New Approach
Encyclopedia
New Approach is a retired Irish Thoroughbred
racehorse and active stallion. He won the 2008 Epsom Derby
, and was rated the best racehorse in the world (jointly with Curlin) in the 2008 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
.
was bred by the Lodge Park Stud in Kilkenny
Ireland from the second crop of the 2002 Epsom Derby
winner Galieo
. His dam was the Irish Champion Stakes
winner Park Express, making him a half-brother to the Takamatsunomiya Kinen
winner Shinko Forest and Dazzling Park (by Warning), Champion three-year-old filly in Europe. He was first owned by Mrs J S Bolger & John Corcoran. He was bought in training by Sheikh Mohammed
, who presented the colt to his wife Princess Haya of Jordan. He was trained throughout his career by Jim Bolger
and ridden in all his starts by Kevin Manning.
.Two weeks later he started evens favourite for the Group III Tyros Stakes
at Leopardstown
and led from the start to win "easily". In August he returned to the Curragh to win the Group II Futurity Stakes
at odds of 8-11 from Curtain Call, with Henrythenavigator
in third, again leading from the start. In September he was moved up to Group I level for the first time in the National Stakes
. He made all the running and moved clear in the closing stages to win "comfortably", defeating the future Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
winner Rio de la Plata in a race which brought together the top three horses in the ante-post betting for the 2008 2,000 Guineas.
On his final start he travelled outside Ireland for the first time for the Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket. He was already beginning to show signs of a headstrong temperament, and had to "ponied" down to the start. In the race, he was held up for the first time, took the lead a furlong out, and, after being put under pressure for the first time in his career, prevailed by half a length from Fast Company, with future Breeders' Cup Classic
winner Raven's Pass
in third and Rio de la Plata in fourth. Immediately after the race he was offered at odds of 7-4 and 3-1 for the following year's Guineas and Derby
respectively.
by half a length. Although the winner's performance was praised, his reception was "muted" and Jim Bolger defended the late change of plan in a "heated" post-race press conference.
A foot injury ruled New Approach out of the Irish Derby, and he was then aimed at the International Stakes
at York
in August. The race also attracted the leading older horse Duke of Marmalade
who had won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and the meeting of the two champions was much anticipated by the press as a "clash of the titans". Bad ground conditions forced the race to be abandoned, and it was rescheduled for Newmarket four days later. New Approach again failed to settle, and pulled hard in the early stages, but this time he could only finish third behind Duke of Marmalade and Phoenix Tower.
, a race for which Duke of Marmalade, was a late withdrawal. As usual, he pulled hard from the start, but Kevin Manning was able to settle him, and, after taking the lead early in the straight, he kept on well to win at odds of 8-13. The form of the race was not particulary strong, with the half-length runner-up Traffic Guard having an official rating of only 110, but New Approach's connections were satisfied, with Manning commenting "he had bundles in the tank".
New Approach's final start came in the Champion Stakes
at Newmarket on 18th October, for which he was sent off 6-5 favourite against ten opponents. In a performance described in The Observer as "scintillating", he took the lead three furlongs out and pulled away from the field to win by six lengths from Twice Over
in race record time. After the race Jim Bolger described him as "the finest horse beyond a mile that I have trained".
for Champion Two-Year Old. A year later was given a rating of 130 in the 2008 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
, making the equal top-ranked racehorse in the world. He was also named Champion Three-Year-Old colt in the Cartier Awards.
. He spends the first part of the year at the Dalham Stall Stud
at Newmarket, and is "shuttled" to the Northwood Park Stud Farm in Victoria
for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
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 and active stallion. He won the 2008 Epsom Derby
2008 Epsom Derby
The 2008 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday 7 June 2008. It was the 229th running of the Derby, and it was won by New Approach. The winner was ridden by Kevin Manning and trained by Jim Bolger...
, and was rated the best racehorse in the world (jointly with Curlin) in the 2008 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities , an organization established in 2003 with headquarters in Paris, France made up of members from around the world....
.
Background
New Approach, a chestnut colt with a white star and snipHorse 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 the Lodge Park Stud in Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
Ireland from the second crop of the 2002 Epsom Derby
2002 Epsom Derby
The 2002 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday June 8, 2002. It was the 223rd running of the Derby, and it was won by High Chaparral. The winner was ridden by Johnny Murtagh and trained by Aidan O'Brien...
winner Galieo
Galileo (horse)
Galileo is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He is best known for winning the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001 and for his rivalry with the Godolphin champion Fantastic Light...
. His dam was the Irish Champion Stakes
Irish Champion Stakes
The Irish Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1976, and...
winner Park Express, making him a half-brother to the Takamatsunomiya Kinen
Takamatsunomiya Kinen
The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Chukyo Racecourse in late March.The forerunner of this race was the...
winner Shinko Forest and Dazzling Park (by Warning), Champion three-year-old filly in Europe. He was first owned by Mrs J S Bolger & John Corcoran. He was bought in training by Sheikh Mohammed
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , also Sheikh Mohammed, , is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates , and absolute monarch of Dubai.-Personal life and education:...
, who presented the colt to his wife Princess Haya of Jordan. He was trained throughout his career by Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer)
James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland...
and ridden in all his starts by Kevin Manning.
2007: two-year-old season
New Approach was unbeaten in five starts as a two-year-old. He made his debut in a maiden race at The Curragh in July, winning by two lengths in what would be his only race outside group classConditions 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...
.Two weeks later he started evens favourite for the Group III Tyros Stakes
Tyros Stakes
The Tyros Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
at Leopardstown
Leopardstown
Leopardstown is a district in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland, located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. A residential suburb of the greater Dublin area, it is divided by the course of the M50 motorway, and adjoins the neighbouring areas of Sandyford, Stepaside, Ballyogan, Foxrock and...
and led from the start to win "easily". In August he returned to the Curragh to win the Group II Futurity Stakes
Futurity Stakes (Ireland)
The Futurity Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
at odds of 8-11 from Curtain Call, with Henrythenavigator
Henrythenavigator
Henrythenavigator is an American-bred and Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the 2,000 Guineas, the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St...
in third, again leading from the start. In September he was moved up to Group I level for the first time in the National Stakes
National Stakes
The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
. He made all the running and moved clear in the closing stages to win "comfortably", defeating the future Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...
winner Rio de la Plata in a race which brought together the top three horses in the ante-post betting for the 2008 2,000 Guineas.
On his final start he travelled outside Ireland for the first time for the Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
at Newmarket. He was already beginning to show signs of a headstrong temperament, and had to "ponied" down to the start. In the race, he was held up for the first time, took the lead a furlong out, and, after being put under pressure for the first time in his career, prevailed by half a length from Fast Company, with future Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
winner Raven's Pass
Raven's Pass
Raven's Pass is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse most notable for being the first English-trained winner of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California....
in third and Rio de la Plata in fourth. Immediately after the race he was offered at odds of 7-4 and 3-1 for the following year's Guineas and Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
respectively.
Spring
On his 2008 debut, New Approach went to the 2,000 Guineas Stakes without a prep race. In the build-up to the race, Bolger had announced that the colt was most unlikely to run in the Epsom Derby, with the Irish Derby being the preferred option In the Guineas, New Approach went off the 11-8 favourite and led as usual, but was caught inside the final furlong and beaten a nose by Henrythenavigator. Bolger offered no excuses but commented "This is only the beginning". Three weeks later, in the Irish 2,000 Guineas Henrythenavigator again defeated New Approach, this time by one and three-quarter lengths, with the Bolger colt hanging in the closing stages and apparently unsuited by the fast ground.Summer
New Approach was expected to run next in the Irish Derby, but on 2 June Jim Bolger announced an abrupt change of plan. Despite having been left in the Epsom Derby entries by mistake, New Approach would in fact take his chance in the English race. The decision aroused some hostility in the British press, who claimed that those who had already placed bets on the race had been misled. There was further controversy in the build up to the race, as some trainers complained that Bolger's intention to have New Approach ponied to the start was unfair, and would lead to unnecessary delays. Sent off the 5-1 second favourite, New Approach pulled hard in the early stages as Manning struggled to settle him. Half-way down the straight he seemed to be boxed in and unable to challenge, but a gap appeared on the rail, and he was driven to take the lead a furlong out, staying on to beat Tartan BearerTartan Bearer
Tartan Bearer is an Irish thoroughbred race horse. A colt of enormous talent, he never quite realised his potential due to injuries throughout his career. He raced eight times and won three of these, being placed on his other five starts...
by half a length. Although the winner's performance was praised, his reception was "muted" and Jim Bolger defended the late change of plan in a "heated" post-race press conference.
A foot injury ruled New Approach out of the Irish Derby, and he was then aimed at the International Stakes
International Stakes
The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 88 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
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...
in August. The race also attracted the leading older horse Duke of Marmalade
Duke of Marmalade
Duke of Marmalade is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He is best known for winning five consecutive Group One races in 2008, for which he was named European Champion Older Horse...
who had won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and the meeting of the two champions was much anticipated by the press as a "clash of the titans". Bad ground conditions forced the race to be abandoned, and it was rescheduled for Newmarket four days later. New Approach again failed to settle, and pulled hard in the early stages, but this time he could only finish third behind Duke of Marmalade and Phoenix Tower.
Autumn
Two weeks later New Approach appeared in the Irish Champion StakesIrish Champion Stakes
The Irish Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1976, and...
, a race for which Duke of Marmalade, was a late withdrawal. As usual, he pulled hard from the start, but Kevin Manning was able to settle him, and, after taking the lead early in the straight, he kept on well to win at odds of 8-13. The form of the race was not particulary strong, with the half-length runner-up Traffic Guard having an official rating of only 110, but New Approach's connections were satisfied, with Manning commenting "he had bundles in the tank".
New Approach's final start came in the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
at Newmarket on 18th October, for which he was sent off 6-5 favourite against ten opponents. In a performance described in The Observer as "scintillating", he took the lead three furlongs out and pulled away from the field to win by six lengths from Twice Over
Twice Over
Twice Over is a thoroughbred racehorse trained by Henry Cecil and owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Juddmonte Farms. Twice Over was bred in Great Britain.-2008 Season:...
in race record time. After the race Jim Bolger described him as "the finest horse beyond a mile that I have trained".
Assessment
At the end of his 2007 season New Approach was the highest rated two-year-old colt in Europe and won the Cartier Racing AwardCartier Racing Award
The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier jewelers. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races plus the votes cast by British racing journalists and readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph newspapers.Eight...
for Champion Two-Year Old. A year later was given a rating of 130 in the 2008 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
2008 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The 2008 World Thoroughbred Rankings was the 2008 edition of the World Thoroughbred Rankings. It was an assessment of Thoroughbred racehorses issued by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities in January 2009. It included horses aged three or older which competed in flat races...
, making the equal top-ranked racehorse in the world. He was also named Champion Three-Year-Old colt in the Cartier Awards.
Stud record
New Approach stands as a stallion for the Darley StudDarley Stud
Darley Stud is a Thoroughbred breeding operation owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. Darley breeds horses in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Dubai, Japan and Australia....
. He spends the first part of the year at the Dalham Stall Stud
Dalham Hall
Dalham Hall is a Grade 2 listed country house and estate, located in the village of Dalham, Suffolk, near Newmarket, and west of Bury St Edmunds....
at Newmarket, and is "shuttled" to the Northwood Park Stud Farm in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.