The Fugue
| The Fugue | |
|---|---|
 The Fugue at Leopardstown in 2013. | |
| Sire | Dansili |
| Grandsire | Danehill |
| Dam | Twyla Tharp |
| Damsire | Sadler's Wells |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 16 March 2009 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Colour | Brown |
| Breeder | Watership Down Stud |
| Owner |
Watership Down Stud Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| Trainer | John Gosden |
| Record | 13: 5-3-3 |
| Earnings | ₤1,037,356 |
| Major wins | |
|
Musidora Stakes (2012) Nassau Stakes (2012) Yorkshire Oaks (2013) Irish Champion Stakes (2013) | |
| Awards | |
| European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (2012) | |
The Fugue (foaled 16 March 2009) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was named European Champion three-year-old filly at the Cartier Racing Awards. The Fugue won her only race as a two-year-old in 2011, before developing into one of the best fillies in Europe in the following season. She won the Musidora Stakes at York and the Nassau Stakes and was considered an unlucky loser in both the Oaks Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In 2013 The Fugue won the Yorkshire Oaks before recording her biggest win in the Irish Champion Stakes. Since then, she has travelled to California to compete for a second time at the Breeders' Cup, in which she came second in the Turf.
Background
The Fugue is a dark bay or brown filly with a white star and stripe and white socks on her hind legs bred by her owner, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Watership Down stud. She was sired by Dansili, whose other progeny have included the leading middle distance winners Harbinger and Rail Link.[1] The Fugue's dam, Twyla Tharp, won only one minor race but was a half sister to the Eclipse Stakes winner Compton Admiral and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Summoner. The filly was sent into training with John Gosden at his Clarehaven Stables at Newmarket.
Racing career
2011: two-year-old season
The Fugue made her first appearance in a seven furlong maiden race at Newmarket Racecourse on 29 October 2011. Ridden by Robert Havlin, she was poorly supported in the betting and started at odds of 14/1 in a field of twelve two-year-old fillies. She started slowly and was towards the rear of the field in the early stages before making progress to take the lead inside the final furlong and won by one and a half lengths from Salacia.[2]
2012: three-year-old season
The Fugue made her first appearance of 2012 in the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket on 6 May. Starting at odds of 22/1 she finished fourth of the sixteen runners behind Homecoming Queen. Two weeks later the filly was then moved up in distance for the Musidora Stakes over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse. Ridden by William Buick, she took the lead two furlongs from the finish and drew clear of her five opponents to win "very readily" by four and a half lengths.[3]
On 1 June The Fugue was made 11/4 favourite for the 234th running of the Oaks Stakes over one and half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse. The filly fought against Buick's attempts to restrain her in the early stages and turned into the straight in ninth place. She made steady progress in the closing stages to finish third of the twelve runners, beaten a neck and half a length by Was and Shirocco Star.[4] The Daily Express described her as a "desperately unlucky" loser.[5] On her next appearance, The Fugue started favourite for the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, but proved no match for the Dermot Weld-trained filly Princess Highway, who beat her into second place by six lengths. In August, The Fugue was brought in distance to contest the Nassau Stakes over ten furlongs at Goodwood Racecourse in which her rivals included Was, Nahrain and her stable companion Izzi Top. With Buick being advised by Gosden to ride the 7/4 favourite Izzi Top, The Fugue was ridden by Richard Hughes and started at odds of 11/4. Held up towards the rear of the field, The Fugue accelerated in the straight to take the lead fifty yards from the finish and won by a length from Timepiece.[6] Hughes said of The Fugue's performance that "the more I held her back, the more I knew she was going to really go."[7] Nineteen days later The Fugue moved back up in distance for the Yorkshire Oaks and finished second to the French-trained four-year-old Shareta, with Was in third and Shirocco Star in fourth.
On her final race of the season The Fugue was sent to California for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita Park on 2 November. Ridden by Buick, she started the 11/8 favourite against ten opponents. Buick struggled to find racing room and had to switch the filly several times inside the closing stages before obtaining a clear run. The Fugue finished strongly but finished an "unlucky"[8] third behind Zagora and Marketing Mix.[9]
2013: four-year-old season
According to Gosden, The Fugue did not thrive during the cold winter and spring of 2012/2013, and she did not appear until June, when she took on a field including Camelot, Al Kazeem, Maxios and Red Cadeaux in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Ridden by Buick, she made steady progress in the straight to finish third of the eleven runners behind Al Kazeem and Mukhadram. The Fugue met Al Kazeem and Mukhadram again in the Eclipse Stakes on 6 July, but ran disappointingly to finish last of the seven runners. A subsequent examination suggested that the filly was suffering from a respiratory infection.[10]
In August The Fugue ran against all-female competition for the first time in 2013 when she started the 2/1 favourite for the Yorkshire Oaks. Buick sent her into the lead approaching the final furlong and she drew away from the field to win by four lengths from the Irish-trained Venus de Milo. Gosden expressed his satisfaction with the filly's recovery and nominated the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup as future targets.[11] On 7 September, The Fugue was sent to Ireland to contest the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse and started at odds of 4/1 in a field which included Al Kazeem, Trading Leather and Kingsbarns. Buick settled the filly in fourth place as Trading Leather set a strong pace, before moving to the outside to make a challenge in the straight. The Fugue took the lead approaching the final furlong and won comfortably by one and a quarter lengths from Al Kazeem. After the race Buick said: "She's one of the greats now. She's always been special and has always been a special one for everybody in the yard. She's very good and has arguably beaten the best around at the moment."[12]
The Fugue made her final appearance of the year in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park on 2 November. Ridden by Buick, she started the 6/4 favourite ahead of the leading North American turf performers Point of Entry, Little Mike and Big Blue Kitten. The filly settled behind the leaders before moving up to take the lead in the straight. She looked the likely winner but was caught in the final strides and beaten half a length by the Irish-trained three-year-old Magician.
Assessment and honours
In the 2012 edition of the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, The Fugue was given a rating of 116 making her the 170th best racehorse in the world and the tenth-best three-year-old filly.[13] At the Cartier Racing Awards, The Fugue was named Champion three-year-old filly, despite being rated below Valyra, Ridasiyna, Beauty Parlour, Great Heavens and Princess Highway in the official ratings.[14]
Pedigree
The Fugue was bred by Watership Down Stud (Simon Marsh).
| Sire Dansili (GB) 1996 |
Danehill (IUSA) 1986 |
Danzig | Northern Dancer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pas de Nom | |||
| Razyana | His Majesty | ||
| Spring Adieu | |||
| Hasili (IRE) 1991 |
Kahyasi | Ile de Bourbon | |
| Kadissya | |||
| Kerali | High Line | ||
| Sookera | |||
| Dam Twyla Tharp (IRE) 2002 |
Sadler's Wells (USA) 1981 |
Northern Dancer | Nearctic |
| Natalma | |||
| Fairy Bridge | Bold Reason | ||
| Special | |||
| Sumoto (GB) 1990 |
Mtoto | Busted | |
| Amazer | |||
| Soemba | General Assembly | ||
| Seven Seas (Family 7-a) |
References
- ↑ "Dansili Stud Record". Bloodstock.racingpost.com. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ "Makfi Maiden Fillies Stakes result". Racing Post. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ "Musidora Stakes result". Racing Post. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ "Investec Oaks result". Racing Post. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ Swingell, Bev (21 June 2012). "Fugue set to make amends". Daily Express. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ "Nassau Stakes result". Racing Post. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ Chris Cook (4 August 2012). "The Fugue wins Nassau at Goodwood to leave William Buick in the shade". The Observer. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ "The Fugue is third as European horses struggle". BBC. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ "Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf result". Racing Post. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ↑ Stuart Riley (8 July 2007). "Eclipse flop The Fugue Nassau bound after dirty scope". Racing Post. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
- ↑ Greg Wood (22 August 2013). "Arc and Breeders' Cup are The Fugue's targets after Yorkshire Oaks win". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ↑ "Irish Champion Stakes: The Fugue beats Al Kazeem into second". BBC. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
- ↑ "The 2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings". Horseracingintfed.com. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
- ↑ Horse Racing (13 November 2012). "Cartier Awards 2012: Frankel sweeps board and takes top honour for second year". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
- ↑ "The Fugue". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
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