Top European 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica retired to Coolmore
St Mark’s Basilica has been retired to stud, cutting short a career that already had made him one of the three highest-rated horses in the world.
Aidan O’Brien, who trains St Mark’s Basilica for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor, put the decision to retire St Mark’s Basilica down to an unfortunate injury sustained in August when the colt during training threw a front horseshoe that struck him in the hind leg. Sore, he was unable to make an intended start in the Juddmonte International, and while he came back to gallantly win the Irish Champion Stakes over Tarnawa, St Mark’s Basilica drifted badly to his right through the final furlong. Hints of retirement came right after the Irish Champion and the final decision was made Monday.
The timing works well for Coolmore, which will stand St Mark’s Basilica and hope he can go some way to filling the hole left in their stallion roster with the 2021 death of foundation sire Galileo. St Mark’s Basilica is by Siyouni and out of the Galileo mare Cabaret, a Grade 3 winner who also produced Magna Grecia, winner of the 2000 Guineas in 2019.
St Mark’s Basilica raced five times at age 2, winning a maiden race in Ireland and capping his campaign with victory in the Group 1 Dewhurst, a sign of things to come at age 3. He went to France to win the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, and returned to land the Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby. Getting eight pounds from his older rivals Addeybb and Mishriff, he won the Eclipse Stakes on July 3 before taking the measure of Tarnawa, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, and high-class 3-year-old Poetic Flare in the Irish Champion.