North Light
Encyclopedia
North Light is a retired Thoroughbred
racehorse
, and active sire, bred in Ireland
but trained in the United Kingdom
. He is best known as the winner of the Epsom Derby
in 2004
. He currently stands at the Adena Springs Stud in Aurora, Ontario
, Canada
.
Ballymacoll Stud
. On Lord Weinstock's death in 2002, his thoroughbreds, including the yearling North Light, passed to the executors of his estate. In 2004 the ownership of North Light was officially transferred to the Ballymacoll Stud.
North Light's sire Danehill
is one of the most successful stallions of the last twenty years, producing the winners of more than 1,000 races including 156 at Group One
/Grade I
level. Among his best offspring are Dylan Thomas
, Rock of Gibraltar
George Washington
and Duke of Marmalade
.
North Light's dam, Sought Out was a successful racemare who won the Group One
Prix du Cadran
. Apart from North Light, she has produced the Jockey Club Cup
winner Cover Up, and the Glorious Stakes
winner Researched.
He was trained throughout his career by Michael Stoute
at Newmarket, Suffolk and was ridden in all but one of his races by Kieren Fallon
.
When North Light appeared in another maiden race at Goodwood
a month later, he started at odds of 1/5, and went clear in the final furlong
to win "readily" from the future Group race winner Take A Bow. Although North Light was entered in the Group One Racing Post Trophy
he did not run again in 2003.
for the Group Two Dante Stakes
, a recognised trial for the Derby
. He was the fourth choice of the ten runners in the betting, starting at odds of 6/1. North Light was sent into the lead by Fallon half a mile from home, and he stayed on strongly up the straight to win by half a length from Rule of Law with the favourite Let The Lion Roar two and a half lengths further back in third. North Light was travelling so well that Fallon began to ease the colt down and stopped riding only to start again when he noticed Frankie Dettori
closing fast on Rule of Law. Although he had won an important trial, Stoute was careful not to sound over-confident after the race, describing the performance as "solid" and calling North Light an "each-way" chance for the Derby.
Following the late withdrawal of the Aidan O'Brien
-trained Yeats
, North Light was made 7/2 joint-favourite with the 2000 Guineas runner-up Snow Ridge. Like North Light, Snow Ridge had been bred by the Ballymmacoll stud but had been sold to Godolphin at the end of his two-year-old season. In fact the two colts had been born in the same stall, just over a month apart.
In the race, Fallon's plan was to make the most of North Light's stamina. He sent the colt into the lead as the field entered the straight, and quickly went two lengths clear. From that point on he was never in real danger, staying on strongly throughout the closing stages and winning comfortably. In a repeat of the Dante result, Rule of Law and Let The Lion Roar took second and third places. The winning time of 2:33.72 was the fourth fastest recorded for a Derby at Epsom. After the race, Stoute expresses his satisfaction with the performance, pointing out that it was only North Light's fourth race, and indicated that he would be aimed at the Irish Derby.
North Light was made odds on favourite for the Irish Derby at The Curragh
three weeks later. He took the lead from Rule of Law two furlongs out but was challenged by the Dermot Weld
-trained Grey Swallow. Although North Light ran on well the Irish colt took the lead a furlong out and won by half a length. North Light came back from the race with an leg injury which forced him to miss his planned run in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
There were reports that North Light would run in the St Leger, but in August it was announced that he would instead be trained for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
In September the bookmakers, Coral reported heavy betting support for North Light and cut his price for the Paris race from 8/1 to 5/1.
Despite having been off the racecourse for more than three months, North Light started 9/2 favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
just preferred to Grey Swallow on 5/1. North Light started quickly and disputed the lead for most of the race with Tap Dance City until the Japanese horse faded in the straight. A furlong and a half from the finish North Light lost the lead to Cherry Mix and although he ran on under pressure, he finished fifth of the nineteen runners behind Bago
, beaten three and a half lengths.
Fallon was pleased with North Light's effort, saying, "he kept changing his legs and didn't like the ground, but he ran a great race all the same." Stoute felt that the ground conditions had not suited his colt, but expressed his hopes that North Light would stay in training.
at the Curragh, where he would have been matched against Bago and Grey Swallow. Instead, his connections switched him to the less competititve Brigadier Gerard Stakes
, a Group Three race at Sandown. As a Group One winner, North Light was asked to carry 129 lbs, giving between two and ten pounds to the other four runners. For once, North Light, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, was unable to reach the lead and appeared to be struggling some way from the finish. He finished strongly, but was unable to catch the filly New Morning and was beaten by half a length. Stoute described North Light as "a bit rusty" but said that he was pleased with the colt's performance.
Shortly after his race at Sandown, it was announced that North Light had suffered a pelvic injury ("a stress fracture to the right ilial wing"), and would be unable to race again.
.
, North Light was assigned a figure of 122, making him the fifteenth best horse in the world.
In the 2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
, he was rated on 117, on the basis of his one racecourse appearance.
duty at Frank Stronach's
Adena Springs stud in Paris, Kentucky
.
In September 2010 his son Arctic Cosmos
(from his first crop of foals) won the St Leger Stakes.
In October 2010, it was announced that North Light would be moved from Kentucky to Adena Springs' Canadian base in Ontario for the 2011 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
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, and active sire, bred in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
but trained in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He is best known as the winner of the Epsom 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...
in 2004
2004 Epsom Derby
The 2004 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday June 5, 2004. It was the 225th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race joint favourite North Light. The winner was ridden by Kieren Fallon and trained by Sir Michael Stoute...
. He currently stands at the Adena Springs Stud in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Background
North Light was bred in Ireland by Lord Weinstock'sArnold Weinstock
Arnold Weinstock, Baron Weinstock was an English businessman whom The Guardian newspaper called "Britain's premier post-second-world-war industrialist."...
Ballymacoll Stud
Ballymacoll Stud
Ballymacoll Stud is a Thoroughbred stud farm of 300 acres in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the townland of Ballymacoll, approximately two miles from the village of Dunboyne and four miles from the town of Maynooth...
. On Lord Weinstock's death in 2002, his thoroughbreds, including the yearling North Light, passed to the executors of his estate. In 2004 the ownership of North Light was officially transferred to the Ballymacoll Stud.
North Light's sire Danehill
Danehill (horse)
Danehill was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States. During his phenomenal stud career Danehill became a champion sire on both sides of the Equator...
is one of the most successful stallions of the last twenty years, producing the winners of more than 1,000 races including 156 at 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...
/Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
level. Among his best offspring are Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas (horse)
Dylan Thomas is a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor. He was sired by Danehill out of Lagrion, a daughter of Diesis...
, Rock of Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar (horse)
Rock of Gibraltar is a Champion racehorse and stallion owned by Coolmore, for whom he currently stands in Ireland and Australia .He is named after the Rock of Gibraltar, a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar on...
George Washington
George Washington (horse)
George Washington was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Ireland by champion sire Danehill out of Bordighera, also the dam of the high class colt Grandera. Bred by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, he was trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith...
and 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...
.
North Light's dam, Sought Out was a successful racemare who won the 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...
Prix du Cadran
Prix du Cadran
The Prix du Cadran is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 4,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October....
. Apart from North Light, she has produced the Jockey Club Cup
Jockey Club Cup
The British Champions Long Distance Cup, formerly known as the Jockey Club Cup, is a Group 3 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 2 miles...
winner Cover Up, and the Glorious Stakes
Glorious Stakes
The Glorious Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:The event was established in 1979, and...
winner Researched.
He was trained throughout his career by Michael Stoute
Michael Stoute
Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972...
at Newmarket, Suffolk and was ridden in all but one of his races by Kieren Fallon
Kieren Fallon
Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times....
.
2003: two-year-old career
North Light began his career in August 2003, in a maiden race at Sandown in which he finished strongly, failing by a short head to catch Post And Rail. Despite the closeness of the finish, Fallon did not use the whip on North Light, clearly suggesting that he could be capable of better. The standard of the race was unusually high; the third place finisher, Iffraaj, went on to win three Group races, while the fourth placed Maraahel won eight.When North Light appeared in another maiden race 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...
a month later, he started at odds of 1/5, and went clear 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....
to win "readily" from the future Group race winner Take A Bow. Although North Light was entered in the Group One Racing Post Trophy
Racing Post Trophy
The Racing Post Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October....
he did not run again in 2003.
2004: three-year-old career
North Light's three-year-old season began with a significant step up in class as he was sent to YorkYork 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...
for the Group Two Dante Stakes
Dante Stakes
The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. 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 May....
, a recognised trial for the 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...
. He was the fourth choice of the ten runners in the betting, starting at odds of 6/1. North Light was sent into the lead by Fallon half a mile from home, and he stayed on strongly up the straight to win by half a length from Rule of Law with the favourite Let The Lion Roar two and a half lengths further back in third. North Light was travelling so well that Fallon began to ease the colt down and stopped riding only to start again when he noticed 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...
closing fast on Rule of Law. Although he had won an important trial, Stoute was careful not to sound over-confident after the race, describing the performance as "solid" and calling North Light an "each-way" chance for the Derby.
Aidan O'Brien
Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....
-trained Yeats
Yeats (horse)
Yeats is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won seven Group One races and is the only horse ever to win the Ascot Gold Cup four times in succession.-Breeding:...
, North Light was made 7/2 joint-favourite with the 2000 Guineas runner-up Snow Ridge. Like North Light, Snow Ridge had been bred by the Ballymmacoll stud but had been sold to Godolphin at the end of his two-year-old season. In fact the two colts had been born in the same stall, just over a month apart.
In the race, Fallon's plan was to make the most of North Light's stamina. He sent the colt into the lead as the field entered the straight, and quickly went two lengths clear. From that point on he was never in real danger, staying on strongly throughout the closing stages and winning comfortably. In a repeat of the Dante result, Rule of Law and Let The Lion Roar took second and third places. The winning time of 2:33.72 was the fourth fastest recorded for a Derby at Epsom. After the race, Stoute expresses his satisfaction with the performance, pointing out that it was only North Light's fourth race, and indicated that he would be aimed at the Irish Derby.
North Light was made odds on favourite for the Irish Derby at The Curragh
Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...
three weeks later. He took the lead from Rule of Law two furlongs out but was challenged by the Dermot Weld
Dermot Weld
Dermot K. Weld is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland ....
-trained Grey Swallow. Although North Light ran on well the Irish colt took the lead a furlong out and won by half a length. North Light came back from the race with an leg injury which forced him to miss his planned run in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
There were reports that North Light would run in the St Leger, but in August it was announced that he would instead be trained for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
In September the bookmakers, Coral reported heavy betting support for North Light and cut his price for the Paris race from 8/1 to 5/1.
Despite having been off the racecourse for more than three months, North Light started 9/2 favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
just preferred to Grey Swallow on 5/1. North Light started quickly and disputed the lead for most of the race with Tap Dance City until the Japanese horse faded in the straight. A furlong and a half from the finish North Light lost the lead to Cherry Mix and although he ran on under pressure, he finished fifth of the nineteen runners behind Bago
Bago
Bago may refer to:*Denmark** Bago, Denmark, the island of Bågø*Myanmar**Bago, Burma a city**Bago Region an administrative region*Philippines**Bago City, Negros Oriental**Bago **Bago...
, beaten three and a half lengths.
Fallon was pleased with North Light's effort, saying, "he kept changing his legs and didn't like the ground, but he ran a great race all the same." Stoute felt that the ground conditions had not suited his colt, but expressed his hopes that North Light would stay in training.
2005: four-year-old career
North Light did stay in training at four, and was expected to make his debut in the Group One Tattersalls Gold CupTattersalls Gold Cup
The Tattersalls Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 110 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
at the Curragh, where he would have been matched against Bago and Grey Swallow. Instead, his connections switched him to the less competititve Brigadier Gerard Stakes
Brigadier Gerard Stakes
The Brigadier Gerard Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.The event was established in...
, a Group Three race at Sandown. As a Group One winner, North Light was asked to carry 129 lbs, giving between two and ten pounds to the other four runners. For once, North Light, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, was unable to reach the lead and appeared to be struggling some way from the finish. He finished strongly, but was unable to catch the filly New Morning and was beaten by half a length. Stoute described North Light as "a bit rusty" but said that he was pleased with the colt's performance.
Shortly after his race at Sandown, it was announced that North Light had suffered a pelvic injury ("a stress fracture to the right ilial wing"), and would be unable to race again.
Race record
| Date | Race | Dist (f) | Course | Class | Prize (£K) | Odds | Runners | Placing | Margin | Time | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacemaker EBF Maiden Stakes | 7 | Sandown | M | 6 | 5/1 | 14 | 2 | Short head | 1:34.75 | Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times.... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
|
| Uniq Foodservice EBF Maiden Stakes | 8 | 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... |
M | 2 | 1/5 | 5 | 1 | 1.75 | 1:40.85 | Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times.... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
|
| Dante Stakes Dante Stakes The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. 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 May.... |
10.5 | 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... |
2 | 84 | 6/1 | 10 | 1 | 0.5 | 2:15.69 | Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times.... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
|
| 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... |
12 | Epsom Epsom Downs Racecourse Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half... |
1 | 788 | 7/2 | 14 | 1 | 1.5 | 2:33.72 | Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times.... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
|
| Irish Derby | 12 | The Curragh Curragh Racecourse The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :... |
1 | 518 | 8/11 | 10 | 2 | 0.5 | 2:28.70 | Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times.... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
|
| Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the... |
12 | Longchamp | 1 | 743 | 9/2 | 19 | 5 | 3.5 | 2:25.00 | Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times.... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
|
| Brigadier Gerard Stakes Brigadier Gerard Stakes The Brigadier Gerard Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.The event was established in... |
10 | Sandown | 3 | 29 | 10/11 | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 2:08.01 | Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh is a Irish flat racing jockey from Bohermeen, Navan, County Meath.He excels on the big stage, having won many Group 1 races around the world... |
Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972... |
.
Assessment
In the 2004 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings2004 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The 2004 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings was the inaugural edition of the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings. It is an assessment of racehorses which was issued by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities in January 2005...
, North Light was assigned a figure of 122, making him the fifteenth best horse in the world.
In the 2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The 2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings is the 2005 edition of the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings. It is an assessment of racehorses which was issued by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities in January 2006...
, he was rated on 117, on the basis of his one racecourse appearance.
Stud career
North Light was retired to stallionStallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
duty at Frank Stronach's
Frank Stronach
Frank Stronach, CM is an Austrian-Canadian businessman. He is the founder of Magna International, an international automotive parts company based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, and Magna Entertainment Corp., which specializes in horse-racing entertainment...
Adena Springs stud in Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
.
In September 2010 his son Arctic Cosmos
Arctic Cosmos
Arctic Cosmos is a British racehorse and winner of the 2010 St. Leger Stakes. He was bought for 47,000 guineas at Tattersalls Blandford Bloodstock and John Gosden for his wife Rachel Hood....
(from his first crop of foals) won the St Leger Stakes.
In October 2010, it was announced that North Light would be moved from Kentucky to Adena Springs' Canadian base in Ontario for the 2011 breeding season.
Pedigree
- Like all of DanehillDanehill (horse)Danehill was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States. During his phenomenal stud career Danehill became a champion sire on both sides of the Equator...
's offspring North Light is inbredInbreedingInbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
4x4 to the mare NatalmaNatalmaNatalma was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the Blue Hen Dam of the most important sire, and sire of sires, of the 20th Century, Northern Dancer. Bred in Virginia, she was purchased by Canadian business mogul E. P...
. This means that she occurs twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.