Grandsire Sadler's Wells Country Ireland Breeder Liberty Bloodstock Parents Galileo Trainer Aidan O'Brien Earnings 559,194 GBP | Foaled 31 January 2014 Colour Bay Record 6: 5-0-1 Owner Michael Tabor Sex Colt Damsire Storm Cat | |
Churchill (foaled 31 January 2014) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the best two-year-old colts in Europe in 2016, winning five of his six races including the Chesham Stakes, Tyros Stakes, Futurity Stakes, National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes.
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Background
Churchill is a bay colt with a white star and three white socks bred in Ireland by Liberty Bloodstock, a breeding company associated with the Coolmore Stud organisation.
He was sired by Galileo, who won the Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001. Galileo is now one of the world's leading stallions and has been champion sire of Great Britain and Ireland five times. His other progeny include Cape Blanco, Frankel, Golden Lilac, Nathaniel, New Approach, Rip Van Winkle, Found Minding and Ruler of the World. Churchill's dam Meow showed good form as a juvenile in 2010, finishing second in the Queen Mary Stakes and winning the Listed Grangecon Stud Stakes. Meow was a daughter of the outstanding filly Airwave and closely related to the leading sprinter Jwala.
The colt was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the official details of his ownership have changed from race to race: he has sometimes been listed as being the property of Susan Magnier, while on other occasions he has been described as being owned by a partnership of Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier.
Spring
Churchill made his racecourse debut in a six-furlong maiden race at the Curragh on 22 May in which he was ridden by Ryan Moore and started the 2/1 favourite in an eleven-runner field. After racing in mid-division he stayed on in the closing stages to finish third behind Van Der Decken and Magnification.
Summer
In June he was moved up in class and distance when he was sent to England to contest the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot. Starting the 8/11 favourite against twelve opponents he took the lead two furlongs out and won by half a length from Isomer despite drifting to the left in the closing stages. In July Churchill was moved up to Group Three class for the Tyros Stakes over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse. He was sent off the 2/5 favourite, but after taking the lead a furlong out he was "strongly pressed" before prevailing by a neck from Alexios Komnenos.
Only three horses appeared to oppose Churchill when the colt started at odds of 1/4 for the Group Two Futurity Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 21 August. Ridden by Seamie Heffernan he took the lead inside the final furlong and drew away in the closing stages to win by two lengths from the Jim Bolger-trained Radio Silence. After the race O'Brien commented "He's lazy and doesn't do a lot when he gets to the front, but he quickened nicely to get there. He'll come back here for the National Stakes next month. We think he's a Guineas horse and that he'll get further than a mile. He might get a mile and a half but the way he works you wouldn't be sure about that at this stage".
Autumn
On 11 September, over the same course and distance, Churchill started the odds-on favourite for Ireland's most prestigious race for juveniles, the Group One Vincent O'Brien National Stakes. The best of his six rivals appeared to be the British-trained Mehmas (ridden by Frankie Dettori), whose wins included the July Stakes and Richmond Stakes. Ridden by Moore, Churchill briefly struggled to obtain a clear run before taking the lead in the final furlong and then drawing away to win "comfortably" by four and a quarter lengths from Mehmas. O'Brien said "He's a very exciting horse. He settled and he quickened and I thought that he went like a real miler, but Ryan was adamant that a mile and a quarter would be no problem to him next year either. He can be idle when he hits the front so it was lovely when Frankie's horse eyeballed him and kind of leaned into him up the run in because that's exactly what he wanted. He would have learned a lot today".
Churchill was then sent to England for the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 8 October. With Moore again in the saddle he was made the 8/11 favourite against six opponents including South Seas (winner of the Solario Stakes), Blue Point (Gimcrack Stakes) and Rivet (Champagne Stakes). The O'Brien stable's pacemaker Lancaster Bomber took the lead from the start with Churchill restrained in mid-division. After briefly struggling to obtain a clear run the favourite took the lead inside the final furlong and won by one and a quarter lengths from Lancaster Bomber with Blue Point in third place.
Assessment and awards
On 8 November 2016 Churchill was named Champion two-year-old colt at the Cartier Racing Awards.
In the official European Classification of two-year-olds for 2016 Churchill was given a rating of 122, making him the best juvenile of the season, one pound ahead of the filly Lady Aurelia and four pounds ahead of the colts Thunder Snow and National Defense.