Continent (horse)
Encyclopedia
Continent is a retired British champion Thoroughbred
racehorse. A gelding
who specialised in sprint distances, he improved from handicap class to become European Champion Sprinter in 2002. In his championship season he ran thirteen times and won two Group One
races; the July Cup
at Newmarket
and the Prix de l'Abbaye
at Longchamp, becoming the first gelding to win the latter race. In all, he ran seventy times in a career which lasted from 1999 until his retirement at the age of eleven in 2008.
, was bred by his first owner Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farm. He was one of the first crop of foals sired by Lake Coniston, a top class sprinter who won the July Cup in 1995. Apart from Continent, Lake Coniston made little impact as a sire in Europe, and was exported to South Africa
where he died in 2006. Continent’s dam Krisia, was a daughter of the Prix Maurice de Gheest
winner Interval and a half sister to several winners.
Continent was originally trained in France by Pascal Bary
for Khalid Abdulla. At the end of his three-year-old season he was sent to the Tattersalls
October sales where he was bought for 40,000gns
by McKeever St Lawrence a Newmarket-based bloodstock agency and entered the ownership of Edward St George’s Lucayan Stud. He was then sent to the North Yorkshire
stable of David Nicholls.
Continent began his career by running third in the Prix de Caen at Deauville in October 1999. On his three-year-old debut he "easily" won a 1100m race at Chantilly
by four lengths. He was immediately moved up to Group Two class, but finished last of the five runners behind Nuclear Debate
in the Prix du Gros Chêne
. After being well beaten in two minor races he was regarded as surplus to requirements and sent to the sales.
As noted above, he began 2001 in the care of David Nicholls. The Nicholls stable specialises in sprinters and has sent out the winners of most of the top European races over five and six furlongs, including the Nunthorpe Stakes
, the Prix Maurice de Gheest, the Haydock Sprint Cup
, the July Cup, the Prix de l'Abbaye, the Stewards' Cup
and the Ayr Gold Cup
.
Continent failed to win in his first five starts for his new stable, his closest effort being when third in a minor handicap race at Pontefract
. He looked to be in running in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood however, and his lack of success meant that his official handicap mark had fallen to 92 by the time of the valuable Ayr Gold Cup
in late September. Ridden by Darryll Holland
he started slowly and was held up in the early running as the field of twenty-eight runners split into two groups. In the second half of the race he made good progress to lead the stands-side group and stayed on strongly to win by a head from Brevity. It was Nicholls second successive win in the race, having won the race in 2000 with Bahamian Pirate. On his final start of the year he put up an even better performance when carrying 133lbs
into third place in a handicap at Ascot
.
His last two runs saw Continent's handicap mark rise to 100. This meant that he would be forced to carry top weight in almost any handicap race, and as a result the focus of his career shifted to weight-for-age competition.
Abernant Stakes
. A move into Group Class was not an immediate success as he ran unplaced in the Palace House Stakes
, the Duke of York Stakes
and the Temple Stakes
.
At Royal Ascot in June, Continent gave the first real indication that he could be a top class sprinter. On the Tuesday of the meeting he started a 16/1 outsider for the King's Stand Stakes
but belied his odds by finishing strongly after a poor start and failing by only a head to catch Dominica. On the Saturday of the meeting he was only fifth to Malhub
in the Golden Jubilee Stakes
, but finished ahead of notable performers such as Invincible Spirit and Johannesburg
.
In the Group One July Cup, which was run in "diabolical weather" at Newmarket, Continent started at 12/1 in a field of 14 which included Reel Buddy and Malhub. He was held up by Holland before slipping through a gap to take the lead in the final furlong
. He hung to the right in the closing stages but ran on well to beat his stable companion, Bahamian Pirate by half a length. After the race Edward St George paid tribute to Nicholls handling of horses saying, "He understands them. He talks to them. He will take half-witted horses that other trainers throw out and turn them into serious racehorses." In August Continent finished fourth, beaten just over a length in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York
, and then ran sixth to Invincible Spirit in the Haydock Sprint Cup.
In October, Continent faced a field of twenty in the Prix de L'Abbaye and was made 4/1 joint favourite with Bahamian Pirate. Holland tracked the leaders before producing Continent with a strong run in the final furlong. The gelding ran on strongly under pressure to take the lead on the line and win a three way photo finish from the Italian runner Slap Shot and the French-trained Zipping with Bahamian Pirate a neck behind in fourth. After the race Slap Shot's jockey Mirco Demuro was so convinced that he had won that he rode his horse into the winner's enclosure and celebrated with a Frankie Dettori
-style flying dismount. The stewards examined the photograph for fifteen minutes before declaring Continent the winner. Nicholls was as surprised as anyone; "I'm gobsmacked... I need a drink". Continent was the first gelding to win the Prix de l'Abbaye, the race having been restricted to "entire" colts and fillies until 2001. On his final race of the year Continent was sent to Sha Tin Racecourse
for the Hong Kong Sprint
but made no impression, finishing last of the fourteen runners.
in the July Cup.
Continent became a difficult horse to place in his later career. He was no longer capable of winning at the top level, but his outstanding performances in 2002 led to his being given big weights when he moved down into handicap class. In 2004 he ran seven times, finishing third in the Ayr Gold Cup, and winning a minor stakes race at Nottingham
in August It was to be almost three years and twenty-eight races before he won again.
He failed to win in 2005 or 2006 and four more defeats in 2007 saw his handicap rating fall to a new low of 82. In June at his local track, Thirsk
the ten-year-old finally broke his losing streak when he finished strongly to take the lead close home and win a minor handicap race by half a length. Six weeks and four races later he won for the second time that year when he stayed on well to take a handicap at Goodwood
.
After five more races Continent was retired after running unplaced at York in June 2008.
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...
racehorse. A gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
who specialised in sprint distances, he improved from handicap class to become European Champion Sprinter in 2002. In his championship season he ran thirteen times and won two Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
races; the July Cup
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
and the Prix de l'Abbaye
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...
at Longchamp, becoming the first gelding to win the latter race. In all, he ran seventy times in a career which lasted from 1999 until his retirement at the age of eleven in 2008.
Background
Continent, a chestnut gelding with a narrow white stripeHorse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
, was bred by his first owner Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farm. He was one of the first crop of foals sired by Lake Coniston, a top class sprinter who won the July Cup in 1995. Apart from Continent, Lake Coniston made little impact as a sire in Europe, and was exported to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where he died in 2006. Continent’s dam Krisia, was a daughter of the Prix Maurice de Gheest
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 , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
winner Interval and a half sister to several winners.
Continent was originally trained in France by Pascal Bary
Pascal Bary
Pascal Bary is a French racehorse trainer.He has been training since 1981, having previously worked as an assistant to François Boutin...
for Khalid Abdulla. At the end of his three-year-old season he was sent to the Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
October sales where he was bought for 40,000gns
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
by McKeever St Lawrence a Newmarket-based bloodstock agency and entered the ownership of Edward St George’s Lucayan Stud. He was then sent to the North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
stable of David Nicholls.
1999-2001: early career
1 from 7.Continent began his career by running third in the Prix de Caen at Deauville in October 1999. On his three-year-old debut he "easily" won a 1100m race at Chantilly
Chantilly Racecourse
Chantilly Racecourse is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris....
by four lengths. He was immediately moved up to Group Two class, but finished last of the five runners behind Nuclear Debate
Nuclear debate
The nuclear debate can refer to:*Nuclear power debate*Nuclear weapons debate*Uranium mining debate...
in the Prix du Gros Chêne
Prix du Gros Chêne
The Prix du Gros Chêne is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June....
. After being well beaten in two minor races he was regarded as surplus to requirements and sent to the sales.
As noted above, he began 2001 in the care of David Nicholls. The Nicholls stable specialises in sprinters and has sent out the winners of most of the top European races over five and six furlongs, including the Nunthorpe Stakes
Nunthorpe Stakes
The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
, the Prix Maurice de Gheest, the Haydock Sprint Cup
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....
, the July Cup, the Prix de l'Abbaye, the Stewards' Cup
Stewards' Cup (Great Britain)
The Stewards' Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August....
and the Ayr Gold Cup
Ayr Gold Cup
The Ayr Gold Cup is a flat horse race in Scotland which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older...
.
Continent failed to win in his first five starts for his new stable, his closest effort being when third in a minor handicap race at Pontefract
Pontefract Racecourse
Pontefract Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England.Pontefract is one of the best appointed courses of its kind in the country. There are modern bars and refreshment areas in all enclosures....
. He looked to be in running in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood however, and his lack of success meant that his official handicap mark had fallen to 92 by the time of the valuable Ayr Gold Cup
Ayr Gold Cup
The Ayr Gold Cup is a flat horse race in Scotland which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older...
in late September. Ridden by Darryll Holland
Darryll Holland
Darryll Paul Holland is a United Kingdom flat racing jockey who has ridden for trainers such as Luca Cumani, Geoff Wragg, and Mark Johnston....
he started slowly and was held up in the early running as the field of twenty-eight runners split into two groups. In the second half of the race he made good progress to lead the stands-side group and stayed on strongly to win by a head from Brevity. It was Nicholls second successive win in the race, having won the race in 2000 with Bahamian Pirate. On his final start of the year he put up an even better performance when carrying 133lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
into third place in a handicap at Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
.
His last two runs saw Continent's handicap mark rise to 100. This meant that he would be forced to carry top weight in almost any handicap race, and as a result the focus of his career shifted to weight-for-age competition.
2002: five-year-old season
After a final, unsuccessful run in a handicap, Continent ran second to Reel Buddy in both the Quail Stakes and the ListedConditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Abernant Stakes
Abernant Stakes
The Abernant Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.The event is named after Abernant, a multiple...
. A move into Group Class was not an immediate success as he ran unplaced in the Palace House Stakes
Palace House Stakes
The Palace House Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.The event is named after...
, the Duke of York Stakes
Duke of York Stakes
The Duke of York Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
and the Temple Stakes
Temple Stakes
The Temple Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
.
At Royal Ascot in June, Continent gave the first real indication that he could be a top class sprinter. On the Tuesday of the meeting he started a 16/1 outsider for the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand 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 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
but belied his odds by finishing strongly after a poor start and failing by only a head to catch Dominica. On the Saturday of the meeting he was only fifth to Malhub
Malhub
Malhub is a thoroughbred racehorse. He won the prestigious Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2002.He is a son of Kingmambo....
in the Golden Jubilee Stakes
Golden Jubilee Stakes
The Golden Jubilee 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 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
, but finished ahead of notable performers such as Invincible Spirit and Johannesburg
Johannesburg (horse)
Johannesburg is a Kentucky-bred United States and European Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was trained by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle, and now stands at stud at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky, the American arm of the giant Irish breeder Coolmore Stud...
.
In the Group One July Cup, which was run in "diabolical weather" at Newmarket, Continent started at 12/1 in a field of 14 which included Reel Buddy and Malhub. He was held up by Holland before slipping through a gap to take the lead in the final furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
. He hung to the right in the closing stages but ran on well to beat his stable companion, Bahamian Pirate by half a length. After the race Edward St George paid tribute to Nicholls handling of horses saying, "He understands them. He talks to them. He will take half-witted horses that other trainers throw out and turn them into serious racehorses." In August Continent finished fourth, beaten just over a length in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
, and then ran sixth to Invincible Spirit in the Haydock Sprint Cup.
In October, Continent faced a field of twenty in the Prix de L'Abbaye and was made 4/1 joint favourite with Bahamian Pirate. Holland tracked the leaders before producing Continent with a strong run in the final furlong. The gelding ran on strongly under pressure to take the lead on the line and win a three way photo finish from the Italian runner Slap Shot and the French-trained Zipping with Bahamian Pirate a neck behind in fourth. After the race Slap Shot's jockey Mirco Demuro was so convinced that he had won that he rode his horse into the winner's enclosure and celebrated with a Frankie Dettori
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...
-style flying dismount. The stewards examined the photograph for fifteen minutes before declaring Continent the winner. Nicholls was as surprised as anyone; "I'm gobsmacked... I need a drink". Continent was the first gelding to win the Prix de l'Abbaye, the race having been restricted to "entire" colts and fillies until 2001. On his final race of the year Continent was sent to Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.Penfold Park is encircled by the track.-History:...
for the Hong Kong Sprint
Hong Kong Sprint
The Hong Kong Sprint is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December....
but made no impression, finishing last of the fourteen runners.
2003-2008: later career
Continent continued to be campaigned at the highest level in 2003, but was unable to recapture his form and finished unplaced in all five of his races, his best effort coming when running sixth to Oasis DreamOasis Dream
Oasis Dream is retired thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom. He was the highest-rated two-year-old in the 2002 European flat racing season and won the Cartier Racing Award for European Champion Sprinter in 2003.-Background:Oasis Dream, a bay horse...
in the July Cup.
Continent became a difficult horse to place in his later career. He was no longer capable of winning at the top level, but his outstanding performances in 2002 led to his being given big weights when he moved down into handicap class. In 2004 he ran seven times, finishing third in the Ayr Gold Cup, and winning a minor stakes race at Nottingham
Nottingham Racecourse
Nottingham Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated at Colwick Park, close to the River Trent and about 3 km east of the city centre....
in August It was to be almost three years and twenty-eight races before he won again.
He failed to win in 2005 or 2006 and four more defeats in 2007 saw his handicap rating fall to a new low of 82. In June at his local track, Thirsk
Thirsk Racecourse
Thirsk Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England. The course is a left handed oval of about 1m2f with a 3f finishing straight and a 6f chute...
the ten-year-old finally broke his losing streak when he finished strongly to take the lead close home and win a minor handicap race by half a length. Six weeks and four races later he won for the second time that year when he stayed on well to take a handicap at Goodwood
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...
.
After five more races Continent was retired after running unplaced at York in June 2008.