Ballydoyle’s star St Mark’s Basilica has been retired to stud.
St Mark’s Basilica was last year’s champion two-year-old in Europe and ends his racing career as the joint top-rated horse in training.
He is unbeaten as a three-year-old having won the French 2000 Guineas, the French Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes this season.
He has won six of his nine runs over the course of his career.
The Siyouni colt, out of Cabaret (Galileo), was bought for 1,300,000 guineas, and won five straight Group 1 races across three countries.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is quoted on the Coolmore website saying “St Mark’s Basilica is possibly the best horse we have ever had in Ballydoyle. He relaxes and quickens and has all the determination from Galileo and all the speed from Siyouni.”
He is sure to be an extremely important addition to Coolmore Stud following Galileo’s sad passing in July.
“He’s the most exciting prospect we’ve retired from Ballydoyle since his late grandfather Galileo,” said Coolmore’s David O’Loughlin on the Coolmore website.
St Mark’s Basilica was beaten on debut at Curragh in July 2020, but kept on well under a hands and heels ride by Wayne Lordan.
He followed that run in a Group 1 race at the Curragh, finishing fifth behind some more experienced two-year-olds.
He won his maiden in August 2020, at the Curragh, beating 17 horses comfortably.
However, on his fourth racecourse outing, the colt finished third in very good company, finishing behind Thunder Moon and stable-mate Wembley.
Master Of The Seas, Lucky Vega, Law Of Indices and Mac Swiney all finished in behind, showing such depth there was in that particular contest.
The highlight of his two-year-old campaign came on his British debut at Newmarket in the Dewhurst Stakes on Champions Day.
St Mark’s Basilica went off at odds of 10/1 and ran on well, finishing ahead of Wembley and Thunder Moon as well as twelve other rivals including Poetic Flare, Chindit and Tactical.
His three-year-old season started at Longchamp in May, where he lined up in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas).
Ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal, St Mark’s Basilica raced in midfield before showing glimpses of his greatness by chasing down the leaders and winning comfortably in the end.
Following his French debut success, he travelled back to France for the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) easily beating the field including Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hopeful Sealiway who finished in second.
In July he travelled to Sandown for the Coral-Eclipse and once again won well, beating Addeybb, Mishriff and El Drama.
By winning the Coral-Eclipse, St Mark’s Basilica confirmed his greatness.
Although he didn’t beat a big field, as in previous races, he did beat top-class horses and international champions in Mishriff and Addeyb.
The colt’s final race came at Leopardstown in the Irish Champion Stakes on the 11th of September.
In another small field, St Mark’s Basilica came out on top in a high-quality renewal.
He beat Arc favourite Tarnawa, and 2000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare in a close contest, with Patrick Sarsfield finishing far behind in fourth.
O’Brien told the Racing Post: “After the Irish Champion Stakes he was grand, but he was sore again when we got him back up to full work so that’s why we had to pull back off him.
“I discussed it with the lads to let them know what the picture was. I ticked him over for a while and we had a chat about it.”
The decision was made to retire St Mark’s Basilica as connections decided going to the Champion Stakes at Ascot next month was “too big a chance to take with him” considering his importance as a future stallion.
Jockey Ryan Moore, who rode St Mark’s Basilica to victory in the Coral-Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes, is quoted in the Racing Post saying: “He really was a brilliant horse, a pleasure to ride in fact, and a dream for any jockey, but he relaxed so well and then quickened instantly when you asked him.
“He was fantastic and always an exciting horse to ride. He will be remembered very fondly for what he has done.”
We wish him all the best in his career at stud and look forward to seeing his offspring following in his special footsteps.
KM
THE CONDITIONAL 