Conduit (17 June 2005 – 17 June 2020) was a
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
and
sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
. In a career that lasted from August 2007 to November 2009 he won seven of his fifteen starts, including four at
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
/
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
level.
In Europe, he won the
St. Leger Stakes
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
in 2008 and Britain's most prestigious
weight-for-age
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022
Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race.
History
The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rous ...
race, the
in 2009. He is known internationally for being the only horse to record two outright wins in the
Breeders' Cup Turf
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...
. In each of his Breeders' Cup wins, he ran under 2:24.00, recording the two fastest times in the race's history up to that time. Conduit stood as a breeding stallion in Japan and Ireland.
Background
![Racing silks of Ballymacoll Stud](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Racing_silks_of_Ballymacoll_Stud.svg)
Bred and raced by
Ballymacoll Stud
Ballymacoll Stud is a Thoroughbred stud farm of 300 acres in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the townland of Ballymacoll, approximately two miles from the village of Dunboyne and four miles (6 km) from the town of Maynooth. Under th ...
of
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
, Conduit was sired by 2003
European Horse of the Year The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier SA, Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and rea ...
Dalakhani
Dalakhani (16 February 2000 – 15 January 2021) was an Irish thoroughbred race horse owned and bred by Aga Khan IV and trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré. He was sired by Darshaan covering Daltawa (Miswaki) and was therefore half-brother to Daylam ...
out of the mare, Well Head, a daughter of fourteen-time
Champion Sire Sadler's Wells
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
. Dalakhani has proved to be a successful sire, especially of middle and long distance performers. Apart from Conduit, his best runners have included Reliable Man (
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...
),
Duncan (
Irish St. Leger
The Irish St Leger is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs (2,816 metres), and it i ...
), Moonstone (
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it is s ...
) and
Integral
In mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented i ...
(
Falmouth Stakes
The Falmouth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,60 ...
). Well Head was unraced half sister to the
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...
winner
Spectrum
A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
. Apart from Conduit, her best foal was the
Great Voltigeur Stakes
The Great Voltigeur Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 18 ...
winner, Hard Top.
Well Head died shortly after Conduit's birth, and the colt foal was bottle-fed by the Ballymacoll staff before being fostered by a
Vanner mare. As a yearling, he was "bullied" by the other colts at the stud and was separated for his own safety. The yearling who was mainly responsible for the attacks was later named
Tartan Bearer
Tartan Bearer is an Irish thoroughbred race horse. He raced eight times and won three of these, being placed on his other five starts. He was second three times and third once in the four Group 1 races he contested.
He was bred by his owners, th ...
.
Conduit was sent into training with Michael Stoute at the Freemason Lodge stables at
Newmarket, Suffolk
Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred hor ...
. He was ridden in all but two of his races by
Ryan Moore.
Racing career
2007: two-year-old season
Conduit began his racing career by running unplaced in a
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 se ...
on the July Course at
Newmarket in August 2007. Later in the same month, he finished third as 6/4 favourite in a similar race at
Kempton staying on under pressure, but apparently lacking the pace to reach the leaders.
A month later, he recorded his first win in a maiden at
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...
, coming from off the pace to win by three quarters of a
length
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Interna ...
on the
polytrack The track surface of a horse racing track refers to the material of which the track is made. There are three types of track surfaces used in modern horse racing. These are:
*Turf, the most common track surface in Europe
*Dirt, the most common track ...
surface. The fact that his five rivals went on to win a total of three minor races in their combined careers gives an indication of the level of the competition, and Conduit's end of season rating of 79 suggested that he was far below top class.
2008: three-year-old season
Conduit's three-year-old season was one of notable progress, with his official rating improving by 46
lbs.
He began by finishing third in a minor
handicap at
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the resort of Shanklin to the south and the settlement of Lake, Isle of Wight, Lake in between. Together ...
in April. In his next start, he was made 11/8 favourite for a much more valuable handicap at the
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
meeting at
Epsom
Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...
. Held up in last place by Ryan Moore, Conduit was switched to the outside in the straight and, in the words of the ''
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
'' "stormed clear" to win by six lengths. Although no firm plans for Conduit were announced, the bookmaking firm
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes Coral is a British gambling company founded in 1886. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The business is split into two divisions, UK and International. UK operations are c ...
immediately offered him at odds of 14/1 for the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...
. On the same course just over two hours later, the stable's "best" colt
Tartan Bearer
Tartan Bearer is an Irish thoroughbred race horse. He raced eight times and won three of these, being placed on his other five starts. He was second three times and third once in the four Group 1 races he contested.
He was bred by his owners, th ...
finished second to
New Approach
New Approach (foaled 18 February 2005) is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active stallion. In a racing career which lasted from July 2007 to October 2008 he ran eleven times and won eight races. He was undefeated in five races as a tw ...
in the Derby.
Although the bare form of the race (he was rated 98 for his win) indicated that he was still well below top class, he was sent to
Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...
for the
King Edward VII Stakes
The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 met ...
and made 11/4 favourite. Conduit appeared to be traveling well when he was hampered entering the straight and was unable to catch the leader, Campanologist, finishing second by three quarters of a length. The ''
Guardian's'' correspondent called him "one of the unluckiest losers" at the meeting.
The performance was enough to establish Conduit as a contender for the St Leger, and he was next sent to
Goodwood for the
Gordon Stakes
The Gordon Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run at Goodwood Racecourse, Goodwood over a distance ...
. He won at odds of 1/2, hanging to the left under pressure as he beat outsider Donegal by a head. Stoute described the performance as "workmanlike", but pointed out that the small field and "muddling" pace did not suit his colt. Conduit's price for the St Leger was unchanged at 7/1.
The St Leger attracted a strong field including the
Irish Derby
The Irish Derby (Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 ...
winner
Frozen Fire, who was made favourite ahead of the
Oaks winner
Look Here, with Conduit starting at 8/1. Ryan Moore chose to ride Stoute's other runner, Doctor Fremantle, who had finished fourth in the
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
, and the ride on Conduit was picked up by
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
. Dettori held the colt up in the early stages before making "smooth" progress in the straight to take the lead from Enroller two
furlongs
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...
out. Conduit went clear and ran on strongly to the finish, winning by three lengths from the Irish-trained filly Unsung Heroine despite "wandering" from a straight course. The win in the St. Leger marked the first for trainer Michael Stoute after twenty-three unsuccessful attempts. For jockey
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
, it was his fifth St. Leger win.
Stoute had originally planned to rest the colt after the St Leger, but Conduit came out of the race exceptionally well
and was brought back to a mile and a half and fast ground for the
Breeders' Cup Turf
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...
at
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...
. Moore held up Conduit in the early stages before moving the colt up into a challenging position entering the straight. Having been switched to the outside, Conduit produced a strong late run to catch
Eagle Mountain inside the final furlong and win by one and a half lengths. His winning time of 2:23.42 was the fastest recorded in the twenty-five runnings of the race, although, as the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
has been run on many different tracks, times are not directly comparable. After the race, Stoute praised the colt and suggested that he could improve further, saying, "He's a beautifully balanced horse with a good turn of foot, and he keeps getting better."
2009: four-year-old season
Conduit began his four-year-old season by giving seven pounds to eleven rivals in the
Brigadier Gerard Stakes
The Brigadier Gerard Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 209 yards (), and i ...
at
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the resort of Shanklin to the south and the settlement of Lake, Isle of Wight, Lake in between. Together ...
. He took the lead a furlong out but was caught on the line and beaten a nose by
Derby Italiano
The Derby Italiano is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Capannelle over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in ...
winner
Cima de Triomphe. In the
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...
over the same course and distance, he met Cima de Triomphe at level weights in an exceptionally strong field which included
Twice Over
Twice Over (foaled 16 May 2005) is British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a top-class middle-distance performer whose wins included the Eclipse Stakes, the International Stakes and two runnings of the Champion Stakes.
Background
Twice Over is ...
,
Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...
and the odds-on favourite
Sea the Stars
Sea The Stars (foaled 6 April 2006) is a retired champion Irish Thoroughbred racehorse regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Derby, the Eclipse Stakes – the first colt to accomplish this treble ...
. Held up in the early stages, Conduit was moved up into third behind Sea the Stars and Rip Van Winkle a furlong out. Although he stayed on well, he could make no impression on the two Irish colts and finished third, beaten five and a half lengths, but five lengths clear of Cima de Triomphe in fourth.
Conduit was then aimed the
at
Ascot and was made 13/8 favourite. Conduit's preparation for the race was highly unusual. The Ballymacoll Stud received a series of messages threatening to kill the horse if he ran in the race. The police were alerted, and the British Horseracing Authority arranged extra security for Conduit on his journey to Ascot. A man was later arrested and convicted of "threatening to damage property".
In the Ascot race, Frozen Fire and Look Here opposed Conduit again, but his main rival in the betting was his stable companion Tartan Bearer, who started at 7/2 after a win in the
Gordon Richards Stakes
The Gordon Richards Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 209 yards () ...
and a narrow defeat at
Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...
. As usual, Conduit was held up, before moving up and being switched to the outside to make his challenge in the straight. Tartan Bearer took the lead from Golden Sword a furlong out but was immediately challenged by Conduit. Inside the final furlong, Moore drove Conduit out to overtake Tartan Bearer (bumping him as he did so) and won by one and three quarter lengths. They were followed home by the other Stoute runner, Ace, giving the trainer the rare achievement of being responsible for the first three in a championship race. Moore received a three-day ban for causing interference in the closing stages but said that he "wasn't going to start pulling him around to correct him just as he was going to win". The manager of the Ballymacoll stud was also present to recall Conduit's early troubles with Tartan Bearer.
The
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
at
Longchamp in October entailed another meeting with Sea the Stars, who had dominated the flat season in Europe. Conduit made progress in the straight before losing out to
Youmzain
Youmzain (foaled February 20, 2003 in Ireland) is a Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by Mick Channon, he won Preis von Europa and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud group 1 races in 2008. Most notably, he is three-time runner-up in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe; ...
and
Cavalryman
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...
in a three-way photo for second.
In November, despite press rumours that suggested he would bypass the race, Conduit traveled back to America for the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
, run for the second successive year at
Santa Anita. He was made odds-on favourite against six opponents for the
Turf
Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls.
In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...
. The American gelding
Presious Passion
Presious Passion (foaled March 5, 2003) is a multiple Graded stakes race, Grade I winning Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background
Bred in the United States, he is a gelded son of multiple Grade I winner Royal Anthem and the unraced mare, Princesa's Pa ...
led from the start and ran the first half mile in 45.14, opening up a lead of at least eight lengths. Conduit was held up before moving into second at the start of the straight, although he stumbled after colliding with the filly
Dar Re Mi
Dar Re Mi (foaled 2005 in Great Britain) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career lasting from 2007 to 2010 she won six times, including three at Group One level. Since retiring from racing she has become a very successful brood ...
. Conduit's "relentless charge" took him past Presious Passion a furlong and a half out, and although the gelding rallied "gamely", the colt won by half a length. The winning time of 2:23.75 was the second fastest recorded in the race, behind only Conduit's 2008 win. The normally taciturn Moore said of Conduit, "He's very game. He's a great horse – a once in a lifetime horse". His record of two wins in the race had previously been achieved by
High Chaparral
High Chaparral (1 March 1999 – 21 December 2014) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from September 2001 to October 2003, he ran 13 times and won 10 races. His win in the Racing Post Trophy made him one ...
, although High Chaparral's second win was achieved in a
dead heat
A dead heat is a rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a Tie (draw), tie and the competitors are awarde ...
with
Johar
Johar (foaled 1999 in Kentucky, died November 10, 2014)http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/88680/stallion-johar-dies-at-age-15#ixzz3Irqla5SG was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2003 Breeders' Cup Turf in ...
.
On his final start, Conduit was sent to Tokyo, where he finished fourth of the eighteen runners, behind
Vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
in the Japan Cup.
Race record
.
Assessment
In the
2008 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, Conduit was ranked the sixth best horse in the world with a rating of 126. In the 2009 Rankings, he was assigned a mark of 125, placing him seventh in the world.
Conduit was awarded the
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.
An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...
as
American Champion Male Turf Horse
The American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor.
The award originated in 1953 when the ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) named Iceberg II their champion. The Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) added the cat ...
for 2008 and finished runner-up to
Gio Ponti
Giovanni "Gio" Ponti ( ͡ʒo18 November 1891 – 16 September 1979) was an Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer, artist, teacher, writer and publisher.
During his career, which spanned six decades, Ponti built more tha ...
for the same award in 2009.
On 3 December 2009 Conduit was awarded the ROA/Sportingbet.com Outstanding Older Horse for 2009 by British Racehorse Owners' Association.
Stud career
Conduit was retired to stud and stood at
Big Red Farm,
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, Japan. His first foals were born in 2011. He was purchased in the summer of 2015 to stand at Tullyraine House in a deal brokered through John Weld, and arrived at the Suffern family's stud near Banbridge, Northern Ireland. He sustained what was described as an "acute brain injury" in late May 2020 and Died on 17 June 2020 at Tullyraine. The stud's owner Hugh Suffern commented "He was an extraordinary horse, I've never dealt with a horse that had the strength of character that he had. He was a very sweet, gentle horse but extremely single-minded too."
Racing Post
/ref>
Pedigree
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conduit (Horse)
2005 racehorse births
2020 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Breeders' Cup Turf winners
Eclipse Award winners
Thoroughbred family 1-l
St Leger winners
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winners