Bachelor Duke's Race Record: Winner at 1600m, £18,969, €267,688:  1^st Gr.1 Curragh Irish Two Thousand Guineas, 3^rd Gr.3 Newmarket Somerville Tattersall Stakes, 4^th Gr.1 Newmarket Dewhurst Stakes.

Bachelor Duke began his career with a first-up third placing in maiden company at two years. Next-up he was straight into Group company when racing in the Gr.3 Newmarket Somerville Tattersall Stakes over 1400m. Although still inexperienced, Bachelor Duke showed exciting potential when running third beaten just a neck & a neck. The winner that day was the seasoned performer Milk it Mick having his eleventh start for the season.

UNLUCKY IN THE DEWHURST STAKES

At only his third raceday start Bachelor Duke competed in the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes. On this occasion Bachelor Duke delivered what was considered a top performance by post-race analysts.

Analysts all point to his unlucky finishing run in the Dewhurst, where Bachelor Duke attempted a gap between two horses and was hit about the head by both rival jockeys – his effort to regain momentum and run on strongly for fourth was described by Timeform as a 'blinder.'

The winner of the 2003 Dewhurst Stakes was Milk it Mick, with Three Valleys second and Haafhd third (finishing just a head in front of Bachelor Duke).  With The Dewhurst long considered the UK's classic race for juveniles, that year’s winner and its placegetters* all went on to further frank their class by competing successfully at the elite level.

*Milk it Mick won the Gr.1 Santa Anita Frank E Kilroe Handicap, finished third in the Gr.1 Churchill Downs Turf Classic Stakes and placed second at in the Gr.2 Santa Anita Marcos Stakes and third in the Gr.2 Santa Anita Arcadia Handicap.

*Three Valleys won the Gr.2 Del Mar Breeders’ Cup and twice finished third in the Gr.1 Hollywood Citation Handicap.

*Haafhd won the Gr.3 Newmarket Craven Stakes before taking out the Gr.1 English Two Thousand Guineas.

A GROUP ONE CLASSIC WINNER AT THREE

At three years Bachelor Duke faced a stiff first-up assignment and was headed straight to Newmarket for the Gr.1 Two Thousand Guineas; finishing seventh behind winner Haafhd, Snow Ridge and Azamour.

Showing great benefit from his first-up Guineas run, Bachelor Duke next start, came out and won convincingly the Gr.1 Irish Two Thousand Guineas.

In decisively beating Azamour and Grey Swallow, post-race analysis suggested Bachelor Duke’s winning form that day was good enough to at least secure him a place behind Haafhd (at his earlier start in The Guineas) had he the benefit of a prep run that day.

Following his Two Thousand Guineas win Bachelor Duke ran unplaced in the Gr.1 St James Palace Stakes (in what was seen at the time an upside-down run race).  After suffering an injury after the St James, Ballylinch Stud (Ireland) bought the horse and retired him to stud, with The Oaks Stud then purchasing equity.

HE BEAT TWO OF THE VERY BEST - AZAMOUR & GREY SWALLOW

Following his second placing behind Bachelor Duke, Azamour stepped out next winning the Gr.1 St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, before taking out the Gr.1 Leopardstown Irish Champion Stakes and running third in the Gr.1 Newmarket Champion Stakes.

Rated the 2005 ‘Cartier Older Horse of the Year’ Azamour went on to win two further Group One’s, taking out the Gr.1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Gr.1 Prince of Wales Stakes.

Grey Swallow followed up his third placing to Bachelor Duke with a win in the Gr.1 Irish Derby.  As an older horse he won the Gr.1 Tattersalls Gold Cup defeating champion European colt and 2004 Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe winner Bago; and he followed with a win in the Gr.2 Hollywood Jim Murray Memorial Handicap and a third placing in the Gr.1 Belmont Manhattan Handicap.

Back