Petrushka (horse)
Encyclopedia
Petrushka is a retired Thoroughbred
racehorse who was bred in Ireland and trained in the United Kingdom
during a racing career which lasted from October 1999 to June 2001. She was named European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the 2000 Cartier Racing Awards. In her championship season she won four times from seven starts including Group One
races is three countries. She won the Irish Oaks
against other three-year-old fillies, before beating older fillies and mares in the Yorkshire Oaks
in England and the Prix de l'Opéra
in France. Petrushka was retired to stud after a single, unsuccessful run as a four-year-old.
was bred at the Airlie Stud, near Maynooth
, County Kildare
, sired by the Northern Dancer
stallion Unfuwain
out of the mare Ballet Shoes. Unfuwain was a high-class middle distance runner who won four Group
races before siring the winners of more than five hundred winners at stud. Ballet Shoes, who won two minor races, was a product of the Ballymacoll Stud
and a half sister to the Champion Stakes
winner Spectrum.
Petrushka's name derives from the ballet by Stravinsky, and was suggested by the name of her dam. An odd feature of the filly's name was the fact that the original Petrushka
was male.
Petrushka was sent as a yearling to the Goffs sales in October 1998 where she was bought for IR£
110,000 by John Warren, the director of the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing group. Petrushka was sent into training with Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket, Suffolk.
in October. She started slowly and took time to reach her full speed, but then made rapid progress to take the lead inside the final furlong
and win "cleverly" by three quarters of a length.
Despite the race's modest status, Petrushka's win attracted attention, and she went into the winter break regarded as "a serious filly" and a possible contender for the following year's Classics.
, than the 1000 Guineas over one mile, but her improved home form suggested that she had the speed for the shorter classic. On her three year old debut, Petrushka confirmed this impression in her first Group
race, the Nell Gwyn Stakes
over seven furlongs at Newmarket
. She was sent off the 7/2 favourite, despite the presence in the field of the Cheveley Park Stakes
winner Seazun. Held up in the early stages by Kieran Fallon, Petrushka moved up to take the lead a furlong out and pulled clear to beat Seazun by four lengths. Fallon praised the filly saying that "she travels and she's got a serious turn of foot. You couldn't fault her in any way." Her odds for the Guineas and the Oaks were cut to 2/1 and 5/1 respectively. Tony Morris, writing in the Racing Post
, offered the opinion that "a star was born" in the Nell Gwyn.
Less than three weeks later Petrushka was made 6/4 favourite against seventeen opponents in the 1000 Guineas. Petrushka was held up by Fallon, but was bumped when trying to make a forward move and was then unable to find space for a clear run. She finished strongly, but was unable to reach the leaders, finishing third, more than four lengths behind Lahan
.
over one and a half miles at Epsom
for which she was made 9/2 third favourite. Her second attempt at classic success ended in failure, however, as she finished a well-beaten fourth behind Love Divine, Kalypso Katie and Melikah.
From this point on, Petrushka showed rapid improvement. In July she was sent to The Curragh
for the Irish Oaks
, where she was ridden for the first time by Johnny Murtagh
, Fallon having suffered a serious shoulder injury at Royal Ascot. After tracking the leaders in the early stages, Petrushka took the lead in the straight and pulled well clear to win by five and a half lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. She decisively reversed the Epsom for with Melikah, who finished second, and Kalypso Katie who was a further four and a half lengths back in fifth. The Independent
described it as "a slaughter", while Stoute contrasted the performance with her previous two runs by insisting that "this is the real Petrushka."
The Yorkshire Oaks
at York
in August saw Petrushka matched against Love Divine for a second time, with the 1999 Champion Filly Ramruma
also in the field. The meeting of the three outstanding fillies was highly anticipated as one of the "races of the season". Petrushka was held up as usual, as Ramruma made the early running. Murtagh made his challenge in the straight, as Love Divine moved past Ramruma to take the lead. Petrushka produced an impressive "burst of speed" to catch Love Divine a furlong out and stayed on well to beat the Oaks winner by one and a quarter lengths. After the race one of her owners suggested that both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
and the Champion Stakes
were being considered for her next race, with the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
as her likely end of season target.
at Longchamp. Although the opposition in the Group One race did not appear to be as strong as at York, the distance of 2000m was short of Petrushka's best and an unfavourable draw did not help her chances. Murtagh predictably held the filly up before moving her to the wide outside to challenge in the straight. Petrushka produced a sustained run to take the lead inside the final 200m and win by three quarters of a length from the Prix Saint-Alary
winner Reve d'Oscar.
On her final start of the season, Petrushka was sent to Churchill Downs
for the Breeders' Cup
and was made 7/5 favourite for the Filly & Mare Turf
. She was settled in sixth place by Murtagh before being moved out to challenge in the straight. She could make no progress however, and finished fifth of the fourteen starters behind Perfect Sting
.
in the Coronation Cup
at Epsom in June.
Shortly after the race it was announced that she had sustained a tendon injury in her right foreleg and would be unable to race again. At the end of June she was sold to the Darley Stud
as a prospective broodmare for a reported £3,500,000.
winner Egyptband.
Michael Stoute called Petrushka "the best middle-distance filly I have trained."
and Gone West
she has yet to produce a top class runner. She has produced at least two minor winners: Hall of Fame (by Machiavellian) and Parlour Games (by Monsun
).
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 who was bred in Ireland and 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...
during a racing career which lasted from October 1999 to June 2001. She was named European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the 2000 Cartier Racing Awards. In her championship season she won four times from seven starts including 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 is three countries. She won the Irish Oaks
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 , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
against other three-year-old fillies, before beating older fillies and mares in the Yorkshire Oaks
Yorkshire Oaks
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
in England and the Prix de l'Opéra
Prix de l'Opéra
The Prix de l'Opéra is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.The event was established in 1974, and it was...
in France. Petrushka was retired to stud after a single, unsuccessful run as a four-year-old.
Background
Petrushka, a dark chestnut filly with a small white starHorse 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 at the Airlie Stud, near Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, sired by the Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
stallion Unfuwain
Unfuwain
Unfuwain was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse bred and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. In a brief career of ten starts, lasting from 9187 to 1989, he won four Group races and was placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe...
out of the mare Ballet Shoes. Unfuwain was a high-class middle distance runner who won four Group
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 before siring the winners of more than five hundred winners at stud. Ballet Shoes, who won two minor races, was a product of the 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...
and a half sister to 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...
winner Spectrum.
Petrushka's name derives from the ballet by Stravinsky, and was suggested by the name of her dam. An odd feature of the filly's name was the fact that the original Petrushka
Petrushka
Petrouchka or Petrushka is a ballet with music by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, composed in 1910–11 and revised in 1947....
was male.
Petrushka was sent as a yearling to the Goffs sales in October 1998 where she was bought for IR£
Irish pound
The Irish pound was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £...
110,000 by John Warren, the director of the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing group. Petrushka was sent into training with Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket, Suffolk.
1999: two-year-old season
Petrushka had only one race as a two-year-old, starting 5/1 second favourite in a maiden race at LeicesterLeicester Racecourse
Leicester Racecourse is a horse-racing course in Oadby, Leicestershire, England.The course is oval shaped and nearly 2 miles in extent. It was opened ante 1773....
in October. She started slowly and took time to reach her full speed, but then made rapid progress to take the lead inside 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....
and win "cleverly" by three quarters of a length.
Despite the race's modest status, Petrushka's win attracted attention, and she went into the winter break regarded as "a serious filly" and a possible contender for the following year's Classics.
Spring
Petrushka was originally considered more of a prospect for the one and a half mile OaksEpsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
, than the 1000 Guineas over one mile, but her improved home form suggested that she had the speed for the shorter classic. On her three year old debut, Petrushka confirmed this impression in her first Group
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...
race, the Nell Gwyn Stakes
Nell Gwyn Stakes
The Nell Gwyn Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred 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 mid April....
over seven furlongs 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...
. She was sent off the 7/2 favourite, despite the presence in the field of the Cheveley Park Stakes
Cheveley Park Stakes
The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. 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 late September or early October.The event was...
winner Seazun. Held up in the early stages by Kieran Fallon, Petrushka moved up to take the lead a furlong out and pulled clear to beat Seazun by four lengths. Fallon praised the filly saying that "she travels and she's got a serious turn of foot. You couldn't fault her in any way." Her odds for the Guineas and the Oaks were cut to 2/1 and 5/1 respectively. Tony Morris, writing in the Racing Post
Racing Post
The Racing Post is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper, appearing in print form and online.From 30 May 2011 - 3 July 2011 it had a circulation of 56,507.-History:...
, offered the opinion that "a star was born" in the Nell Gwyn.
Less than three weeks later Petrushka was made 6/4 favourite against seventeen opponents in the 1000 Guineas. Petrushka was held up by Fallon, but was bumped when trying to make a forward move and was then unable to find space for a clear run. She finished strongly, but was unable to reach the leaders, finishing third, more than four lengths behind Lahan
Lahan
Lahan is a town and municipality in Siraha District in the Sagarmatha Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 19,018 people living in 3622 individual households. Famous Sarda Group of nepal hail originally from this town and people respect the...
.
Summer
Petrushka was then moved up in distance for the OaksEpsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
over one and a half miles at 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...
for which she was made 9/2 third favourite. Her second attempt at classic success ended in failure, however, as she finished a well-beaten fourth behind Love Divine, Kalypso Katie and Melikah.
From this point on, Petrushka showed rapid improvement. In July she was sent to 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 :...
for the Irish Oaks
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 , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
, where she was ridden for the first time by 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...
, Fallon having suffered a serious shoulder injury at Royal Ascot. After tracking the leaders in the early stages, Petrushka took the lead in the straight and pulled well clear to win by five and a half lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. She decisively reversed the Epsom for with Melikah, who finished second, and Kalypso Katie who was a further four and a half lengths back in fifth. The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
described it as "a slaughter", while Stoute contrasted the performance with her previous two runs by insisting that "this is the real Petrushka."
The Yorkshire Oaks
Yorkshire Oaks
The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , 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 saw Petrushka matched against Love Divine for a second time, with the 1999 Champion Filly Ramruma
Ramruma
Ramruma is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States, but trained in the United Kingdom during a racing career which lasted from September 1998 until September 2000...
also in the field. The meeting of the three outstanding fillies was highly anticipated as one of the "races of the season". Petrushka was held up as usual, as Ramruma made the early running. Murtagh made his challenge in the straight, as Love Divine moved past Ramruma to take the lead. Petrushka produced an impressive "burst of speed" to catch Love Divine a furlong out and stayed on well to beat the Oaks winner by one and a quarter lengths. After the race one of her owners suggested that both 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...
and 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...
were being considered for her next race, with the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
as her likely end of season target.
Autumn
In October, Petrushka was sent to France for the Prix de l'OpéraPrix de l'Opéra
The Prix de l'Opéra is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.The event was established in 1974, and it was...
at Longchamp. Although the opposition in the Group One race did not appear to be as strong as at York, the distance of 2000m was short of Petrushka's best and an unfavourable draw did not help her chances. Murtagh predictably held the filly up before moving her to the wide outside to challenge in the straight. Petrushka produced a sustained run to take the lead inside the final 200m and win by three quarters of a length from the Prix Saint-Alary
Prix Saint-Alary
The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
winner Reve d'Oscar.
On her final start of the season, Petrushka was sent to Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
for the Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
and was made 7/5 favourite for the Filly & Mare Turf
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
. She was settled in sixth place by Murtagh before being moved out to challenge in the straight. She could make no progress however, and finished fifth of the fourteen starters behind Perfect Sting
Perfect Sting
Perfect Sting is an American Thoroughbred Championracehorse and broodmare. Bred by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm and raced by his Stronach Stables, she was sired by Red Ransom and out of the mare Valid Victress....
.
2001: four-year-old season
Petrushka was kept in training at four but had little chance to make an impact, despite positive reports concerning her form in training. On her only start she finished fifth of the six runners behind MutafaweqMutafaweq
Mutafaweq is a Thoroughbred racehorse who raced successfully in England, Germany, and Canada.Raced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Godolphin Racing, Mutafaweq was a winner of four Group One races in three different countries before being retired from racing at the end of his 2001 campaign...
in the Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at Epsom in June.
Shortly after the race it was announced that she had sustained a tendon injury in her right foreleg and would be unable to race again. At the end of June she was sold to the Darley Stud
Darley 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....
as a prospective broodmare for a reported £3,500,000.
Assessment
At the Cartier Racing Awards for 2000, Petrushka was named European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. In the official International Classification, Petrushka was rated the second best European filly on a rating of 122, four pounds below the Prix de l'Arc de TriomphePrix 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...
winner Egyptband.
Michael Stoute called Petrushka "the best middle-distance filly I have trained."
Stud career
Although Petrushka has beed bred to many leading stallions including Rainbow QuestRainbow Quest (horse)
Rainbow Quest was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion broodmare sire. Bred in Kentucky by British businessman, Alan Clore, he was a descendant of the great Nearco through both his dam, I Will Follow, and his Champion sire, Blushing Groom....
and Gone West
Gone West (horse)
Gone West is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Dr. William O. Reed, Gone West was a son of the very influential sire, Mr. Prospector, his dam, Secrettame, was a daughter of the legendary 1973 U.S...
she has yet to produce a top class runner. She has produced at least two minor winners: Hall of Fame (by Machiavellian) and Parlour Games (by Monsun
Monsun
Monsun is a bay Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion bred in Germany by Gestut Isarland and owned by Baron Georg von Ullmann. He is a son of Germany's first triple crown winner and champion racehorse and sire Königsstuhl, a descendant of the very influerntial sire, Nearco.Monsun was a very tough...
).