Yeats

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Owner: Mrs John Magnier, Mrs Diane Nagle

Jockeys: Mick Kinane, Jamie Spencer, Kieren Fallon, Jimmy Fortune, Seamie Heffernan

Notable Wins:

• Ascot Gold Cup (2006 + 2007 + 2008 + 2009)
• Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak (2008)
• Goodwood Cup (2006+2008)
• Listed Vintage Crop Stakes (2007+2008)
• Group 1 Irish Field St Ledger(2007)
• Coronation Cup (2005)
• Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (2004)
• P.W.McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (2004).

Foaled on April 23, 2001 at Derrinstown Stud.

The product of a mating between the incomparable Sadler’s Wells and Lyndonville, who is the dam of top Japanese performer Tsukuba Symphony, Yeats made an instant impression on the racing world when making an impressive winning debut at the Curragh in September 2003. That win, combined with Aidan O’Brien’s glowing praise of him, was enough to see him installed as the winter favourite for the Epsom Derby. He made the perfect start to the 2004 season, winning the P.W.McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes by ten lengths on his seasonal reappearance before winning the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in equally impressive fashion. Now a short-priced favourite for the Epsom Derby, it was to the huge disappointment of the Ballydoyle operation and the racing public when Yeats was ruled out of Epsom and indeed the remainder of the season due to injury.

It was just under a year after his win in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial that Yeats re-emerged back on the race track and while he met with defeat on his reappearance in the Group 3 Moorsebridge Stakes, he looked and raced as if the run would bring him on significantly. That was proved to be the case when, on his very next start, Yeats profited from a highly creditable front-running ride from Kieren Fallon to readily prevail in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom. Amazingly, that would prove to be the only win of the season for Yeats as he met with defeat in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the Irish St Leger and the Canadian International. However, against all odds he would go on to reach even greater heights at the age of five.

In contrast with his somewhat disappointing start to his campaign in 2005, 2006 saw Yeats make the perfect start to his season. Stepped up markedly in trip to contest the most prestigious of all staying races, the Ascot Gold Cup, many people doubted his ability to stay the 2½m trip. With proven Group 1 stayers such as Distinction, Reefscape and Sergeant Cecil in the field, Yeats was allowed to be sent off at 7/1 with Kieren Fallon in the saddle. Given a no-nonsense ride, Yeats hit the front over 2f out and stayed on strongly to readily prevail by four lengths from Reefscape. It was a wonderful training performance from O’Brien, as well as a fine staying performance from Yeats who gained universal plaudits as potentially the best stayer in many years. He consolidated that position six weeks later when putting in a virtuoso performance in winning the Goodwood Cup by an impressive five lengths, lowering the track record in the process. Unfortunately though, Yeats’ form again tailed off slightly at the backend of the season with a shock defeat at 2/7 in the Irish St Leger being followed by a disappointing seventh in the Melbourne Cup.

In 2007 Yeats opened his campaign with a facile win in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at the Curragh before recording an equally easy win in the Listed Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown four weeks later. Those runs put him spot on for his bid to gain back-to-back wins in the Ascot Gold Cup and when the day arrived, he was considered a banker by most and was sent off at 8/13 to collect. Ridden on this occasion by Mick Kinane, Yeats made good headway to track the leaders with 4f to run, leading over 2f out and not needing to be fully extended to prevail by an authoritative 1½l. With a follow up win in the Irish St Ledger he was sent to France for a Group 1 but finished a disappointing third, his only defeat of the season.

2008 saw Yeats follow the same successful campaign as in 2007. He once again took the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan under the mount of Seamie Heffernan. This win lead to him going off the 11/8 Fav for his third attempt in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup, this time with Johnny Murtagh aboard. Whilst many were fearful as to whether he could repeat the success and complete a hat- trick he showed the world what a talented stayer he is by annihilating the opposition with an impressive 5 length victory. It was his third Gold Cup win at the age of seven. Following his Gold Cup win he took the Group 2 Goodwood Cup for the second time in his life. A trip to Longchamp for the Qatar Prix du Cadran (Group 1) saw him finish a disappointing fifth, however he rectified this race by taking the Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1) at Longchamp a few weeks later.

The eagerly anticipated return of Yeats in 2009 saw him return once again to Navan in an attempt to take the Vintage Crop Stakes. However, he was unable to make it a hat-trick of wins and he could only muster up a disappointing 6th place. This resulted in bookmakers immediately pushing out his price for his fourth attempt at the Gold Cup. It was believed that the soft ground was not to his liking and connections were confident that he would improve on better ground. Going into the Gold Cup, question marks were raised on the back of his Navan run, however, the real Yeats turned up at Ascot and eclipsed his rivals by 3 ½ lengths. His fourth Gold Cup win seals Yeats place in the history books as greatest stayer ever seen on the flat. For Johnny Murtagh, it was one of his most memorable days in the saddle. "Muhammad Ali told everyone he was greatest, and he was. Yeats has shown everyone today that he is the ultimate heavyweight champion. To do what no other horse had done and win this great race for the fourth time was so special for everyone. It’s a day I will never forget and he was a truly fabulous horse”.

Yeats – the King of Stayers – retired at the end of his ’09 campaign after a disappointing defeat in the Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh in September followed by a third in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in October. However, he has lost nothing in defeat and will continue to remain a superstar in the eyes of many. Yeats will stand at Coolmore’s base in Fethard alongside stars such as Galileo and Montjeu.

For many the enclosures of Royal Ascot will not be the same without him.

Statistics:

Races: 26
Wins: 15
Group 1 Wins: 7
Earnings: €1,468,488

List of Victories:

Updated: October 2009.