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Refuse To Bend
Refuse To Bend (17 March 2000 – 10 February 2012) was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Background Refuse To Bend was a bay horse with a white star and white socks on his hind legs bred by his owner the Swiss businessman Walter Haefner at his Moyglare Stud Farm near the town of Maynooth, County Kildare, in Ireland. He was sired by the Champion Sire Sadler's Wells. His dam, Market Slide was a daughter of Gulch, the 1988 U.S. Champion Sprint Horse. Market Slide had previously produced the Melbourne Cup winner, Media Puzzle, Racing career Refuse To Bend made his debut in August 2002 in Gowran, Ireland at Gowran Park, winning a Maiden race by four lengths. He then moved up to compete against top-level colts in the National Stakes at the Curragh Racecourse. A win in that race and another in the following spring's 2,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown Racecourse made him a contender for the 2003 British Classic Races. Ridden by regular jockey Pat Smullen, Refuse To Bend won ...
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Sadler's Wells (horse)
Sadler's Wells (11 April 1981 – 26 April 2011) was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and outstanding sire. He was the 1984 European Champion miler after winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Eclipse Stakes and Phoenix Champion Stakes in that year. He also finished second in the French Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Despite his success as a runner, it is as a sire that Sadler's Wells is best known. He was the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland a record-setting 14 times, including 13 titles in a row. At the time of his death, he had sired 323 stakes winners. Only Danehill, who was operational across both hemispheres, sired more. Sadler's Wells was also a notable sire of sires, including Galileo and Montjeu in Europe, and El Prado in the United States. He helped reverse a trend from the middle of the twentieth century where many of Europe's most successful racehorses were exported to stand in the United States and later ...
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Sire (horse)
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling. Terminology The male parent of a horse, a stallion, is commonly known as the ''sire'' and the female parent, the mare, is called the ''dam''. Both are genetically important, as each parent genes can be existent with a 50% probability in the foal. Contrary to popular misuse, "colt" refers to a young male horse only; "filly" is a young female. Though many horse owners may simply breed a family mare to a local stallion in order to produce a companion animal, most professional breeders use selective breeding to produce individuals of a given phenotype, or breed. Alternatively, a br ...
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Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse -- usually referred to as simply the Curragh -- is one of Ireland's most important Thoroughbred racecourses. It is situated on the Curragh plain in County Kildare, between the towns of Newbridge and Kildare. History The name "Curragh" comes from the Irish language word ''Cuirreach'', meaning "place of the running horse". The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727, but it was used for races before then. The first Derby was held in 1866, and in 1868 the Curragh was officially declared a horse racing and training facility by act of parliament. Racecourse redevelopment Redevelopment of the Curragh grandstand and racecourse facilities began in 2017 with completion due in time for commencement of the 2019 Irish Flat season. A truncated racing fixture list continued to be held at the course during this period with temporary facilities in place for the public. Racing The Curragh is a right-handed track, horseshoe and galloping in nature wit ...
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Maiden Race
In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the sex or age of the horse. Races may be handicaps, set weights, or weight for age. In many countries, maiden races are the lowest level of class and represent an entry point into a racing career. In countries such as the United States, maiden special weight races rank above claiming races, while maiden claiming races allow the horse to be claimed (bought) by another owner. Eligibility Generally, horses have to be maidens (non-winners) at the time of the race. In regions where jumping races take place, flat racing and jumps racing are sometimes treated as two distinct forms of racing and winning in one category does not preclude a horse entering a maiden in the other. For example, a horse can win multiple jumps races and still be eligible to en ...
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Gowran Park
Gowran Park is a horse race course in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the Annely Estate near the village of Gowran.The first meeting was held in 1914. and the first ever racecourse commentary in Ireland took place here in 1952. Gowran Park hosts 16 race days throughout the year with both National Hunt and Flat Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ... meetings. The racing season at Gowran Park has quality fixtures spread evenly throughout the year starting with the Thyestes Handicap Chase in January. Notable races References External links Official website Horse racing venues in the Republic of Ireland Sports venues in County Kilkenny Sports venues completed in 1914 1914 establishments in Ireland {{horseracing-venue-stub ...
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Gowran
Gowran (; ) is a town located on the eastern side of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The historic St. Mary's Collegiate Church is located in the centre of Gowran close to Gowran Castle. Gowran Park race course and Golf Course is located one km from the centre of Gowran. Gowran is located on the R448 regional road (former N9 national primary road) where it is crossed by the R702 regional road. History Gowran was a place of importance prior to the Norman invasion and a royal residence of the Kings of Ossory, who were sometimes recorded as the Kings of Gowran. Edward the Bruce with his army of Scots and Ulstermen took the town in 1316. James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde built Gowran Castle in 1385 close to the site of the present castle and town walls were erected circa 1415. King James I made Gowran a parliamentary borough in 1608. The town, under the command of Colonel Robert Hammond, surrendered to Oliver Cromwell on 21 March 1650 following a siege. Colonel Hammond was a cous ...
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Media Puzzle
Media Puzzle (May 7, 1997 – June 22, 2006), foaled in the United States was an Irish horse best known for his win in the 2002 Melbourne Cup. Background Media Puzzle was bred by Walter Haefner's Moyglare Stud Farm and owned by Dr. M. W. Smurfit. He was sired by Theatrical, the 1987 U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse, and out of the mare Market Slide by Gulch, the 1988 U.S. Champion Sprint Horse. Media Puzzle is the half brother of Refuse to Bend, a four-time group 1 winning entire by Sadler's Wells. Racing career At age three, Media Puzzle's best showings were third-place finishes in the Gallinule and St. Leger Stakes. Plagued by tendon problems throughout his career, after a difficult 2001, Media Puzzle had his best year in 2002. Taken to Australia, his winning time of 2.25.90 in the 2400-metre Geelong Cup broke the course record for the race. He went on to win the 2002 Melbourne Cup with Damien Oliver on board. Oliver's brother Jason had died one week before the Melbourne Cup wi ...
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Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races. The event starts at 3:00 pm on the first Tuesday of November and is known locally as "the race that stops the nation". The Melbourne Cup has a long tradition, with the first race held in 1861. It was originally run over but was shortened to in 1972 when Australia adopted the metric system. This reduced the distance by , and Rain Lover's 1968 race record of 3:19.1 was accordingly adjusted to 3:17.9. The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3:16.3. Qualifying and race conditions The race is a quality handicap for horses three years old and over, run over a distance of 3200 metres, on ...
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Eclipse Award For Outstanding Sprint Horse
The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races (usually those run at a distance of under one mile). The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) began naming an annual sprint champion in 1947. Starting in 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) began naming its own champion. The following list provides the name of the horses chosen by these organizations. The ''Daily Racing Form'', the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, and the National Turf Writers Association all joined forces in 1971 to create the Eclipse Award. Through 2006, the Sprint Champion was chosen from a horse of either sex. In 2007, a separate category honoring the American Champion Female Sprint Horse became part of the Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire ...
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Leading Sire In Great Britain & Ireland
The title of champion, or leading, sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current champion is Frankel, who replaced his sire Galileo as the leading sire in 2021 after Galileo had won the title twelve times. Unlike the similar title for leading sire in North America, the stallion in question does not need to have resided in Great Britain or Ireland during his stud career, although the vast majority have done so. Northern Dancer is the most notable example of a North American-based stallion who won this title. The Northern Dancer sire line has dominated the list for the last several decades, mostly through his son Sadler's Wells (14 titles) and grandson Galileo. Records Most championships: * 14 – Sadler's Wells – ''1990, 1992–2004'' * 13 – Highflyer – ''1785–1796, 1798'' * 12 – Galileo – ''2008, 2010–2020'' * 10 – Sir Peter ...
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County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, which has a population of 246,977. Geography and subdivisions Kildare is the 24th-largest of Ireland's 32 counties in area and the seventh largest in terms of population. It is the eighth largest of Leinster's twelve counties in size, and the second largest in terms of population. It is bordered by the counties of Carlow, Laois, Meath, Offaly, South Dublin and Wicklow. As an inland county, Kildare is generally a lowland region. The county's highest points are the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains bordering to the east. The highest point in Kildare is Cupidstown Hill on the border with South Dublin, with the better known Hill of Allen in central Kildare. Towns and villages * Allen * Allenwood * Ardclough * Athy * Ballitore * Ball ...
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Maynooth
Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, a Pontifical University and Ireland's sole Roman Catholic seminary. Maynooth is also the seat of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference and holds the headquarters of Ireland's largest development charity, Trócaire. Maynooth is located 24 kilometres (15 miles) west of central Dublin. Location and access Maynooth is located on the R148 road between Leixlip and Kilcock, with the M4 motorway bypassing the town. Other roads connect the town to Celbridge, Clane, and Dunboyne. Maynooth is also on the Dublin-Sligo railway line and is served by the Commuter and InterCity train services. Etymology Maynooth comes or ''Maigh Nuadhad'', meaning "plain of Nuadha". ''Maigh Nuad'' is the modern spelling. Nuadha was one of the gods of th ...
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