WHAT an inspired move by William and John Flood at Boardsmill Stud to acquire Poet’s Word after just a single season at stud in England. A grandson of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium), he was the champion older horse over middle distances at five, when his wins included the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, both at Ascot. During his racing career he defeated no less than 23 individual Group 1 winners.

With just a handful of runners in his first crop, he is already off the mark with a pair of juvenile scorers, one each for Richard Hannon and Eve Johnson Houghton. Buyers of his foals have also voted with confidence in Poet’s Word, his second Boadsmill crop realising up to €85,000 last year.

Poet’s Word, who cost £300,000 as a yearling, is undoubtedly the best son of his sire Poet’s Voice (Dubawi), who was also an Ascot star when winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Other top performers by Poet’s Voice include Australian Group 1 star Trap For Fools and four European classic winners, among them Italian Derby star Summer Festival.

Raced only once as a two-year-old, when he was fourth, Poet’s Word was never out of the money in five outings the next season, winning comfortably at Goodwood and Nottingham. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and improving all the time, he chalked up two more wins at four, including the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood, beating Second Step.

Then as a five-year-old Poet’s Word showed even greater improvement and was officially rated as one of the best half dozen horses in the world on 126 in the World Rankings, with Cracksman the only European horse above him, while Crystal Ocean and Enable were also on 125.

He defeated Cracksman in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes by two lengths, then in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes he got the better of Crystal Ocean by a neck after a tremendous duel, these two finishing nine lengths clear of the third horse Coronet. Poet’s Word was also second to the three-year-old champion Roaring Lion in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York.

Poet’s Word’s dam Whirly Bird (Nashwan) won five races and she has produced six winners, including Malabar (Raven’s Pass) who won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes and the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes, both at Goodwood; she is also grandam of the Group 2 Railway Stakes winner and Group 1-placed Beckford (Bated Breath). The next dam Inchyre (Shirley Heights) was dam of two blacktype winners, Ursa Major (Galileo) and Inchiri (Sadler’s Wells), and she was a half-sister to the high-class miler and successful stallion Inchinor (Ahonoora). Their dam Inchmurrin (Lomond) was a champion filly with three blacktype wins and she is ancestress of some 20 stakes winners.

POET’S WORD (IRE), Bay 2013. Champion older horse in Europe in 2018 (11-13f.). Won seven races, £2,952,762, from 1 mile 2 furlongs to 1½ miles, 3 to 5 years including, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Betfred Glorious Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.3, Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3, also placed second in Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Meydan, Gr.1, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, Qipco Champion Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, sportingbet.com Huxley Stakes, Chester, Gr.3.

Retired to Stud in 2019, and sire of the winners of 2 races, and £51,638.

Stands at: Boardsmill Stud, Trim, Co Meath, Ireland

Contact: William or John Flood

Telephone: +353 (87 2380583 (William) or 9066772 (John)

Web: www.boardsmillstud.com

Fee: €6,000