Singspiel (horse)

Singspiel began his racing career at Leicester Racecourse on 6 September 1994, when he finished fifth in a maiden race over seven furlongs. Two weeks later he recorded his first victory when he was made the 4/6 favourite for the Marford Maiden Stakes at Chester Racecourse and won from seven opponents.[3] On 8 October he ran in the Hyperion Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. Singspiel proved no match for the year's outstanding two-year-old Celtic Swing, who beat him by eight lengths, but he finished ten lengths clear of the other runners.

As a three-year-old in 1995 Singspiel ran consistently but won only once from six races. He began his season by running second by a neck to Pentire in the Sandown Classic Trial and then finished fourth to Luso when favourite for the Chester Vase. He then finished second to Valanour in the Grand Prix de Paris and to Halling in the Eclipse Stakes, beaten a neck on each occasion. He was beaten a short head by Pentire in the Great Voltigeur Stakes before winning the Troy Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse in September.[4]

Singspiel began his third season on 27 April at Sandown Park Racecourse, when he defeated his stable companion Pilsudski by three lengths in the Gordon Richards Stakes.[5] He was then beaten a neck by Swain in the Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs Racecourse in June and finished second to Posidonas in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse in July.

In September Singspiel won the Select Stakes over ten furlongs at Goodwood Racecourse from three opponents and then began to race outside Europe. On 29 September he was made favourite for the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racecourse and won by two lengths from the local champion Chief Bearhart under a "hands and heels" ride from Gary Stevens.[6] A month later he returned to Woodbine for the thirteenth running of the Breeders' Cup Turf. He finished second to Pilsudski, ahead of a strong field including Swain, Shantou, Awad, Dushyantor and Chief Bearhart. In November, Singspiel was sent to Tokyo Racecourse to contest the Japan Cup. Ridden by Frankie Dettori he won a closely contested finish by a nose from the Japanese filly Fabulous La Fouine with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Helissio in third.[7]

In January 1997, Singspiel won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf Horse ahead of Fastness and Diplomatic Jet.[8]

In early 1997, Singspiel was sent to the United Arab Emirates where he was trained for the second running of the Dubai World Cup on 3 April. Racing on dirt for the first time, Sheikh Mohammed's horse was ridden by the American jockey Jerry Bailey who had won the inaugural running of the race on Cigar. After an eventful race, in which two horses fell, Singspiel claimed the £1.5 million prize, beating the Santa Anita Handicap winner Siphon by one and a quarter lengths.[9] The beaten horses included Formal Gold who went on to defeat Skip Away in the Woodward Stakes. Bailey said that "with Singspiel's attitude, I knew I could take on anything",[10] while Stoute described the win as the horse's "crowning moment".[11] On his return to England was an easy winner of the Coronation Cup, beating Dushyantor by five lengths.[12] In July he finished fourth behind Swain, Pilsudski and Helissio in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. Sinspiel's final race was the International Stakes at York on 19 August in which his three rivals were the outstanding filly Bosra Sham, The Derby winner Benny the Dip and the Irish Derby winner Desert King. Ridden by Dettori, Singspiel took the lead in the straight and stayed on "gamely" to win by one and a half lengths from Desert King.[13]

Singspiel was being prepared for a second attempt at the Breeders' Cup Turf at Hollywood Park when he sustained a condylar fracture of his right front leg and was retired from racing.[11]

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

[15]

Singspiel was euthanised on 1 July 2010 at Newmarket Equine Hospital due to laminitis following an illness. Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock advisor John Ferguson described him as "an outstandingly tough racehorse" who would be "sadly missed".[16]