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Monteverdi
Monteverdi
Sire	Lyphard
Grandsire	Northern Dancer
Dam	Janina
Damsire	Match
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	10 April 1977
Country	United States
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Lawrence Kip McCreery
Owner	Robert Sangster
Trainer	Vincent O'Brien
Record	8: 4-2-0
Major wins
	National Stakes (1979); Ashford Castle Stakes (1979); Dewhurst Stakes (1979)
Awards
	Timeform best two-year-old (1979); Top-rated European two-year-old (1980); Timeform rating 129 (1979), 123 (1980)

Monteverdi (foaled 10 April 1977) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the leading European two-year-old of 1979, when he was unbeaten in four races including the National Stakes, Ashford Castle Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes. His three-year-old season was a disappointment as he failed to win in four races, finishing second in his first two races and then running unplaced in the Irish 2000 Guineas and Derby. He was then retired to stud where he had little success as a sire of winners.

Background

Monteverdi was a small, "neat, quite attractive"^[2] chestnut horse with a small white star and white socks on his hind legs^[3] bred in Ireland by Lawrence Kip McCreery at his Orchardstown Stud in County Tipperary.^[4] He was sired by Lyphard, an American-bred, French-trained stallion who won the Prix Jacques Le Marois and Prix de la Forêt in 1972. At stud in the United States, Lyphard sired many important winner including Three Troikas, Manila and Dancing Brave. Monteverdi's dam Janina, was a half-sister of the Coronation Cup winner Nagami and a great-granddaughter of the outstanding broodmare Athasi, whose other descendants include Trigo, Tulyar and Time Charter.^[5]

As a yearling, Monteverdi was offered for sale at Saratoga where he was bought for $305,000 by representatives of the British businessman Robert Sangster. The colt was returned to Ireland and was sent into training with Vincent O'Brien at Ballydoyle.^[6]

Racing career

1979: two-year-old season

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]

1980: three-year-old season

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]

Assessment

In 1979, the independent Timeform organisation awarded Monteverdi a rating of 129, making him their top-rated two-year-old of the season.^[6] In the official International Classification he was rated the equal-best two-year-old in Europe, level with the Grand Critérium winner Dragon.^[12] He was rated 123 by Timeform in 1980.^[2]

Stud record

Monteverdi was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at the Walmac Farm in Kentucky. He was exported to Venezuela in 1988. He was not particularly successful in either country, with the best of his offspring probably being Great Normand who won the Meadowlands Cup in 1990.^[13]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Monteverdi, chestnut stallion, 1977^[1]
Sire Lyphard (USA) 1969	Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961	Nearctic	Nearco
		Nearctic	Lady Angela
		Natalma	Native Dancer
		Natalma	Almahmoud
	Goofed (USA) 1960	Court Martial	Fair Trial
		Court Martial	Instantaneous
		Barra	Formor
		Barra	La Favorite
Dam Janina (IRE) 1965	Match (FR) 1958	Tantieme	Deux-Pour-Cent
		Tantieme	Terka
		Relance	Relic
		Relance	Polaire
	Jennifer (IRE) 1948	Hyperion	Gainsborough
		Hyperion	Selene
		Avena	Blandford
		Avena	Athasi (Family 22-a)^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b "Monteverdi pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Timeform staff (1981). Racehorses of 1980. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-31-6.
^ "Monteverdiimage". sporthorse-data.com. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ "In Memoriam". California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. April 2000. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Stella – Family 22-a". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Timeform staff (1980). Racehorses of 1979. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-29-4.
^ Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 978-1-873626-15-3.
^ ^a ^b "Martin Gale" (28 May 1980). "It loks like a job for the pin". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ "Hot favourite Monteverdi defeated again". New Straits Times. 21 April 1980. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ "Together Again". New Straits Times. 27 May 1980. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ "Henbit first in rich Derby". Schenectady Gazette. 5 June 1980. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
^ "Great Normand pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2013.