Rock of Gibraltar retired to stud

Rock Of Gibraltar has been retired to Coolmore Stud in Co. Tipperary, it has been announced this afternoon.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson today led tributes to Rock Of Gibraltar, the horse who has given him so much enjoyment over the last two seasons.

Rock Of Gibraltar carried Ferguson’s red and white colours to a record-breaking seven successive Group One races.

In a statement to PA Sport Ferguson said: “As a relative newcomer into ownership I cannot adequately express the pleasure I have derived from the association with such a great horse.

“I owe an eternal debt of thanks to everyone associated with Ballydoyle.

“Whilst I will be saddened not to see Rock Of Gibraltar in action on the racecourse I look forward to the future with keen anticipation and I have every confidence that he will transmit his amazing talent and courage to his offspring.”

The three-year-old colt, trained by Aidan O’Brien, made history when he won the NetJets Prix du Moulin at Longchamp in September to overtake the great Mill Reef’s record of six victories at the highest level in 1971-1972.

Winner of 10 of his 13 starts, ‘The Rock’ as he became known, amassed a total of £1,269,800 in win and place money, of which £1,100,230 was from his victories.

“Rock Of Gibraltar will stand the 2003 season alongside his sire Danehill at Coolmore,” a spokesman for the stud said.

The fee has yet to be decided but industry sources suggest that it could be €100,000 euros.

The horse is to stand in Ireland despite intense pressure from breeders especially those in America following his excellent Breeders’ Cup Mile run.

Just like another O’Brien charge Giant’s Causeway, he was beaten but came out of the defeat with flying colours.

Rock Of Gibraltar’s winning run came to a slightly controversial end when he was beaten by Domedriver at Arlington last month with many pundits criticising jockey Michael Kinane for giving his mount too much to do.

However, that reverse should not take away anything from the glittering career of a colt that helped bring closer ties between horse racing and football.

Ferguson bought a share of the horse halfway through his two-year-old campaign that had given hardly any hint of the heights he was to achieve.

Kinane nominated his partnership with Rock Of Gibraltar as the highlight of his season but was philosophical about the colt’s defeat in America.

He said: “My association with Rock Of Gibraltar would be the top memory of the year though it didn’t end the way we would have liked in Chicago.”

Rock Of Gibraltar was bred by O’Brien, his wife Anne-Marie and father-in-law Joe Crowley out of the mare Offshore Boom, who had cost a mere 11,000 Irish guineas in 1997.

Rock Of Gibraltar made a winning debut in a five-furlong maiden at the Curragh in April last year and was spotted by Ferguson following his unlucky run in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month when he was sixth to his stable companion Landseer.

Owners Mr and Mrs John Magnier sold a share in the colt to Ferguson and following his victory in a Group Three race at the Curragh, in which he wore their colours for the third and last time, the Ferguson silks were to prove lucky from the start.

After wearing the red and white to victory in the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes, Rock Of Gibraltar suffered what was to be a rare defeat when failing by a length to give 4lb to Godolphin’s much-vaunted colt Dubai Destination in Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes.

‘The Rock’ started his Group One run with a facile win in the Grand Criterium-Lucien Barriere at Longchamp in October.

He showed a devastating turn of foot to win eased down by three lengths from Bernebeau but in his next race he had to show another star quality, that of courage.

For in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket just two weeks later he had to overcome trouble in running to gain a short-head verdict over Landseer.

Despite advertising his claims for the Sagitta 2000 Guineas with those two triumphs in particular Rock Of Gibraltar was deserted by his regular rider Michael Kinane for the one and only time in the Newmarket Classic in May.

Johnny Murtagh deputised as Kinane was in America to partner Johannesburg in the Kentucky Derby.

And he did not even start favourite that distinction went to his stablemate Hawk Wing, but it was the 9-1 shot who landed the spoils by a neck.

Hawk Wing was considered an unlucky loser but subsequent events were to show that ‘The Rock’ was an exceptional miler.

He followed up by completing the English/Irish Guineas double with Kinane back in the saddle at the Curragh in effortless style by a length and a half from Century City.

And he provided one of the highlights of Royal Ascot when he tamed his field in the St James’s Palace Stakes to be acclaimed the best of his generation.

Older horses could not cope with him either as he landed the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood from last year’s winner, the four-year-old Noverre.

And he put the brilliant four-year-old filly Banks Hill in her place by completing his ‘magnificent seven’ of Group One triumphs in the NetJets Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September.

Although his racing career did not end on a high note in Chicago, the defeat has not tarnished Rock Of Gibraltar’s place among racing’s great milers.