Ardross (horse)

Ardross (1976–1994) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was a co-holder of the record for consecutive wins in European racing. Ardross was bred by trainer Paddy Prendergast for his American owner Elisabeth Ireland Poe who was also the breeder of Meadow Court. His sire was Run the Gantlet, a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Tom Rolfe. His dam, Le Melody, was a daughter of Levmoss.

Racing at age two, Ardross got his first significant win in the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh. Ardross's head defeat by Akiyda in the 1982 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the final race of his career, showed that in spite of being a top class stayer he was more than capable of holding his own at top level over middle distances. Ardross first raced for Ireland's Paddy Prendergast and, after his death, was bought by Charles A. B. St. George and trained by Henry Cecil in England, winning fourteen of his twenty-four starts, thirteen of them coming at Pattern level. He twice won the Ascot Gold Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, and his other major successes came in the Prix Royal-Oak and the Doncaster Cup and Goodwood Cup. Before moving to Newmarket he had been runner-up to the Henry Cecil-trained Le Moss in the Ascot Gold Cup. When he went to stud Ardross was syndicated for £2 million, but none of his progeny came anywhere near his level of ability. His best flat horses were Karinga Bay and the filly, Filia Ardross. Overall he did better as a sire of jumpers with the Champion Hurdle winner Alderbrook, Anzum, Young Kenny and Ackzo to his credit.

Ardross died of a heart attack at age 18 on February 19, 1994 at Southcourt Stud in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England.

References

• 1982 Prix de lpArc de Triomphe report in the New York Times
• The Complete Encyclopedia of Horse Racing - written by Bill Mooney and George Ennor
• Ardross's pedigree and racing stats