Godswalk (9 February 1974 – 1 December 1988) was an American-bred, Irish-trained
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 and sire. A specialist sprinter, he won eight of his eleven races in a racing career which lasted from the spring of 1976 until September 1977. As a two-year-old he won five of his seven races including the Norfolk Stakes and was rated the best colt of his generation in Ireland. In the following year he established himself as one of the best sprinters in Europe, winning three of his four races including the
Ballyogan Stakes
The Ballyogan Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at The Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to ...
in Ireland and the
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand 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 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled ...
in England. After his retirement from racing, Godswalk had some success as a sire of winners in Europe and Australia.
Background
Godswalk was a "strong, compact" grey horse with a white star bred in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
by Glade Valley Farms and Peter Fuller. He was one of the best horses sired by Fuller's horse
Dancer's Image
Dancer's Image (April 10, 1965 – December 26, 1992) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby to be disqualified.
Background
Dancer's Image was a gray horse owned and bred by businessm ...
who won the 1968 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified after traces of
phenylbutazone
Phenylbutazone, often referred to as "bute", is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for the short-term treatment of pain and fever in animals.
In the United States and United Kingdom, it is no longer approved for human use (except in th ...
were discovered in a post-race
urinalysis
Urinalysis, a portmanteau of the words ''urine'' and ''analysis'', is a panel of medical tests that includes physical (macroscopic) examination of the urine, chemical evaluation using urine test strips, and microscopic examination. Macroscopic ...
. As a breeding stallion, he stood in Europe and Japan, siring several other good winners including the multiple Group One winner
Lianga
Lianga, officially the Municipality of Lianga ( Surigaonon: ''Lungsod nan Lianga''; tl, Bayan ng Lianga), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 33,869 p ...
and the July Cup winner Saritamer. Godswalk's dam Kate's Intent was a successful racehorse in Canada.
As a
yearling
Yearling may refer to:
*Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old
*''The Yearling
''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...
, Godswalk was sent to the Saratoga sales where he was bought for $61,000. He entered into the ownership of Patrick Gallagher and was sent to race in Europe where he was trained in Ireland by Christy Grassick.
Racing career
1976: two-year-old season
As a two-year-old, Godswalk was campaigned exclusively over the minimum distance of five furlongs. After finishing third on his racecourse debut he recorded impressive wins in minor events at the
Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
and
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
. At the Curragh in May he won the Marble Hill Stakes, taking the lead at half way and accelerating away from the field in the closing stages to beat Digitalis by five lengths, with Piney Ridge in third. In June, Godswalk was sent to England and moved up in class to contest the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ridden by Derrmot Hogan he started the 8/13 favourite against four opponents. He took the lead two furlongs from the finish and won by four lengths from the Italian colt Alpherat, with Hogan sitting motionless in the closing stages. Godswalk started favourite for the
Phoenix Stakes
The Phoenix 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 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is sc ...
, but proved no match for the filly
Cloonlara
Clonlara, officially Cloonlara (), is a village in County Clare, Ireland, and a Roman Catholic parish of the same name.
Village and parish
Clonlara is in the east of County Clare in the civil parish of Kiltonanlea or Doonass, barony of Tulla L ...
and was beaten into second place by a margin of six lengths. The colt was scheduled to return to England for the Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot in October but the meeting was abandoned owing to the exceptionally wet, heavy ground. A week later, Godswalk ended his season in the Waterford Testimonial Stakes at the Curragh and won easily by four lengths at odds of 1/3.
At the end of the year, the colt was bought for £300,000 by the British businessman
Robert Sangster
Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004)
and moved to the stable of
Vincent O'Brien
Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Post''. In ...
at
Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current train ...
.
1977: three-year-old season
As a three-year-old, Godswalk did not reappear until early June when he contested the Ballyogan Stakes over five furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse. Ridden by Tommy Murphy he won very easily by six lengths from Piney Ridge. Thirteen days later the colt was sent to England and was ridden by
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...
in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. He started the 4/6 favourite against a field which included Girl Friend (
Prix Maurice de Gheest
The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres (about 6½ furlongs), and it is sch ...
),
Gentilhombre
A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
(
Cork and Orrery Stakes
The Platinum Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. Three-year-olds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere are also eligible. It is run at ...
,
Prix de l'Abbaye
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs) ...
) and Raga Navarro (
Palace House Stakes
The Palace House Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres) on the Rowle ...
). Godswalk stumbled exiting the starting stalls, losing three lengths, but recovered quickly. He took the lead entering the final furlong and won by three quarters of a length and two lengths from Girl Friend and Haveroid.
It was intended that the colt would step up to six furlongs for the July Cup, but was ruled out of the race with a blood disorder. In the William Hill Sprint Championship 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 August, Godswalk again started odds-on favourite and was ridden by Piggott. He was among the leaders from the start and looked the likely winner when going to front two furlongs from the finish, but began to struggle in the closing stages and was beaten a head by Haveroid. In September, Godswalk started favourite for Ireland's most valuable sprint race, the Airlie/Coolmore/Castle Hyde Championship Stakes over six furlongs at the Curragh for which his opponents included Sweet Mint and Cawston's Clown (
Coventry Stakes
The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place e ...
). Godswalk went clear of the field approaching the final quarter mile and won by two and a half lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages.
Assessment
There was no International Classification of European two-year-olds in 1976: the official handicappers of Britain, Ireland and France compiled separate rankings for horses which competed in those countries. In the Irish Free Handicap he was rated the best two-year-old colt, seven pounds behind the filly Cloonlara, and ahead of
The Minstrel
The Minstrel (11 March 1974 – 3 September 1990) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Bred in Ontario, he was sold as a yearling and exported to Europe, where he was campaigned in Ireland and the United Kin ...
and
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo (, ; pms, nebieul ) is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero ...
. In the British Free Handicap he was rated the second best juvenile of the season, five pound behind
J O Tobin
J. O. Tobin (March 28, 1974 – May 22, 1994) was an American-bred thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was sent to Europe, where he won his first three races, including the Richmond Stakes and Champagne Stakes, and was the highest-rated ...
. In the same year, the independent Timeform organisation awarded Godswalk a rating of 123, eight pounds below their leading two-year-old Blushing Groom. In 1977, Godswalk was rated 130 by Timeform, one pound behind their leading sprinter Gentilhombre and eight pounds behind their horse of the year
Alleged
In law, an allegation is a claim of an unproven fact by a party in a pleading, charge, or defense. Until they can be proved, allegations remain merely assertions.
.
Stud career
Godswalk stood as a breeding stallion for the
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...
and was also "shuttled" to stand in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. His most notable offspring was the 1984 British Horse of the Year Provideo, but he also sired St Jude (
Canterbury Guineas
The Randwick Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in March as a part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival. ...
Richmond Stakes
The Richmond Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is sch ...
). Godswalk died in Australia on 1 December 1988 at the age of fourteen.
Pedigree
*Godswalk was
inbred
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
4 × 4 to Discovery, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.