Monteverdi (horse)

Monteverdi began his racing career in a six furlong maiden race at Phoenix Park in August. He started the odds-on favourite and produced an impressive performance to win from Noble Shamus. Despite his win, he was not considered the Ballydoyle stable's principal contender for the National Stakes, Ireland's most prestigious race for juveniles over seven furlongs at the Curragh in September. His stable companion, Muscovite was made 2/7 favourite, while Monteverdi, ridden by John Oxx's stable jockey Ray Carroll, started a 16/1 outsider. Monteverdi overtook the English-trained filly Millingdale Lillie two furlongs from the finish and won comfortably by two and a half lengths from Cobbler's Cove and Noble Shamus. Two weeks after his win in the National Stakes, Monteverdi reappeared in the Ashford Castle Stakes over a mile at the Curragh. Ridden again by Carroll, he started at odds of 2/5 despite conceding weight to his seven opponents. He recorded another easy win, beating March Hywel by one and a half lengths.[6]

In October, Monteverdi was sent to Newmarket in England to contest the seven furlong Dewhurst Stakes, the most important race for two-year-olds run in the United Kingdom. Ridden by Lester Piggott, he started the 15/8 favourite[7] against a field which included Henbit, Romeo Romani (Norfolk Stakes), Marathon Gold (Lanson Champagne Stakes), Final Straw (Champagne Stakes) and Tyrnavos. Monteverdi was restrained by Piggott in the early stages before accelerating past Henbit and Tyrnavos to take the lead two furlongs from the finish. Having taken the lead, Monteverdi veered sharply to the left, and Piggott resorted to striking the horse on the head with his whip before he resumed a straight course and won by two lengths from Tyrnavos, with Romeo Romani a length and a half back in third place.[6]

At the end of the season, Monteverdi was the ante-post favourite for the following year's 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby.[6][8]

Monteverdi appeared to have made little physical progress and was reportedly less than fully fit when he reappeared as a three-year-old in the Group Three McCairns Trial Stakes at Phoenix Park in April, but nevertheless started the 1/3 favourite. He was restrained at the back of the field, and although he finished strongly he was beaten one and a half lengths into second place by the Paddy Prendergast-trained Nikoli. Two weeks later, the colt was sent to Newbury Racecourse in England for the Greenham Stakes, an important trial race for the 2000 Guineas. Starting the 8/13 favourite he was given a vigorous ride by Piggott, but was beaten half a length by Final Straw.[9] After the race Monteverdi's connections were reported to be looking despondent, and the task of restoring the colt's reputation was likened by one journalist to raising the Amoco Cadiz. The form of the race actually proved to be exceptionally strong as the third and fourth-placed finishers, Posse and Known Fact went on to take second and first places in the 2000 Guineas.[2]

Monteverdi was equipped with blinkers for his next race, the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh in May. He was made the 11/4 favourite but finished fifth behind Nikoli, Last Fandango, Final Straw and Posse. After the race, Piggott was heard to describe the colt as "useless"[8] in the unsaddling enclosure. The jockey's comments were seen as aggravating the strains in the relationship between Piggott and O'Brien which saw him replaced as Ballydoyle's retained jockey by Pat Eddery in 1981. Despite his unimpressive form, Monteverdi, ridden by Piggott,[10] started third favourite behind Nikoli and Henbit for the 201st Derby on 4 June but was never in contention at any stage and finished unplaced.[2] Piggott stated that the colt failed to stay the one and a half mile distance, saying that he "didn't get the trip".[11]