Sport
Greatest Juddmonte International Winners
The Juddmonte International is one of the richest, most prestigious contests in British Flat racing and there have been some legendary winners over the years.
The one mile two-and-a-half furlong race is held at York Racecourse on the Knavesmire. Many consider it to be one of the finest tracks in the country for both horses to race on and punters to visit.
Below we take a look at the greatest winners of York’s biggest race.
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Frankel (2012)
Frankel would almost certainly make a greatest winners list for every race he won in his illustrious career and the Juddmonte International is no different. He notched the ninth of his 10 Group One wins here back in 2012, doing so in some style.
Taking to this contest for the first time at the peak of his powers, it is no surprise that Frankel went off as the 1/10 favourite – the second-shortest starting price of his career. Justifying favouritism is hard enough for most horses, never mind at such short odds.
But Sir Henry Cecil’s charge was not like most horses, as he showed in running ragged a field that featured seven Group winners. Frankel’s pacemaker, Bullet Train, unsurprisingly pinged out to set the pace alongside Robin Hood, with Frankel settling nicely in midfield.
That was as close as the rest of the field came to Frankel, as with half a mile left Tom Queally began to make his move. He breezed up on the inside of second-favourite St Nicholas Abbey, putting the race to bed before the others really got going.
Queally shook the reins, the response was immediate, and Frankel stormed clear. He would take the race by a winning margin of seven lengths and never broke a sweat. The performance was summed up in commentary as Stewart Machin called, “This perfect mix of poetry and destruction. This glory of rhythm, power and majesty. The undisputed champion of the world. Frankel wins the Juddmonte International.”.
Sea The Stars (2009)
Another horse that holds a place among the greats of Flat racing is Sea The Stars. With just one defeat to his name – on debut no less – John Oxx’s wonder horse notched six career Group One wins, putting himself alongside the likes of Frankel in many debates over who the greatest of all time really is.
His Juddmonte International victory in 2009 was the fourth of those six triumphs, with the Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to follow in the same year. His odds of 1/4 were the shortest he ever went off at, and he was certainly a worthy favourite.
He only faced off against three rivals, but all of those were trained by Aidan O’Brien and that made for an incredibly tactical battle. Tactics were no match for Sea The Stars’ sheer class, though, as he beat the main danger in Mastercraftsman by a length.
The winning margin may not sound impressive, but the performance certainly was. Johnny Murtagh took the initiative on Mastercraftsman and looked a real danger when making headway three furlongs out. However, Mick Kinane knew exactly what he had underneath him as he shook up Sea The Stars and cruised up alongside in the final furlong.
With the result never in doubt from that point, the six-time Grade One winner would win the Juddmonte in a track record time.
Sakhee (2001)
Another winner who followed up success in this race with a victory in Arc was Sakhee, a winner for Saeed bin Suroor in 2001.
Whilst the previous two went off well-backed, long odds-on favourites, Sakhee was a mere 7/4-chance in 2001. He was the favourite of an eight-strong field and many thought a few could give him something to think about. Medicean and Black Minnaloushe appeared the main dangers as both had Group One wins to their name – something which Sakhee had previously been without.
But Frankie Dettori was decisive in putting that right as he stormed home for Saeed bin Suroor. He tracked the early pace-setters comfortably and looked to have more in the tank the whole way round.
He loomed alongside the leaders before the three-furlong pole and that was they last they saw of him. He showed an eye-catching turn of foot to kick away and produce a demolition job, ultimately easing down before the line to win by seven lengths.
