The Gurkha to Coolmore in 2017
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Photo: Racingfotos.com
The Gurkha winning the group I Sussex over Galileo Gold
Dual group I-winning miler The Gurkha will retire to Ireland's Coolmore Stud for 2017 to stand alongside his champion sire Galileo, the farm announced Sept. 21.
Recovered well from colic surgery in early August, the Aidan O'Brien-trained runner's record stands at 3-2-1 from six starts for earnings of $1,372,915.
The handsome bay went straight from a nine-length maiden win to contest the French 2,000 Guineas (Fr-I), where he proved a different class to his 12 rivals in scoring by 5 1/2 lengths. After an unlucky second in the St James's Palace Stakes (Eng-I), he again filled the runner-up spot when just outstayed in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes (Eng-I). On his next and final start, The Gurkha landed the Qatar Sussex Stakes (Eng-I) from Galileo Gold and Ribchester.
The Gurkha was bred in Ireland by Chintz Syndicate and is out of the group III-winning Danehill Dancer mare Chintz, and is a full brother to graded stakes-placed Queen Nefertiti.
"He's a very good-looking and good-moving horse, bred on a similar cross to Frankel, out of a group-winning 2-year-old from the family of an excellent sire in Green Dancer, and he's Europe's champion 3-year-old miler elect," said Coolmore Ireland's director of sales David O'Loughlin. "What more could you want?"