Golden Horn Gets First Winner as West End Girl Dazzles
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Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
Golden Horn during Darley's stallion parade at Newmarket
West End Girl became the first winner for her later-maturing sire Golden Horn when she won a seven-furlong fillies' novice stakes under Franny Norton July 5 at Haydock.
The filly made her winning debut on the eve of this year's Coral Eclipse (G1), which was won by Golden Horn in 2015, the same year the son of Cape Cross was crowned highweighted 3-year-old in Europe.
The winner is bred by Car Colston Hall Stud and hails from the same Wiener Wald family as the superb sprinting pair Reckless Abandon and Brando and was sourced by her trainer, Mark Johnston, for 95,000 guineas (US$131,521) from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Sale, where she was consigned by her breeder.
Golden Horn only appeared once as a 2-year-old, defeating Storm the Stars in a hotly contested October maiden at Nottingham, and won four group 1s in eight starts at 3, adding his name to the honor rolls of the Investec Derby (G1), Eclipse, QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (G1), and Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).
He would have remained unbeaten throughout his career but for a neck defeat to Arabian Queen in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) and a half-length second to Found in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland.
Golden Horn stood his first three seasons at Dalham Hall Stud for a £60,000 fee and has 98 2-year-olds to race this season, with the Sun Bloodstock-owned Tower of Pisa appealing as a filly who could appear sooner rather than later for trainer Joseph O'Brien.