Istabraq

Istabraq
Sire	Sadler's Wells
Dam	Betty's Secret
Damsire	Secretariat
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	1992
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Shadwell Estate Co.
Owner	Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum John P. McManus
Trainer	Aidan O'Brien
Record	40: 25-7-0 11: 2-4-0 (Flat) 29: 23-3-0 (Hurdle)
Earnings	£1,053,385
Major wins
Champion Hurdle (1998, 1999, 2000) Irish Champion Hurdle (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) Future Champions Novice Hurdle (1996) Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (1996) Deloitte Novice Hurdle (1997) Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle (1997) Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle (1997) Hatton's Grace Hurdle (1997, 1998) December Festival Hurdle (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001) Aintree Hurdle (1999) Punchestown Champion Hurdle (1999) John James McManus Memorial Hurdle (1997, 1998, 1999)
Awards
Timeform rating: 180
Honours
Istabraq Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown
Last updated on December 18, 2006

Istabraq (born 23 May 1992) is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was most famous for his hurdling. He won the Champion Hurdle on three occasions. He was trained by Aidan O'Brien and owned by John Patrick McManus. Jockey Charlie Swan rode him in all of his 29 races over jumps.

Early life

Istabraq was bred for the flat, being by Sadler's Wells, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas over 1 mile. Istabraq was tried unsuccessfully over a mile and failed to please his handlers and owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Shadwell Racing and a partner in his family's Godolphin Stables.

Jumps racing

The horse was sold to John Durkan who had been an assistant to John Gosden with the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle as the target for the Cheltenham Festival. Durkan started training the horse but was diagnosed with leukemia and suggested that Aidan O'Brien train Istabraq while he was ill. The agreement was that when Durkan recovered, he would take over the training. However, he died just before Istabraq won the 1998 Irish Champion Hurdle. O'Brien continued to train the horse afterwards, and Durkan remained in the thoughts of the horse's connections. When riding the horse back after his 1998 Champion Hurdle win, jockey Charlie Swan said, 'This one's for John,' in an interview with Channel 4's Lesley Graham.

Debut season

Istabraq was beaten in his hurdling debut, finishing a short head second of ten over two miles. He won his next three races before taking the 2m5f Royal & Sun Alliance Novice hurdle at Cheltenham. He ran one more time that season, beating the Sun Alliance 5th Soldat by 9 lengths at Punchestown.

1997/1998

In the next season, Istabraq won at Cheltenham by 12 lengths. He was then upset at Aintree by Pridwell over heavy ground. He did not race again that season.

1998/1999

The following year, Istabraq was unbeaten going into the Cheltenham hill in March for his second champion hurdle. He finished the season with wins at the Aintree and Punchestown festivals.

1999/2000

In this season, Istabraq was turned over by Limestone Lad on soft ground. At Cheltenham, he won by 4 lengths from Hors La Loi III. This victory was his fourth straight win at Cheltenham. He was put away for the season

2000/2001

On his reappearance at Leopardstown the following season, Istabraq looked slightly heavier than usual. He then fell for the first time ever. In his next start, he won, although the winner of the race in which he fell, Moscow Flyer, had this time fallen himself. In Istabraq's next start, Istabraq again fell at the final flight, with Moscow Flyer taking the race. Before the 2001 festival, cases of foot and mouth disease started to appear in Britain. The festival was therefore aborted.

2001/2002

Istabraq reappeared the following season to defeat Bust Out by a head in December.

He attempted to defend his title at the 2002 Cheltenham Festival but his jockey, Charlie Swan, pulled him up just before the end of the first circuit saying he was never happy with the horse, who was later found to have pulled muscles in his back. The race was won by Hors La Loi III. Istabraq was retired after the race.

Retirement

Istabraq currently lives at the Martinstown home of owner JP McManus.

References

Istabraq's pedigree and partial racing stats
Istabraq - The Quest for Greatness (video)
Racing Post Istabraq file

Champion Hurdle winners

1927 Blaris 1928 Brown Jack 1929 Royal Falcon 1930 Brown Tony 1932 Insurance 1933 Insurance 1934 Chenango 1935 Lion Courage 1936 Victor Norman 1937 Free Fare 1938 Our Hope 1939 African Sister ♥ 1940 Solford 1941 Seneca 1942 Forestation 1945 Brains Trust 1946 Distel 1947 National Spirit 1948 National Spirit 1949 Hatton's Grace 1950 Hatton's Grace 1951 Hatton's Grace 1952 Sir Ken 1953 Sir Ken 1954 Sir Ken 1955 Clair Soleil 1956 Doorknocker 1957 Merry Deal 1958 Bandalore 1959 Fare Time 1960 Another Flash 1961 Eborneezer 1962 Anzio 1963 Winning Fair 1964 Magic Court 1965 Kirriemuir 1966 Salmon Spray 1967 Saucy Kit 1968 Persian War 1969 Persian War 1970 Persian War 1971 Bula 1972 Bula 1973 Comedy of Errors 1974 Lanzarote 1975 Comedy of Errors 1976 Night Nurse 1977 Night Nurse 1978 Monksfield 1979 Monksfield 1980 Sea Pigeon 1981 Sea Pigeon 1982 For Auction 1983 Gaye Brief 1984 Dawn Run ♥ 1985 See You Then 1986 See You Then 1987 See You Then 1988 Celtic Shot 1989 Beech Road 1990 Kribensis 1991 Morley Street 1992 Royal Gait 1993 Granville Again 1994 Flakey Dove ♥ 1995 Alderbrook 1996 Collier Bay 1997 Make A Stand 1998 Istabraq 1999 Istabraq 2000 Istabraq 2002 Hors La Loi III 2003 Rooster Booster 2004 Hardy Eustace 2005 Hardy Eustace 2006 Brave Inca 2007 Sublimity 2008 Katchit 2009 Punjabi 2010 Binocular 2011 Hurricane Fly 2012 Rock On Ruby 2013 Hurricane Fly 2014 Jezki 2015 Faugheen 2016 Annie Power ♥

Legend - ♥ = Mare

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