Yeats (horse)

Yeats
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Sire:	Sadler's Wells
Grandsire:	Northern Dancer
Dam:	Lyndonville
Damsire:	Top Ville
Sex:	Stallion
Foaled:	2001
Country:	Ireland
Colour:	Bay
Breeder:	Barronstown Stud & Orpendale
Owner:	Sue Magnier & Diane Nagle
Trainer:	Aidan O'Brien
Record:	17: 10-2-1
Earnings:	ongoing
Major Racing Wins & Honours & Awards
Major Racing Wins
Ballysax Stakes (2004) Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (2004) Coronation Cup (2005) Goodwood Cup (2006) Ascot Gold Cup (2006, 2007) Saval Beg Stakes (2007) Irish St. Leger (2007)
Racing Awards
European Champion Stayer (2006, 2007)
Infobox last updated on: November 15, 2007.

Yeats is a notable Irish thoroughbred racehorse who was foaled on April 23 2001 at Derrinstown Stud, and is owned by Ballydoyle and Coolmore Stud boss John Magnier. By Sadler's Wells, out of Lyndonville, he was unbeaten in 3 starts, including the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial in May 2004, and was hot favourite for the Epsom Derby, but met with a setback just days before the race and missed the rest of the season, returning almost 1 year later, finishing 2nd in a Group 3 in Ireland on heavy ground.

4-Year-Old Career

His next start came at Epsom in the Coronation Cup, taking on subsequent Japan Cup winner Alkaased, Bandari and dual Coronation Cup winner Warrsan. Jockey Kieren Fallon adopted front-running tactics on the colt, and pulled away in the final quarter-mile to win by more than 2 lengths. The win made Yeats the first Irish-based horse to win the Coronation Cup since Roberto in 1973. Yeats attempted to follow up in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over the same distance, with new jockey Jimmy Fortune adopting hold-up tactics, but they failed to pay off, and Yeats trailed in 9th, 20 lengths behind the winner Alkaased. The Irish St. Leger came next, reunited with Kieren Fallon, adopting similar hold-up tactics as Fortune in Yeats' previous start, and was staying-on towards the finish to come 4th, just a length and a half behind the winner Collier Hill. His final start of the season was to be the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Canada over 12 furlongs, but he missed the break and could never recover, finishing 12 lengths behind the victor.

5-Year-Old Career

Yeats' first start of the 2006 season was to come at Royal Ascot in the Ascot Gold Cup, some 247 days after the Woodbine Canadian International Stakes. Fallon adopted a prominent position towards the start, and got to the front 4 furlongs out, and was only pulling away towards the end, winning by 4 lengths from Prix du Cadran winner Reefscape. He attempted a rare double with the Goodwood Cup at the Glorious Goodwood meeting, carrying top weight and easing to victory by 5 lengths under new jockey Michael Kinane, since Fallon is currently banned from riding in the UK. Yeats finished a disappointing 7th in the Melbourne Cup, with Kieren Fallon stating that his mount just lacked his usual finishing kick and was not suited by the stop-start pace of the race. He was forced to make a big move a mile out to get to the front, ensuring that he maintained his speed for the finishing straight. He was voted the 2006 Cartier Racing Award as Top Stayer.

6-Year-Old Career

In 2007, Yeats won his second consecutive Ascot Gold Cup and followed that up by winning the Irish St. Leger on his third attempt, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien his first win in that race, and the 1-2 as stablemate Scorpion came a close second to Yeats.

Future Plans

When Aidan O'Brien said that the 5 year old Yeats would continue racing for the next couple of seasons he earned him and Ballydoyle plenty of plaudits, and Yeats has improved with age. Lightly raced he still has a lot of potential.

A possible target for the 2008 season is a third Ascot Gold Cup emulating the only horse who managed to win three - Sagaro.

Pedigree

References

• Yeats's pedigree and partial racing stats
• Video at YouTube of Yeats winning the 2006 Ascot Gold Cup