Bachelor Duke facts for kids

Bachelor Duke (born March 11, 2001) was a famous Thoroughbred racehorse. He was born in America but trained in Britain. He is best known for winning the Irish 2000 Guineas race in 2004. Even though he only won one race out of six, it was a very important one! After his racing career, he became a father to many winning horses, especially in New Zealand.

About Bachelor Duke

Bachelor Duke was a bay horse. He had no white markings on his coat. He was born in Kentucky, USA. When he was a young horse, he was sold in Ireland. His owner, the Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, bought him. Bachelor Duke was then trained by James Toller in England. His jockey for all his races was Seb Sanders. The Duke named the horse after an ancestor. This ancestor was known as "the bachelor Duke" because he never married.

Bachelor Duke's Parents

Bachelor Duke's father was a horse named Miswaki. Miswaki was a successful racehorse and a great breeding stallion. He fathered many important winners. Bachelor Duke's mother was named Gossamer. She won two small races. Her family tree includes other famous horses like Sadler's Wells and Nureyev.

Bachelor Duke's Racing Career

Racing as a Two-Year-Old (2003)

Bachelor Duke started his racing career in September 2003. His first race was a maiden race at Yarmouth Racecourse. A maiden race is for horses that have not won a race yet. He finished third in this race.

After that, he raced in bigger events. He came third in the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes. This showed he was a promising horse. He also finished fourth in the top-level Dewhurst Stakes. Even though he didn't win any races as a two-year-old, he showed great potential.

Racing as a Three-Year-Old (2004)

Bachelor Duke began his three-year-old season in the 2000 Guineas race. He finished seventh in this big race. Shortly after, his owner, the Duke of Devonshire, passed away. Bachelor Duke's ownership then changed.

Just three weeks later, Bachelor Duke went to Ireland. He competed in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh. This was a very important race. He was not the favorite, starting at 12/1 odds. But he ran a fantastic race! He took the lead near the finish line. Bachelor Duke won by a length. He beat strong horses like Azamour and Grey Swallow.

This win was very special. He was the first horse to win this race without having won any race before, since 1972. It was also the first major "classic" race win for his trainer, James Toller. His jockey, Seb Sanders, also won his first classic race. Both were very happy with the victory.

After his big win, Bachelor Duke raced one more time. He ran in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He finished seventh in this race. After this, he retired from racing at the end of the season.

How Good Was Bachelor Duke?

Experts rate racehorses to see how good they are. In 2003, Bachelor Duke was rated as the thirteenth-best two-year-old horse in Europe. In 2004, he was rated as the forty-first-best horse in the world. These ratings show he was a very talented racehorse.

Bachelor Duke's Life as a Breeding Stallion

After retiring from racing, Bachelor Duke became a breeding stallion in 2005. This means he would father new racehorses. He started at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland. He also spent time in New Zealand. Later, he moved to New Zealand permanently.

He became a very successful father to many winners there. Sadly, he had some health issues later on. He retired from breeding in 2015. The manager of the stud farm said he was a "very good stallion." He produced many strong and lovely horses.

His best winning children include:

• Shuka (who won the Captain Cook Stakes in 2013 and 2014)
• Dukedom (who won the Levin Classic in 2016)
• Spring Cheer (who won the New Zealand Cup in 2013)

See also

• Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand