Ascot Racecourse

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Conduit Leads Historic King George 1-2-3 for Stoute
25/07/09

1 (2) Conduit 13/8 (F)
2 (5) Tartan Bearer 7/2 (2F)
3 (1) Ask 9/1

Sir Michael Stoute pulled off one of the most remarkable feats in his 37-year training career when he saddled the first three home in the £1 million Betfair-sponsored King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Conduit, who was sent off 13/8 favourite, took first place under champion jockey Ryan Moore, finishing a length and three-quarters in front of Tartan Bearer with Ask a head further back in third.

“It was just one of those races that went smoothly, a lot of them don’t, and I was happy with them through the race,” said Stoute. “It doesn’t often happen, there’s usually more disappointments. It hasn’t sunk in yet and it’s special because I’ve always loved this race. It’s a wonderful race and very important in the calendar. To get 1-2-3 is a big thrill, the famous three! I’m thrilled for all their connections, the horses were all entitled to come here and acquitted themselves well.

“We were definitely more pleased with Conduit coming into this race, he was just getting into a slightly better shape. He didn’t seem at his peak for his first run at Sandown and seems to improve through the second half of the season That’s important for him to win this day.

“Ask mustn’t be forgotten because the world knows this wasn’t his ground and he has run one hell of a race. When he gets his ground he delivers. I’ll have a good chat with Pat (Fahey) but the sort of race I’d like to go for is the Irish St Leger.

“I was happy with the way the race was going, I had three world-class jockeys on mine and I was happy throughout. I did not tell Ryan which to ride - he is a man and a good judge and I’m pleased he won it because he has contributed so much to the careers of both Tartan Bearer and Ask as well..

“This was always going to be both horses’ summer target but they are both in the same ownership so now we must sit down and consider a programme coming backwards from the autumn. Conduit is impervious to the ground and the Breeders’ Cup is back at Santa Anita, the venue he won at last year.”

Moore said: “It all went very smoothly but when he got to the front he shifted right, as he has done in the past. They went a nice gallop, he travelled round smoothly and picked up well in the straight and stayed on.”

There had been speculation beforehand about which of Stoute’s horses, Moore would ride but the jockey said: “I have to be honest that after he won the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year he was always going to be my King George horse.

“I was only going to ride the other lad (Tartan Bearer) if something was not right with Conduit. Tartan’s my favourite - you just look at his head carriage and can see that he tries more than anything that you’d ever sit on.

“Conduit’s won a Classic, a Breeders’ Cup race and now a King George, he can run at top speed for a very long time. He’s got great stamina and when he kicks into gear he keeps stepping up and stepping up and finds plenty. He’s a very special horse and these big races are the important things for me now.”

The winner idled in front, interfering with Tartan Bearer, and Moore picked up a three-day ban for careless riding.

Conduit’s success was also a landmark success for his owner-breeders Ballymacoll Stud, the County Meath stud bought by the late Lord Weinstock in 1960 and now run for his executors by long-term manager Peter Reynolds.

“That’s the 50th Group 1 win for us and Conduit’s our 28th individual horse to win a Group 1,” said Reynolds. “Lord Weinstock, God bless him, had only been dead a week when Golan won the race for us in 2002 and I’m glad he was still keeping an eye on us today. We love this race and it’s great for us to win it again, when we have to compete against the big operations.

“Tartan Bearer was in the Group 2 at Newmarket but Michael said he wanted to bring him to Ascot and obviously I am pleased he did now. He ran a really genuine race and there has to be a Group 1 in him.

“As to the future, we will obviously to discuss things with Michael but the Arc is the one race the team have still to crack and personally I wouldn’t mind if we had the two runners in it.

“It’s a race Lord Weinstock wanted to win really badly and before the show goes off the road we have to win. Obviously the Breeders’ Cup will be in consideration again.”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Conduit Sir Michael Stoute	R L Moore 9st 7lbs	13 - 8 Winner
2	Tartan Bearer Sir Michael Stoute	M J Kinane 9st 7lbs	7 - 2 1 3/4 length
3	Ask Sir Michael Stoute	O Peslier 9st 7lbs	9 - 1 Head
4	Alwaary J H M Gosden	R Hills 8st 9lbs	12 - 1 2 1/4 lengths
5	Golden Sword A P O'Brien	J Murtagh 8st 9lbs	9 - 2 4 lengths
6	Look Here R M Beckett	S Sanders 9st 4lbs	7 - 1 2 1/2 lengths
7	Frozen Fire A P O'Brien	J A Heffernan 9st 7lbs	20 - 1 2 lengths
8	Rockhampton A P O'Brien	C O'Donoghue 8st 9lbs	125 - 1 8 lengths
9	Scintillo R Hannon	R Hughes 9st 7lbs	66 - 1 distance

CONDUIT (IRE) - THE WINNER

4 ch c Dalakhani (IRE) - Well Head (IRE) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Form: 031/312111-231 Owner/Breeder: Ballymacoll Stud
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute Jockey: Ryan Moore

Conduit
Homebred by the late Lord Weinstock's Ballymacoll Stud, Conduit made an encouraging start to his racing career when finishing a close seventh in a seven-furlong Newmarket maiden in August, 2007. Later that month he took third in a Kempton Polytrack maiden, then registered his first victory on his next appearance in September, running on well to take an extended-mile Polytrack maiden at Wolverhampton. Conduit's three-year-old season began in a competitive 10-furlong handicap at Sandown on April 25, when he pulled hard initially but stayed on well to finish third behind stablemate Colony, before posting a much better performance on his next outing at Epsom in the totesportcasino.com Heritage Handicap on Derby Day, which he won by six lengths. Suitably impressed, connections supplemented Conduit for the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot 13 days later, when the colt was once again held up but met trouble in running entering the home straight before staying on to take second behind Campanologist. After showing he was up to Pattern company, Conduit was sent off a short-priced favourite for the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood which he won by a head. His next assignment was far tougher, in the Group One Ladbrokes St Leger, which he not only landed in good style, but became his trainer’s first winner of the race after 25 unsuccessful attempts (Conduit’s half-brother, Hard Top, had been among that long list of beaten St Leger runners when fifth for Sir Michael in 2005). A huge payday beckoned across the Atlantic at Santa Anita’s Breeders’ Cup meeting, where Conduit completed the transition from handicapper to international money spinner when landing the Breeders’ Cup Turf and more than £800,000 prize-money. Kept in training as a four-year-old the son of Dalakhani has run twice to date, both times at Sandown, finishing second in the Blue Square Brigadier Gerard Stakes and third to Derby hero Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse. He won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by Betfair in determined style under Ryan Moore.
Race Record: Starts: 12; 1st; 6; 2nd: 2; 3rd: 3; Win & Place Prize Money: £1,913,531

Ballymacoll Stud Ltd
Ballymacoll Stud Ltd represents the late Lord Weinstock's bloodstock and racing interests through his widow Netta and late son Simon's wife Laura. Lord Arnold Weinstock, the youngest of six children of Polish-Jewish parents who came to London in 1904, was born on July 29, 1924, and orphaned at the age of 10. He died on July 23, 2002, and his family has continued the racing interests which include Ballymacoll Stud in Co Meath, Ireland, managed by Peter Reynolds. Lord Weinstock gained a degree in statistics at the London School of Economics and became one of the great post-war captains of industry, serving as managing director of the General Electric Company from 1963 to 1996, at one stage employing a workforce of 230,000. Weinstock was knighted by Harold Wilson in 1970 for services to exports and created a life peer 10 years later by Margaret Thatcher. His widow Netta is the daughter of the late Sir Michael Sobell, with whom Weinstock owned horses from 1957. Troy carried Sobell's colours to victory in the 200th Derby in 1979. Sobell and Weinstock bought Dorothy Paget's bloodstock interests for £250,000 in 1960 including the 300-acre Ballymacoll Stud. Most major races have been won by a horse carrying the Sobell/Weinstock pale blue, yellow and white colours, including Pilsudski, winner of the Japan Cup, Champion Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and Eclipse Stakes. Pilsudski was owned in partnership with Lord Weinstock's son Simon, who died at the age of 44 in May, 1996, with Sir Michael having passed away in 1993. Weinstock enjoyed considerable success with Golan, winner of the 2001 2,000 Guineas and Prix Niel, as well as runner-up to Galileo in the Derby. As a four-year-old, Golan recorded an emotional victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, just four days after Weinstock's death while Islington won four Group Ones culminating in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and North Light landed the 2004 Derby. Last year the stud almost gained another Epsom triumph when Tartan Bearer found only New Approach too good in the Derby, while at Royal Ascot this season Patkai was runner-up to Yeats in the Group 1 Gold Cup, Tartan Bearer took the same spot in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Glass Harmonium won the Listed Hampton Court Stakes. The stud's main trainer is Sir Michael Stoute, while Brian Meehan and Christophe Clement are also listed as handling Ballymacoll horses. A total of 23 mares are shown on its website along with 17 yearlings, 17 foals and 26 horses in training. Previous winners of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair): 1979 TROY (Sir Michael Sobell); 1980 ELA-MANA-MOU (Simon Weinstock); 2002 GOLAN (Exors of the late Lord Weinstock); 2009-1 CONDUIT.

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 nine times - in 1981, 1986, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006. 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. Stoute has won the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs four times - with Shergar in 1981, Shahrastani five years later, Kris Kin in 2003 and North Light the following year. He has won the 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 1000 Guineas (twice), St Leger (once), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (three 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. Today is arguably his best ever day, saddling the first three home in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by Betfair - the first time any trainer has done this. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by Betfair) Record: 2009-1 CONDUIT; 2009-2 Tartan Bearer; 2009-3 Ask; 2008-2 Papal Bull, 2008-5 Ask, 2007-3 Maraahel, 2006-5 Maraahel, 2005-9 Gamut, 2004-4 Gamut, 2003-3 Kris Kin, 2002-1 GOLAN, 2000-4 Beat All, 2000-3 Daliapour, 1997-2 Pilsudski, 1997-4 Singspiel, 1994-UR Ezzoud, 1994-6 Foyer, 1993-1 OPERA HOUSE, 1992-2 Saddlers' Hall, 1992-3 Opera House, 1992-5 Rock Hopper, 1991-6 Saddlers' Hall, 1991-3 Rock Hopper, 1988-6 Doyoun, 1987-8 Unite, 1986-5 Dihistan, 1986-2 Shardari, 1986-4 Shahrastani, 1981-1 SHERGAR

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, Josh, 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 last year when he won the Ladbrokes St Leger and Breeders’ Cup Turf on Conduit. He heads this season’s British jockeys’ table and enjoyed a successful Royal Ascot when riding three winners. He won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes sponsored by Betfair on Conduit today - his biggest success. King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) record: 2009-1 CONDUIT; 2007-6 Sergeant Cecil; 2008-5 Ask.