St Mark's Basilica (horse)

St Mark's Basilica (foaled 18 March 2018) is a French-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the best two-year-olds in Europe in 2020 when he won two of his five races including the Dewhurst Stakes.

St Mark's Basilica
SireSiyouni
GrandsirePivotal
DamCabaret
DamsireGalileo
SexColt
Foaled18 March 2018[1]
CountryFrance
ColourBay
BreederRobert Scarborough
OwnerDerrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor
TrainerAidan O'Brien
Record5: 2-1-1
Earnings£275,516
Major wins
Dewhurst Stakes (2020)

Background

St Mark's Basilica is a bay colt with an irregular white blaze and two white socks bred in France by Robert Scarborough. As a yearling he was consigned to the Tattersalls sale in October 2019 and was bought for 1,300,000 guineas by Michael Magnier on behalf of his father, John Magnier's Coolmore Stud organisation.[1] He raced in the colours of the Coolmore partners Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor.

He was from the seventh crop of foals sired by the Aga Khan's stallion Siyouni whose biggest win came in the 2009 running of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère. His other offspring have included Sottsass, Laurens and Ervedya.[2] St Mark's Basilica's dam Cabaret, who was owned by Coolmore, won two races including the Silver Flash Stakes,[3] and went on to become a very successful broodmare who produced the 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia. She was descended from the British broodmare Fiddlededee who was the ancestor of Mountain Lodge, Might and Power, Lucky Owners and Sariska.[4]

Racing career

2020: two-year-old season

On his racecourse debut St Mark's Basilica started the 6/4 favourite for a maiden race over six furlongs at the Curragh on 26 July in which he was ridden by Wayne Lordan and finished second to the Ger Lyons-trained Coill Avon. Despite his defeat he was then stepped up sharply in class to contest the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over the same course and distance on 9 August and went off the 7/2 favourite. With Lordan again in the saddle he kept on well in the straight but never looked likely to win and came home fifth of the ten runners behind Lucky Vega.[5] Seamie Heffernan took the ride when the colt started odds-on favourite for a maiden at the Curragh on 22 August and recorded his first victory, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning "readily" by one and a quarter lengths from Loch Lein.[6]

St Mark's Basilica was promoted back to Group 1 class for the National Stakes at the Curragh on 13 September in which he was ridden by Ryan Moore and started at odds of 9/1. He stayed on well from the rear of the field and finished third, beaten one and a half lengths and a short head by Thunder Moon and Wembley (also trained by Aidan O'Brien).[7] It had been intended that the colt would next contest the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp Racecourse but the O'Brien contingent for the meeting was withdrawn when it became apparent that a batch of contaminated feed made it likely that they would fail drug tests.[8] The colt was rerouted to England for the Dewhurst Stakes on soft ground at Newmarket Racecourse on 10 October in which he was ridden by Frankie Dettori and went off at odds of 10/1 in a fourteen-runner field. Thunder Moon started favourite while the other contenders included Cadillac (Juvenile Stakes), Chindit (Champagne Stakes), Wembley, Alkumait (Mill Reef Stakes), Etonian (Solario Stakes) and Tactical (July Stakes). St Mark's Basilica settled in mid-division as the 100/1 outsider Devilwala set the pace, before moving forward to take the lead approaching the final furlong. He kept on well in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length from Wembley, with Thunder Moon taking third ahead of Devilwala.[9] Aidan O'Brien commented "It was one of those weeks, but that's the way the cards have fallen for us... You'd think the first three look like they are proper Guineas horses, don't they? Frankie gave him a lovely ride... He's genuine, tough, and has class as well."[10]

Pedigree
Pedigree of St Mark's Basilica (FR), bay colt, 2018[1]
Sire
Siyouni (FR)
2007		 Pivotal (GB)
1993		 Polar Falcon (USA) Nureyev
Marie d'Argonne
Fearless Revival Cozzene
Stufida
Sichilla (IRE)
2002		 Danehill (USA) Danzig
Razyana
Slipstream Queen (USA) Conquistador Cielo
Country Queen
Dam
Cabaret (IRE)
2007		 Galileo (IRE)
1998		 Sadler's Wells (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Fairy Bridge
Urban Sea (USA) Miswaki
Allegretta (GB)
Witch of Fife (USA)
1993		 Lear Fan Roberto
Wac
Fife (IRE) Lomond (USA)
Fiddle-Faddle (GB) (Family: 6-e)[4]

References
  1. "St Mark's Basilica pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Siyouni – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. "Cabaret - Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
  4. "Fenella - Family 6-e". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2014-07-19.
  5. "Phoenix Stakes result". Racing Post. 9 August 2020.
  6. "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden result". Racing Post. 22 August 2020.
  7. "National Stakes result". Racing Post. 13 September 2020.
  8. Andy, Stephens (4 October 2020). "Arc sensation: Aidan O'Brien's four intended runners ruled out of showpiece". Racing TV.
  9. "Dewhurst Stakes result". Racing Post. 10 October 2020.
  10. Scargill, Peter (10 October 2020). "Rerouted St Mark's Basilica Shines in Dewhurst". The Blood-Horse.
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