Dunguib

Last updated

Dunguib
Sire Presenting
Dam Edermine Berry
Damsire Durgam
Sex Gelding
Foaled8 April 2003
CountryIreland
Colour Bay
Breeder Liam Meade
Owner Daniel Harnett and Lily Lawlor
Trainer Philip Fenton
Record16: 9-1-2
Earnings£234,306
Major wins
Future Champions INH Flat Race (2008)
Cheltenham Champion Bumper (2009)
Punchestown Champion Bumper (disqualified)
Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (2009)
Deloitte Novice Hurdle (2010)
Boyne Hurdle (2014)
Last updated on 20 February 2010

Dunguib (foaled 8 April 2003) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who became the second horse to complete the Cheltenham and Punchestown double in 2009 for trainer Philip Fenton and owners Daniel Harnett and Lily Lawlor. However he was later disqualified from his Punchestown Champion Bumper victory [1]

Contents

Background

Dunguib was sold by breeder Liam Meade as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland horse sales in November 2003 to Daniel Harnett and Lily Lawlor, who intended to sell him on as a three-year-old like they had many horses before, including Irish Grand National winner Niche Market.[ citation needed ]

As they lived near to the town of Killenaule in County Tipperary, both Harnett and Lawlor knew Philip Fenton well as he rode for local trainer Edward O'Grady as an amateur for many years, securing a Cheltenham Festival success for the trainer on Loving Around in the 1996 National Hunt Chase. [2] Both told Fenton that if their son of Presenting was not sold on then they would put him in training at his Carrick On Suir base in the neighbouring county of Waterford. [3]

The name Dunguib comes from a small townland outside the village Killenaule of the same name. [4]

Racing career

2008/9: National Hunt Flat races

Dunguib had his first racing start at the 2008 Punchestown Festival where he was beaten by On Raglan Road in a National Hunt flat race. He went on to win his next two starts in National Hunt flat races, including the Grade 2 Future Champ INH Flat Race. After that convincing victory, Dunguib was moved to the highest level to contest the Champion Bumper at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, a race Harnett and Lawlor had dreamed of winning for some time. [5]

Under amateur rider Brian O'Connell, his only rider to date, Dunguib stayed on strongly up the Cheltenham hill to beat Some Present and Rite Of Passage with ease. [6] Having landed his first Grade 1 connections were quick to win another naming the Punchestown Champion Bumper as his next target and gave him a short break before producing him in top condition that April. Dunguib finished first, [7] but was later found to have been running with a banned substance [8] in his system and was disqualified, awarding the race to the second home Sweeps Hill.

2009/10: Novice Hurdles

Before Cheltenham

Fenton had schooled Dunguib over hurdles before his Punchestown run and gave him his first start over those obstacles in October 2009 at Galway. Conditions were very testing, but the competition was not strong and the six-year-old won by four lengths, once again in the hands of O'Connell. [9] Connections had wanted to go straight to the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle after this race using a racecourse gallop at Thurles as a preparation. This plan was changed however, when Thurles became waterlogged by excessive levels of rain [10] and Dunguib was taken to Punchestown for another hurdle race. In similar style to his first run of the season, Dunguib won by several lengths with virtually no urgings from O'Connell. [11]

Dunguib's next test was to be his most challenging so far. A return to Grade 1 action for the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse was planned and preparations were going well, [12] but a freak rain storm waterlogged Fairyhouse on the Sunday of the big race, forcing its abandonment. [13] Horse Racing Ireland worked quickly to ensure the day, which was also set to feature the Hatton's Grace Hurdle and Drinmore Novice Chase, was saved, moving the entire card to the following Wednesday and the course's original fixture set for that date to the next Thursday (10 December). Still, the opposition was no match for Dunguib and he went seven lengths clear of Some Present to record another win. [14] Afterwards, Fenton was considering a run at the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown because his star had won so easily again, but all concerned decided to stick with their original plan and Dunguib was rested until the Deloitte Novice Hurdle in February.

He won this without being pressured, but made several jumping errors. [15] These did not harm him though and he was described by Fenton as "bright as a button" [16] the following day.

That contest was his final preparation for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2010.

Cheltenham and After

Despite widespread anticipation that Dunguib would win the opening race of the 2010 Cheltenham Festival the horse failed to live up to expectations on the day. Sent to post an odd-on favourite at a price of 4/5, Dunguib was ridden wide throughout the 2 mile, Grade 1 race by jockey Brian O'Connell. This may have been a deliberate tactic to give the horse a clear view of the hurdles. His prospects were not helped by the slow pace of the race which ensured that almost a dozen horses were in contention turning into the straight. This forced the horse even wider on the track and serious ground was lost. Despite quickening up the Cheltenham hill, O'Connell and Dunguib were unable to catch the Philip Hobbs trained Menorah, ridden by Richard Johnson, with Get Me Out Of Here a close second.

Immediately after the race, some commentators were quick to criticise jockey Brian O'Connell, claiming he was too inexperienced to ride the horse in such a high-profile event. Channel 4 commentator John McCririck called for O’Connell to be sacked after riding the horse. However, such a comment was not taken well by other jockeys and McCririck came under immediate attack from many others ridding at the Festival who jumped to the defense of O’Connell with Davy Russell demanding an apology saying "John McCririck doesn’t know one end of the horse from the other. I would have been insulted by the comments said on the television. He wasn’t the best horse on the day and if you lost your money you should take it on the chin. I would like a public apology from him (McCririck)."

The official distances were a head and one and three quarter lengths. The form of the race has looked better in retrospect, with both Menorah and the fourth placed Oscar Whisky going on to win Grade I races.

Dunguib suffered the second defeat of his career at the Punchestown Festival in April 2010. Again sent off favourite, at a price of 5/2, the Philip Fenton novice was only able to finish eighth behind a top class field in the Grade 1 event. Hurricane Fly, the future Champion Hurdler went on to win the race at a price of 3–1.

2010/11 season

Dunguib's 2010–2011 campaign was seriously disrupted due to a combination of illness and inclement weather. A harsh Irish winter ensured an almost blanket cancellation of all racing during November and December due to heavy rain, frozen ground and snowfalls. All three ensured, that despite being entered in various races, Philip Fenton's horse would not run again in 2010. Dunguib's long-awaited re-appearance did not occur until February 2011 when he was sent off an 8-11 favourite in the three-horse-race, Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran. Dunguib travelled well throughout the race and came through to challenge leader Luska Lad for the lead two hurdles from home. Once taking the lead, the race was never in doubt, with the official winning distance being three and a half lengths with Gimli's Rock seven lengths back in third.

At the 2011 Cheltenham Festival, Dunguib failed to produce his best form on good ground in the Champion Hurdle, finishing eighth of the eleven runners behind Hurricane Fly. [17]

2013/14 season

Dunguib missed the next two seasons with leg injuries. In January 2014, Dunguib began his comeback and finished third to Rule the World in the Grade III Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas. On 16 February, the gelding recorded his first win in three years when he easily defeated the 5/4 favourite Zaidpour by six lengths in the Grade II Boyne Hurdle at Navan. When asked if the gelding was better that ever, Fenton replied "He could be, even though he is not getting any younger". [18] On 12 March, Dunguib carried top weight of 166 pounds in the Coral Cup over two miles five furlongs at the Cheltenham Festival. He was never travelling well and was pulled up by O'Connell before the third last. He reportedly finished lame.

Racing results

16 March 2010, 23 April 2010, 19 February 2011, 15 March 2011, 18 January 2014, 16 February 2014, 12 March 2014

Related Research Articles

Charlie Swan is a former top National Hunt jockey in Ireland in the 1990s. He is associated with the great Istabraq, on whom he won three Champion Hurdles. He was twice top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival and was champion National Hunt jockey in Ireland for nine consecutive years. After retiring as a jockey he spent several years a trainer, based in Modreeny near Cloughjordan, County Tipperary.

Paul Carberry

Paul Carberry is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey.

Hardy Eustace Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Hardy Eustace is a retired thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the Champion Hurdle in 2004 and 2005. He was trained in Ireland by Dessie Hughes and owned by Laurence Byrne.

The Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May. The race is currently sponsored by the Ballymore Group

Noel Meade is a horse trainer from Castletown, County Meath, Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in Meath as a place to train his horses.

Hurricane Fly Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Hurricane Fly is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his performances in hurdle races when under the care of trainer Willie Mullins at Closutton in County Carlow in Ireland. He is a dual winner of the Champion Hurdle and previously held the world record for most Grade 1 races won by any racehorse until overtaken by Winx in 2019. Originally bred to be a flat racer, the gelding began his racing career in France where he had moderate success, winning twice in ten races. At the end of 2007 he was sold and transferred to Ireland where he began to compete in National Hunt events. On 15 March 2011, Hurricane Fly ridden by Ruby Walsh won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. After finishing third in the 2012 renewal, he became the first horse in thirty-eight years to regain the Champion Hurdle title by winning the race for a second time in 2013. On 26 April 2013 he had his 16th Grade 1 victory in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle equalling the record for Grade 1 wins previously shared by Kauto Star and John Henry. He took sole possession of the record when winning the Morgiana Hurdle on 17 November 2013. He added a further five wins at the highest level before being retired with a record total of 22 such wins in August 2015. That total was equalled by Winx when she won the W. S. Cox Plate on 27 October 2018. Hurricane Fly is now enjoying his retirement in the lush green paddocks of the Irish National Stud in County Kildare and enjoys meeting the thousands of admirers who visit him there each year.

Brave Inca Irish Thoroughbred racehorse

Brave Inca is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from March 2002 until April 2009, he ran thirty-five times and won 15 races, ten of them at Grade I level. including the 2006 Champion Hurdle. From 2005 until he was retired, Brava Inca ran in sixteen successive Grade I races.

Andrew Lynch (jockey)

Andrew Lynch is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey. Lynch had his first ride in a bumper at Fairyhouse in April 2001 and his first winning ride in May 2002 on Tristernagh in a novice hurdle at Downpatrick. Lynch won 2 races in the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 and 2011. His 2 Cheltenham Festival wins in 2010 were on Sizing Europe and Berties Dream in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and respectively while his 2011 wins were on Sizing Europe and Sizing Australia in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cross Country Chase respectively. In May 2012 Lynch broke his leg after a fall at Cork.

Annie Power Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Annie Power is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A National Hunt horse specialising in hurdle racing, she won fifteen of her seventeen races including the Johnstown Novice Hurdle, Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle, Ascot Hurdle, Doncaster Mares' Hurdle and Mares Champion Hurdle. In 2016, she became the first mare for twenty two years to win the Champion Hurdle.

Newmill is a retired, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. He reached his peak as an eight-year-old in the spring of 2006 when he won two of the season's most important two mile steeplechases: the Queen Mother Champion Chase in England and the Kerrygold Champion Chase in Ireland. In his early career he showed promise as a novice hurdler winning the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, Barry & Sandra Kelly Novice Hurdle and Johnstown Novice Hurdle. When switched to chasing he won the Paddy Fitpatrick Memorial Novice Chase and Kinloch Brae Chase before recording his most important victories. His later career was less successful although he did win the Red Mills Trial Hurdle in the autumn of 2006 and the Kinloch Brae Chase for a second time as a twelve-year-old in 2010.

Back In Front is a retired, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. The gelding showed early promise in National Hunt Flat races, winning twice and finishing third in an exceptionally strong renewal of the Champion Bumper. He was one of the leading novice hurdlers in the 2003–04 season, winning four races including the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in England and the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle in Ireland. In the following season he won the Morgiana Hurdle and was regarded as a Champion Hurdle contender before being sidelined by injury. Back In Front won the Bula Hurdle in 2004 but ran poorly when joint-favourite for the Champion Hurdle in 2005. He had little success when switched to steeplechasing and was retired in 2007, having won eleven of his twenty-five races.

Big Zeb is a retired, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing and was best known for his performances in steeplechases over the minimum distance of two miles. He was slow to mature and made little impact in bumpers and hurdle races before being switched to chasing and winning the Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase in 2008. In the following season he won the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase but fell twice in five races. He reached his peak in the 2009/2010 season when he won the Fortria Chase and the Tied Cottage Chase before defeating a strong field to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He won the Fortria Chase and the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase again in the next season and rebounded from a defeat in the Queen Mother Champion Chase to win the Punchestown Champion Chase. He won both the Fortria Chase and the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase for a third time in the autumn of 2011 but developed injury problems and failed to win in his remaining five races. He was retired in January 2013, having won thirteen of his thirty-three races.

Fiveforthree Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Fiveforthree was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. In a racing career which was frequently interrupted by injury, he won six of his fourteen races between February 2007 and April 2013. After showing promise in National Hunt Flat races in Ireland, he recorded his first major success when winning the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. In the following season he made only three starts but won the Grade I World Series Hurdle at Punchestown Racecourse. Plans to campaign the horse in steeplechases never came to fruition as training problems restricted him to four races in the next four years.

Jezki is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. After showing promise in National Hunt Flat races he won five times as a novice hurdler in the 2012/2013 season, with his victories including the Fishery Lane Hurdle, Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, Future Champions Novice Hurdle and Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle. In the following season he won the WKD Hurdle and the Hatton's Grace Hurdle before taking the 2014 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse and following up with a win in the Racing Post Champion Hurdle. In the following season he was beaten in his first three races by Hurricane Fly and finished fourth to Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle before winning the Aintree Hurdle over two and a half miles and defeating Hurricane Fly in the World Series Hurdle.

Champagne Fever Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Champagne Fever is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He is noted for his front-running style and has won seven of his thirteen races. After beginning his racing career on the amateur point-to-point circuit he became the dominant National Hunt Flat performer in Britain and Ireland in 2012, winning the Champion Bumper and the Champion INH Flat Race. In the following season he was campaigned in novice hurdle races and won two more Grade I races, the Deloitte Novice Hurdle in Ireland and Supreme Novices' Hurdle in England. In his first season over steeplechase fences he won one minor race and finished second in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and in the following year he added win in the Clonmel Oil Chase and Red Mills Chase.

Lord Windermere Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Lord Windermere is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He is a successful steeplechaser, winning the RSA Chase in 2013 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2014.

Un de Sceaux French racehorse

Un de Sceaux is a French-bred AQPS racehorse who completed in National Hunt racing. After winning both his races in France he was transferred to Ireland where he won two novice hurdles. In the 2013/14 National Hunt season he was undefeated in five races including the Red Mills Trial Hurdle in Ireland and both the Prix Hypothese and the Prix Leon Rambaud in France. When switched to steeplechases he recovered from a fall on his debut to win the Arkle Novice Chase, Arkle Challenge Trophy and Ryanair Novice Chase in the 2014–15 season. In 2015–16 he won the Clarence House Chase but was beaten by Sprinter Sacre when favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase in what was his first defeat when completing a steeplechase. He began the 2016–17 with a win in the Tingle Creek Chase and followed up with his second victory in the Clarence House Chase before taking the Ryanair Chase in March. In 2018 Un de Sceaux became the first horse in history to win three Clarence House chases but was disappointed in Cheltenham by Balko des Flos when attempting to regain his Ryanair crown. He finished the season on a high by winning the devenish chase at Fairyhouse before surprising his stablemate Douvan at Punchestown under Patrick Mullins. At this stage of his career Un de Sceaux has won 9 Grade ones and has earned over 1,300,000 in prize money.

Envoi Allen French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Envoi Allen is a French-bred thoroughbred racehorse competing in National Hunt racing.

Supasundae British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Supasundae is a British thoroughbred racehorse that won multiple Grade 1 races across Great Britain and Ireland in the colours of owners Ann & Alan Potts.

References

  1. ↑ Brian Fleming (28 July 2009). "Dunguib loses Punchestown win". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Racing Results | Today's Horse Racing Results". Racing Post. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Tattersalls Ireland June Derby Sale | Racing Post". Archived from the original on 1 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Location of Dunguib". Google Maps. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Dunguib owners insist no money can buy star". 18 November 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2014– via The Free Library.
  6. ↑ David Baxter (11 March 2009). "Dunguib destroys Champion Bumper field". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  7. ↑ James Burnjames burn (29 April 2009). "Awesome Dunguib lands bumper double". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Turf Club report on Dunguib drug test
  9. ↑ Jessica Lamb (25 October 2009). "Dunguib shows Supreme class with hurdles debut win". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  10. ↑ PHILIP FENTON (11 November 2009). "Philip Fenton reveals plan change on Racing Post blog". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "Demolition job for super Dunguib". Racing Post . 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  12. ↑ PHILIP FENTON (25 November 2009). "Dunguib has final gallop before Royal Bond". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  13. ↑ "Fairyhouse abandoned due to waterlogging". Racing Post . 29 November 2009. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  14. ↑ Peter Scargill (2 December 2009). "Dunguib canters to Royal Bond victory". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  15. ↑ robin gibson (7 February 2010). "Supreme still plan for superb Dunguib". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  16. ↑ Paul Eacott. "Dunguib bright as a button after easy Deloitte win – Racing Post news". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  17. ↑ "Results From The 3.20 Race At Cheltenham |". Racing Post. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  18. ↑ Tom Kerr (15 February 2014). "Dunguib back with first win in three years". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.