight Risk on his outside, but Bobby’s Kitten was cruising. It was clearly a matter of when Pat Smullen would ask him to go. The partnership was in front and cruising as they passed the furlong pole, and the final margin of victory was eight and a half lengths under a hands-and-heels ride.
This was the horse who beat No Nay Never in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over six and a half furlongs at Santa Anita 17 months before, one who had spent most of his career at around a mile until that day in California.
The Chad Brown-trained bay landed the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes and finished third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at two, he was a Grade 1-placed stakes winner over a mile at three, finished fourth in a five-and-a-half-furlong edition of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland, and then moved to Ireland.
Now with Dermot Weld, all of the Group 1 sprints appeared to be on the table, but sadly Cork was the only time we saw Bobby’s Kitten run in Europe.
In 2020, the son of leading international sire Kitten’s Joy (El Prado) was among the freshman sires who achieved a double-digit tally of first-crop winners, and his list includes the triple British scorers Miami Joy and Mirage Mac, plus the 111-rated Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas entrant Monaasib.
That Kevin Prendergast-trained colt, a £65,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale graduate, won at the Curragh and Cork, was short-headed in the inaugural Ballyhane Stakes at Naas and, when stepping up to a mile, was the three-quarter-length runner-up to potential Derby star High Definition in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes.
Bobby’s Kitten, a great-grandson of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer), is by the sire of Roaring Lion, Hawkbill and Kameko, he is a full brother to the dual Grade 2 scorer Camelot Kitten, and the seven Group/Grade 1 winners under the first four generations of his pedigree feature the champion racehorse and leading international sire Theatrical (Nureyev).
His first pattern winners should be known before long.
BOBBY’S KITTEN (USA), Bay 2011. Won six races, £846,971, from 6 furlongs to 1 mile ½ furlongs, 2 to 5 years including, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Santa Anita, Gr.1, Pilgrim Stakes, Belmont Park, Gr.3, Cork Stakes, Cork, L, Penn Mile Stakes, Penn National, L, also placed second in Nat.Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, Saratoga, Gr.2, and third in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (c&g), Santa Anita, Gr.1, Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes, Woodbine, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2017, and sire of the winners of 20 races, and £220,440, including Monaasib (GB)
Stands at: Lanwades Stud, Moulton, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8QS, England.
Contact: Kirsten Rausing
Telephone: +44 (0)1638 750222
Email: info@lanwades.com
Web: www.lanwades.com
Fee: £7,000