Expert Eye (foaled 31 January 2015) is a British-bred
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 ...
racehorse. He was one of the most promising two-year-olds of his generation in 2017 when he won the
Vintage Stakes
The Vintage Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place e ...
but disappointed on his final start in the
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...
. In 2018 he won the
Jersey Stakes and
City of York Stakes
The City of York Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to ...
and was placed in the
Greenham Stakes
The Greenham Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs () at Newbury in ...
,
Sussex Stakes
The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...
and
Prix du Moulin
The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is sch ...
before recording his biggest win in the
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incepti ...
.
Background
Expert Eye is a bay colt with a small white
star and three white
coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara doe ...
marks
bred in England by his owner
Khalid Abullah's
Juddmonte Farms
Juddmonte Farms is a horse breeding farm, owned until his death on 12th January 2021 by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. National Thoroughbred Racing Association"Juddmonte Farms, Inc.", profile. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
Overview
...
. He was sent into training with
Michael Stoute
Sir Michael Ronald Stoute (born 22 October 1945) is a Barbadian British Thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing.
Career
Stoute, whose father was the Chief of Police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assis ...
at his Freemason Lodge stable in
Newmarket, Suffolk.
He was sired by Acclamation, a high-class sprinter who won the
Diadem Stakes in 2003 and whose other progeny have included
Dark Angel Marsha and
Equiano. Expert Eye's dam Exemplify showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race from four starts in France, but was a half-sister to
Special Duty
Special Duty (foaled 12 February 2007) is a British-bred, French-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She won two of her four starts as a two-year-old including the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group Two Prix Robert ...
and a female-line descendant of
Chris Evert was closely related to
Chief's Crown
Chief's Crown (April 7, 1982 – April 29, 1997) was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse. He later became a successful sire.
Ba ...
and
Winning Colors.
Racing career
2017: two-year-old season
Expert Eye began his racing career in a minor race over six and a half
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 ho ...
at
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat ...
on 15 June and started at odds of
6/1 in a nine-runner field. Ridden by
Ryan Moore he overtook the favourite Mutakatif in the final furlong and won "readily" by one and a half
lengths
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 Intern ...
.
On 1 August the colt was stepped up in class for the
Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to:
* Alkaline earth metal, a chemical element classification
* Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in 1962
* Group 2 (racing), an FIA classification for cars in ...
Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs at
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House. It hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meeting in la ...
in which he was ridden by
Andrea Atzeni
Andrea Atzeni (born 26 March 1991) is a professional Italian jockey based in England. He hails from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia and his family has no history of racing; his father is a farmer and his mother a dentist. Atzeni however exp ...
and was made the 7/4 ahead of nine opponents. After racing in mid-division, Expert Eye took the lead approaching the last quarter mile and drew away to win in "impressive" style by four and a half lengths from Zaman. Following the race Atzeni said "He was very good. He settled nicely, but approaching three out we'd gone slow and he took off, I ended up getting there way too soon. I wasn't hard on him and when I picked him up he galloped out really well. I don't think I've sat on many two-year-olds like this". The form of the race was subsequently franked as Seahenge (fourth) and James Garfield (fifth) won the
Champagne Stakes and the
Mill Reef Stakes
The Mill Reef Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-olds. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled ...
respectively. Expert Eye was made the ante-post favourite for the 2018
2000 Guineas
The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...
but missed a scheduled appearance in the
National Stakes
The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metr ...
after he was found to have contracted a minor respiratory infection.
On 14 October Expert Eye was made the 4/7 favourite for the Group 1
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...
at
Newmarket Racecourse
Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horserac ...
when he was again ridden by Atzeni. After racing in second place he faded badly in the last quarter mile and came home last of the nine runners behind
U S Navy Flag
U S Navy Flag (foaled 6 February 2015) is an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2017 he became the first horse in 35 years to win both the Middle Park Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes. As two-year-old he was beaten in his first ...
. He finished the race lame.
2018: three-year-old season
Expert Eye began his second campaign in the
Greenham Stakes
The Greenham Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs () at Newbury in ...
(a major trial race for the
2000 Guineas
The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...
) run over seven furlongs at Newbury on 21 April. Ridden by Atzeni, he started favourite but despite finishing strongly he failed by three quarters of a length to catch James Garfield. In the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket two weeks later he made little impression, coming home tenth behind
Saxon Warrior after being hampered a furlong out. In both of his first two races of 2018 Expert Eye became upset in the
starting stalls.
At
Royal Ascot in June the colt was dropped back in class and distance for the Group 3 Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs in which he was ridden by
James McDonald and started at 8/1. After being restrained towards the rear of the 21-runner field he began to make progress in the last quarter mile took the lead inside the final furlong and accelerated away from his rivals to win by four and a half lengths from Society Power. McDonald commented that the winner "felt like a rocket ship" while Michael Stoute said "He was such a good two-year-old and then things went wrong in the Dewhurst. I’m just so thrilled to see him back to this sort of form". At Goodwood on 1 August he was matched against older horses for the first time in the
Sussex Stakes
The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...
. He tracked the leaders before going to the front in the straight but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten one and a half lengths into second by the seven-year-old
Lightning Spear. Twenty-four days later the colt dropped back to Group 3 class for the City of York Stakes over seven furlongs at
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England.
It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It attracts around 350 ...
in which he was partnered for the first time 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 ...
. Starting the even money favourite he took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by one and a quarter lengths from the ten-year-old
Gordon Lord Byron
Gordon may refer to:
People
* Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters
* Gordon (surname), the surname
* Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War
* Clan Gordon, ...
. Stoute commented "He's very nice and relaxed. The stalls' situation has been resolved. He goes in better than ever now and he's very relaxed when he's in there. He seems in a good frame of mind. We just need to eke out a little more improvement. He's not too far off Group 1 class now".
![DSC 3216ExpertEye](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/DSC_3216ExpertEye.jpg)
On 9 September at
Longchamp Racecourse
The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced ...
Expert Eye was made the 5.3/1 third choice in the betting for the Group 1
Prix du Moulin
The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is sch ...
over 1600 metres. With Moore in the saddle he finished strongly to take third place behind
Recoletos and Wind Chimes. For his final run of the year the colt was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Mile at
Churchill Downs on 3 November. With Dettori in the saddle he was made the 9/2 favourite ahead of thirteen opponents including
Oscar Performance
Oscar Performance (foaled April 6, 2014) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at age two. After losing his first two starts at age three, he rebounded to win the next three, including the Grade I B ...
,
Happily, Lightning Spear,
Clemmie, I Can Fly (runner-up in the
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...
), Next Shares (
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
The Coolmore Stud, Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and older over a distance of one mile on the Grass, turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexing ...
) and One Master (
Prix de la Forêt
The Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it i ...
). After racing towards the rear, Expert Eye move up on the outside on the final turn and made his challenge in the straight. He looked unlikely to take a hand in the finish but began to rapid progress in the final furlong, took the lead in the final strides and won by half a length and a neck from Catapult and Analyze It. Dettori said "He broke well but then he took a false step and lost his position and I had to look for a plan B. As we got in to the straight, I asked him to pick up and the response wasn’t there for about 100m. I felt we were going to be a good fifth, and then he just managed to find his rhythm and I could see the leaders stopping. In the last 100 yards, he really got down and sprinted home. I went from despair to joy in the space of 100 yards".
Six days after his Breeders’ Cup victory it was announced that Expert Eye had been retired from racing and would begin his career as a breeding stallion at the Banstead Manor Stud in 2019 at a fee of £20,000.
Pedigree
References
{{Reflist
External links
Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart– ''Expert Eye''
2015 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 23-b
Breeders' Cup Mile winners