Ridgewood Pearl dies

Ridgewood Pearl, one of the very best milers of the 1990s, has died.

The 11-year-old, winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes, Prix du Moulin and Breeders’ Cup Mile, was taken ill at home last week, haemorrhaging after producing a dead foal by Bahri, the horse who beat her in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Her breeder Sean Coughlan told the Racing Post: “I still have the copy of the Racing Post in which she was described as ‘champion of the world’.

“She was a marvellous racehorse and the first filly to win a Group One in the four (major) racing countries.

“She was the quietest horse in the world before a race. She didn’t like fuss, as she knew what she was there to do. After the race, though, you could do what you wanted with her.

“It’s heartbreaking but we’ll never forget the days we had travelling the world with her.”

Ridgewood Pearl ran in the colours of Coughlan’s wife Ann and was trained by John Oxx, who described her as “exceptional and definitely the best filly I’ve trained.”