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Racing News |
Epsom
Derby
Workforce (GB) Factfile - The 2010 Investec Derby Winner
05/06/10
b c King's Best (USA) - Soviet Moon (IRE) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Form: 1-21
Owner: Khalid Abdulla
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms Ltd
Jockey: Ryan Moore
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Timeform provisionally rate Workforce on 132 after today’s stunning seven-length victory, making it their best Investec Derby-winning performance since Generous in 1991.
Timeform’s Flat Editor Jamie Lynch explained: “Workforce produced a remarkable performance – as good as has been seen in the Investec Derby since Generous in 1991 – in winning by seven lengths, breaking the track record in the process.
“Ballydoyle’s pacemaker At First Sight slipped the field and it reflects great credit on Workforce that, not only was he the only one to get to him, but that he ran right away from him and the rest in the finish.
“This marks him down as potentially every bit as good as Sea The Stars, who ran to a Timeform rating of 126 when he won at Epsom last year.”
Best Investec Derby-winning performances since 1970, according to Timeform:
140 Shergar (1980)
137 Troy (1979)
136 Slip Anchor (1985)
135 Nijinsky (1970)
135 Grundy (1975)
135 Generous (1991)
134 Reference Point (134)
133 Golden Fleece (1982)
132 WORKFORCE (2010)
132 Teenoso (1983)
132 Galileo (2001)
132 Authorized (2007)
Workforce
Workforce is the third foal of the unraced Soviet Moon, a full-sister to Racing Post Trophy and St Leger winner Brian Boru. The strapping home-bred son of King's Best was soon given the nickname Sefton at Sir Michael Stoute's Freemason Lodge Stables after the police horse injured in the 1982 Hyde Park bombings. He made his debut in a seven-furlong maiden at Goodwood on September 23, when he quickened impressively to record an emphatic six-length triumph over the Ralph Beckett-trained Oasis Dancer. The manner of his victory looked all the more impressive after the runner-up went on to win the lucrative Tattersalls Timeform Million at Newmarket the following month, but connections decided to forego Workforce's raft of entries in the autumn and give him time to strengthen up over the winter. Despite featuring prominently in the markets for both the StanJames.com 2000 Guineas and the Investec Derby, Workforce missed the Newmarket Classic after taking a while to come to hand and connections focused on aiming him at a Derby Trial. After missing his intended reappearance in the Classic Trial at Sandown, Workforce finally made his eagerly awaited seasonal return in the Group Two totesport Dante Stakes at York on May 13 - a race won by Stoute's previous Investec Derby scorers Shahrastrani (1986) and North Light (2004). Sent off a well-supported 2/1 chance for the extended 10-furlong contest, Workforce was far from disgraced on only his second start as he stayed on to take second, three and a quarter lengths behind the impressive winner Cape Blanco. Workforce was given the go-ahead for the Investec Derby following a racecourse gallop at Lingfield on May 26 and today, starting at 6/1, he was the runaway seven-length winner of the Investec Derby in course-record time of 2m 31.33s, beating the record of 2m 32.31s set by Lammtarra in 1995. Workforce becomes the first horse beaten in the Dante Stakes to come on and win the Investec Derby. Race Record: Starts: 3; Wins: 2; 2nd: 1; 3rd: -: Win & Place Prize Money: £807,346
Khalid Abdulla
Prince Khalid Abdulla, who prefers to be known just as Mr Abdulla on the racecard, is a first cousin to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He owns extensive racing and breeding interests in America, Britain and Ireland. A businessman presiding over a huge international conglomerate known as "Mawared", he developed a love for British racing during the 1960s when renting a house in London and, with the help of former trainer Humphrey Cottrill, had his first winner on May 14, 1979, when Charming Native scored at Windsor. Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia, in 1937, Abdulla has been one of the most successful owner-breeders in Europe in the past four decades and is the only current owner to have owned and bred the winners of all five British Classics - his winners being Investec Derby (1990 Quest For Fame, 1993 Commander In Chief, 2010 Workforce), Investec Oaks (1997 Reams Of Verse), 2000 Guineas (1980 Known Fact, 1986 Dancing Brave, 1993 Zafonic), 1000 Guineas (1999 Wince, 2010 Special Duty) and Ladbrokes St Leger (1991 Toulon). He has won most of the other major European races such as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Rainbow Quest (1985), Rail Link (2006) and the legendary Dancing Brave (1986), who was an unlucky loser in the Investec Derby. Abdulla also races with great success in France and the United States, where under the Juddmonte Farms banner he won a first Triple Crown race in 2003 with Empire Maker in the Belmont Stakes. In 2003 his greatest successes in Europe came with star sprinter Oasis Dream, winner of the July Cup at Newmarket and Nunthorpe Stakes at York and French Oaks heroine Nebraska Tornado, while American Post was triumphant in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) at Longchamp and the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, helping Abdulla to become champion owner in both Britain and France, while he also finished third in the USA owners' championship that year. American Post went on to Classic success in the French 2,000 Guineas in 2004 and Intercontinental gave Abdulla a second Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 2005, following full-sister Banks Hill three years earlier. Abdulla's French-trained horses again led the way in 2006, with Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link proving the highlight. In 2007, Juddmonte Farms bred 27 individual Group/Stakes winners of 33 races, including Zambezi Sun, who wore the famous Abdulla colours to victory in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris, while in 2008 Promising Lead took the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, Proportional won the Prix Marcel Boussac and African Rose landed the Ladbrokes Sprint Cup. Midday, winner of the Group One Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and runner-up in the Investec Oaks, added victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf last season, while Twice Over captured the Emirates Airlines Champion Stakes. Special Duty was crowned champion two-year-old filly after her scintillating win in the Group One Electrolux Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, while Spanish Moon was a Group One winner in France. This season Special Duty has claimed both the English and French 1,000 Guineas with the filly awarded both races in the stewards' room after suffering interference while today Workforce became his third Investec Derby winner. Abdulla is an honorary Jockey Club member and his daughter was married to the late Prince Fahd Salman, owner of 1991 Derby victor Generous. Investec Derby Record: 1984 Cataldi (16th), 1984 Alphabatim (5th), 1985 Damister (3rd), 1986 Dancing Brave (2nd), 1987 Bellotto (3rd), 1990 QUEST FOR FAME (WON), 1990 Digression (11th), 1990 Aromatic (17th), 1991 Arokat (12th), 1991 Toulon (9th), 1992 Rainbow Corner (11th), 1993 COMMANDER IN CHIEF (WON), 1993 Tenby (10th), 1994 Sunshack (19th), 1996 Dushyantor (2nd), 1999 Beat Hollow (3rd), 2001 Perfect Sunday (6th), 2004 American Post (6th), 2008 Doctor Fremantle (4th), 2010 WORKFORCE (WON), Bullet Train (12th)
Sir Michael Stoute
Born in Barbados on October 22, 1945, where his father was chief of police, Michael Stoute came to Britain in 1965 to nurture his love of racing. He joined Pat Rohan at Malton before moving to Newmarket three years later to work for Doug Smith and then Tom Jones. Stoute took out a public licence to train in 1972, recording his first success that year when Sandal won at Newmarket on April 28. Since then he has risen to the top of his profession and has been champion trainer 10 times - in 1981, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2010. Stoute has won the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs five times - with Shergar in 1981, Shahrastani in 1996, Kris Kin in 2003, North Light in 2004 and Workforce in 2010 - making him the most successful current trainer in the premier Classic. The year 2000 was memorable for Stoute when his horses included 2000 Guineas winner King's Best and Kalanisi, winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf and Champion Stakes while in 2001 Golan gave Stoute his fifth 2000 Guineas. A terrific 1997 was headed by the two older horses Singspiel and Pilsudski. Four Group One successes went Pilsudski's way - the Coral-Eclipse, Irish Champion Stakes, Emirates Airline Champion Stakes and Japan Cup, while Singspiel won the Dubai World Cup, the Coronation Cup and the Juddmonte International. He has won the StanJames.com 2000 Guineas five times with Shadeed (1985), Doyoun (1988), Entrepreneur (1997), King's Best (2000) and Golan (2001). His long list of big-race successes also includes the StanJames.com 1000 Guineas (twice), St Leger (once), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (four times), Investec Oaks (twice), the Irish Derby (three times), Irish Oaks (six times), Irish 1,000 Guineas and Irish 2,000 Guineas as well as many other races across the globe. Stoute, who was knighted in 1998 for his services to sport and tourism in Barbados, trains at Freemason Lodge, Newmarket. The highlight of the 2009 for Stoute came when he saddled the first three home in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by Betfair at Ascot - Conduit, Tartan Bearer and Ask - which played a significant part in him becoming champion trainer for the 10th time. Investec Derby Record: 1978 Hill's Yankee (19th), 1979 Hardgreen (6th), 1980 Running Mill (21st), 1981 SHERGAR (WON), 1983 Shearwalk (3rd), 1984 My Volga Boatman (14th), 1985 Shadeed (13th), 1986 SHAHRASTANI (WON), 1986 Jareer (12th), 1987 Ajdal (9th), 1987 Ascot Knight (11th), 1988 Doyoun (3rd), 1989 Warrshan (11th), 1991 Mujaazif (13th), 1992 Alnasr Alwasheek (7th), 1993 Shareek (15th), 1994 Golden Ball (7th), 1994 Just Happy (8th), 1994 Jabaroot (16th), 1994 Foyer (UR), 1996 Double Leaf (10th), 1997 Entrepreneur (4th), 1998 Greek Dance (5th), 1999 Beat All (3rd), 2001 Golan (2nd), 2001 Dilshaan (7th), 2003 KRIS KIN (WON), 2004 NORTH LIGHT (WON), 2006 Best Alibi (6th), 2006 Papal Bull (10th), 2008 Tartan Bearer (2nd), 2008 Doctor Fremantle (4th), 2008 Tajaaweed (8th), 2010 WORKFORCE (WON)
Ryan Moore
Ryan Moore, who was born on September 18, 1983, was champion apprentice in 2003 with 59 winners and champion jockey just three years later in 2006, when he recorded 182 victories. He comes from a family steeped in racing history. His late grandfather Charlie was a trainer, Sussex-based dad Gary, a former jump jockey, is a successful trainer under both codes, while mum Jayne was an accomplished amateur rider, as was his aunt Candy Morris. His older brother Jamie is a successful jump jockey while his sister Hayley has also ridden a winner under Rules. His youngest brother, Joshua, has followed his siblings into a riding career and is currently an amateur. Ryan Moore's career began over hurdles, when making a winning debut as an amateur on Mersey Beat at Towcester on May 15, 2000. His first major success on the Flat came as a 5lb claimer when he captured the 2002 Cesarewitch at Newmarket on the Martin Pipe-trained Miss Fara. He is now first rider to Sir Michael Stoute and has been twice champion jockey as well as champion apprentice. He enjoyed an initial Group One success on Notnowcato in the 2006 Juddmonte International and partnered the same horse to victory in the 2007 Coral-Eclipse, when, showing commendable enterprise, he came wide into the straight and raced alone on the stands' side on faster ground. Moore suffered a complex fracture of his right arm following a fall at Lingfield on March 16, 2007, and missed three months of that season as a result. However, he still finished third in the jockeys' championship and regained his title in 2008 when he won the Ladbrokes St Leger and Breeders' Cup Turf on Conduit. Last season he was champion jockey for a third time with 179 victories and won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Conduit. Moore also rode Conduit to success in a second Breeders' Cup Turf and landed further Group One victories in the Investec Coronation Cup on Ask, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Spanish Moon and the Prix Maurice de Gheest on King's Apostle. He recorded his first success in a British Classic when he partnered Snow Fairy to victory in the 2010 Investec Oaks yesterday and today added the Investec Derby to his CV with Workforce delivering a breathtaking seven-length victory. He is the first jockey to win the Investec Oaks and the Investec Derby in the same season since Kieren Fallon in 2004. Investec Derby Record: 2005 Unfurled (7th), 2006 Best Alibi (6th), 2008 Tartan Bearer (2nd), 2009 Black Bear Island (10th), 2010 WORKFORCE (WON)
