Tate Gallery (horse)

Tate Gallery (25 February 1983 – 1990) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A full-brother to Sadler's Wells he won two of his five races in a track career which lasted from August 1985 until May 1986. As a two-year-old he finished unplaced in the Phoenix Stakes on his debut before winning a maiden race and then recorded his biggest victory in the National Stakes. In the following spring he ran third in the Gladness Stakes and then finished last in the 2000 Guineas before being retired from racing. In a brief stud career he sired several good winners, most notably Lyric Fantasy.

Tate Gallery
SireNorthern Dancer
GrandsireNearctic
DamFairy Bridge
DamsireBold Reason
SexStallion
Foaled25 February 1983[1]
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederSwettenham Stud
OwnerStavros Niarchos
TrainerVincent O'Brien
Record5: 2-0-1
Major wins
National Stakes (1985)

Background

Tate Gallery was a bay horse with a broad white blaze and white socks on his hind legs[2] bred in Kentucky by Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud. During his racing career he carried the colours of the Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos and was trained at Ballydoyle by Vincent O'Brien. Both Sangster and Niarchos were partner in John Magnier's Coolmore Stud organisation.

Tate Gallery was sired by the Canadian stallion Northern Dancer who won the Kentucky Derby in 1964 and went on to become one of the most influential sires of the 20th century.[3] His dam Fairy Bridge was bought for $40,000 by Sangster in 1976 and was undefeated in a brief racing career consisting of two races as a juvenile in 1977. In the Irish Free Handicap for that year she was rated the joint-best two-year-old filly alongside Sookera.[4] As a broodmare she was an outstanding success, with her other foals including Tate Gallery's full-brothers Sadler's Wells and Fairy King. She came from an exceptional family, being a half-sister to Nureyev and a close relative of Thatch[5]

Racing career

1985: two-year-old season

Tate Gallery had a challenging introduction to the track when he was ridden by Pat Eddery in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over six furlongs at Phoenix Park Racecourse on 10 August. O'Brien had not intended to run the colt in the race but changed his plans when Tate Gallery's better-fancied stablemate Woodman fell sick. Despite his lack of experience he was made the 5/4 favourite but finished unplaced behind Roaring Riva, with Eddery easing him down when it became apparent that he had no chance of winning. Later that month he recorded his first success in a maiden race over even furlongs at the Curragh, winning "smoothly" from nineteen opponents.[2]

In the National Stakes (run as a Group 1 race for the first time) over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 14 September Tate Gallery was ridden by Cash Asmussen and started the 4/6 favourite. The best of his eight opponents appeared to be the British filly Sweet Adelaide and the Jim Bolger-trained colt Nashamaa both of whom came ito the race unbeaten. After tracking the leaders Tate Gallery went to the front two furlongs out and stayed on well under pressure to win by one and a half lengths from Nashamaa with Sweet Adelaide a further one and a half length back in third.[2]

In the official International Classification for 1985, Tate Gallery was given a rating of 77, six pounds behind the top-rated Bakharoff. The independent Timeform organisation gave him a rating of 117p (with the "p" indicating that he was expected to make more than usual improvement) making him fourteen pounds inferior to their best two-year-old Huntingdale.[2]

1986: three-year-old season

Tate Gallery began his second season in the Gladness Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh in which he was matched against older horses. He finished third behind the four-year-old Lidhame with Timeform reporting that he "hung left and lacked enthusiasm".[6] Despite his poor effort at the Curragh he was sent to England for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse on 3 May. He was ridden by Tony Ives after O'Brien had first offered the ride to the recently retired Lester Piggott.[7] He made no impact, coming home last of the fourteen finishers behind Dancing Brave and never raced again.

Stud career

Tate Gallery was retired to stud and became a breeding stallion for the Coolmore Stud in County Tipperary at an initial fee of 15,000 guineas. He died in an accident in 1990 at the age of seven.[8]

By far the best of his offspring was the exceptionally fast and precocious filly Lyric Fantasy, but he sired a few other good winners including Surrealist (Godolphin Stakes), Title Roll (King George Stakes) and Lee Artiste (Sandy Lane Stakes)[9] He was also the damsire of the Prix de l'Abbaye winner Namid.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Tate Gallery (USA), bay stallion, 1983[1]
Sire
Northern Dancer (CAN)
1961		 Nearctic (CAN)
1954		 Nearco Pharos
Nogara
Lady Angela Hyperion
Sister Sarah
Natalma (USA)
1957		 Native Dancer Polynesian
Geisha
Almahmoud Mahmoud
Arbitrator
Dam
Fairy Bridge (USA)
1975		 Bold Reason (USA)
1968		 Hail to Reason Turn-To
Nothirdchance
Lalun Djeddah
Be Faithful
Special (USA)
1969		 Forli Aristophanes
Trevisa
Thong Nantallah
Rough Shod (Family 5-h)[5]

References
  1. "Tate Gallery pedigree". Equineline.
  2. Timeform staff (1986). Racehorses of 1985. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-42-1.
  3. "Northern Dancer". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  4. Timeform staff (1978). Racehorses of 1977. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-25-1.
  5. "Ann of the Forest – Family 5-h". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  6. Timeform staff (1987). Racehorses of 1986. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-44-8.
  7. Julian Muscat (26 May 2011). "Promising start soon fizzled out". Racing Post.
  8. "Bash one of Perugino's Boys". Thoroughbred Internet.
  9. "Tate Gallery – Progeny". Racing Post.
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