Tartan Bearer

Tartan Bearer is an Irish thoroughbred race horse. A colt of enormous talent, he never quite realised his potential due to injuries throughout his career. He raced eight times and won three of these, being placed on his other five starts. He had the unenviable record of being second thee times and third once in the four Group 1 races he contested.

He was bred by his owners , the Ballymacoll Stud, and was trained throughout his career by Sir Michael Stoute. He was retired as a five year old after failing to appear in the 2010 season due to injury.

Career

Two year old

His first start, at Newmarket, showed huge promise as he was repeatedly blocked against the rail before showing an impressive turn of foot to close all the way to the line finishing a head behind Foolin Myself. It was decided he had learned enough from the experience and he was then put away for the winter with an exciting three year old campaign ahead of him.

Three year old

He won his maiden at Leicester racecourse the following April in uncomplicated if unimpressive fashion before going on to York for the Dante Stakes, now the most important of all the Derby trials. He was relatively unfancied for the race and started fourth in the betting behind favourite Twice Over who had won the Craven Stakes earlier in the season. Tartan Bearer showed his class and a battling attitude, if still with signs of greenness, to hold off a determined challenge from Frozen Fire, holding on by a head as the two fought all the way to the line: next stop the Derby.

This year the Derby had an open look to it with many horses having a decent chance; Curtain Call, Casual Conquest, Frozen Fire, New Approach and Doctor Fremantle being all considered contenders. Tartan Bearer went off at 6/1. He started slowly and had to be bustled along early and jockey Ryan Moore decided to settle him in at the back of the field. As some of the horses began to struggle with the slope heading down towards Tattenham Corner Tartan Bearer cruised past runners and was brought wide coming into the straight. He quickened as soon as asked and tore down the outside getting to the front at the same time as New Approach who had weaved a passage down the inside rail. When he hit the front his head came up and he began looking about, again showing his inexperience. New Approach went past him and, with a target to aim at Tartan Bearer began to close again but at the line was held by half a length: 4½ lengths in front of Casual Conquest. Like his full-brother Golan before him, Tartan Bearer had finished second in the Derby.

Six of the horses he had beaten convincingly at Epsom reopposed Tartan Bearer in the Irish Derby the following month so it was no surprise that he started the even money favourite, with no New Approach in the line up. He cruised comfortably throughout the race in mid division accelerating up towards the leaders 2½ furlongs out. However, just as he was about to take the lead, the horse on his inside, Alessandra Volta, drifted alarmingly off the rail bumping Tartan Bearer and carrying him across the track. Tartan Bearer lost his momentum and Frozen Fire, his Dante victim and Alessandra Volta's stablemate, shot past him down the outside to win. Alessandra was disqualified with Tartan Bearer being promoted to third place but the damage had been done and another Group One went begging.

Four year old

His new campaign started well when he won the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown. He needed every bit of the One mile two furlongs to get up with a late charge by a head from Pipedreamer. His next start came at Royal Ascot. He was sent off favourite but travelled wide throughout. Accelerating well through the field he got to the front 100 yards from the line only for the French-trained Vision d'Etat to pass him on his outside. Another Group One, another narrow defeat.

His final start in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the richest race of the season with a million up for grabs, was seen as a straight match between himself and stablemate, The St Leger winner of the previous year, Conduit. After much press debate Ryan Moore finally plumped for Conduit who accordingly beat Tartan Bearer, his stable bully as a juvenile, to favouritism. As it turned out he beat him to the post too. Tartan Bearer was first to make his move from the rear and, similar to Vision d'Etat at Royal Ascot, Conduit tracked him through and passed him half a furlong out. Tartan Bearer tried to rally again but was, for the third time, beaten in a Group One by half a length. Tartan Bearer deserved a Group One success but injury again set him back. His next start was to be York's International Stakes where the winner Sea the Stars would have surely been too much for him in a year where nothing got near him, but it would have been an intriguing race nevertheless. His second behind the horse he tormented as a yearling was to be his final race as plans to keep him in training were did not end in him running again due to more injury problems.

References

• The Irish Independent