Champion juvenile Pinatubo retired to stud

PA Sport Reporters
October 9, 2020 3:38 pm

Godolphin call time on the career of star colt.

Pinatubo, last year’s champion juvenile, has been retired to stand at Dalham Hall Stud.

Trained by Charlie Appleby and owned by Godolphin, the son of Shamardal enjoyed a perfect two-year-old campaign, winning all six starts.

From humble beginnings at Wolverhampton, Pinatubo went on to win the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, before graduating to Group One glory with a nine-length verdict in the National Stakes at the Curragh.

Also successful in the Dewhurst at Newmarket, he earned a rating of 128 – the highest juvenile figure since Celtic Swing in 1994, with his mark putting him 2lb ahead of Frankel at that stage of his career.

Pinatubo was brilliant in the National Stakes at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

Appleby’s charge started this season as a beaten odds-on favourite when third in the 2000 Guineas and then finished second in the St James’s Palace Stakes, before getting back to winning ways in France in the Group One Prix Jean Prat.

He was last seen when a fast-finishing second in the Prix du Moulin behind Persian King at the beginning of September.

“It has been a great honour and privilege to train a horse of this calibre and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed has taken great pleasure in following his career,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com

“To have a homebred, especially a descendent of the late Shamardal, is fantastic for the breeding operation and we look forward to seeing him stand at Dalham Hall Stud.”