Racing: High praise for Sinndar

John Oxx hailed Sinndar as a pleasure to train following the news that the dual-Derby and Arc winner has been retired to stud. The colt will stand at owner the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in Ireland for the 2001 covering season and his fee will be IR£30,000, October 1 terms.

The son of Grand Lodge was only defeated once in eight career starts, his victories including the Vodafone Derby at Epsom, the Budweiser Irish Derby at the Curragh and most recently the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Oxx paid tribute to the three-year-old, saying, "There's no doubt he's been a great horse. Any horse that can go through the whole Classic build-up, deliver every time, and finish up in the Arc and win being better than ever... you can't ask for any more. He's been an incredible horse, always 100% sound, and a brilliant horse over the Classic distance. He had great attributes. He was a great athlete, beautifully balanced with an attitude few horses have. He was just a pleasure to train, he almost trained himself."

Oxx believes Sinndar was even better than his brilliant filly Ridgewood Pearl, winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile in 1995. He said, "Ridgewood Pearl was a great filly, she was probably underrated but this fellow's won the two Derbies and the Arc which is the ultimate and you can't rate anything above him." The Curragh-based trainer added, "The Irish Derby was the most emotional for everyone here at the yard and for the family but is difficult to put one victory above another, they were all great days. I suppose the Arc was the most important for the horse, it was the race for him to prove himself, but Epsom, the Curragh and the Arc, they were all unbelievable."

Sinndar joins the Aga Khan's three other Derby winners, Shergar, Shahrastani and Kahyasi, in not racing after his three-year-old year. The colt will be a valuable addition to his owner's breeding operation and will join the likes of Daylami and Darshaan at Gilltown. Pat Downes, manager at Gilltown Stud, said, "We're very much looking forward to having him here. He was obviously a very, very good horse - a Group One winner at two and a dual-Derby and Arc winner at three. Not only do we race horses we breed them as well so he's a very exciting addition. There have been a lot of people waiting to hear the news and I have no doubt he will be a big hit with breeders."

Sinndar made a winning debut in a mile maiden at the Curragh in September 1999 before landing the Aga Khan Studs National Stakes over course and distance by a head from Murawwi later that month. He suffered his only defeat on his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown in April, going down by a head to Grand Finale, but returned to winning form in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at the same course the following month.

Sinndar was then prepared for the Vodafone Derby when he was to become Oxx's first runner in the Epsom Classic. The trainer's faith was justified as the 7-1 chance overpowered Sakhee in the final furlong to score by a length under jockey Johnny Murtagh. He returned to action at the Curragh and produced another powerful display in the Budweiser Irish Derby, beating Glyndebourne by nine lengths and earning a $1million bonus from the sponsors in the process.

He prepared for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with an eight-length romp in the Prix Niel at Longchamp in September and was second favourite behind Montjeu in the run-up to the big race. Montjeu may have run below form in the Arc but that should not take anything away from Sinndar's display as he beat Egyptband by a length and a half. In the process he recorded the second-fastest time in the race and became the first horse to win the Derby, Irish Derby and Arc. (PA)

Filed by Johnny Proby