Tobougg
Encyclopedia
Tobougg is a retired thoroughbred
racehorse and active sire, who was bred in Ireland, but trained in England
and Dubai
during a racing career which lasted from 2000 to 2002. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 2000 at the Cartier Racing Awards. He was unbeaten in three starts in his championship season including two Group One
races, the Prix de la Salamandre
in France and the Dewhurst Stakes
in England. He never won another race although he was placed in the Epsom Derby
, the Champion Stakes
and the Hong Kong Cup
. He is currently at stud in Wiltshire
.
, Ireland by the Citadel Stud. He was sired by the Sadler's Wells
stallion Barathea (horse)
out of the mare Lacovia. Barathea was a specialist miler who was named European Horse of the Year
in 1994, a year in which he won the Breeders' Cup Mile
. He became a successful stallion, siring the winners of over seven hundred races, although only seven of these were at Group One level. Lacovia was a highly successful racehorse who won the Prix Saint-Alary
and the Prix de Diane
in 1986.
Tobougg was sent as a yearling
to the Tattersalls
sales in September 1999 where he was bought for 230,000gns
by John Ferguson Bloodstock on behalf of Ahmed Al Maktoum
. Tobougg was sent into training with Mick Channon
who handled him for his first season. He was then tranferred to the Godolphin Racing team and trained for the rest of his career by Saeed bin Suroor
.
Tobougg was reportedly named after a region in Saudi Arabia
.
in late August. He lost ground at the start and had trouble finding a clear run, but once switched to the outside he ran on strongly to win by a length and three quarters. Despite the unimportant status of the race his performance attracted attention, with press reports calling him "a future star" and bookmakers offering him at 25/1 for the following year's 2000 Guineas. Channon called him "a lovely horse" while his jockey Craig Williams
emphasised the ease of his win by claiming that "he hardly knew he had a race".
Tobougg was then immediately moved up to Group One level for the Prix de la Salamandre
at Longchamp, for which the leading fancies were the Prix Morny
winner Bad As I Wanna Be and the Railway Stakes
winner Honours List. Settled in third by Craig Williams, Tobougg was moved up to take the lead a furlong
out and pulled clear to win by two lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. Mick Channon, who watched the race on television from home after forgetting his passport called Tobougg a colt of the "highest quality" while adding that he had a "quirky temperament". After the race Tobougg's price for the Guineas contracted to 10/1, and speculation began that he would be removed from Channon's stable to join Godolphin.
On his final start of the season, Tobougg was sent to Newmarket
for Britain's most prestigious two-year-old race, the Dewhurst Stakes
. Sent off the 7/4 favourite Tobougg raced prominently before moving into the lead two furlongs out and winning "comfortably" by one and a quarter lengths from Noverre
. The Independent
called it a "smooth performance" while pointing out that the field may have been below the usual standard. The bookmakers responded by cutting him to 8/1 for the Guineas.
Before the end of the season, Tobougg's ownership, as had been predicted, was transferred to the Maktoum family's Godolphin Racing operation and he was moved to the stable of Saeed bin Suroor, spending the winters in Dubai before being moved back to Britain during the Summer.
despite the fact that he had been beaten by his stable companion Rumpold in a private trial race in Dubai. Dettori rode the colt in all but one of his subsequent races. He was made 4/1 favourite in a field of eighteen, but after racing prominently he made little impact in the closing stages and lost his unbeaten record, finishing eighth behind Golan
. The Godolphin team were unable to explain his "dismal" performance.
A month later, Tobougg was moved up to a mile and a half for the Epsom Derby
and ran creditably, finishing strongly to take third place behind Galileo
and Golan. At Sandown in July he finished fourth as 9/4 favourite for the Eclipse Stakes
, beaten less than a length behind Medicean. Dettori reported that the colt "hated" the firm ground.
Tobougg was then off the course for three months before returning in the Champion Stakes
at Newmarket. Ridden by Kevin Darley
he tracked the leaders before moving into the lead a quarter of a mile from the finish. he ran on well but was headed inside the final furlong and beaten three quarters of a length by Nayef
. On his final start of the year he traveled to Hong Kong where he faced an international field in the Hong Kong Cup
. Dettori sent the colt into the lead from the start, and after being headed a furlong out, Tobougg rallied strongly but was beaten a head by the Japanese runner Agnes Digital. Saeed bin Suroor was pleased with the colt's effort and said that he would be "a serious horse next season."
, and on his return to Europe, ran fifth behind Rebellline in the Tattersalls Gold Cup
.
Having run in nine consecutive Group One races, Tobougg was dropped in class for the Listed
Steventon Stakes at Newbury
in July. He started Evens favourite, but could finish only third to Highdown. For his final race he was sent to Belmont Park
where he finished last of the eight runners in the Man O' War Stakes
.
) and Okawango (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
) and equal with the filly Superstar Leo
.
In 2001, Tobougg was rated the eleventh best three-year-old colt in Europe, with a rating of 119.
, being shuttled between its bases in England and Australia. He is currently standing alongside the champion stayer Double Trigger
at the Clarendon Farm stud in Wiltshire, England
at a fee of £2,500. He has sired the winners of more than two hundred winners, but few at a high level, His only Group One winner has been the Australian-bred The Pooka who won the New Zealand 2000 Guineas
in 2007.
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, who was bred in Ireland, but trained in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
during a racing career which lasted from 2000 to 2002. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 2000 at the Cartier Racing Awards. He was unbeaten in three starts in his championship season including two 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...
races, the Prix de la Salamandre
Prix de la Salamandre
The Prix de la Salamandre was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1872, and it was...
in France 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...
in England. He never won another race although he was placed in the Epsom Derby
Epsom 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...
, the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
and the Hong Kong Cup
Hong Kong Cup
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December....
. He is currently at stud in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Background
Tobougg was bred in County LimerickCounty Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, Ireland by the Citadel Stud. He was sired by the Sadler's Wells
Sadler's Wells (horse)
Sadler's Wells was a Thoroughbred racehorse that was later a leading sire in France, Great Britain & Ireland and North America during the 1990s. He was foaled in 1981 in the United States, but achieved most of his racing and breeding fame in Europe....
stallion Barathea (horse)
Barathea (horse)
Barathea was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 1994 Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs. He went on to become a successful stallion.-Background:...
out of the mare Lacovia. Barathea was a specialist miler who was named European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year is an award in European Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1991 the honor has been part of the Cartier Racing Awards. It is presented annually by Cartier SA to a horse of any age racing in Europe.-Honorees:...
in 1994, a year in which he won the Breeders' Cup Mile
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...
. He became a successful stallion, siring the winners of over seven hundred races, although only seven of these were at Group One level. Lacovia was a highly successful racehorse who won the Prix Saint-Alary
Prix Saint-Alary
The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
and the Prix de Diane
Prix de Diane
The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...
in 1986.
Tobougg was sent as a yearling
Yearling
Yearling may refer to:*Yearling , an animal in its second year of life.**Yearling , a horse between one and two years of age.in titles or proper names:*Yearling Books, an imprint of the publishing company Random House....
to the Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
sales in September 1999 where he was bought for 230,000gns
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
by John Ferguson Bloodstock on behalf of Ahmed Al Maktoum
Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Major General Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police & Public Security. He is the current Chairman of the Al Wasl FC club located in Dubai....
. Tobougg was sent into training with Mick Channon
Mick Channon
Michael Roger "Mick" Channon is a sportsman who enjoyed a career as a striker with Southampton and England in the 1970s and later became a hugely successful racehorse trainer.-Southampton:...
who handled him for his first season. He was then tranferred to the Godolphin Racing team and trained for the rest of his career by Saeed bin Suroor
Saeed bin Suroor
Saeed bin Suroor , is a horse racing trainer. Formerly a policeman, he took out his training license in 1994 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation....
.
Tobougg was reportedly named after a region in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
2000: two-year-old season
Tobougg made his debut in a maiden race at YorkYork 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 late August. He lost ground at the start and had trouble finding a clear run, but once switched to the outside he ran on strongly to win by a length and three quarters. Despite the unimportant status of the race his performance attracted attention, with press reports calling him "a future star" and bookmakers offering him at 25/1 for the following year's 2000 Guineas. Channon called him "a lovely horse" while his jockey Craig Williams
Craig Williams (jockey)
Craig Williams is an Australian jockey. He won Multiple group one in Australia and worldwide.-External links:*Jockey profile...
emphasised the ease of his win by claiming that "he hardly knew he had a race".
Tobougg was then immediately moved up to Group One level for the Prix de la Salamandre
Prix de la Salamandre
The Prix de la Salamandre was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1872, and it was...
at Longchamp, for which the leading fancies were the Prix Morny
Prix Morny
The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
winner Bad As I Wanna Be and the Railway Stakes
Railway Stakes
Railway Stakes may refer to:*Railway Stakes , a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse in Australia*Railway Stakes , a horse race held at the Curragh in Ireland...
winner Honours List. Settled in third by Craig Williams, Tobougg was moved up to take the lead a furlong
Furlong
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....
out and pulled clear to win by two lengths despite being eased down in the closing stages. Mick Channon, who watched the race on television from home after forgetting his passport called Tobougg a colt of the "highest quality" while adding that he had a "quirky temperament". After the race Tobougg's price for the Guineas contracted to 10/1, and speculation began that he would be removed from Channon's stable to join Godolphin.
On his final start of the season, Tobougg was sent to 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...
for Britain's most prestigious two-year-old race, 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...
. Sent off the 7/4 favourite Tobougg raced prominently before moving into the lead two furlongs out and winning "comfortably" by one and a quarter lengths from Noverre
Noverre
Noverre is a Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Darley Stud Management Inc. and raced by a sister operation, Godolphin Racing, he was sired by Rahy and out of the mare Danseur Fabuleux, a daughter of the great Northern Dancer who was also the dam of 1991 European Horse of the Year, Arazi.Trained at...
. The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
called it a "smooth performance" while pointing out that the field may have been below the usual standard. The bookmakers responded by cutting him to 8/1 for the Guineas.
Before the end of the season, Tobougg's ownership, as had been predicted, was transferred to the Maktoum family's Godolphin Racing operation and he was moved to the stable of Saeed bin Suroor, spending the winters in Dubai before being moved back to Britain during the Summer.
2001: three-year-old season
On returning from Dubai, Tobougg was sent straight to the 2000 Guineas without running in a trial race. He was the chosen ride of Godolphin's stable jockey Frankie DettoriFrankie Dettori
Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...
despite the fact that he had been beaten by his stable companion Rumpold in a private trial race in Dubai. Dettori rode the colt in all but one of his subsequent races. He was made 4/1 favourite in a field of eighteen, but after racing prominently he made little impact in the closing stages and lost his unbeaten record, finishing eighth behind Golan
Golan (horse)
Golan is a retired thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred in Ireland but trained in the United Kingdom throughout his racing career, which lasted from 2000 to 2002. He won the 2,000 Guineas in 2001 and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes in 2002...
. The Godolphin team were unable to explain his "dismal" performance.
A month later, Tobougg was moved up to a mile and a half for the Epsom Derby
Epsom 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...
and ran creditably, finishing strongly to take third place behind Galileo
Galileo (horse)
Galileo is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He is best known for winning the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001 and for his rivalry with the Godolphin champion Fantastic Light...
and Golan. At Sandown in July he finished fourth as 9/4 favourite for the Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
, beaten less than a length behind Medicean. Dettori reported that the colt "hated" the firm ground.
Tobougg was then off the course for three months before returning in the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
at Newmarket. Ridden by Kevin Darley
Kevin Darley
Kevin Darley is a retired jockey, and a co-president of the Jockeys' Association of Great Britain...
he tracked the leaders before moving into the lead a quarter of a mile from the finish. he ran on well but was headed inside the final furlong and beaten three quarters of a length by Nayef
Nayef (horse)
Nayef is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse an active sire, bred in the United States but trained in the United Kingdom during his racing career which ran from 2000 to 2003...
. On his final start of the year he traveled to Hong Kong where he faced an international field in the Hong Kong Cup
Hong Kong Cup
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December....
. Dettori sent the colt into the lead from the start, and after being headed a furlong out, Tobougg rallied strongly but was beaten a head by the Japanese runner Agnes Digital. Saeed bin Suroor was pleased with the colt's effort and said that he would be "a serious horse next season."
2002: four-year-old season
Tobougg failed to live up to his trainer's prediction in four starts in 2002. He finished last of the fifteen runners behind Nayef in the Dubai Sheema ClassicDubai Sheema Classic
The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres on the turf track at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, and it takes place annually during the Dubai World Cup Night in...
, and on his return to Europe, ran fifth behind Rebellline in the Tattersalls Gold Cup
Tattersalls Gold Cup
The Tattersalls Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 110 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
.
Having run in nine consecutive Group One races, Tobougg was dropped in class for the Listed
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...
Steventon Stakes at 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 July. He started Evens favourite, but could finish only third to Highdown. For his final race he was sent to Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
where he finished last of the eight runners in the Man O' War Stakes
Man O' War Stakes
The Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses...
.
Assessment
Tobougg was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt at the Cartier Racing Awards in 2000. In the official International Classification for 2000, released in January 2001, Tobougg was ranked equal third on 120, behind the colts Minardi (Phoenix StakesPhoenix Stakes
The Phoenix Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July or August.-History:...
) and Okawango (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...
) and equal with the filly Superstar Leo
Superstar Leo
Superstar Leo is an Irish-bred, British-trained retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and successful broodmare. She was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the Cartier Racing Awards and was the highest-rated two-year-old filly in the International Classification for 2000. In her...
.
In 2001, Tobougg was rated the eleventh best three-year-old colt in Europe, with a rating of 119.
Stud career
Tobougg began his stud career at the Darley StudDarley Stud
Darley Stud is a Thoroughbred breeding operation owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. Darley breeds horses in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Dubai, Japan and Australia....
, being shuttled between its bases in England and Australia. He is currently standing alongside the champion stayer Double Trigger
Double Trigger
Double Trigger is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He was bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom throughout his racing career, which lsted from 1993 to 1998...
at the Clarendon Farm stud in Wiltshire, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at a fee of £2,500. He has sired the winners of more than two hundred winners, but few at a high level, His only Group One winner has been the Australian-bred The Pooka who won the New Zealand 2000 Guineas
New Zealand 2000 Guineas
The 2000 Guineas is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 m at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand...
in 2007.