Tamarisk (horse)
Encyclopedia
Tamarisk was an Irish-bred champion Thoroughbred
racehorse. After showing high class form as a two-year-old in 1997, Tamarisk was named European Champion Sprinter at the 1998 Cartier Racing Awards following a campaign which was highlighted by a win in the Group One
Haydock Sprint Cup
. Tamarisk was retired after an abortive attempt at the Breeders' Cup Sprint
, but failed as a stallion owing to fertility problems. He returned to racing for three further seasons (2000-2002) but was unable to replicate his earlier success. From 2002 to 2006 he returned to stud with marginally better results.
based Mount Coote Stud.
His sire, Green Desert, finished second to Dancing Brave
in the 2000 Guineas and became a leading sprinter, winning the July Cup
. Apart from Tamarisk, he sired the winners of over 1,000 races, including Oasis Dream
, Desert Prince, Sheikh Albadou
and Cape Cross
, the sire of Sea The Stars
. Tamarisk’s dam Sine Labe was unraced but came from a good family, being a half sister of the Prix Saint-Alary
winner Treble and a close relative of the multiple Group One winning racemare Triptych
.
Tamarisk was sent as a yearling to the Tattersalls
sales in October 1996, where he was sold for 78,000gns
to John Warren, a director of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing syndicate.
in August. He started 11/4 joint favourite and justified his position by taking the lead a furlong
out and winning by a length. In September he ran in a minor stakes race at Kempton
and produced an excellent performance, accelerating clear of the field and winning "comfortably" by six lengths from the future Group Race winners Greek Dance and Lear Spear.
Three weeks after his Kempton win Tamarisk was sent to Newmarket for the Tattersalls Houghton Sales Conditions Stakes over seven furlongs and was made 5/4 favourite. He led from the start and was never challenged, pulling away in the closing stages to win by three and a half lengths. Tamarisk was unbeaten in three races and was well fancied for the Group One
Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket in October. for which he was supplemented for a fee of £18,000. He was sent into the lead and proved the best of the English-trained colts but was no match for the "impressive" French colt Xaar, and finished second, beaten seven lengths. He earned £36,000 for finishing second, prompting Harry Herbert, the head of the Highclere syndicate to say that "we were best of the British and are delighted. We have got a Group horse."
Four weeks after his Guineas defeat, Tamarisk ran in a Listed
race over six furlongs at Lingfield. He tracked the leaders before accelerating clear in the closing stages to win by two and a half lengths from Arkadian Hero. In the Group One
July Cup
at Newmarket Tamarisk was never able to catch the front-running Elnadim but stayed on well to hold second place in a field of seventeen.
Tamarisk started 13/2 for the Group One Sprint Cup
at Haydock
in September. The field was a strong one, including Elnadim as well as the winners of the King's Stand Stakes
(Bolshoi) and the Nunthorpe Stakes
(Lochangel). Ridden by Tim Sprake, he led from the start and produced a "blistering charge" to move into a clear lead a furlong out. He ran on strongly, despite drifting left in the closing stages, to record his most important victory, beating Bolshoi by one and three quarter lengths with Elnadim and Lochangel unplaced.
In September it was announced that Tamarisk had been sold as a prospective stallion to the Coolmore Stud
for £3,500,000 and would retire at the end of the year. A plan to run Tamarisk in the Breeders' Cup Sprint
in what was intended to be his final race ended in controversy and recrimination. He was sent to the United States at the end of September where he was to be conditioned for the race by D. Wayne Lukas
. Charlton had said that the colt was short of peak fitness and expected that he should be prepared for the race with a series of training gallops. Lukas however, decided to give Tamarisk a prep race on dirt at Keeneland
in which the colt put in a poor performance and finished last. The Breeders’ Cup handicappers took the view that the form Tamarisk had displayed in the race was below the required standard and excluded the colt from the Sprint field. Harry Herbert, representing Highclere, called it “a mind-blowing decision, which sets an appalling precedent.” An aggravating feature for Tamarisk’s connections was that Bolshoi, rated five pounds inferior on European form, was allowed to take part and was beaten less than four lengths.
in Ireland. After he failed to get any of his first twelve mares "in foal" (pregnant), doubts about his fertility surfaced. Following veterinary tests it was decided that Tamarisk would be withdrawn from stud duties and resume his racing career.
Five foals were eventually born in Tamarisk’s first crop of foals.
After his second retirement Tamarisk stood as a stallion at Ballykisteen Stud in County Tipperary
and Bracklyn Stud in County Westmeath
until 2006 at a reported fee of €4,000, but despite reports that he had regained his fertility he produced few foals. In all, fifteen horses sired by Tamarisk reached the racecourse, five of whom were winners.
in August.
at Royal Ascot.
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. After showing high class form as a two-year-old in 1997, Tamarisk was named European Champion Sprinter at the 1998 Cartier Racing Awards following a campaign which was highlighted by a win in 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....
. Tamarisk was retired after an abortive attempt at the Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
, but failed as a stallion owing to fertility problems. He returned to racing for three further seasons (2000-2002) but was unable to replicate his earlier success. From 2002 to 2006 he returned to stud with marginally better results.
Background
Tamarisk was bred in Ireland by the County LimerickCounty Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
based Mount Coote Stud.
His sire, Green Desert, finished second to Dancing Brave
Dancing Brave
Dancing Brave was a thoroughbred racehorse, foaled in 1983, a bay colt sired by Lyphard out of Navajo Princess. He was purchased as a yearling by Khalid Abdullah for US$200,000 in Kentucky....
in the 2000 Guineas and became a leading sprinter, winning the July Cup
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
. Apart from Tamarisk, he sired the winners of over 1,000 races, including 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...
, Desert Prince, Sheikh Albadou
Sheikh Albadou
Sheikh Albadou , was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom. He is best known for being the only European-trained winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint and being named as European Champion Sprinter in 1991.-Background:Sheikh Albadou, a bay horse with a narrow...
and Cape Cross
Cape Cross
Cape Cross is a cape in the South Atlantic on the coast of Namibia, on the C34 highway some 60 kilometres north of Hentiesbaai and 120 km north of Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia....
, the sire of Sea The Stars
Sea the Stars
Sea The Stars is a champion Irish Thoroughbred colt racehorse. Regarded by many as one of the greatest racehorses of all time, he is best known for winning the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse Stakes, - the first colt to accomplish this treble since 1989 champion Nashwan - the...
. Tamarisk’s dam Sine Labe was unraced but came from a good family, being a half sister of 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 Treble and a close relative of the multiple Group One winning racemare Triptych
Triptych (horse)
Triptych was a Thoroughbred filly racehorse known for her toughness who went on racing until the age of six, travelling around the world always taking on the very best. Bred in Kentucky, she was a descendant through both her sire and dam of the great runner and sire, Nearco...
.
Tamarisk was sent as a yearling to the Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
sales in October 1996, where he was sold for 78,000gns
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
to John Warren, a director of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing syndicate.
1997: two-year-old season
Tamarisk made his debut in a maiden race at GoodwoodGoodwood 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...
in August. He started 11/4 joint favourite and justified his position by 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 length. In September he ran in a minor stakes race at Kempton
Kempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
and produced an excellent performance, accelerating clear of the field and winning "comfortably" by six lengths from the future Group Race winners Greek Dance and Lear Spear.
Three weeks after his Kempton win Tamarisk was sent to Newmarket for the Tattersalls Houghton Sales Conditions Stakes over seven furlongs and was made 5/4 favourite. He led from the start and was never challenged, pulling away in the closing stages to win by three and a half lengths. Tamarisk was unbeaten in three races and was well fancied for 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...
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 in October. for which he was supplemented for a fee of £18,000. He was sent into the lead and proved the best of the English-trained colts but was no match for the "impressive" French colt Xaar, and finished second, beaten seven lengths. He earned £36,000 for finishing second, prompting Harry Herbert, the head of the Highclere syndicate to say that "we were best of the British and are delighted. We have got a Group horse."
1998: three-year-old season
On his three-year-old debut Tamarisk was sent straight for the 2000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket without a trial race. He showed good early speed to lead until the final quarter mile but weakened badly and finished sixteenth of the eighteen runners. For the rest of the season he was campaigned over sprint distances.Four weeks after his Guineas defeat, Tamarisk ran in a Listed
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 over six furlongs at Lingfield. He tracked the leaders before accelerating clear in the closing stages to win by two and a half lengths from Arkadian Hero. In the Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
July Cup
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
at Newmarket Tamarisk was never able to catch the front-running Elnadim but stayed on well to hold second place in a field of seventeen.
Tamarisk started 13/2 for the Group One 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....
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 September. The field was a strong one, including Elnadim as well as the winners of 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:...
(Bolshoi) 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....
(Lochangel). Ridden by Tim Sprake, he led from the start and produced a "blistering charge" to move into a clear lead a furlong out. He ran on strongly, despite drifting left in the closing stages, to record his most important victory, beating Bolshoi by one and three quarter lengths with Elnadim and Lochangel unplaced.
In September it was announced that Tamarisk had been sold as a prospective stallion to the Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
for £3,500,000 and would retire at the end of the year. A plan to run Tamarisk in the Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
in what was intended to be his final race ended in controversy and recrimination. He was sent to the United States at the end of September where he was to be conditioned for the race by D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
. Charlton had said that the colt was short of peak fitness and expected that he should be prepared for the race with a series of training gallops. Lukas however, decided to give Tamarisk a prep race on dirt at Keeneland
Keeneland
Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...
in which the colt put in a poor performance and finished last. The Breeders’ Cup handicappers took the view that the form Tamarisk had displayed in the race was below the required standard and excluded the colt from the Sprint field. Harry Herbert, representing Highclere, called it “a mind-blowing decision, which sets an appalling precedent.” An aggravating feature for Tamarisk’s connections was that Bolshoi, rated five pounds inferior on European form, was allowed to take part and was beaten less than four lengths.
Stud career
In 1999 Tamarisk stood as a stallion at the Coolmore StudCoolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
in Ireland. After he failed to get any of his first twelve mares "in foal" (pregnant), doubts about his fertility surfaced. Following veterinary tests it was decided that Tamarisk would be withdrawn from stud duties and resume his racing career.
Five foals were eventually born in Tamarisk’s first crop of foals.
After his second retirement Tamarisk stood as a stallion at Ballykisteen Stud in County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
and Bracklyn Stud in County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
until 2006 at a reported fee of €4,000, but despite reports that he had regained his fertility he produced few foals. In all, fifteen horses sired by Tamarisk reached the racecourse, five of whom were winners.
2000: five-year-old season
Tamarisk returned to racing as a five-year-old, running in the ownership of Highland Stables and trained by Elliot Walden. He ran three times without reaching the frame, his best performance coming when he ran fifth in the John Henry Stakes at Arlington ParkArlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
in August.
2001: six-year-old season
In 2001 Tamarisk returned to England and the stable of Roger Charlton who was reported as being "very excited" to have the horse back. Now running in the colours of George Hofmeister, he made six appearances without winning. He did show some glimpses of his old form in June, when he was beaten a short head in a Listed race at Windsor and finished sixth of twenty-two runners in the King's Stand StakesKing'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:...
at Royal Ascot.
2002: seven-year-old season
In 2002, Tamarisk was sold to V.A.G. Racing and sent back across the Atlantic to join the stable of Wayne Mogge. He ran seven times, mainly in allowance company, never finishing better than third. On his last start he finished eighth of ten runners in the Nureyev Stakes at Keeneland in October.Assessment
At the Cartier Racing Awards in November 1998 Tamarisk was chosen ahead of Elnadim as European Champion Sprinter. The award was seen as a "consolation" after his treatment by the Breeders' Cup handicappers. In the official International Classification, published in January 1999, Tamarisk was rated on 120, one pound below Elnadim.Pedigree
- Tamarisk 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 DancerNorthern DancerNorthern 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"....
. This means that the stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.