Preseli (horse)

Preseli (foaled 10 February 1997) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the best two-year-olds in Ireland in 1999 when she was undefeated in three races including the Debutante Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes. In the following spring she took her winning streak to four when she won the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial but was beaten in her next three races that year, producing her best subsequent effort when narrowly beaten in the Pretty Polly Stakes. In 2001 she raced in North America, but failed to reproduce her European form. As a broodmare she has produced several minor winners.

Preseli
Sire	Caerleon
Grandsire	Nijinsky
Dam	Hill of Snow
Damsire	Reference Point
Sex	Mare
Foaled	10 February 1997[1]
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Abergwaun Farms
Owner	Neil Jones
Trainer	Michael Grassick Michael Dickinson
Record	9: 4-1-0
Earnings	£137,415
Major wins
Debutante Stakes (1999) Moyglare Stud Stakes (1999) Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial (2000)

Background

Preseli is a bay mare bred by her owner, Neil Jones, at Pembrokeshire-based Abergwaun Farms and was named after the local Preseli Hills of west Wales. She was sent into training with Michael Grassick at the Curragh and was ridden in all of her European races by Eddie Ahern.

Her sire, Caerleon, won the Prix du Jockey Club and the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup in 1983 and went on to become an "excellent" breeding stallion, siring the winners of more than 700 races including Generous, Marienbard, Moonax and Warrsan.[2] Preseli's was the first foal of her dam Hill of Snow[3] who showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race from nine starts,[4] but did better as broodmare, producing Snowfire (runner-up in the 1000 Guineas), Kong (Lingfield Derby Trial)[5] and Mount Kilimanjaro (Further Flight Stakes). Hill of Snow was a daughter of the Kentucky Oaks winner White Star Line.[6]

Racing career

1999: two-year-old season

Preseli made her racecourse debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Roscommon Racecourse on 4 July and started at odds of 7/1 in a ten-runner field. She was restrained by Ahern in the early running and was still in seventh place entering the last quarter mile but then made rapid progress, took the lead inside the final furlong and won by a length from the John Oxx-trained favourite Potentille.[7] On 22 August the filly was moved up in class for the Listed Debutante Stakes over the same distance at Leopardstown Racecourse and started 7/1 second choice in the betting behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Amethyst who was made the 1/4 favourite. After racing fourth of the six runners she made steady progress in the straight, caught the front-running Amethyst in the final strides, and won by three quarters of a length.[8]

Preseli was stepped up to Group 1 class and started at odds of 9/1 for the Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 5 September. The British-trained Littlefeather started favourite after an impressive win at Chester, while the other ten runners included Amethyst, Torgau and Eurolink Raindance (second in the Sweet Solera Stakes). Torgau set the pace and opened up a clear lead approaching the final furlong as Preseli began to make rapid progress. Preseli caught Torgau in the closing stages and won by three quarters of a length with Littlefeather a length and a half away in third.[9] After the race Eddie Ahern said "She travelled well all the way and really quickened when I asked her to go" while Michael Grassick commented "Preseli is in the Irish 1,000 guineas and the Irish Oaks next season, and I think she will stay a mile and a half because the further they went today the stronger she was finishing".[10]

2000: three-year-old season

On 14 May, Preseli began her second campaign in the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial over one mile and, despite carrying a seven-pound weight penalty for her Group 1 win, started 7/4 favourite against eight opponents headed by the C L Weld Park Stakes winner Theoretically. After settling in second place she took the lead a furlong and a half from the finish and held off the late challenge of Storm Dream to win by a short head.[11] At the Curragh two weeks later the filly attempted to take her unbeaten run to five when she started 5/1 second favourite for the Irish 1000 Guineas but never looked likely to win and finished unplaced behind Crimplene. Grassick later explained that the filly had been in season at the time.[12]

Preseli was moved up in distance for the Pretty Polly Stakes (then a Group 2 race) over ten furlongs at the Curragh on 1 July in which she was matched against older fillies and mares. Starting at odds of 6/1 she finished strongly but failed by a short head to catch the Barry Hills-trained Lady Upstage, to whom she was conceding five pounds in weight. Ahern received a suspension for "excessive use of the whip" on the filly.[13] In the Irish Oaks two weeks later Preseli raced in third place before fading badly in the straight and came home ninth of the ten runners in a race won by Petrushka.

2001: four-year-old season

For the 2001 season, Preseli was transferred to the United States, where she was trained by the Englishman Michael Dickinson. She made little impact in her two races, finishing unplaced in the Waya Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in September and then running seventh in the Grade III Athenia Handicap at Belmont Park in the following month.[14]

Breeding record

At the end of her racing career Preseli was retired to become a broodmare for Abergwaun Farms. In November 2011 she was offered for sale at Keeneland and was bought for $50,000 by the bloodstock agent R J Bennett. Four years later she returned to the sales ring at Keeneland and was sold to Aaron Sones for $16,000.[15] She has produced at least nine foals and six winners:

• Village Singer, a bay filly, foaled in 2004, sired by Rahy. Won one race.[16]
• Arizona John, bay colt (later gelded), by Rahy. Won ten races.[17]
• A Girl, bay filly, 2006, by Sadler's Wells. Won one race.[18]
• Mountain Woman, bay filly, 2008, by Montjeu. Failed to win in 14 races.
• Echoes In The Wind, bay filly, 2009, by Montjeu. Unplaced in her only race.
• Hapiboy, bay colt (gelded), 2011, by A.P. Indy. Won one race.[19]
• Preseli's Pulpit, bay filly, 2012, by Pulpit. Won one race.[20]
• Tale of Preseli, bay filly, 2013, by Tale of Ekati. Won two races.[21]
• Pretty Kitty, filly, 2016, by Tale of Ekati

Pedigree

Pedigree of Preseli, bay mare, 1997[1]

Sire Caerleon (USA) 1980	Nijinsky (CAN) 1967	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
			Natalma
		Flaming Page	Bull Page
			Flaring Top
	Foreseer (USA) 1969	Round Table	Princequillo
			Knight's Daughter
		Regal Gleam	Hail To Reason
			Miz Carol
Dam Hill of Snow (GB) 1992	Reference Point (GB) 1984	Mill Reef	Never Bend
			Milan Mill
		Home On The Range	Habitat
			Great Guns
	White Star Line (USA) 1975	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
			Natalma
		Fast Line	Mr Busher
			Throttle Wide (Family: 4-m)[6]

• Preseli was inbred 3 × 3 to Northern Dancer, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the third generation of her pedigree.

References

1. "Preseli pedigree". Equineline.
2. "Caerleon Stud Record". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
3. Tony Morris (7 September 1999). "Another Pattern star for Caerleon" – via The Free Library.
4. "Hill Of Snow – Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
5. "Dunlop triumphs in Classic trials". BBC. 7 May 2005.
6. "Magnolia – Family 4-m". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
7. "EBF Fillies Maiden". Racing Post. 4 July 1999.
8. "Debutante Fillies Stakes result". Racing Post. 22 August 1999.
9. "Moyglare Stud Stakes result". Racing Post. 5 September 1999.
10. Damien McElroy (6 September 1999). "Preseli triumphs for Grassick". Irish Independent.
11. "Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial result". Racing Post. 14 May 2000.
12. "Irish 1000 Guineas result". Racing Post. 28 May 2000.
13. "Pretty Polly Stakes result". Racing Post. 1 July 2000.
14. "Preseli – Profiles". Equibase.
15. "Hill Of Snow – Progeny Sales". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10.
16. "Village Singer – Profiles". Equibase.
17. "Arizona John – Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
18. "A Girl – Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
19. "Hapiboy – Profiles". Equibase.
20. "Preseli's Pulpit – Profiles". Equibase.
21. "Tale of Preseli – Profiles". Equibase.