ARDROSS

Ardross (27 May 1976 – 19 February 1994) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Racing at age three, Ardross got his first significant win in the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh. Ardross's head defeat by Akiyda in the 1982 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the final race of his career, showed that in spite of being a top class stayer he was more than capable of holding his own at top level over middle distances.^[2] Ardross first raced for Ireland's Paddy Prendergast and, after his death, was bought by Charles St. George and trained by Henry Cecil in England, winning fourteen of his twenty-four starts, thirteen of them coming at Pattern level. He twice won the Ascot Gold Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, and his other major successes came in the Prix Royal-Oak and the Doncaster Cup and Goodwood Cup. Before moving to Newmarket he had been runner-up to the Henry Cecil-trained Le Moss in the Ascot Gold Cup.

Background

Ardross was bred by trainer Paddy Prendergast for his American owner Elisabeth Ireland Poe who was also the breeder of Meadow Court. His sire was Run the Gantlet, a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Tom Rolfe. His dam, Le Melody, was a daughter of Levmoss.

Racing career

1979: three-year-old season

Ardross finished unplaced over ten furlongs on his racecourse debut and then created a 50/1 upset when winning the Group Two Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh. As a result of his success he was required to carry a seven pound weight penalty when he was sent to England to contest the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He finished unplaced behind Ela-Mana-Mou and did not race again in 1979.

1980: four-year-old season

Ardross finished unplaced over ten furlongs on his first appearance as a four-year-old and was then moved up in distance for the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse. Racing over a distance of two miles, he established himself as a contender for the major staying races with a six length victory over Croghan Hill. At Royal Ascot in June Ardross started at odds of 6/1 for Britain's premier long-distance event, the Ascot Gold Cup over two and a half miles. He was always in touch with the leaders and produced a sustained challenge in the straight but failed by three-quarters of a length to overhaul Le Moss. In the Goodwood Cup the following month, Le Moss and Ardross dominated the race, with the former prevailing by a neck after a prolonged struggle. The third and final meeting of the two outstanding stayers came in the Doncaster Cup in September. The result was the same, with Le Moss holding off the challenge of Ardross to win by a neck. In October, Ardross was matched against the Jockey Club Stakes winner More Light in the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket Racecourse. Starting the 5/6 favourite and ridden by Lester Piggott he appeared beaten two furlong from the finish but produced a strong late run to win by one and a half lengths. On his final appearance of the season, Ardross was sent to France for the Prix Royal Oak over 3100 metres in which he finished third to the three-year-old filly Gold River.^[3] Ardross was never beaten again at a distance beyond one and a half miles.

1981: five-year-old season

For the 1981 season, Ardross raced in the ownership of Charles St George and was sent to England to be trained at Newmarket by Henry Cecil. He began his season in the Yorkshire Cup in May, when he started at odds of 2/1 and won by three lengths from Nicholas Bill. In the Ascot Gold Cup he faced three opponents, only one of whom, the filly Shoot A Line, was given any chance against him. Starting at odds of 30/100 he was sent into the lead by Piggott with half a mile to run and won comfortably by a length from Shoot A Line. The Goodwood Cup attracted a bigger field including the Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Donegal Prince and the Cesarewitch Handicap winner Popsi's Joy. Ardross won by a length from Donegal Prince at odds of 2/9, becoming the shortest-priced winner of the race since 1935.^[4]
Having dominated the stayers, Ardross was moved down in distance for the Geoffrey Freer Stakes over thirteen furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in August. Despite a slow early pace, Ardross proved much too good for his opponents, drawing away in the straight to win by five lengths from Castle Keep and Cut Above. The form of the race was boosted when Cut Above defeated Shergar in the St Leger Stakes a month later. In October, Ardross contested France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400 metres at Longchamp. He started at odds of 11/2 and proved the best of the British challengers, finishing fifth behind Gold River, Bikala, April Run and Perrault. Among the horses finihing behind Ardross were Argument, Akarad, Kings Lake, Blue Wind, Cut Above, Detroit, Ring the Bell and Beldale Flutter. Three weeks later, Ardross faced Gold River for the third time in the Prix Royal Oak. He took the lead on the final turn and drew clear of the field to win impressively by four lengths from Proustille, with Gold River a further two and a half lengths back in third, becoming the first older horse to win the race which had been restricted to three-year-olds until 1979.^[4]

1982: six-year-old season

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Assessment

In their book A Century of Champions, based on a modified version of the Timeform system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Ardross a "superior" Ascot Gold Cup winner and the third best British or Irish trained horse foaled in 1975 behind Troy and Kris.^[5]

Stud career

When he went to stud Ardross was syndicated for £2 million, but none of his progeny came anywhere near his level of ability. His best flat horses were Karinga Bay and the filly, Filia Ardross. Overall he did better as a sire of jumpers with the Champion Hurdle winner Alderbrook, Anzum, Young Kenny and Ackzo to his credit.
Ardross died of a heart attack at age 18 on February 19, 1994 at Southcourt Stud in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England.