Gay Gallanta

Gay Gallanta
Racing colours of Cheveley Park Stud
Sire	Woodman
Grandsire	Mr. Prospector
Dam	Gallanta
Damsire	Nureyev
Sex	Mare
Foaled	27 March 1992
Country	United States
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Flaxman Holdings
Owner	Cheveley Park Stud
Trainer	Michael Stoute
Record	10: 2-2-1
Earnings	₤137,346[1]
Major wins
Queen Mary Stakes (1994) Cheveley Park Stakes (1994)
Awards
European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (1994)
Last updated on January 12, 2007

Gay Gallanta is an American-bred, British-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and successful broodmare. She was awarded the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the 1994 Cartier Racing Awards. In her championship season she won two of her five starts; the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group Three Queen Mary Stakes.

Background

Gay Gallanta is a chestnut mare, bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings Ltd, the American breeding division of the Niarchos family's racing interests.^[2] She was sired by Woodman out of the Nureyev mare Gallanta.

Woodman, a son of Mr. Prospector, was a highly successful stallion, siring the winners of more than twenty Group One races including the champions Bosra Sham, Hawk Wing and Hector Protector.^[3] Gallanta produced at least twelve winners after a racing career which included a win in the Prix de Cabourg and a second place in the Prix Morny. As daughter of Gay Missile, Gallanta was closely related to the leading American thoroughbreds Summer Squall, A. P. Indy and Lemon Drop Kid.^[4]

Gay Gallanta was sent to the Keeneland July sales as yearling where she was bought for $350,000 by the BBA.^[5]

She was trained throughout her career by Michael Stoute at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Racing career

1994: two-years-old season

Gay Gallanta's debut was not a particularly promising one, as she finished fifth of the ten runners in a maiden race at Sandown Park Racecourse at the end of May. She was nevertheless sent to Royal Ascot for the Queen Mary Stakes, the first Group race of the season for two-year-old fillies. She started as a 16/1 outsider but belied her odds by taking the lead two furlongs and running on well to hold off the strong challenge of Myself to win by a head.^[6][7] The field proved to be a strong one: Myself went on to win the Nell Gwyn Stakes, while the third placed Hoh Magic won the Group One Prix Morny later that season.

Gay Gallanta's next appearance came two months later at York in the Lowther Stakes for which she was made joint-favourite with Harayir, to whom she was set to concede three pounds. She was held up in the early stages by Walter Swinburn before making a challenge in the straight. She could never reach the impressive Harayir however, and was beaten three lengths. Unusually for a leading two-year-old filly, she was then tried against colts, and finished third to Princely Hush in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.

On her final start of the season, Gay Gallanta was sent to Newmarket for the Cheveley Park Stakes, one of the two Group One races for two-year-old fillies in Britain. She was largely ignored in the betting, starting at 14/1 while Harayir was made 9/4 favourite. Ridden by Pat Eddery, Gay Gallanta tracked the leaders before making a strong effort in the last quarter mile. She ran on "gamely" under pressure to take the lead in the closing stages and win by half a length from Tanami, with Harayir third.^[8]

Looking back on the two-year-old fillies of 1994, Sue Montgomery, writing in The Independent commented that they "kept beating each other, but there was much to admire about the determination of Gay Gallanta."^[9]

1995: three-year-old season

Gay Gallanta failed to win in five starts as a three-year-old. She started joint-favourite for the Fred Darling Stakes, a trial race for the 1000 Guineas, but could finish only fifth behind Aqaarid. In the Guineas itself she made little impression when finishing seventh to Harayir.

Another disappointing effort followed in the Coronation Stakes, but she showed a return to something like her best form in the Falmouth Stakes. After looking outpaced at one stage, she "rallied" strongly and just failed to catch Caramba, finishing second by a short head, with Harayir third.^[10] She had shown impressive acceleration and, before the result of the photo-finish was announced, most observers were convinced that she had won.^[11]

Two weeks later she was dropped down to Listed class for the Oak Tree Stakes but finished seventh of the ten runners behind Brief Glimpse. She was then retired to stud.

Race record

Date	Race	Dist (f)	Course	Class	Prize (£K)	Odds	Runners	Placing	Margin	Time	Jockey	Trainer
30 May 1994	EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes	5	Sandown	M	3	4/1	11	5	4.75	1:03.64	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute
15 June 1994	Queen Mary Stakes	5	Ascot	3	26	16/1	16	1	head	1:01.65	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute
18 August 1994	Lowther Stakes	6	York	2	43	2/1	6	2	3	1:11.14	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute
17 September 1994	Mill Reef Stakes	6	Newbury	2	31	4/1	9	3	2.25	1:17.23	Pat Eddery	Michael Stoute
27 September 1994	Cheveley Park Stakes	6	Newmarket Rowley	1	76	14/1	10	1	0.5	1:11.08	Pat Eddery	Michael Stoute
21 April 1995	Fred Darling Stakes	7	Newbury	1	22	9/4	8	5	4.5	1:28.37	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute
7 May 1995	1000 Guineas	8	Newmarket Rowley	1	110	10/1	14	7	6.25	1:36.72	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute
21 June 1995	Coronation Stakes	8	Ascot	1	119	12/1	10	5	11	1:38.58	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute
12 July 1995	Falmouth Stakes	8	Newmarket July	2	34	8/1	5	2	short head	1:40.17	Pat Eddery	Michael Stoute
25 July 1995	Oak Tree Stakes	7	Goodwood	Listed	20	3/1	10	7	9.75	1:23.88	Frankie Dettori	Michael Stoute

Assessment

In the 1994 Cartier Racing Awards, Gay Gallanta was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.^[12]

She was rated the second best two-year-old filly in Europe by the International Classification for 1994.^[13]

Stud career

Gay Gallanta was retired to her owners' Cheveley Park Stud at Newmarket. She has proved to be a successful broodmare, producing eight winners. Her best foal has been Byron (by Green Desert) who won the Mill Reef Stakes and the Lennox Stakes.^[14]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Gay Gallanta (USA), chestnut mare, 1992^[15]

Sire Woodman (USA) 1983	Mr. Prospector 1970	Raise A Native	Native Dancer
			Raise You
		Gold Digger	Nashua
			Sequence
	Playmate 1975	Buckpasser	Tom Fool
			Busanda
		Intriguing	Swaps
			Glamour
Dam Gallanta (USA) 1982	Nureyev 1969	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
			Natalma
		Special	Forli
			Thong
	Gay Missile 1967	Sir Gaylord	Turn-To
			Somethingroyal
		Missy Baba	My Babu
			Uvira (Family: 3-l[4])

References

1. "Gay Gallanta form". Racing Post. 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
2. "Stavros Niarchos/The Niarchos Family/Flaxman Holdings". Breederscup.com. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
3. "Woodman Stud Record". Bloodstock.racingpost.com. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
4. "Mayonaise - Family 3-L". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
5. "Gallanta Statistics". Bloodstock.racingpost.com. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
6. "Queen Mary Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
7. "Racing / Royal Ascot: Kinane finds perfection". The Independent. 1994-06-16. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
8. "Cheveley Park Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
9. "Wonder horse on an upswing - Sport". The Independent. 1995-03-26. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
10. "Falmouth Stakes result". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
11. "Eddery is battered by bans - Sport". The Independent. 1995-07-13. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
12. "CPS: Awards". Cheveleypark.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
13. "Al Jadeed Brings Forty Niner Blood to New Zealand". Thoroughbred-news.com. 2004-08-30. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
14. "Byron form". Racing Post. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
15. "Gay Gallanta pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-06-30.