Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a

champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

French

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 ...

who won 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 incept ...

three times and was the 2010

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 ...

. She was based in France, although she also raced in the United States and England. She won 14

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 ...

races, with nine victories over colts and

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

s, putting her above

Miesque Miesque ( ; March 14, 1984 – January 20, 2011) was a champion Thoroughbred racemare. At age three, she was a dual Classic winner in France and Britain, then went on to win the Breeders' Cup Mile in America. Her four-year-old campaign was highl ...

as the only European-trained horse to have won more than 10 Group I races since their introduction in the 1970s. Goldikova is the only horse to have won three (2008, 2009, 2010)

races. She was ridden by

Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier (born 12 January 1973 in Château-Gontier) is a French thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races. He was a retained jockey ...

in all of her race starts.

Background

Goldikova was bred by Alain and

Gérard Wertheimer Gérard Paul Philippe Wertheimer (born 17 April 1951) is a French billionaire businessman based in New York City and Geneva, who owns Chanel in partnership with his brother, Alain. As of October 2022, Wertheimer's net worth was estimated at US ...

and sired by

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres ...

winner

Anabaa Anabaa (1992 – 2009) was an American-bred champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was trained in France during a racing career which lasted from September 1995 to October 1996. Anabaa failed to win until the age of four, but in 1996 he won his ...

. Her dam, Born Gold, is also the dam of

Prix Vermeille The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), an ...

winner Galikova, who was sired by champion sire

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...

. Goldikova was put into training with

Freddy Head Freddy Head (born 19 June 1947, in Neuilly, France) is a retired champion jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing and currently a horse trainer. Known also as "Freddie", his grandfather was a jockey as was his father Alec Head who also became a succes ...

, former six-times Champion Jockey in France.

Racing career

2007: two-year-old season

Goldikova won both of her starts at age two, capturing the Prix de Toutevoie and the Prix de la Lorie at

Chantilly Racecourse Chantilly Racecourse (In French: "Hippodrome de Chantilly") is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris. Chantilly Racecourse is located in the country's main hors ...

2008: three-year-old season

At age three, Goldikova began the 2008 season in April, running monthly thereafter. She started with two seconds and a third and loss to

Zarkava Zarkava (foaled 31 March 2005 in Ireland) is an undefeated French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2008 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Background Bred and raced by HH Aga Khan IV, Zarkava was sired by Group II winner Zamindar who also sired the ...

(in the

Poule d'Essai des Pouliches The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at ...

and the

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 2,100 metre ...

), then had three consecutive wins. The first one came in the

Prix Chloé The Prix Chloé is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,800 metres (about 1⅛ miles), and it is scheduled to take p ...

, followed by the

Prix Rothschild The Prix Rothschild is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is schedul ...

, in which she defeated both the French Classic winner,

Darjina Darjina (foaled 13 February 2004) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning her only race as a juvenile she improved to become one of the best three-year-old fillies in Europe in 2007, winning the Prix de la Grotte, Poule d'Essai des P ...

, and the British Classic winner, Natagora. Goldikova 2008

Goldikova's third straight victory of the year came in 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 tr ...

in the

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...

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 ...

in which she defeated Darjina and Natagora again as well as top Irish colt

Henrythenavigator Henrythenavigator (foaled February 28, 2005) is an American-bred and Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St. James's Palace Stakes and the Sussex Stakes in 2008. After he finished second ...

. She again defeated the males in winning the 2008

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 ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and was a finalist for 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 ...

American Champion Female Turf Horse The American Champion Female Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. It is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a female horse (filly or mare) for her performance on grass race courses. Until 1978 t ...

for 2008.

2009: four-year-old season

Racing at age four, Goldikova made her first start in May's

Prix d'Ispahan The Prix d'Ispahan is a Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car raci ...

, finishing seventh on a soft course. In July, she won England's

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 ...

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

. On 2 August, she won her second consecutive

Deauville-La Touques Racecourse Hippodrome Deauville-La Touques is a race track for thoroughbred horse racing located in Deauville in the Calvados département, in the Normandy ''région'' of France. Originally called Hippodrome de la Touques, it was named for the Touques River t ...

. At the same Deauville course on 16 August, Goldikova won her sixth group one race, easily defeating her male counterparts in the

Prix Jacques Le Marois The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile ...

. Goldikova then returned to

to win her second Breeders' Cup Mile, with a different racing style. She was second last for much of the race and at the top of the stretch went five horses wide. Then she changed leads again and surged past Courageous Cat to win in 1:32.26.

2010: five-year-old season

Following her 2009 Breeders' Cup win at Santa Anita Park, Goldikova was rested at the Head family's

Haras du Quesnay Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles (6 km) outside the city of Deauville on 3 km². Early years The stud was established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam V ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

until mid February, when she was put back in training at Freddy Head's base at

. On 23 May, she won her 2010 debut at Longchamp in the

, completing the in 1:49.4 while holding off Byword (who subsequently won the

Prince of Wales's Stakes The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 met ...

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 ...

) and setting a new stakes record in the process. In her second start of 2010, on 15 June, Goldikova won the

Queen Anne Stakes The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and is scheduled to take pl ...

, defeating the 2009 winner Paco Boy by a neck in 1:37.74, taking 0.5 seconds off of the stakes record. It was her ninth group 1 victory, and sixth victory against males. On 1 August, Goldikova competed a three-peat of wins in the

. After she settled in third throughout the race, Oliver Peslier barely had to ask an effort of her before she raced away from the rest of the field. On 15 August in the

, two weeks after the

win, Goldikova suffered her first defeat of the year, second to

Makfi Makfi (foaled 4 March 2007) is a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 2010 he won the 2000 Guineas and Prix Jacques Le Marois. Background Makfi's sire is Irish 2,000 Guineas and Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Dubawi. ...

. Her connections believed that it was largely because of the very soft ground, which she has shown her extreme dislike for in the past. However, she beat Paco Boy again for the second time. On 3 October, Goldikova made her final start before the

, defeating a field of 16 males in the

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 is ...

at Longchamp, including

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

Paco Boy Paco Boy (foaled 24 March 2005) is a retired Irish thoroughbred racehorse who was trained by Richard Hannon Sr. He won three Group 1 races including Prix de la Forêt, Queen Anne Stakes and Lockinge Stakes. Paco Boy was known as a hold up horse ...

, and 1,000 Guineas winner

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 ...

. By winning, she broke the record set by

for the most Group/Grade I wins ever by a European mare. She made history on 6 November 2010 when she became the first horse to win a Breeders' Cup race three times by winning the Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, defeating Champion Turf Horse

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 ...

by 1 3/4 lengths. On 16 November Goldikova was awarded with two

Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...

, Horse of the Year and Champion Older Horse. She became the only horse to win the Champion Older Horse award twice.

2011: six-year-old season

Goldikova made her six-year-old debut on 22 May by winning the

for the second time, beating

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

Cirrus des Aigles Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he has raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After rac ...

. On 14 June Goldikova finished second by ¾ length to

Canford Cliffs Canford Cliffs is a suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. The neighbourhood lies on the English Channel coast midway between Poole and Bournemouth. To the southwest is Sandbanks which has some of the highest property values in the world; with Canfo ...

in the

. Jockey Olivier Peslier was fined for being two pounds overweight when he weighed in. Goldikova won her 14th Group/Grade 1, a European record, when winning her fourth consecutive

Deauville Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film Fes ...

. On 15 August, Goldikova attempted to extend her record of Group/Grade I wins to 15 in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, France. She did not take to the soft ground, which was the case for this year's Prix Jacques Le Marois. Goldikova ran second, beaten a length, to Group I winner Immortal Verse. Goldikova prepped for the

in the Group 1

on 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 ...

undercard at Longchamp. She was beaten a head by five time Group 1 winner

Dream Ahead Dream Ahead (foaled 20 February 2008) is a retired thoroughbred racehorse, who was bred in Kentucky and based in England during a nine race career which lasted from July 2010 to October 2011. As a two-year-old he was officially rated the equal of ...

. This was Goldikova's final race in France before she headed to her career finale in the US. On November 4, 2011, Goldikova finished third in the

, one length behind longshot Court Vision, who edged out Turallure by a nose. Goldikova was attempting to win an unprecedented fourth straight Breeders' Cup Mile. The final time was 1:37.05 over good ground.

Assessment and honours

Goldikova was officially rated the joint 6th best horse in the world in 2008 on a rating of 125. The only filly rated higher than her was

winner

. In 2009, with a rating of 130, she was rated the second best horse in the world, behind only

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 at ...

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner

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 ...

. Goldikova achieved a rating of 125 in 2010, the joint 11th best in the world and the top rated mare. At the end of the 2011 season she was officially rated as the joint 14th best horse in the world and the 3rd best filly or mare on a rating of 124. In 2017, Goldikova was inducted into the American Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Retirement

Goldikova was retired from racing immediately after her third-place finish in the

. In early 2012, she was covered by champion sire

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 ...

in Ireland. On Sunday 3 February 2013, Goldikova gave birth to her first foal, a colt. She returned to Galileo for the 2013 covering season. Goldikova died on 5 January 2021. Foaling record 2013 Goldikovic (IRE), bay colt, foaled 3 February, by Galileo (IRE) – unraced to date (9/11/16) 2014 Terrakova (IRE), bay filly, foaled 4 February, by Galileo (IRE) – winner of

Prix Cléopâtre The Prix Cléopâtre is a Conditions races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred Filly, fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (ab ...

(Gr.3), and 3rd

(French Oaks, Gr.1). 2016 Filly by Intello (GER)

Pedigree

References

External links

''Thoroughbred Times'' August 3, 2008 article on Goldikova's win in the 2008 Prix Rothschild

''Thoroughbred Times'' September 7, 2008 article on Goldikova's win in the 2008 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
{{Cartier Champion Older Horse 2005 racehorse births 2021 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in France Thoroughbred family 22-d Breeders' Cup Mile winners Cartier Award winners Eclipse Award winners European Thoroughbred Horse of the Year United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees

Background

Racing career

2007: two-year-old season

2008: three-year-old season

2009: four-year-old season

2010: five-year-old season

2011: six-year-old season

Assessment and honours

Retirement

Pedigree

See also

References

External links