Somnus (horse)
Encyclopedia
Somnus is a retired British champion Thoroughbred
racehorse. One of the best European two-year-olds in 2002, he developed into a leading the following year when he won the Group One
Haydock Sprint Cup
. As a four-year-old he won two more Group One races in France- the Prix Maurice de Gheest
(2004) and the Prix de la Foret
- and was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. He continued racing until being retired in 2008 at the age of eight, having won ten of his forty-three races. Unlike many sprinters, Somnus was not a pure "speed horse" and ran only once, unsuccessfully, at five furlongs: all his victories came over six or seven furlongs.
before the start of his racing career, was bred at the New England Stud by Caroline, Lady Legard
, who owned him with a variety of partners throughout his racing career. His sire Pivotal was a top class sprinter who won the King's Stand Stakes
and the Nunthorpe Stakes
in 1996. He went on to become an “excellent” sire, getting the winners of more than a thousand races across a range of distances including Kyllachy (Nunthorpe Stakes), Excellent Art (St. James's Palace Stakes
) and Sariska (Oaks
). Somnus’s dam, Midnight’s Reward won one minor race from eight starts and was a successful broodmare, producing at least six other winners. Somnus is inbred
3x4 to Northern Dancer
(see below).
Somnus was raised at Sir Tatton Sykes' Sledmere Stud near Driffield
, East Yorkshire
before being sent as a yearling to the Doncaster St Leger sales in September via the Wiltshire
-based Catridge Farm Stud. He was "bought in" for 13,500gns
by Geoffrey Howson Bloodstock acting on behalf of his breeder. Lady Legard then sold shares in the colt to Sir Tatton Sykes and Roger Sidebottom.
Somnus sent into training with Tim Easterby
at Great Habton, near Malton, North Yorkshire
. He stayed with Easterby until 2008, when he moved to the Settrington
stable of John Quinn for his last three races.
. A month later, he recorded his first win in a maiden at York
, taking the lead a furlong
out and winning by a neck from Monsieur Bond, a horse who went on to win two Group races
. A month later he carried 130lbs
to victory in a nursery (a handicap for two-year-olds) at Ripon.
Somnus was then aimed at the £200,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes at Doncaster. This was a race restricted to horses who had been sold at auction at the aforementioned sale, and Somnus started at 10/1 in a field of twenty-one. Ridden by Ted Durcan, Somnus tracked the leaders before producing a strong late run to take the lead inside the final furlong and win by half a length from the July Stakes
winner Mister Links.
On his final start of the year, Somnus was sent to Redcar
in October for the eighteen-runner Betabet Two-Year-Old Trophy and was allowed to take his chance in the race despite the unsuitably firm ground. He raced prominently before taking the lead two furlongs out and stayed on "gamely" under pressure to win by a head from Tout Seul, with Monsieur Bond third. The win made Somnus one of the year's biggest money earners and after the race, Lady Legard said that she felt "so lucky to have such a good horse and such a tough one." The form of the race was significantly boosted two weeks later when Tout Seul won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
.
race at Ascot
in April and in the Jersey Stakes
at the Royal meeting in June.
He was then dropped in class for a minor stakes race at Haydock
in July, and took the lead in the final furlong before pulling clear to win by two and a half lengths. Two weeks later he won the Listed Hackwood Stakes at Newbury
, taking the head close home to beat Ashdown Express and The Tatling. In August Somnus started odds-on favourite for the Shergar Cup Sprint, part on an international jockeys' tournament, but for the third time that season, he ran below form at Ascot and finished fourth. Later in the month he was beaten a neck by his stable companion Fayr Jag in the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket. This was a good performance as he was a three-year-old attempting to give weight to older horses, and had to come from an almost impossible position after being unable to find a clear run in the closing stages.
Somnus was stepped up to Group One level for the first time in the Sprint Cup at Haydock in September. Easterby had doubts about running the horse on fast ground, but heavy rain at the Lancashire
venue changed the going in his favour. He was also encouraged by the opinions of his father, the veteran trainer Peter Easterby
who had visited his son's yard three days before the race and observed "by heck, that Somnus can gallop!" Somnus started at 12/1 with most of the attention being focused on the odds-on favourite Oasis Dream
. Somnus "relished" the soft ground and tracked the leaders before being switched to the left by Richard Hughes
and moving up to challenge Oasis Dream in the last quarter mile. Somnus passed the favourite inside the final furlong and ran on strongly to record a "decisive" victory by one and a quarter lengths. After the race Easterby explained that Somnus "does go on quick ground, but he's a lot better on soft."
On his final start of the year he ran over the minimum distance of 1000m for the first and only time and finished unplaced in the Prix de l'Abbaye
at Longchamp.
. He put up an improved performance to finish second in the Chipchase Stakes
and then ran fifth behind Frizzante
in the July Cup.
In August he was sent to France for the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest
at Deauville in which both the soft ground and the 1300m trip were ideal. Ridden by Gary Stevens Somnus tracked the leaders before moving into the lead just after half way. Several challengers emerged, but Somnus ran on "tenaciously" under pressure to win by a neck from the multiple Group One winner Whipper
, with Frizante unplaced.
The 2004 Sprint Cup at Haydock looked to be the best sprint race of the year, with a "stellar" field of nineteen including the Group One winners Frizzante, Bahamian Pirate, Patavellian, Airwave and One Cool Cat
. Somnus raced prominently before taking the lead a furlong out and ran on strongly but was caught on the line by the filly Tante Rose who won "by the width of her whiskers." Although he was defeated Somnus, who was conceding weight to the filly, recorded the best form figures for a sprinter in 2004 according to the Racing Post
.
On his final start of the year, Somnus returned to France for the Group One Prix de la Forêt over 1400m (seven furlongs) at Longchamp. Mick Kinane held up Somnus in the early stages before making his challenge down the centre of the course in the straight. Monsieur Bond had opened up a three length advantage, but Somnus "swooped fast and late" to catch the leader in the closing stages and win by three quarters of a length.
another Yorkshire-trained gelding who became Champion Sprinter, he became difficult to place in his later career, being no longer quite good enough for the top weight-for-age races, but too highly rated to be competitive in most handicaps.
He ran ten times in 2006, winning one minor stakes race at Haydock and finishing second in the Park Stakes
at Doncaster. He finished unplaced in all five races in 2007, and after three further defeats in 2008 (when he was trained by John Quinn) he was retired from racing. Lady Legard paid tribute to her geling saying, "He's taken us around the world, competed and triumphed at the very top level, and provided us with such fun and so many fond memories."
and five pounds below Tout Seul. His rating was controversial, as he had given six pounds to Tout Seul when beating him at Redcar.
In 2003 he was again rated on 117, making him the third best sprinter in Europe behind Oasis Dream and the Australian-trained Choisir.
In the 2004 Cartier Racing Awards, Somnus was named European Champion Sprinter. He was also the highest rated sprinter in Europe on the International Classification with a rating of 118.
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. One of the best European two-year-olds in 2002, he developed into a leading the following year when he 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...
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....
. As a four-year-old he won two more Group One races in France- 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:...
(2004) and the Prix de la Foret
Prix de la Forêt
The Prix de la Forêt 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 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.-History:The race was established in 1858,...
- and was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. He continued racing until being retired in 2008 at the age of eight, having won ten of his forty-three races. Unlike many sprinters, Somnus was not a pure "speed horse" and ran only once, unsuccessfully, at five furlongs: all his victories came over six or seven furlongs.
Background
Somnus, a bay horse who was geldedGelding
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...
before the start of his racing career, was bred at the New England Stud by Caroline, Lady Legard
Legard Baronets
The Legard Baronetcy, of Ganton in the County of York, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 29 December 1660 for John Legard. The member of an ancient Yorkshire family, he fought as a Royalist in the Civil War and sat as Member of Parliament for Scarborough after the Restoration...
, who owned him with a variety of partners throughout his racing career. His sire Pivotal was a top class sprinter who won 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:...
and 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....
in 1996. He went on to become an “excellent” sire, getting the winners of more than a thousand races across a range of distances including Kyllachy (Nunthorpe Stakes), Excellent Art (St. James's Palace Stakes
St. James's Palace Stakes
The St. James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
) and Sariska (Oaks
Epsom 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....
). Somnus’s dam, Midnight’s Reward won one minor race from eight starts and was a successful broodmare, producing at least six other winners. Somnus is inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding 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...
3x4 to 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"....
(see below).
Somnus was raised at Sir Tatton Sykes' Sledmere Stud near Driffield
Driffield
Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield....
, East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire could be:*East Yorkshire Motor Services*An alternative name for the East Riding of Yorkshire*East Yorkshire , a former district of Humberside*East Yorkshire...
before being sent as a yearling to the Doncaster St Leger sales in September via the Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
-based Catridge Farm Stud. He was "bought in" for 13,500gns
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 Geoffrey Howson Bloodstock acting on behalf of his breeder. Lady Legard then sold shares in the colt to Sir Tatton Sykes and Roger Sidebottom.
Somnus sent into training with Tim Easterby
Tim Easterby
Tim Easterby is a British racehorse trainer based in North Yorkshire.TIM EASTERBY took over the famous Habton Grange stables in North Yorkshire from his father, Peter Easterby, in February 1996...
at Great Habton, near Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
. He stayed with Easterby until 2008, when he moved to the Settrington
Settrington
Settrington is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It once had a railway station that lay on the Malton and Driffield Railway.-History:...
stable of John Quinn for his last three races.
2002: two-year-old season
In 2002 Somnus was campaigned exclusively in Yorkshire and won four of his five races. After initially proving difficult to train– he suffered from bad shins and was a "nightmare" to break in– Somnus was gelded in attempt to cure his "bad behaviour". Somnus made little impression on his debut in June, finishing fifth in a six furlong maiden race at RiponRipon Racecourse
Ripon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. It has been used for horse racing for more than 300 years and is nicknamed the Garden Racecourse. The course is a right-handed oval of approximately 1m5f with a 5f finishing straight and a 6f chute...
. A month later, he recorded his first win in a maiden 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...
, taking the lead a 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....
out and winning by a neck from Monsieur Bond, a horse who went on to win two Group races
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...
. A month later he carried 130lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to victory in a nursery (a handicap for two-year-olds) at Ripon.
Somnus was then aimed at the £200,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes at Doncaster. This was a race restricted to horses who had been sold at auction at the aforementioned sale, and Somnus started at 10/1 in a field of twenty-one. Ridden by Ted Durcan, Somnus tracked the leaders before producing a strong late run to take the lead inside the final furlong and win by half a length from the July Stakes
July Stakes
The July Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. 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....
winner Mister Links.
On his final start of the year, Somnus was sent to Redcar
Redcar Racecourse
Redcar Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England.Its address is Redcar Racecourse Ltd, Thrush Road, Redcar TS10 2BYRedcar is Yorkshire's seaside track, oval-shaped and perfectly flat...
in October for the eighteen-runner Betabet Two-Year-Old Trophy and was allowed to take his chance in the race despite the unsuitably firm ground. He raced prominently before taking the lead two furlongs out and stayed on "gamely" under pressure to win by a head from Tout Seul, with Monsieur Bond third. The win made Somnus one of the year's biggest money earners and after the race, Lady Legard said that she felt "so lucky to have such a good horse and such a tough one." The form of the race was significantly boosted two weeks later when Tout Seul won the Group One 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
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...
.
2003: three-year-old season
Somnus took time to find his best form as a three-year-old. He ran unplaced in a 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...
race 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...
in April and in the Jersey Stakes
Jersey Stakes
The Jersey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at the Royal meeting in June.
He was then dropped in class for a minor stakes race at Haydock
Haydock Park Racecourse
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Haydock, Merseyside, England. The track is a mostly flat left-handed oval of around 1 mile 5 furlongs with a very slight rise on the run-in. There are courses for flat racing and National Hunt racing...
in July, and took the lead in the final furlong before pulling clear to win by two and a half lengths. Two weeks later he won the Listed Hackwood Stakes at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
, taking the head close home to beat Ashdown Express and The Tatling. In August Somnus started odds-on favourite for the Shergar Cup Sprint, part on an international jockeys' tournament, but for the third time that season, he ran below form at Ascot and finished fourth. Later in the month he was beaten a neck by his stable companion Fayr Jag in the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket. This was a good performance as he was a three-year-old attempting to give weight to older horses, and had to come from an almost impossible position after being unable to find a clear run in the closing stages.
Somnus was stepped up to Group One level for the first time in the Sprint Cup at Haydock in September. Easterby had doubts about running the horse on fast ground, but heavy rain at the Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
venue changed the going in his favour. He was also encouraged by the opinions of his father, the veteran trainer Peter Easterby
Peter Easterby
Miles Henry 'Peter' Easterby is a retired British racehorse trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer three times....
who had visited his son's yard three days before the race and observed "by heck, that Somnus can gallop!" Somnus started at 12/1 with most of the attention being focused on the odds-on favourite Oasis Dream
Oasis 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...
. Somnus "relished" the soft ground and tracked the leaders before being switched to the left by Richard Hughes
Richard Hughes (jockey)
Richard Hughes is an Irish flat jockey who most commonly rides in Great Britain. Born in Dublin, he is the son of successful National Hunt trainer, Dessie Hughes. His main provider of rides has been trainer Richard Hannon who is also his father in law andfrom 2001 to 2007 he was also retained by...
and moving up to challenge Oasis Dream in the last quarter mile. Somnus passed the favourite inside the final furlong and ran on strongly to record a "decisive" victory by one and a quarter lengths. After the race Easterby explained that Somnus "does go on quick ground, but he's a lot better on soft."
On his final start of the year he ran over the minimum distance of 1000m for the first and only time and finished unplaced in 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.
2004: four-year-old season
Somnus again started slowly in his championship season. He began in May when he finished unplaced behind Monsieur Bond in the Duke of York StakesDuke 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:...
. He put up an improved performance to finish second in the Chipchase Stakes
Chipchase Stakes
The Chipchase Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July....
and then ran fifth behind Frizzante
Frizzante (horse)
Frizzante is a former racehorse owned by Jan Hopper and Elizabeth Grundy trained by Newmarket based James Fanshawe. She won the 2004 Group 1 July Cup and also claimed the Group 3 Palace House Stakes in the same year. She is full sister to current sprinter Firenze and half sister to 2007 Steward's...
in the July Cup.
In August he was sent to France for the Group One 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:...
at Deauville in which both the soft ground and the 1300m trip were ideal. Ridden by Gary Stevens Somnus tracked the leaders before moving into the lead just after half way. Several challengers emerged, but Somnus ran on "tenaciously" under pressure to win by a neck from the multiple Group One winner Whipper
Whipper
In rock climbing, a whipper is an especially hard or dynamic fall where the rope is weighed by a significant load. A fall is considered hard when the climber falls beyond at least one piece of protection, which in trad climbing would mean the last placed cam or nut and in sport climbing would be...
, with Frizante unplaced.
The 2004 Sprint Cup at Haydock looked to be the best sprint race of the year, with a "stellar" field of nineteen including the Group One winners Frizzante, Bahamian Pirate, Patavellian, Airwave and One Cool Cat
One Cool Cat
One Cool Cat, foaled on March 26, 2001 in Kentucky, is a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and Ireland. Bred by Winstar Farm, he was purchased by Demi O'Byrne on behalf of Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor for $3.1-million at the 2002 Keeneland July yearling sale. Sired by Storm Cat and...
. Somnus raced prominently before taking the lead a furlong out and ran on strongly but was caught on the line by the filly Tante Rose who won "by the width of her whiskers." Although he was defeated Somnus, who was conceding weight to the filly, recorded the best form figures for a sprinter in 2004 according to 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:...
.
On his final start of the year, Somnus returned to France for the Group One Prix de la Forêt over 1400m (seven furlongs) at Longchamp. Mick Kinane held up Somnus in the early stages before making his challenge down the centre of the course in the straight. Monsieur Bond had opened up a three length advantage, but Somnus "swooped fast and late" to catch the leader in the closing stages and win by three quarters of a length.
2005-2008: later career
Somnus stayed in training for another four seasons, but was never as good again. He ran six times in 2005, without success, although he did finish fourth in the Sprint Cup. Like ContinentContinent (horse)
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...
another Yorkshire-trained gelding who became Champion Sprinter, he became difficult to place in his later career, being no longer quite good enough for the top weight-for-age races, but too highly rated to be competitive in most handicaps.
He ran ten times in 2006, winning one minor stakes race at Haydock and finishing second in the Park Stakes
Park Stakes
The Park Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
at Doncaster. He finished unplaced in all five races in 2007, and after three further defeats in 2008 (when he was trained by John Quinn) he was retired from racing. Lady Legard paid tribute to her geling saying, "He's taken us around the world, competed and triumphed at the very top level, and provided us with such fun and so many fond memories."
Assessment
In the 2002 International Classification of two-year-olds, Somnus was ranked the sixth best juvenile in Europe with a rating of 117, six pounds behind 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...
and five pounds below Tout Seul. His rating was controversial, as he had given six pounds to Tout Seul when beating him at Redcar.
In 2003 he was again rated on 117, making him the third best sprinter in Europe behind Oasis Dream and the Australian-trained Choisir.
In the 2004 Cartier Racing Awards, Somnus was named European Champion Sprinter. He was also the highest rated sprinter in Europe on the International Classification with a rating of 118.
Pedigree
- Somnus 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...
3x4 to Northern Dancer. This means that the stallion appears in both the third and fourth generation of his pedigree.