Tobougg

Tobougg (1998–2018) was a thoroughbred racehorse and 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 Derby, the Champion Stakes and the Hong Kong Cup. He had some success as a breeding stallion and broodmare sire although he sired few major race winners.

Tobougg
Racing colours of Godolphin
SireBarathea
GrandsireSadler's Wells
DamLacovia
DamsireMajestic Light
SexStallion
Foaled28 February 1998
CountryIreland
Colourbay
BreederCitadel Stud
OwnerAhmed Al Maktoum
Godolphin Racing
TrainerMick Channon
Saeed bin Suroor
Record12: 3-2-2
Earnings£742,780
Major wins
Prix de la Salamandre (2000)
Dewhurst Stakes (2000)
Awards
European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (2000)

Background

Tobougg was bred in County Limerick,[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] Tobougg was sent into training with Mick Channon who handled him for his first season. He was then transferred 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.[4]

Racing career

2000: two-year-old season

Tobougg made his debut in a maiden race at York 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.[5] 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".[6]

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.[7] 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".[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] 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.[4]

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 Dettori despite the fact that he had been beaten by his stable companion Rumpold in a private trial race in Dubai.[11] 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.[12]

A month later, Tobougg was moved up to a mile and a half for The Derby and ran creditably, finishing strongly to take third place behind Galileo and Golan.[13] 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.[14]

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."[15]

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 Classic, and on his return to Europe, ran fifth behind Rebellline in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.[16]

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.[17] For his final race he was sent to Belmont Park where he finished last of the eight runners in the Man o' War Stakes.

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 Stakes) and Okawango (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère) and equal with the filly Superstar Leo.[18]

In 2001, Tobougg was rated the eleventh best three-year-old colt in Europe, with a rating of 119.[19]

Stud career

Tobougg began his stud career at the Darley Stud, being shuttled between its bases in England and Australia. Prior to his new home he stood alongside the champion stayer Double Trigger[20] at the Clarendon Farm stud in Wiltshire,[21] England at a fee of £2,500.[22] He sired the winners of more than two hundred races, but few at a high level, His only Group One winner was the Australian-bred The Pooka who won the New Zealand 2000 Guineas in 2007. He stood at Anngrove Stud Farm, Mountmellick, County Laois from 2012 until his death from suspected laminitis in December 2018. [23][24]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Tobougg (IRE), bay stallion, 1998[25]
Sire
Barathea (IRE)
1990		 Sadler's Wells
1981　		 Northern Dancer Nearctic
Natalma
Fairy Bridge Bold Reason
Special
Brocade
1981　		 Habitat Sir Gaylord
Little Hut
Canton Silk Runnymede
Clouded Lamp
Dam
Lacovia (USA)
1983		 Majestic Light
1973　		 Majestic Prince Raise a Native
Gay Hostess
Irradiate Ribot
High Voltage
Hope For All
1975		 Secretariat Bold Ruler
Somethingroyal
Hopespringseternal Buckpasser
Rose Bower (Family: 16-g)[26]

References
  1. "Citadel Stud". Directory of the Turf. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  2. "Tobougg pedigree". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  3. "Lacovia Statistics". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  4. "Montjeu meets his nemesis". The Independent. 2000-10-15. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  5. "Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  6. "Tobougg Guineas hope". The Independent. 2000-08-31. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  7. "Prix de la Salamandre result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  8. "Tobougg puts Wanna Be in his place". The Independent. 2000-09-17. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  9. "Handicapper places Tobougg above Beckett". The Independent. 2000-09-19. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  10. "Dewhurst Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  11. "Dettori pinning hopes on Tobougg". The Independent. 2001-05-03. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  12. "Dettori's ambitions rely on Tobougg". The Independent. 2001-06-05. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  13. "Epsom Derby result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  14. "Medicean showcases Fallon's art". The Independent. 2001-07-08. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  15. "Godolphin held off in Hong Kong". The Independent. 2001-12-17. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  16. "Tattersalls Gold Cup result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  17. "Steventon Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  18. "EndMaterial2001.qxd" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  19. "EndMaterial2002.PDF" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  20. "Wiltshire Thoroughbred Stud and Home of Double Trigger". Clarendon Farm. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  21. "Tobougg new". Clarendon Farm. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  22. "Tobougg Stallion details". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  23. "Tobougg Stud Record". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  24. O'Donoghue, Ollie (4 January 2019). "Dewhurst winner and Derby third Tobougg dies at stud aged 20". Racing Post.
  25. "Tobougg pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
  26. "Polly Agnes – Family 16-g". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
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