Twilight Payment

Last updated

Twilight Payment
Owner LLoyd J Williams.svg
Racing silks of Twilight Payment
Sire Teofilo
Grandsire Galileo
DamDream On Buddy
Damsire Oasis Dream
SexGelding
Foaled6 May 2013 [1]
CountryIreland
Colour Bay
Breeder Jim Bolger
Owner Godolphin
Jackie Bolger
Lloyd Williams
Trainer Jim Bolger
Joseph Patrick O'Brien
Record35: 9-10-8
Earnings£2,831,748
Major wins
Loughbrown Stakes (2016)
Her Majesty's Plate (2018)
Saval Beg Stakes (2019)
Curragh Cup (2019, 2020)
Vintage Crop Stakes (2020)
Melbourne Cup (2020)
Irish St Leger Trial Stakes (2021)

Twilight Payment (foaled 6 May 2013) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2020 Melbourne Cup. Bred and originally trained by Jim Bolger he did not race until he was three years old but showed promising form over extended distances as he won two races including the Listed Loughbrown Stakes in his first season. He ran consistently as a four-year-old without winning a race and was gelded at the end of the year, but in 2018 he took his second Listed prize as he won Her Majesty's Plate. In 2019 he won the Saval Beg Stakes and the Curragh Cup before moving to the stable of Joseph Patrick O'Brien. As a seven-year-old in 2020 he took the Vintage Crop Stakes and a second Curragh Cup before being sent to Australia and winning the Melbourne Cup on 3 November and produced a new career peak Timeform rating of 121.

Contents

Background

Twilight Payment is a bay horse with a white star and a white sock on his left foreleg bred in Ireland by the trainer Jim Bolger. He entered training with Bolger at Coolcullen, County Carlow and was ridden in most of his early races by Bolger's son-in-law Kevin Manning. The horse initially raced in the colours of Godolphin.

He was from the fifth crop of foals sired by the Teofilo the undefeated European Champion Two-Year-Old of 2006. Teofilo's other European offspring have included Cross Counter, Trading Leather, Pleascach and Parish Hall: he has also had great success in Australia where his major winners have included Happy Clapper, Humidor and Kermadec. [2] Twilight Payment's dam Dream On Buddy showed modest racing ability, winning two minor races from eleven starts. [3] She was a half-sister to the Ribblesdale Stakes winner Banimpire and a great-granddaughter of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Detroit. [4]

Racing career

2016 & 2017: early career

Twilight Payment did not race until he was three years old and began his track career by running fourth in a maiden race over thirteen furlongs at Navan Racecourse on 15 May 2016. After finishing second in a similar event at the same track thirteen days later he was stepped up in class and took third place in the Listed Queen's Vase over two miles at Royal Ascot. At the Curragh on 16 July he started the 4/6 favourite for a one and a half mile maiden and recorded his first success as he led from the start and prevailed by a length from Ex Patriot. [5] He then ran second to Order of St George in the Irish St Leger Trial before ending his first season in the Listed Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh on 25 September when he produced a strong late run to win by half a length from the favourite Forgotten Rules. [6]

Twilight Payment failed to win as a four-year-old in 2017, but ran well in several major staying events. He finished third to Torcedor in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April, second to Order of St George in the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse in May, second to The Tartan Spartan when favourite for Her Majesty's Plate at Down Royal in July and third to Order of St George in the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh in August. At the end of the season he was gelded.

2018: five-year-old season

In 2018 Twilight Payment ran second to Order of St George in the Saval Beg Stakes and then finished third behind Flag of Honour in the Curragh Cup. On 27 July he started favourite for Her Majesty's Plate over fourteen furlongs on Good to Firm ground at Down Royal and recorded his first victory in 20 months as he won "comfortably" by three and a half lengths from Law of Spin after taking the lead approaching the last quarter mile. [7] He went on to run second to Flag of Honour in the Irish St Leger Trial and fourth behind the same horse in the Irish St Leger. In his two subsequent starts he finished second to Cypress Creek when favourite for the Loughbrown Stakes and third to Sir Erec in the Listed Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick Racecourse on 13 October.

In November the gelding was consigned to the Goffs Horses In Training sale and was bought for €200,000 by the bloodstock agents Kerr & Co Ltd. [8]

2019: six-year-old season

In the early part of 2019 Twilight Payment raced in the colours of Jackie Bolger, his trainer's wife. He began the season in April when he finished second in a minor event at Gowran Park and then ran fourth to Master of Reality in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan. In the Saval Beg Stakes over fourteen furlongs on 17 May he started at odds of 6/1 and won from Falcon Eight and Capri, staying on well after taking the lead approaching the final furlong. [9] The gelding followed up in the Curragh Cup over the same distance on 28 June, leading from the start and fighting off the sustained challenge of the 2018 Irish Derby winner Latrobe to prevail by a neck. [10] The winning jockey, Kevin Manning: "Believe it or not his homework has been unbelievable since he won at Leopardstown. He has been stepping forward all year. His form has been rock-solid all through his career and he has improved a little bit this season... He only just does what he has to do but he's a real grinder and loves getting into a battle." [11]

Twilight Payment was then acquired by the Australian businessman Lloyd Williams and transferred to the stable of Joseph Patrick O'Brien at Owning Hill, County Kilkenny. On his first start for his new connections he ran seventh to Search For A Song in the Irish St Leger and was then shipped to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. Ridden by Hugh Bowman he started a 40/1 outsider and finished eleventh, but was beaten less than four lengths by the winner Vow And Declare.

2020: seven-year-old season

Twilight Payment began his next campaign with a trip to Saudi Arabia where he finished seventh behind Call The Wind in the Longines Turf Handicap at Riyadh on 29 February. On his return to Europe he ran second to the four-year-old Nickajack Cave in the Saval Beg Stakes and then started 15/8 favourite for the Vintage Crop Stakes over fourteen furlongs at the Curragh on 27 June. Ridden by Wayne Lordan he led from the start and drew away in the final furlong to win by two and a half lengths from Barbados, with Sovereign, Falcon Eight and Master of Reality finishing behind. [12] On 18 July he repeated his 2019 success in the Curragh Cup, starting odds on favourite and winning "easily" by eight lengths from Master of Reality after taking the lead three furlongs from the finish. [13] Joseph O'Brien said "I think it was a big performance... this fella stayed going all the way to the line". [14] In the Irish St Leger on 13 September he kept on well in the closing stages but was beaten into third place by Search For A Song and Fujaira Prince.

He was then shipped to Australia again to contest his second Melbourne Cup and started at odds of 25/1 for the race over 3200 metres at Flemington Racecourse on 3 November. Carrying 55.5 kg and ridden by Jye McNeil he led from the start, opened up a clear lead, and repelled several late challengers to win by half a length from Tiger Moth (trained by Joseph O'Brien's father Aidan) The British-trained Prince of Arran (twice previously placed in the race) was a head away in third with fourth place going to New Zealand's The Chosen One. He was the first to win after leading all the way since Might And Power in 1997 and the oldest winner of the Cup since Catalogue in 1938. [15] Jye McNeil commented "It's been a lifelong dream to get this moment and to get this winner is very surreal. I had to be positive. He was a little bit slow into gear. He jumped with them but he was a touch slow to really find his rhythm. I encouraged him to go forward and that was the plan and then he found just a lovely tempo. He got into a fantastic rhythm, breathing really well and then it was a matter of amping the tempo up at the right stage". [16] Joseph O'Brien said "The horse has got incredible heart. Jye gave him a fantastic ride and he has a huge will to win and he just kept on fighting all the way to the line". [17]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Twilight Payment (IRE), bay gelding, 2013 [1]
Sire
Teofilo (IRE)
2004		 Galileo (IRE)
1998		 Sadler's Wells (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Fairy Bridge
Urban Sea (USA) Miswaki
Allegretta (GB)
Speirbhean (IRE)
1998		 Danehill (USA) Danzig
Razyana
Saviour (USA)Majestic Light
Victorian Queen (CAN)
Dam
Dream On Buddy (IRE)
2007		 Oasis Dream (GB)
2000		 Green Desert (USA)Danzig
Foreign Courier
Hope (IRE) Dancing Brave (USA)
Bahamian
My Renee (USA)
2000		 Kris S Roberto
Sharp Queen
Mayenne Nureyev
Detroit (Family: 16-c) [4]

Related Research Articles

Vintage Crop British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Vintage Crop was a British-bred Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for becoming the first northern hemisphere trained runner to win Australia's premier race the Melbourne Cup. The chestnut gelding competed in flat racing in Ireland, England, and Australia from 1992 to 1995. He won 16 races in Ireland, England, and Australia. For his performance during the 1993 racing season he earned the Cartier Award for Top Stayer.

Teofilo is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active stallion. In a racing career that lasted only four months in 2006 he became the European Champion Two-Year-Old of 2006, and retired undefeated after five starts. He won two Group One races: the National Stakes in Ireland and the Dewhurst Stakes in England. He was made favourite for both the 2000 Guineas and The Derby but suffered a knee injury in April 2007 which ended his racing career. He is currently standing at stud in County Kildare.

Trading Leather Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Trading Leather was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2013 Irish Derby. The horse died following an injury sustained in the 2014 Japan Cup.

Leading Light Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Leading Light is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was well-beaten in his first race before winning a maiden race. In 2013, he established himself as a leading stayer, winning his first four races, including the Gallinule Stakes, the Queen's Vase, and the classic St Leger Stakes. As a four-year-old, he won the Vintage Crop Stakes before winning the Ascot Gold Cup.

Found (horse) Irish Thoroughbred racehorse

Found is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. Sired by Galileo out of the mare Red Evie, she represents the Coolmore Stud organisation and is trained by Aidan O'Brien. In 2014 she won a strong maiden race on her debut and then finished third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes before winning the Prix Marcel Boussac. She was rated the equal-best two-year-old filly to race in Europe in 2014.

Order of St George (horse) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Order of St George is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He is a specialist stayer whose wins include two Irish St. Legers and an Ascot Gold Cup.

Idaho (horse) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Idaho is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. In four years on the track he raced in seven countries, namely Ireland, France, England, Canada, the United States, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. In 2016 he finished third in The Derby and second in the Irish Derby before winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes. He was the odds-on favourite for the St Leger Stakes but stumbled and unseated his rider. In the following year he ran poorly in the Coronation Cup but then won the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The highlight of his final season was a win in the Ormonde Stakes.

Parish Hall Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Parish Hall is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred, owned and trained by the Bolger family he won one of his first four starts as a two-year-old in 2011 before recording an upset victory in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes. He was regarded as a serious contender for the 2012 Epsom Derby but sustained a serious leg injury in the spring and missed the whole of his second season. He returned to the track in 2014 and in the next three seasons he proved himself to be a consistent middle-distance performer although slightly below top class. He won the Alleged Stakes and the Diamond Stakes in 2013, the Meld Stakes in 2014 and a second Alleged Stakes in 2015. Apart from his victories he was placed in numerous good races including the Tyros Stakes, Futurity Stakes, Mooresbridge Stakes, International Stakes (twice), Royal Whip Stakes, Cumberland Lodge Stakes and Silver Stakes.

Oscar Schindler was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion best known for being the second horse to win two runnings of the Irish St. Leger. In a racing career which lasted from October 1994 until November 1997 he competed in five different countries and won five of his twenty starts.

Kastoria is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for her upset victory over Yeats in the 2006 Irish St. Leger. Bred and owned by Aga Khan IV and trained by John Oxx she was a specialist stayer who competed in five different countries and won six of her thirteen races. Unraced at two or three years she began her racing career in 2005 when she won the Galtres Stakes and finished second in the Give Thanks Stakes, Park Hill Stakes and Prix de Royallieu. In the following year she won the Vintage Crop Stakes, Curragh Cup and Ballyroan Stakes before recording her biggest win in the Irish St. Leger. She also finished second in the Hong Kong Vase on her final racecourse appearance. As a broodmare she has produced some minor winners.

Septimus was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which was frequently interrupted by injury he won eight of his thirteen races between September 2005 and November 2008. He showed very promising form as a juvenile, winning the Beresford Stakes and finishing third when favourite the Racing Post Trophy and went on to win the Dante Stakes by eight lengths in an abbreviated three-year-old campaign. At four he won the Mooresbridge Stakes and was then stepped up in distance to take the Lonsdale Cup and the Doncaster Cup. In his final season he won the Curragh Cup and the Irish St. Leger, taking the latter event by thirteen lengths. He was rated the best horse in the world over extended distances in both 2007 and 2008. He was retired to stud but had fertility problems and died on 12 December 2010 after complications resulting from a gelding operation.

Alandi is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a slow-maturing horse who did not race as a two-year-old and made only one (winning) appearance at three. As a four-year-old he established himself as one of the best staying racehorses in the world with victories in the Vintage Crop Stakes, Ballycullen Stakes, Irish St. Leger and Prix du Cadran. He was then sold to race in Australia as a Melbourne Cup prospect but failed to reproduce his European form. A return to Europe in 2012 saw no improvement and he was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion in Poland.

Royal Diamond is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. A slow maturing stayer who was gelded before he appeared on a racecourse, he passed through the hands of five different trainers in a track career which lasted from September 2008 until November 2014. He won several minor races as a three-year-old in 2009 but then lost his form and failed to win in the next two seasons, including and unsuccessful stint as a National Hunt horse. He finally emerged as a top-class performer at the age of six when he rebounded from an unlucky defeat in the Ebor Handicap to record an upset victory in the Irish St. Leger. He was at least as good in the following season when he won the Challenge Stakes, Irish St. Leger Trial Stakes and British Champions Long Distance Cup. He was retired from racing after failing to win in 2014.

Voleuse de Coeurs is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. A specialist stayer who was favoured by soft ground she won five of her seventeen races in a track career which lasted from September 2011 until May 2014. She failed to win as a two-year-old but made steady improvement when tried over long distance in the following year, winning three races including the two-mile Irish Cesarewitch. She continued to improve as a four-year-old, winning the Vintage Crop Stakes and recording her biggest win in the Irish St. Leger. She was then sold to race in Australia where she failed to win in four races.

Capri (horse) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Capri is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2016 he won three of his five races including the Canford Cliffs Stakes and the Beresford Stakes as well as finishing third in the Critérium de Saint-Cloud. In the following year he was beaten in his first two races and finished sixth in The Derby before emerging as one of the best colts of his generation in Europe with wins in the Irish Derby and the St Leger. He won the Alleged Stakes on his four-year-old debut but failed to win in eleven subsequent starts and was retired from racing at the end of 2019.

Rekindling British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Rekindling is a British-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, who won the 2017 Melbourne Cup. After winning once from three starts in 2016 he developed into a high-class staying colt in the following year, winning the Ballysax Stakes and Curragh Cup as well as producing several good efforts in defeat including a second place in the Irish St Leger Trial Stakes and fourth-place finishes in the Dante Stakes and the St Leger Stakes. In November 2017 he became the youngest horse in 76 years to win the Melbourne Cup.

Anthony Van Dyck (horse) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Anthony Van Dyck was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2019 Epsom Derby. He was a top-class two-year-old in 2018 when he won three of his seven races including the Tyros Stakes and the Futurity Stakes as well as finishing second in the National Stakes and third in the Dewhurst Stakes. He won the Derby Trial Stakes on his three-year-old debut before taking the Epsom Derby on 1 June. Later that year he was placed in the Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf. He remained in training as a four-year-old in 2020, winning the Prix Foy and running second in both the Coronation Cup and the Caulfield Cup. He was euthanized after breaking down in the 2020 Melbourne Cup on 3 November 2020.

Sovereign (horse) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Sovereign is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2019 Irish Derby. He showed promising form as a juvenile in 2018 when he won one minor race as well as finishing third in the Eyrefield Stakes and fourth in the Beresford Stakes. In the following year he was placed in the Ballysax Stakes and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial before running unplaced when acting as a pacemaker in the 2019 Epsom Derby. He was given little chance in the Irish Derby but won easily at odds of 33/1. He failed to win in 2020 but was placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Vintage Crop Stakes and Bahrain International Trophy.

Search For A Song Irish Thoroughbred racehorse

Search For A Song is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for her performances over extended distances. After being unraced as a juvenile she won on her racecourse debut in 2019 and finished fourth in the Irish Oaks before going on to win the Galtres Stakes and the Irish St Leger. In 2020 she won a second Irish St Leger as well as finishing second in the British Champions Long Distance Cup and third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Sonnyboyliston is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He made no impact as a two-year-old and was gelded before returning in 2020 to win three handicap races. He improved to become a top-class stayer as a four-year-old in 2021, winning the Martin Molony Stakes, Ebor Handicap and Irish St Leger.

References

  1. 1 2 "Twilight Payment pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ↑ "Teofilo – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. ↑ "Dream On Buddy – Race Record". Racing Post.
  4. 1 2 "Little Agnes – Family 16-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  5. ↑ "Kilsaran International Maiden result". Racing Post. 16 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Loughbrown Stakes result". Racing Post. 24 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Her Majesty's Plate result". Racing Post. 27 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Goffs - Autumn HIT Sale 2018, Lot 690". www.goffs.com.
  9. ↑ "Saval Beg Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Curragh Cup result". Racing Post. 28 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Twilight Payment battles bravely to win the Curragh Cup". www.thoroughbrednews.com.au.
  12. ↑ "Vintage Crop Stakes result". Racing Post. 27 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "Curragh Cup Stakes result". Racing Post. 18 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Twilight Payment shines in Curragh Cup for Joseph O'Brien one-two". Racing TV.
  15. ↑ Lynch, Michael (3 November 2020). "Twilight Payment does a Might And Power: how the Melbourne Cup was won". Sydney Morning Herald .
  16. ↑ Ractliffe, Damien (3 November 2020). "McNeil relishes 'miracle' Cup win on Twilight Payment". The Age .
  17. ↑ "Twilight Payment wins Melbourne Cup" – via BBC.
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.