Bago (horse)
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Bago, born on the 3rd February 2001 in France was the European champion Thoroughbred race horse at two and three, bred by the Niarchos family. Bago is best known for winning the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe amongst his five Group 1 successes.
Bago's dam Moonlight’s Box, a daughter of the Champion Sire Nureyev, who also sired Miesque the dual Breeders' Cup winner, she in turn is out of Group 1 winning Coup de Genie a full sister to Machiavellian. Bago’s sire Nashwan a horse who in 1989 achieved that which no other horse has yet achieved, winning the 2000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse and the King George VI in one season.
Trained by Chantilly based Englishman Jonathan Pease, also renowned for being the mentor of many top class horses including Tikkanen, Act One, Spinning World etc, Bago was ridden during his entire career by top French jockey Thierry Gillet. Bago won all four starts as a two year old, including the Critérium de Saint-Cloud by six lengths.
Sadly for Bago, in 2004 he was hit by a virus that kept him off the track all spring and took him out of contention for the spring classics, however his return to Chantilly saw him win the Prix Jean Prat over nine furlongs, then to Longchamp for the Grand Prix de Paris. Following a brave third to another Niarchos family bred Prix du Jockey Club winner Sulamani at York in the Juddmonte International he ended his three year old career in brilliant style with his thrilling win in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In an amazing run, Bago stormed past his rivals in the home straight and beat Cherry Mix on the finishing line. This led to Bago being voted Cartier Three-Year-Old Champion Colt and earning the comment from this trainer, Jonathan Pease, that he ‘was the best horse that he had ever trained’.
In 2005 Bago only achieved one win out of his seven starts, however all his races were at the very highest level; they included racing in Ireland, Great Britain, the United States and Japan, as well as 3rd in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a 2nd in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and a 3rd in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Newbury, 4th in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont. In the Japan Cup he received a severe cut and the right hind shoe was torn off during the race which explained his first performance ever out of the first four in a total of 16 race career starts. Bago was tough and consistent at the top level of international racing and capable of an impressive turn of foot, which is unique to top class thoroughbreds like him.
Bago has been retired from racing and will start his first season at stud in Japan in 2006.
| Pedigree of Bago | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sire Nashwan |
Blushing Groom | Red God | Nasrullah |
| Spring Run | |||
| Runaway Bride | Wild Risk | ||
| Aimée | |||
| Height of Fashion | Bustino | Busted | |
| Ship Yard | |||
| Highclere | Queen's Hussar | ||
| Highlight | |||
| Dam Moonlight's Box |
Nureyev | Northern Dancer | Nearctic |
| Natalma | |||
| Special | Forli | ||
| Thong | |||
| Coup de Genie | Mr. Prospector | Raise a Native | |
| Gold Digger | |||
| Coup de Folie | Halo | ||
| Raise the Standard | |||
