Royal Applause
Encyclopedia
Royal Applause is a retired British Champion Thoroughbred
racehorse and active sire. He was undefeated in four races as a two-year old in 1995, including the Group One
Middle Park Stakes
, the Group Two
Gimcrack Stakes
and the Group Three
Coventry Stakes
. He was rated the second best colt of the year behind Alhaarth
.
After a disappointing three-year-old season, he returned as a four-year-old in 1998 to become European Champion Sprinter, when he won four of his seven races including the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup
the Group Three Duke of York Stakes
and the Group Three Cork and Orrery Stakes
(now a Group One race). He went on to become a successful stallion and is based at the Royal Studs at Sandringham, Norfolk
.
high. He was bred at his owner Maktoum Al Maktoum’s
Gainsborough Stud near Newbury in Berkshire
, England.
His sire Waajib was a miler who won the Queen Anne Stakes
at Royal Ascot in 1988. As a stallion, he stood for th Coolmore Stud
before being sold to Japan's Shadai Stud in 1995. He was shuttled between Japan and Australia for four seasons before dying at Amsterdam Airport while being returned to Ireland in January 1999. He was not a great success, siring the winners of fewer than 150 races, with Royal Applause being easily his best offspring . Royal Applause’s dam Flying Melody was a successful racehorse who went on to be an excellent broodmare. Apart from Royal Applause she produced the European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Lyric Fantasy
and the Dewhurst Stakes
winner In Command.
Royal Applause was trained throughout his career by Barry Hills
at Lambourn
. During his two-year-old season he was ridden by Walter Swinburn
, who lost his job as Maktoum Al Maktoum's retained jockey at the end of the year. In his comeback year of 1997 Royal Applause was ridden in all his races by his trainer’s son Michael Hills
maiden race at his local course Newbury
in May. He disputed the lead for most of the way before pulling clear and winning "easily" by three and a half lengths from Rambling Bear. The runner-up went on to be a top class sprinter, winning the King George Stakes
and the Palace House Stakes
. Three weeks later Royal Applause was moved up in class as he was sent to Royal Ascot for the Coventry Stakes. Swinburn sent the colt into the lead fro the start and he was never headed, running on strongly to win by two lengths from Russian Revival.
By the time that Royal Applause reappeared in the Gimcrack Stakes at York
in August, the form of his Ascot win had been boosted when the fourth placed Tagula won the July Stakes
at Newmarket
. Royal Applause started odds-on favourite at York, but after leading for most of the race he was strongly challenged in the final furlong by Tumbleweed Ridge and had to be driven out to hold on and win by a head.
On his final race of the season Royal Applause was stepped up to the highest level for the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. He was made second favourite behind Kahir Almaydan who had won the Mill Reef Stakes
by six lengths. Swinburn sent the colt into the lead at half way from which point he looked "the only possible winner." In the final stages he pulled well clear of his rivals to record an "impressive" four length win over the Anglesey Stakes
winner Woodborough, with Kahir Almaydan third. He was offered at prices between 8/1 and 16/1 for the one mile 2000 Guineas but Barry Hills advised caution as, in his opinion, the colt was essentially a sprinter: "I would tend to think he's got a lot of natural speed and will probably stay at six furlongs."
. He was brought back to sprint distances for the King's Stand Stakes
at Royal Ascot. In a change of tactics he was held up by Hills in the early stages, but he found little in the closing stages and finished sixth behind Pivotal.
A month later he was dropped in class and won a minor stakes race over six furlongs at Doncaster
, leading all the way under Kieren Fallon
and beating his old rival Russian Revival by a neck. On his final start, he was moved back up to Group One level for the Haydock Sprint Cup, but after leading early he weakened in the closing stages to finish ninth of the eleven runners. His form as a three-year-old suggested that he was an example of a precocious juvenile who had failed to "train on".
Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March. He led from the start and outpaced his opponents in the last quarter mile to win by two lengths, in his most impressive display since his two-year old season. At York in May, Royal Applause won his first Group Race for nineteen months as he led all the way to take the Duke of York Stakes by a length and a quarter to establish himself as a genuinely top class sprinter.
At Royal Ascot Royal Applause faced a field of twenty-three in the Cork and Orrery Stakes, for which he started favourite at 11/2. The huge field split into two groups, with Royal Applause leading the far side group. He opened up a clear lead in the last two furlongs and despite drifting towards the centre of the track in the closing stages he stayed on to win by a length and a half from Blue Goblin. Royal Applause was made 11/10 favourite for the July Cup
at Newmarket, although Hills advised that he was "no certainty". He defeated his main market rivals but was unable to cope with the 50/1 outsider Compton Place
, who won by one and three quarter lengths. The result, which was greeted by silence from the crowd, was so unexpected that Compton Place's trainer was called before the stewards to give an explanation for his horses performance.
In September Royal Applause was sent to Haydock
for the Sprint Cup
. He quickly adopted his customary position at the head of the field as his rivals became involved in an exceptionally rough race behind him. Royal Applause went clear a furlong out to record the biggest win of his career by one and a quarter lengths from the fast-finishing Danetime. After the race Hills called him "the best sprinter I've trained and... the best around at the moment." When asked about Royal Applause's poor form in 1996 he observed that "horses are like apple trees - you don't get apples all the time."
In his last European race was sent abroad for the first time and startes favourite for the Prix de l'Abbaye
at Longchamp. Unusually, he broke slowly and was unable to reach the lead. He challenged strongly in the final furlong but could finish only third beaten half a length and a short head by the fillies Carmine Lake and Pas de Reponse. On his final start, he was sent to Hollywood Park for the Breeders' Cup Sprint
. His cause was not helped when he panicked and sustained minor injuries on his first encounter with American-style starting stalls. He made no show in the race itself, finishing last of the fourteen runners on his only start on dirt.
and four pounds clear of the next best.
At the 1997 Cartier Racing Awards, Royal Applause was named European Champion Sprinter. The International Classification rated him the equal-best European sprinter of the year, sharing a 121 rating with Compton Place and the Diadem Stakes winner Elnadim.
Timeform
rated Royal Applause at 123 as a two-year-old, 109 as a three-year-old, and 124 as a four-year-old.
winner Motivator
at the Royal Studs at Sandringham, Norfolk. He hs sired the winners of well over seven hundred races, including seventeen at Group race level, and has, not surprisingly given his racing career, proved especially effective as a sire of sprinters. His best winners include Ticker Tape (American Oaks
), Acclamation (GB) (Diadem Stakes) and Battle Of Hastings (Colonial Turf Cup
). His stud fee for 2011 was £9,000.
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 and active sire. He was undefeated in four races as a two-year old in 1995, including the Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Middle Park Stakes
Middle Park Stakes
The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was established...
, the Group Two
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Gimcrack Stakes
Gimcrack Stakes
The Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
and the Group Three
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Coventry Stakes
Coventry Stakes
The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
. He was rated the second best colt of the year behind Alhaarth
Alhaarth
Alhharth is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire, bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom and Dubai during a racing career that lasted from 1995 to 1997. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old at the 1995 Cartier Racing Awards. In his championship season he won...
.
After a disappointing three-year-old season, he returned as a four-year-old in 1998 to become European Champion Sprinter, when he won four of his seven races including the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....
the Group Three Duke of York Stakes
Duke of York Stakes
The Duke of York Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
and the Group Three Cork and Orrery Stakes
Golden Jubilee Stakes
The Golden Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
(now a Group One race). He went on to become a successful stallion and is based at the Royal Studs at Sandringham, Norfolk
Sandringham, Norfolk
Sandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of the village of Dersingham, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
.
Background
Royal Applause is a dark-coated bay horse with two white socks who stands 15.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high. He was bred at his owner Maktoum Al Maktoum’s
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum , also referred to as Sheikh Maktoum was the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the emir of Dubai.-Biography:...
Gainsborough Stud near Newbury in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England.
His sire Waajib was a miler who won the Queen Anne Stakes
Queen Anne Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at Royal Ascot in 1988. As a stallion, he stood for th Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
before being sold to Japan's Shadai Stud in 1995. He was shuttled between Japan and Australia for four seasons before dying at Amsterdam Airport while being returned to Ireland in January 1999. He was not a great success, siring the winners of fewer than 150 races, with Royal Applause being easily his best offspring . Royal Applause’s dam Flying Melody was a successful racehorse who went on to be an excellent broodmare. Apart from Royal Applause she produced the European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Lyric Fantasy
Lyric Fantasy
Lyric Fantasy was an Irish-bred, British-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse. She was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the 1992 Cartier Racing Awards, and was the highest rated filly in the International Classification. In her championship season Lyric Fantasy won five of her six...
and the Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
winner In Command.
Royal Applause was trained throughout his career by Barry Hills
Barry Hills
Barry Hills is a British thoroughbred horse trainer. He lives in Lambourn, England.-Biography:Barry Hills had three sons in his first marriage: John, Michael, and Richard. John is a horse trainer, and both Michael and Richard are jockeys. After his divorce, he married Penny Hills, and had two more...
at Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....
. During his two-year-old season he was ridden by Walter Swinburn
Walter Swinburn
Walter R. Swinburn is a retired flat racing jockey who competed in Great Britain and Ireland as well as internationally.Swinburn was born in Oxford...
, who lost his job as Maktoum Al Maktoum's retained jockey at the end of the year. In his comeback year of 1997 Royal Applause was ridden in all his races by his trainer’s son Michael Hills
1995: two-year-old season
Royal Applause made his debut in a five furlongFurlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
maiden race at his local course Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
in May. He disputed the lead for most of the way before pulling clear and winning "easily" by three and a half lengths from Rambling Bear. The runner-up went on to be a top class sprinter, winning the King George Stakes
King George Stakes
The King George Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August....
and the Palace House Stakes
Palace House Stakes
The Palace House Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.The event is named after...
. Three weeks later Royal Applause was moved up in class as he was sent to Royal Ascot for the Coventry Stakes. Swinburn sent the colt into the lead fro the start and he was never headed, running on strongly to win by two lengths from Russian Revival.
By the time that Royal Applause reappeared in the Gimcrack Stakes at York
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
in August, the form of his Ascot win had been boosted when the fourth placed Tagula won the July Stakes
July Stakes
The July Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
. Royal Applause started odds-on favourite at York, but after leading for most of the race he was strongly challenged in the final furlong by Tumbleweed Ridge and had to be driven out to hold on and win by a head.
On his final race of the season Royal Applause was stepped up to the highest level for the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. He was made second favourite behind Kahir Almaydan who had won the Mill Reef Stakes
Mill Reef Stakes
The Mill Reef Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 6 furlongs and 8 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
by six lengths. Swinburn sent the colt into the lead at half way from which point he looked "the only possible winner." In the final stages he pulled well clear of his rivals to record an "impressive" four length win over the Anglesey Stakes
Anglesey Stakes
The Anglesey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs and 63 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
winner Woodborough, with Kahir Almaydan third. He was offered at prices between 8/1 and 16/1 for the one mile 2000 Guineas but Barry Hills advised caution as, in his opinion, the colt was essentially a sprinter: "I would tend to think he's got a lot of natural speed and will probably stay at six furlongs."
1996: three-year-old season
Despite Hills' reservations, Royal Applause began his three-year-old season by being sent straight to the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket without a trial race. Ridden for the first time by Michael Hills he started the 15/2 fourth choice in the betting. Hills attempted to make all the running, but after leading for six furlongs, Royal Applause tired in the last quarter mile and finished tenth of the thirteen runners behind Mark of EsteemMark of Esteem
Mark of Esteem is a retired Irish bred thoroughbred racehorse. In his two years racing he achieved 4 wins and 1 placed finish from 7 Runs amassing total Prize Money of £365,139.00.-1995: Two-Year-Old Season:...
. He was brought back to sprint distances for the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
at Royal Ascot. In a change of tactics he was held up by Hills in the early stages, but he found little in the closing stages and finished sixth behind Pivotal.
A month later he was dropped in class and won a minor stakes race over six furlongs at Doncaster
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
, leading all the way under Kieren Fallon
Kieren Fallon
Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times....
and beating his old rival Russian Revival by a neck. On his final start, he was moved back up to Group One level for the Haydock Sprint Cup, but after leading early he weakened in the closing stages to finish ninth of the eleven runners. His form as a three-year-old suggested that he was an example of a precocious juvenile who had failed to "train on".
1997: four-year-old season
Royal Applause returned to the racecourse as a four-year-old in the ListedConditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March. He led from the start and outpaced his opponents in the last quarter mile to win by two lengths, in his most impressive display since his two-year old season. At York in May, Royal Applause won his first Group Race for nineteen months as he led all the way to take the Duke of York Stakes by a length and a quarter to establish himself as a genuinely top class sprinter.
At Royal Ascot Royal Applause faced a field of twenty-three in the Cork and Orrery Stakes, for which he started favourite at 11/2. The huge field split into two groups, with Royal Applause leading the far side group. He opened up a clear lead in the last two furlongs and despite drifting towards the centre of the track in the closing stages he stayed on to win by a length and a half from Blue Goblin. Royal Applause was made 11/10 favourite for the July Cup
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
at Newmarket, although Hills advised that he was "no certainty". He defeated his main market rivals but was unable to cope with the 50/1 outsider Compton Place
Compton Place
Compton Place is an English country house in Eastbourne, a town and borough in East Sussex. It was rebuilt for Sir Spencer Compton, to designs by Colen Campbell from 1726, and completed after Campbell's death by William Kent. The Elizabethan-Jacobean house called Bourne Place had Spencer Compton,...
, who won by one and three quarter lengths. The result, which was greeted by silence from the crowd, was so unexpected that Compton Place's trainer was called before the stewards to give an explanation for his horses performance.
In September Royal Applause was sent to Haydock
Haydock Park Racecourse
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Haydock, Merseyside, England. The track is a mostly flat left-handed oval of around 1 mile 5 furlongs with a very slight rise on the run-in. There are courses for flat racing and National Hunt racing...
for the Sprint Cup
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....
. He quickly adopted his customary position at the head of the field as his rivals became involved in an exceptionally rough race behind him. Royal Applause went clear a furlong out to record the biggest win of his career by one and a quarter lengths from the fast-finishing Danetime. After the race Hills called him "the best sprinter I've trained and... the best around at the moment." When asked about Royal Applause's poor form in 1996 he observed that "horses are like apple trees - you don't get apples all the time."
In his last European race was sent abroad for the first time and startes favourite for the Prix de l'Abbaye
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...
at Longchamp. Unusually, he broke slowly and was unable to reach the lead. He challenged strongly in the final furlong but could finish only third beaten half a length and a short head by the fillies Carmine Lake and Pas de Reponse. On his final start, he was sent to Hollywood Park for the Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
. His cause was not helped when he panicked and sustained minor injuries on his first encounter with American-style starting stalls. He made no show in the race itself, finishing last of the fourteen runners on his only start on dirt.
Assessment
In the official International Classification of two-year-olds for 1995, Royal Applause was given a rating of 124, two pounds below the champion AlhaarthAlhaarth
Alhharth is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire, bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom and Dubai during a racing career that lasted from 1995 to 1997. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old at the 1995 Cartier Racing Awards. In his championship season he won...
and four pounds clear of the next best.
At the 1997 Cartier Racing Awards, Royal Applause was named European Champion Sprinter. The International Classification rated him the equal-best European sprinter of the year, sharing a 121 rating with Compton Place and the Diadem Stakes winner Elnadim.
Timeform
Timeform
Timeform Publications is a publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry...
rated Royal Applause at 123 as a two-year-old, 109 as a three-year-old, and 124 as a four-year-old.
Stud career
Royal Applause stands alongside the DerbyEpsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Motivator
Motivator (horse)
Motivator is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He is best known as the winner of the 2005 Epsom Derby.-Background:Motivator is a bay horse with a white star bred by Salah M...
at the Royal Studs at Sandringham, Norfolk. He hs sired the winners of well over seven hundred races, including seventeen at Group race level, and has, not surprisingly given his racing career, proved especially effective as a sire of sprinters. His best winners include Ticker Tape (American Oaks
American Oaks
The American Oaks Invitational Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California...
), Acclamation (GB) (Diadem Stakes) and Battle Of Hastings (Colonial Turf Cup
Colonial Turf Cup
The Colonial Turf Cup is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 2005 at Colonial Downs race track in New Kent County, Virginia...
). His stud fee for 2011 was £9,000.