MIZZOU, runner-up to Order Of St George in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup and twice winner of the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes, retired to stud in 2017 at James Hannon’s The Old Road Stud in Tallow, Co Waterford. Only once out of the money in 10 starts, he won five times and earned £217,208.

Costing 275,000gns as a yearling, he was trained by Luca Cumani who said of him: “A grand looking horse with a great pedigree. Mizzou has been a model of consistency throughout his career. Blessed with staying power, he also always displayed great acceleration at the end of his races. As genuine and willing as any horse I have ever trained.”

Off the mark as a sire with the Christian Williams-trained Up For Appeal, Mizzou was always going to find a place at stud after he posted a fine racing career. He won three of his five starts at three, being unraced as a two-year-old, and on the last of these he showed that he was going to be a most exciting four-year-old when he was beaten two short-heads by Big Orange in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot.

Three starts at four kicked off with the first of his two Group 3 Sagaro Stakes victories, and ended with a second placed finish to Max Dynamite in the Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Stakes at York.

He continued to improve with age and Mizzou started just twice at five, winning a second Group 3 Sagaro Stakes before a career-best performance to run second in the Group 1 Gold Cup to Order Of St George, the pair well clear of 15 other runners.

Mizzou and the group-placed duo of Unity (Sadler’s Wells) and Eternal Bounty (Galileo) are the three winning offspring of Moments Of Joy (Darshaan). That listed winner sold for 1,650,000gns to Coolmore Stud, the same year that her dam My Emma (Marju), winner of the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and Group 1 Prix Vermeille, realised 1,300,000gns.

Unity is responsible for two stakes winners and Eternal Bounty for a group-placed winner, but their unraced sibling Love On My Mind (Galileo) has outshone them, being the dam of the 2022 Group 1 National Stakes winner Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett).

There is every possibility that this family could throw up another Group 1 winner in 2024, as My Emma’s grandson Deepone (Study Of Man) showed himself to be among the best juveniles in Ireland with his victory in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes.

This is an outstanding female line, as you might expect, and Mizzou’s third dam Pato (High Top) bred the champion stayer and classic winner Classic Cliche (Salse). He won the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup and St Leger and had some success as a sire.

Descending from Pato are other racing stars such as the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightning Pearl (Marju) and Japanese and Hong Kong Group 1 winner Satono Crown (Marju).

Race record

MIZZOU (IRE), Bay horse, 2011, by Galileo (IRE), out of Moments of Joy (GB), by Darshaan. Won 5 races, value £217,208, at 3 to 5, from 1 mile 4 furlongs to 2 miles, Sagaro Stakes, Ascot, Gr.3 (twice), also placed second in Ascot Gold Cup, Ascot, Gr.1, Lonsdale Cup, York, Gr.2 and third in Noel Murless Stakes, Ascot, L.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2017, and sire of 1 winner, of 1 race, and £12,363 under National Hunt rules, including Up For Appeal (Ire).

Information

Stands at: The Old Road Stud, Tallow, Co Waterford, Ireland

Contact: James and Marian Hannon

Telephone: +353 58 56343 or +353 86 8782765

Email: theoldroadstud@eircom.net

Fee: Private