Ten Sovereigns

Ten Sovereigns
Sire No Nay Never
Grandsire Scat Daddy
Dam Seeking Solace
Damsire Exceed and Excel
Sex Colt
Foaled 28 March 2016[1]
Country Ireland
Colour Bay
Breeder Camas Park, Lynch Bages & Summerhill
Owner Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier
Trainer Aidan O'Brien
Record 3: 3-0-0
Earnings £198,386
Major wins
Round Tower Stakes (2018)
Middle Park Stakes (2018)

Ten Sovereigns (foaled 28 March 2016) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the best two-year-olds in Europe in 2018 when he was unbeaten in three races including the Round Tower Stakes and the Middle Park Stakes.

Background

Ten Sovereigns is a bay colt bred in Ireland by Camas Park, Lynch Bages & Summerhill. In October 2017 the yearling was offered for sale at Tattersalls and was bought for 200,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson[2] of behalf of John Magnier's Coolmore Stud organisation. The colt was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the official details of his ownership changed from race to race: he has sometimes been listed as being the property of Susan Magnier, while on other occasions he was described as being owned by a partnership of Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier.

He is from the first crop of foals sired by No Nay Never, an American horse who had his greatest success in Europe where he won the Norfolk Stakes and the Prix Morny as a juvenile in 2013. His other foals from his first season at stud included the Richmond Stakes winner Land Force.[3] Ten Sovereigns' name appears to derive from the lyric "I took from my pocket ten sovereigns bright" from the song The Wild Rover: the chorus of the song begins with the words "No, nay, never..." the name of his sire.[4] Ten Sovereigns' dam Seeking Solace showed some racing ability in France, winning one minor race and finishing fourth in the Prix Penelope.[5] She was descended from the CCA Oaks winner Marshua.[6]

Racing career

2018: two-year-old season

Ten Sovereigns was ridden in all three of his races by his trainer's son Donnacha O'Brien. On his racecourse debut on 25 August the colt started at odds of 5/1 in a twenty-five runner maiden race over six furlongs at the Curragh. After tracking the leaders he went to the front a furlong out and drew right away in the closing stages to win "easily" by seven lengths from Carbon Fibre.[7] A week later over the same course and distance the colt was stepped up in class to contest the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes and was made the 1/3 favourite against seven opponents headed by the Fillies' Sprint Stakes winner Servalan. He recorded another easy win as he settled in second behind his stablemate Fantasy before taking the lead approaching the final furlong and pulling clear to win by almost four lengths.[8] After the race Aidan O'Brien said "He's definitely fast, but he's relaxed and he's very clean-winded. He seemed to do everything right and he has a good, big, open stride. He has a lovely mind, even into the stalls, and everything is very easy".[9]

On 29 September Ten Sovereigns was sent to England for the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse. His six rivals included his stablemate Sergei Prokofiev (Rochestown Stakes), Jash (unbeaten in two starts), Emaraaty Ana (Gimcrack Stakes) and Rumble Inthejungle (Molecomb Stakes). After tracking the leaders he went to the front in the last quarter mile and held off the sustained challenge of Jash to win by half a length, with the pair coming home well clear of the rest.[10] Donnacha O'Brien commented "He learned a lot today and he had to fight today,” his jockey said. “It was a big learning curve and when the other horse came to him, he did fight. He put his head down and battled hard. He’s a fast horse and a natural sprinter".[11]

Aidan O'Brien considered running the colt in the Dewhurst Stakes two weeks later but gave up on the idea, saying "he had three runs in a relatively short space of time and, in fairness to the horse, we've decided to leave him alone until next season".[12]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Ten Sovereigns (IRE), bay colt, 2016[1]
Sire
No Nay Never (USA)
2011		 Scat Daddy
2004		 Johannesburg Hennessy
Myth
Love Style Mr Prospector
Likeable Style
Cat's Eye Witness
2003		 Elusive Quality Gone West
Hopespringseternal
Comical Cat Exceller
Six Months Long
Dam
Seeking Solace (GB)
2007		 Exceed and Excel (AUS)
2000		 Danehill (USA) Danzig
Razyana
Patrona (USA) Lomond
Gladiolus
Flamelet (USA)
2000		 Theatrical (IRE) Nureyev (USA)
Tree of Knowledge
Darling Flame Capote
My Darling One (Family 16)[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Ten Sovereigns pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  2. ↑ "Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 2) 2017 - Catalogue". Racing Post.
  3. ↑ "No Nay Never - Progeny". Racing Post.
  4. ↑ "The Wild Rover (No Nay Never) - Free Sheet Music". drinking-songs.com. 26 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Seeking Solace - Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
  6. 1 2 "Sister to Stripling - Family 16". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  7. ↑ "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden result". Racing Post. 25 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Round Tower Stakes result". Racing Post. 1 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Ten Sovereigns shines in Round Tower". Sky Sports. 1 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Middle Park Stakes result". Racing Post. 29 September 2018.
  11. ↑ Wood, Greg (29 September 2018). "Ten Sovereigns wins Middle Park to crown brilliant Aidan O'Brien treble". The Guardian.
  12. ↑ O'Hehir, Tony (10 October 2018). "Ten Sovereigns ruled out of Dewhurst". Racing Post.
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