Swain (horse)
Swain | |
---|---|
Sire | Nashwan |
Grandsire | Blushing Groom |
Dam | Love Smitten |
Damsire | Key To The Mint |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 12 February 1992[1] |
Country | Ireland |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Sheikh Mohammed |
Owner | Sheikh Mohammed Godolphin Stables (1997-) |
Trainer | André Fabre Saeed bin Suroor (1997-) |
Record | 22: 10-4-6 |
Earnings | $3,797,566 |
Major wins | |
Prix du Lys (1995) Prix de Reux (1995) Grand Prix de Deauville (1995) Coronation Cup (1996) Prix Foy (1996) K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (1997, 1998) Irish Champion Stakes (1998) | |
Awards | |
European Top Older Horse (1998) | |
Last updated on May 9, 2012 |
Swain (12 February 1992 – 27 July 2022) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He is one of only three horses to win two editions of Britain's premier weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Background
Swain was a bay horse with a white star and snip and white socks on his hind legs bred in Ireland by his owner Sheikh Mohammed. He was one of the best horses sired by Nashwan, the 1989 Epsom Derby winner.[2] Swain's dam, Love Smitten was a successful Canadian-bred racemare whose wins included the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap. The colt was originally sent into training in France with André Fabre.
Racing career
Swain began his racing career in France in 1995 when he won his first five races including the Group Three Prix du Lys, the Listed Prix Reux and the Grand Prix de Deauville. On his final race of the season he started 11/5 second favourite as part of Sheikh Mohammed's entry for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He finished third of the sixteen runners, beaten three-quarters of a length and two lengths behind Lammtarra and Freedom Cry.
At four, he was finished third in the Prix Ganay before being sent to England where he recorded his first success at Group One level when beating Singspiel by a neck in the Coronation Cup. He then finished second to Helissio in the 1996 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and defeated Pentire in the Prix Foy. He finished fourth in his second attempt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe before being shipped to North America for the 1996 Breeders' Cup Turf at Woodbine Racetrack: Swain finished third behind Pilsudski and Singspiel. At the end of the 1996 season, Swain was transferred to his owners Godolphin organisation and entered the stable of Saeed bin Suroor.
At age five in 1997, Swain defeated both Pilsudski and Helissio to win the 1997 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He returned in 1998 to repeat as the winner, making him (at age six) the oldest horse to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the first back-to-back winner since Dahlia in 1973–74. He also won the 1998 Irish Champion Stakes, but finished second in that year's Coronation Cup and second to Silver Charm in the Dubai World Cup. Sent to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic, Swain wound up his racing career with a third-place finish to Awesome Again and Silver Charm.
After earning $3,797,566 in racing, Swain was retired to stud duty.
Progeny
Swain retired to stand stud at Shadwell's Kentucky farm in 1999 before being relocated to Ascot Stud, Ontario in 2013. Swain was not a success as a stallion: during his time at stud in Canada his stud fee fell from $35,000 to $4,000. He sired 13 stakes winners including:
- Dimitrova (Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes) Gr-1.
- Nasheej (May Hill Stakes) Gr-2.
- Muqbil (Greenham Stakes) Gr-3.
Swain was pensioned from stud duty in October 2011 and was returned to Shadwell in Kentucky.[3] Swain's last standing fee was CA$3,500. In 2022, he was relocated to Old Friends Equine as part of a downsizing program following the death of Shadwell owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
He was euthanized on 27 July 2022 due to the infirmities of old age.[4]
Pedigree
Sire Nashwan (USA) 1986 | Blushing Groom (FR) 1974 | Red God | Nasrullah |
---|---|---|---|
Spring Run | |||
Runaway Bride | Wild Risk | ||
Aimée | |||
Height of Fashion (GB) 1979 | Bustino | Busted | |
Ship Yard | |||
Highclere | Queen's Hussar | ||
Highlight | |||
Dam Love Smitten (CAN) 1981 | Key to the Mint (USA) 1969 | Graustark | Ribot |
Flower Bowl | |||
Key Bridge | Princequillo | ||
Blue Banner | |||
Square Angel (CAN) 1970 | Quadrangle | Cohoes | |
Tap Day | |||
Nangela | Nearctic | ||
Angela's Niece |
References
- ^ a b "Swain pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ "Nashwan Stud Record". Racing Post. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ^ Swain Pensioned Retrieved 2012-09-05
- ^ "Swain, Dumaani Both Die Due to Infirmities of Old Age". The Blood-Horse. 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
External links
- Swain at Shadwell Farm LLC
- Ascotstudfarm.com, where Swain is standing at stud
- v
- t
- e
- 1951 Supreme Court
- 1952 Tulyar
- 1953 Pinza
- 1954 Aureole
- 1955 Vimy
- 1956 Ribot
- 1957 Montaval
- 1958 Ballymoss
- 1959 Alcide
- 1960 Aggressor
- 1961 Right Royal
- 1962 Match
- 1963 Ragusa
- 1964 Nasram
- 1965 Meadow Court
- 1966 Aunt Edith ♥
- 1967 Busted
- 1968 Royal Palace
- 1969 Park Top ♥
- 1970 Nijinsky
- 1971 Mill Reef
- 1972 Brigadier Gerard
- 1973 Dahlia ♥
- 1974 Dahlia ♥
- 1975 Grundy
- 1976 Pawneese
- 1977 The Minstrel
- 1978 Ile de Bourbon
- 1979 Troy
- 1980 Ela-Mana-Mou
- 1981 Shergar
- 1982 Kalaglow
- 1983 Time Charter ♥
- 1984 Teenoso
- 1985 Petoski
- 1986 Dancing Brave
- 1987 Reference Point
- 1988 Mtoto
- 1989 Nashwan
- 1990 Belmez
- 1991 Generous
- 1992 St Jovite
- 1993 Opera House
- 1994 King's Theatre
- 1995 Lammtarra
- 1996 Pentire
- 1997 Swain
- 1998 Swain
- 1999 Daylami
- 2000 Montjeu
- 2001 Galileo
- 2002 Golan
- 2003 Alamshar
- 2004 Doyen
- 2005 Azamour
- 2006 Hurricane Run
- 2007 Dylan Thomas
- 2008 Duke of Marmalade
- 2009 Conduit
- 2010 Harbinger
- 2011 Nathaniel
- 2012 Danedream ♥
- 2013 Novellist
- 2014 Taghrooda ♥
- 2015 Postponed
- 2016 Highland Reel
- 2017 Enable ♥
- 2018 Poet's Word
- 2019 Enable ♥
- 2020 Enable ♥
- 2021 Adayar
- 2022 Pyledriver
- 2023 Hukum