Saoire (foaled 29 April 2002) is a Welsh-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 c ...

racehorse and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

best known for winning the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2005. After being sold cheaply as a foal she was eventually sent into training with Frances Crowley in Ireland. In four races as a two-year-old in 2004 she showed very promising form, winning 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 ...

and finishing placed in both the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the

C L Weld Park Stakes The Weld Park Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled ...

. In the following spring she finished sixth in the

1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

before recording her biggest victory in the Irish equivalent three weeks later. Her victory made her the first Irish Classic Race winner to be trained by a woman. She was well beaten in three subsequent races and was retired from racing at the end of the year.

Background

Saoire ( Irish for "holiday" or "freedom") is a chestnut mare bred in Wales by Louise Parry of the

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

-base Pantycoed Stud. As a foal she was entered in the Tattersalls sale in November 2002 and was bought for 4,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Larry Stratton. In September 2003 she returned to the sales ring at the Tattersalls Ireland sale and was sold to Martin Cullinane for €65,000. The filly subsequently entered the ownership of Joseph Joyce and was sent into training with Frances Crowley at

Edenderry Edenderry (; ) is a town in east County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal runs along the south of Edenderry, through the Bog of Allen, and there is a short spur to the town ...

County Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...

. Crowley, formerly a successful amateur jockey under National Hunt rules is married to the leading Irish jockey

Pat Smullen Patrick Joseph Smullen (22 May 1977 – 15 September 2020), was an Irish jockey who won the Irish flat racing Champion Jockey title nine times. In a career running from 1992 to 2018 he rode 1,845 winners in Ireland and 47 in Britain. Amongst his ...

and is the sister-in-law of the trainer Aidan O'Brien. Her sire Pivotal was a top class sprinter who won the King's Stand Stakes and the Nunthorpe Stakes in 1996. He went on to become an “excellent” sire, getting the winners of more than a thousand races across a range of distances including

Farhh Farhh (foaled 4 March 2008) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. His early career was disrupted by injury and he made only one appearance in each of his first two seasons. As a four-year-old he established himself as a top-class performer without ...

, Sariska, Somnus,

Kyllachy Kyllachy (foaled 25 February 1998) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Named after a Scottish grouse moor, he was a specialist sprinter who was usually held up for a late run. His early form was promising but unremarkable as he won two ...

and

Excellent Art Excellent Art (25 February 2004) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (horse), sire. As a two-year-old he was trained in England and showed good form, winning the National Stakes (Sandown Park), National Stakes and the Mill Reef Sta ...

. Saoire's dam Polish Descent was an unraced mare who produced several other winners including Awinnersgame who won a valuable sales race at

Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy. History Doncas ...

in 2008. She was a descendant of What Joy, a half-sister to the dam of

Mon Fils Mon Fils (1970–1979) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1973. As a two-year-old, Mon Fils won two of his seven races including the Mill Reef Stakes. In 1973 he won the 2000 G ...

Racing career

2004: two-year-old season

Saoire made her racecourse debut in a

over seven

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 ...

Limerick Racecourse Limerick Racecourse (Greenmount Park) is a horse racing venue in County Limerick, Ireland, which stages both National Hunt and flat racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by ...

on 22 July in which she started at odds of 7/1 and finished second, beaten 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 ...

by the favourite Showbiz. In a similar event at

Leopardstown Leopardstown () is a suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. Located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, it is a residential suburb with institutional lands and a large racecourse. It is di ...

on 15 August she started the 11/2 second choice behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Mona Lisa in an eighteen-runner field. Ridden by

Fran Berry Francis Martin Berry (born 2 January 1981) in County Kildare is an Irish jockey who competed principally in Flat racing. Berry's father, Frank Berry, was Irish jump racing champion jockey ten times, and saddled Fran's first winner on Mayasta a ...

, she raced in mid-division early on, made steady progress in the straight and caught the favourite in the final strides to win by a short head. The filly was then stepped up sharply in class for the

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 ...

Moyglare Stud Stakes 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 finished strongly to take third place behind Chelsea Rose and Pictavia. Saoire ended her season in the

at the Curragh on 2 October. Starting the 100/30 third favourite she stayed on in the closing stages to finish second to Jazz Princess with

Virginia Waters Virginia Waters (foaled 15 February 2002) is an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from September 2004 to October 2005 she ran twelve times and won three races. After winning once from four star ...

in third.

2005: three-year-old season

On her first appearance as a three-year-old Saoire was sent to England for the

1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...

over the Rowley Mile at

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 1 May in which she was ridden by

Jamie Spencer Jamie Spencer (born 8 June 1980, in County Tipperary) is an Irish flat racing jockey currently riding in the UK. He has been champion jockey in both Ireland and Britain and has won seven classics, five in Ireland and two in England.

and started at odds of 16/1. After being restrained by Spencer in the early stages she stayed on in the last quarter mile and finished sixth of the twenty runners behind Virginia Waters,

Maids Causeway Maids Causeway (foaled 11 March 2002) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 2004 she won three of her seven races including the Sweet Solera Stakes and Rockfel Stakes as well a ...

, Vista Bella, Karen's Caper and Cape Columbine. Crowley subsequently stated that the filly had become upset on the flight from Ireland. Three weeks after her run at Newmarket Saoire was one of eighteen fillies to contest the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh, with

Mick Kinane Michael J. Kinane (born 22 June 1959, Killenaule, County Tipperary) is an Irish former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009. A prolific winner of the Irish, English and French Classic race ...

taking the ride. Virginia Waters started favourite ahead of Maids Causeway and the British challenger Damson (

Queen Mary Stakes The Queen Mary Stakes is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Filly, fillies. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot over a distance o ...

, Phoenix Stakes) with Saoire the 10/1 fourth choice in the betting. The other runners included Jazz Princess, Mona Lisa, Titian Time (runner-up in the Prix Marcel Boussac) and Penkenna Princess ( Fred Darling Stakes). The outsider Sanserif set the pace with Saoire settled just behind the leaders before moving into contention in the last quarter mile. Kinane sent Saoire to the front a furlong out an she held on in a "blanket finish" to win by a short head and half a length from Penkenna Princess and Luas Line with the first ten fillies home finishing within three lengths of the winner. Crowley became the first woman to officially train a winner of an Irish Classic: Toby Wellesley had trained the winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas in 1948 but did not receive credit as women were not allowed to hold training licenses at that time, and the license was instead held by her male assistant. After the race Kinane said "We were right up there from the start and she never dropped out of the first three or four. knew the others were coming to me but she picked up really well" while Crowley commented "I was watching from a little way down the track from the winning post and I thought we were second. It's fantastic to win a Classic. I made history a few years ago when I was the first woman to win the Irish amateur riders' title and it is great to do it again". Saoire was moved up in distance and matched against older fillies and mares for the first time in the Pretty Polly Stakes over ten furlongs at the Curragh on 25 June but she made little impact and finished eighth of the ten runners behind the four-year-old

Alexander Goldrun Alexander Goldrun (foaled 9 February 2001 in Ireland) is a retired Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse. Bred by Dermot Cantillon, she was raced by Mrs. Noel O'Callaghan for whom she compiled a race record of 10 wins, seven seconds, and six th ...

. Despite her poor run in the Pretty Polly she was stepped up in distance again for the

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 ...

over one and a half miles at the same track on 17 July. After reaching fifth place approaching the final turn she could make no progress in the straight and finished sixth behind the French-trained

Shawanda Shawanda (foaled 3 March 2002) is an Irish-bred, French-trained. Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was unraced as a two-year-old and finished second on her racecourse debut in April 2005. She then established herself as one of the best ...

. On her final racecourse appearance Saoire contested the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on 10 September. After racing in second place she appeared to be outpaced in the straight and finished fifth to Attraction.

Breeding record

*Saoire's Gift, a chestnut filly, foaled in 2007, sired by Giant's Causeway *Pink Diva, chestnut filly, 2008, by Giant's Causeway. Won one race. *Requisition (renamed Wealthy Fortune), bay colt (later

gelded 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, making th ...

), 2009, by

Invincible Spirit Invincible Spirit (foaled 17 February 1997) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning two of his four races as a two-year-old, he only raced twice as a three-year-old, losing on both occasions. In 2001 he won twice ...

. Won two races including the Loughbrown Stakes. *Polar Desert, bay colt, 2010, by Invincible Spirit. Trained in Sweden. *Sundara, bay colt (gelded), 2011, by

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 ...

. Won one race: exported to the Czech Republic. *Tamarind Cove, bay colt (gelded), 2012 Galileo. Won one race. *Benignus, chestnut colt, 2013, by Galileo. Unraced. *Classic Code, bay filly, 2014, by Galileo

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist 2002 racehorse births Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 1-g Irish Classic Race winners