Jeune
Encyclopedia
Jeune was a British
Thoroughbred
racehorse
who raced in England and Australia
and is best known for winning the prestigious Melbourne Cup
in 1994. He was an attractive, muscular, chestnut stallion, who sometimes raced in pacifiers. He had an aversion towards wet ground, and was most effective on ground which was at least dead.
Reasonably well-bred, and bred for stamina, Jeune was by Kalaglow out of Youthful, by Green Dancer. He began his racing career in Europe
, eventually becoming a Group Two winner over a mile and a half, as well as running several good placings in English middle distance races of the second rank. His owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
sent him to Australia
at the end of his 4 year old season, where he would be trained by David Hayes.
Although expectations for him were only moderate on his arrival, Jeune improved greatly in Australia. He first established himself as a top class performer with his victory in the group 1 Underwood Stakes
(1800 metres) at Caulfield in the early part of the Spring. Later that same preparation, he was runner-up in both the Caulfield Stakes
and the Mackinnon Stakes. In between time, he ran unplaced in the Cox Plate when hindered in the running. Jeune therefore entered the 1994 Melbourne Cup with solid, middle distance weight-for-age form. Nevertheless, he started at the attractive odds of 16/1 due to doubts about whether he would run the distance. He proved these doubts ill-founded, winning the race comfortably by 2 lengths, and finishing it off the best of all the runners. The favoured Caulfield Cup
winner Paris Lane, who had narrowly beaten him home in the Mackinnon three days earlier, was second.
Jeune opened his autumn campaign by winning the much shorter group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400 metres) against the sprinters. He also won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000 metres) to finish that campaign. However, in between time, Jeune developed the unfortunate tendency of running second in major races. One of these efforts was very good (his close second to champion sprinter Schillaci in the Futurity Stakes
over 1400 metres) but others constituted unnecessary losses to inferior opponents. They were the result of his inability to properly finish off his race by overhauling horses he had caught up to in the straight (such as when he lost the Australian Cup
at Flemington to the moderate Western Australian mare Starstruck, and the Rawson Stakes and The BMW
at Rosehill to the honest front-runner Stony Bay).
Jeune raced on as a 6 year old, and despite an excellent early season victory over Mahogany in the Craiglee Stakes
(1600 metres) at Flemington, he therefater inexplicably lost form. He failed in several major races. In the end, Jeune's overall racing record in Australia and England stood at 10 wins and 17 placing from a total of 42 starts, and nearly A$3million in prizemoney.
It is fair to say that Jeune probably would have been better off retired to stud at the end of his 5 year old season, when his race record was still relatively unblemished, and when he would have attracted better quality mares. Nevertheless, the start of his stud career was delayed until 1996 when Jeune commenced standing at Hayes' Lindsay Park property in South Australia
before then transferring to Collingrove Stud in Victoria
in 2004. The move to Victoria was precipitated by his success at stud, which caused him to "outgrow" the South Australian operation.
Chief among Jeune's successful offspring was the gutsy and ill-fated 2003 Caulfield Cup
winner Mummify
. He also sired On A Jeune, who ran second in the Melbourne Cup
. Despite his very good race record, attractive appearance, and ability to sire good progeny, Jeune was not the most commercial of stallions in Australia. The quality of mares he attracted in South Australia was only moderate, and did not match those enjoyed by the more fashionable overseas shuttle stallions and speed-oriented locals, with whom he was competing. Nevertheless, he did achieve more at stud than many of these rivals, and over 5% of his runners won stakes races.
On the morning of January 4, 2006, Jeune was found dead in his paddock at Collingrove Stud from an apparent heart failure. Had he lived longer, he might have established himself as one of the better stallions in Australia.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
who raced in England and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is best known for winning the prestigious Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
in 1994. He was an attractive, muscular, chestnut stallion, who sometimes raced in pacifiers. He had an aversion towards wet ground, and was most effective on ground which was at least dead.
Reasonably well-bred, and bred for stamina, Jeune was by Kalaglow out of Youthful, by Green Dancer. He began his racing career in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, eventually becoming a Group Two winner over a mile and a half, as well as running several good placings in English middle distance races of the second rank. His owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates . He is the second son of the late ruler, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ....
sent him to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the end of his 4 year old season, where he would be trained by David Hayes.
Although expectations for him were only moderate on his arrival, Jeune improved greatly in Australia. He first established himself as a top class performer with his victory in the group 1 Underwood Stakes
Underwood Stakes
The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne Australia. It is run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions in late September each year...
(1800 metres) at Caulfield in the early part of the Spring. Later that same preparation, he was runner-up in both the Caulfield Stakes
Caulfield Stakes
The VATC Caulfield Stakes is now a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, at Caulfield Racecourse. The race was previously known as the Caulfield Stakes but since 1997 it has been referred to as the...
and the Mackinnon Stakes. In between time, he ran unplaced in the Cox Plate when hindered in the running. Jeune therefore entered the 1994 Melbourne Cup with solid, middle distance weight-for-age form. Nevertheless, he started at the attractive odds of 16/1 due to doubts about whether he would run the distance. He proved these doubts ill-founded, winning the race comfortably by 2 lengths, and finishing it off the best of all the runners. The favoured Caulfield Cup
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...
winner Paris Lane, who had narrowly beaten him home in the Mackinnon three days earlier, was second.
Jeune opened his autumn campaign by winning the much shorter group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400 metres) against the sprinters. He also won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000 metres) to finish that campaign. However, in between time, Jeune developed the unfortunate tendency of running second in major races. One of these efforts was very good (his close second to champion sprinter Schillaci in the Futurity Stakes
Futurity Stakes
Futurity Stakes may refer to:*Futurity Stakes , a horse race held at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia.*Futurity Stakes , a horse race held at the Curragh in Ireland....
over 1400 metres) but others constituted unnecessary losses to inferior opponents. They were the result of his inability to properly finish off his race by overhauling horses he had caught up to in the straight (such as when he lost the Australian Cup
Australian Cup
The Australian Cup is a Group 1 Weight for Age race for Thoroughbred racehorses run over 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March...
at Flemington to the moderate Western Australian mare Starstruck, and the Rawson Stakes and The BMW
The BMW
The BMW is a Sydney Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held over 2,400m at Weight for Age. It is held each year in April at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney Australia. The prizemoney in 2008 was A$2,271,400...
at Rosehill to the honest front-runner Stony Bay).
Jeune raced on as a 6 year old, and despite an excellent early season victory over Mahogany in the Craiglee Stakes
Craiglee Stakes
The Craiglee Stakes, renamed the Makybe Diva Stakes, is a 1600 metre Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race at Set Weights with Penalties conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia in September...
(1600 metres) at Flemington, he therefater inexplicably lost form. He failed in several major races. In the end, Jeune's overall racing record in Australia and England stood at 10 wins and 17 placing from a total of 42 starts, and nearly A$3million in prizemoney.
It is fair to say that Jeune probably would have been better off retired to stud at the end of his 5 year old season, when his race record was still relatively unblemished, and when he would have attracted better quality mares. Nevertheless, the start of his stud career was delayed until 1996 when Jeune commenced standing at Hayes' Lindsay Park property in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
before then transferring to Collingrove Stud in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 2004. The move to Victoria was precipitated by his success at stud, which caused him to "outgrow" the South Australian operation.
Chief among Jeune's successful offspring was the gutsy and ill-fated 2003 Caulfield Cup
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...
winner Mummify
Mummify
Mummify was a popular Australian Thoroughbred racehorse that amassed in prize money and won five Group One races, including the 2003 Caulfield Cup and the Singapore Airlines International Cup....
. He also sired On A Jeune, who ran second in the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
. Despite his very good race record, attractive appearance, and ability to sire good progeny, Jeune was not the most commercial of stallions in Australia. The quality of mares he attracted in South Australia was only moderate, and did not match those enjoyed by the more fashionable overseas shuttle stallions and speed-oriented locals, with whom he was competing. Nevertheless, he did achieve more at stud than many of these rivals, and over 5% of his runners won stakes races.
On the morning of January 4, 2006, Jeune was found dead in his paddock at Collingrove Stud from an apparent heart failure. Had he lived longer, he might have established himself as one of the better stallions in Australia.