Classic Cliche
| Classic Cliche | |
|---|---|
 Racing colours of Godolphin | |
| Sire | Salse |
| Grandsire | Topsider |
| Dam | Pato |
| Damsire | High Top |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 13 March 1992 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Victor Matthews |
| Owner | Ivan Allan Godolphin |
| Trainer | Henry Cecil Saeed bin Suroor |
| Record | 16: 6-5-0 |
| Earnings | £678,705 |
| Major wins | |
| Dante Stakes(1995) St. Leger Stakes(1995) Yorkshire Cup(1996) Ascot Gold Cup(1996) Prix Kergorlay(1997) | |
Classic Cliche(13 March 1992 – 25 August 2016), was aThoroughbredracehorse and activesirewho was bred in Ireland and trained in Britain and the United Arab Emirates. In a career which lasted from August 1994 until September 1997, he ran sixteen times and won six races. He recorded his most important success when winning theClassicSt. Leger Stakesas a three-year-old in 1995, the same year in which he won theDante Stakes.In the following season he became the first Classic winner in fifty years to win theAscot Gold Cup.
Background
[edit]Classic Cliche was a bay horse with a whitestarsired by thePrix de la Forêtwinner Salse, whose progeny also included theQueen Elizabeth II StakeswinnerAir Expressand theTurf Classic Invitational StakeswinnerTimboroa.Classic Cliche's dam Pato also produced theYorkshire OakswinnerMy Emmaand was a member of the same Thoroughbred family which producedThe DerbywinnersBlakeneyandMorston. Classic Cliche was consigned by the Nidd Park Stud to the Tattersalls sales as a foal in November 1992 where he was sold for 13,500guineasby N. Magill.[1]In October 1993 the yearling was sent to the Goffs sales in Ireland and was bought for IR£85,000 by the Malaysian businessman Ivan Allan.[2]Allan sent the colt into training with Henry Cecil at Warren Place stables atNewmarket.
Racing career
[edit]1994: two-year-old season
[edit]Classic Cliche made his racecourse debut in a sevenfurlongmaiden race atNewmarketon 26 August. Ridden byPat Edderyhe started6/5favourite and "held on well"[3]in the closing stages to win by a head from Okavango. A month later, he started favourite for a minor stakes race atAscotin which he was beaten a short head by Wijara, with the future multipleGroup OnewinnerLusofinishing fourth. At the end of the year, Classic Cliche was sold toSheikh Mohammed'sGodolphinorganisation and transferred to the stable ofSaeed bin Suroor.
1995: three-year-old season
[edit]Classic Cliche made his first appearance for Godolphin in the Dante Stakes atYork,a recognised trial forThe Derby.Ridden byWalter Swinburnhe took the lead two furlongs from the finish and stayed on gamely in the straight to win by half a length from Annus Mirabilis, with the favourite Presenting four lengths back in third.[4]
Classic Cliche ran next in thePrix du Jockey ClubatChantillyon 4 June. He stayed on in the closing stages to finish fourth behindCeltic Swing,Poliglote andWinged Love.Six days later Presenting was beaten less than two lengths byLammtarrain the Epsom Derby. On 2 July Classic Cliche finished fifth behind Winged Love in theIrish Derby.
After a break of two months, Classic Cliche reappeared in the St. Leger atDoncasterfor which he started 100/30 favourite. Dettori tracked the leader, Jural, before moving into the lead four furlongs from the finish. Classic Cliche quickly went clear of the field and won by three and a half lengths from Minds Music.[5]The win gave Dettori the 1,000th win of his career.[6]
1996: four-year-old season
[edit]As a four-year-old, Classic Cliche was campaigned over extended distances. On his seasonal debut, he was pitted against theIrish St. Legerwinner Strategic Choice and theGran Premio del Jockey Clubwinner Court of Honour in theYorkshire Cupat York. Ridden byMick Kinane,Classic Cliche took the lead in the straight and stayed on strongly[7]to beat Strategic Choice by one and a half lengths.
Classic Cliche was then moved up in distance and class to contest the two and a half mileGold CupatRoyal Ascotin June, a race which no Classic winner had won sinceOcean Swellin 1945. The Godolphin colt started 3/1 second choice in the betting behind the 1/2 favouriteDouble Trigger.Mick Kinane restrained Classic Cliche for much of the race before moving him up to challenge in the straight. Classic Cliche took the lead in the closing stages and was driven out by Kinane to win from Double Trigger andNononito.[8]A month later, Classic Cliche returned to Ascot for Britain's most prestigious all-aged race, theKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakesover one and a half miles. He was always prominent and took the lead in the straight but was overtaken byPentireand finished second, beaten one and three quarter lengths, a neck ahead of the Derby winnerShaamit.
On his final appearance of the year, Classic Cliche was sent toLongchampfor thePrix de l'Arc de Triomphe.He made little impression, and was eased down by Frankie Dettori in the straight, finishing fifteenth of the sixteen runners behindHelissio.[9]
1997: five-year-old season
[edit]On his five-year-old debut, Classic Cliche attempted to win the Yorkshire Cup for the second successive year, but ran unaccountably[10]badly, finishing last of the nine runners behindCeleric.
In the Ascot Gold Cup, Classic Cliche faced an exceptionally strong field which included Celeric, Double Trigger, Nononito,MoonaxandPersian Punch.Ridden by Dettori, he was held up in the closing stages before moving up to take the lead in the straight. Inside the final furlong he was overtaken by Celeric and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length.[11]In July, Classic Cliche started favourite for theGoodwood Cup,but was beaten one and a half lengths by Double Trigger. On 24 August, Classic Cliche was sent to France to contest thePrix Kergorlayat Deauville, in which he was ridden byJohn Reid.Starting the 7/10 favourite, he took the lead in the straight and won by two lengths from Orchestra Stall.[12]
Classic Cliche's final race was theIrish St. Legerat theCurraghin September. He started 2/1 joint favourite but was never a threat and finished tailed-off last of the seven runners behindOscar Schindler.
Stud career
[edit]Classic Cliche stood at the Wood Farm stud inShropshire[13]before moving to the Kilbarry Lodge Stud in Ireland. Died on 25 August 2016 His best flat racing performer was the filly Macadamia who won theFalmouth Stakesin 2003[14]He is currently marketed as aNational Huntsire.
Pedigree
[edit]| Sire Salse(USA) 1985 |
Topsider(USA) 1974 |
Northern Dancer | Nearctic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalma | |||
| Drumtop | Round Table | ||
| Zonah | |||
| Carnival Princess (USA) 1974 |
Prince John | Princequillo | |
| Not Afraid | |||
| Carnival Queen | Amerigo | ||
| Circus Ring | |||
| Dam Pato (GB) 1982 |
High Top(IRE) 1969 |
Derring-Do | Darius |
| Sipsey Bridge | |||
| Camenae | Vimy | ||
| Madrilene | |||
| Patosky (GB) 1969 |
Skymaster | Golden Cloud | |
| Discipliner | |||
| Los Patos | Ballymoss | ||
| Patagonia (Family:20-c)[16] |
References
[edit]- ^"Tattersalls | Racing Post".Racing Post.4 May 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Goffs | Racing Post".Racing Post.4 May 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Results from the 2.30 race at NEWMARKET (JULY) – 26 August 1994".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Dante Stakes".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"St Leger".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Dettori gets his 1,000th win".New Straits Times.10 September 1995.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Yorkshire Cup 1996".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Ascot Gold Cup 1996".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Arc de Triomphe".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Yorkshire Cup 1997".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Ascot Gold Cup 1997".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Prix Kergorlay".Racing Post.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Horse – Godolphin".Timeform.com.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Classic Cliche | Stud Record | Bloodstock Stallion Book".Racing Post. 15 February 2012.Retrieved12 May2012.
- ^"Classic Cliche pedigree".Equineline.8 May 2012.Retrieved5 July2012.
- ^"Palmflower – Family 20-c".Bloodlines.net.Retrieved12 May2012.