Goldikova

For instance, she was a stunning six-length winner of the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in 2009 and her first two visits to British shores yielded victories in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. These days, both those races form part of QIPCO British Champions Series. 

Goldikova was ridden by Oliver Peslier in all 27 of her races. On several occasions, the dynamic duo would loiter off the pace before sweeping past rivals in the closing stages. It made for absorbing viewing, not least because at times it seemed like Peslier did not so much count to dix, as cinquante, before finally inviting his partner to kick into turbo. For her part, Goldikova seemed to relish the theatre of it all and invariably ended up stealing the show. 

By the end of her career, she had won 17 races and finished either second or third on another nine occasions. She had a tremendous constitution and was out of the frame just once, when making her seasonal reappearance at Longchamp in 2009. 

Her adoring Fan Club memorably included nine men and women who turned up at Deauville in 2011 in matching caps and navy sweatshirts, each adorned with a letter of her name emblazoned on the front. They had to stand in a specific order for it all not to become a jumbled mess but, to avoid any doubt, also carried around a banner which read “Come on Goldikova – you are our Queen”. 

It was a sentiment shared by many, but she had her quirks. She liked her own space and never cared for visitors to her stable but, thankfully, her work rider and groom Thierry Blaise, head groom Bruno Huet and farrier Nicolas Ricaud were among a select few allowed into her box without fear of reprisal. That grace was not afforded to Head, as she was renowned for trying to bite him, or kick out in her box, when he approached.  

Goldikova’s sire, Anabaa, had been a top-class sprinter, when ridden by Head, while her dam, Born Gold, was a winning daughter of the outstanding Blushing Groom. At under 16 hands and weighing around 480kg, she did not stand out from the crowd and her lack of size was initially a concern. However, she made an instant impression by winning both her races as a two-year-old, over a mile at Chantilly at the backend of the 2007 season. 

Early the following campaign she was placed behind Zarkava in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) and Prix de Diane (French Oaks). In the former, she unseated Peslier at the start – she could, to put it politely, be a little playful at the gates – and stumbled early on. Zarkava would go on to finish her glittering career unbeaten in seven starts, signing off with victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. 

As Zarkava moved up in distance, Goldikova dropped back to a mile. She stayed over that distance for much of her subsequent career, occasionally moving up or down a furlong along the journey. Her 14 Group 1 triumphs comprised four victories in the Prix Rothschild (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), those triumphs in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (2008, 2009, 2010), two successes in the Prix d’Ispahan (2010, 2011) plus wins in the Prix du Moulin (2008), Falmouth Stakes (2009), Prix Jacques Le Marois (2009), Queen Anne Stakes (2010) and Prix de la Forêt (2010). 

Goldikova’s first run in England ended with a convincing success in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and the following year, she returned for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.  A wide-margin win looked on the cards when she cruised to the front two furlongs out and eased three lengths clear, but she idled and ended up having only a neck to spare over Paco Boy, the defending champion, who had won the Lockinge Stakes the previous month. 

“She was taking it easy. This is one of the great racemares of all time,” Willie Carson, the former champion jockey and now QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Famer, told BBC viewers. Paco Boy would end up meeting Goldikova five times, finishing behind her each time. 

Naturally, though, she is best remembered for her historic Breeders’ Cup hat-trick. The first two were achieved in contrasting style at Santa Anita in California and had more than a touch of Hollywood about them. 

On the first occasion, when sent off the 9/4 favourite, Goldikova had a handy, stalking position most of the way only to get boxed in turning for home. The commentator suggested “she has nowhere to go” but a moment later, when a gap presented itself, she burst through it to score by a length and a quarter from Kip Deville, who had taken the spoils the previous year. In the process, Head became the first person to have ridden and trained a Breeders’ Cup Mile winner, having guided Miesque to glory in 1987 and 1988. 

Twelve months later, she went off 13/8 favourite despite being drawn widest of all and, unlike the previous year, being up against other leading European contenders. These included Delegator, runner-up to Sea The Stars in the 2000 Guineas, and Zacinto, who had chased home Rip Van Winkle in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. 

Goldikova was last in the early stages and still had seven rivals to pass in the straight. She quickened once to get to get on the heels of Courageous Cat, the leader, and then dug into her reserves to overhaul him and win by half a length. 

In 2010, she headed the market at 6/4 for her date with destiny, but there was another wide draw to contend with, not to mention Gio Ponti, who had been runner-up to Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic a year before, and the persistent Paco Boy. Goldikova was obliged to race on the outside in midfield and briefly looked in trouble turning into the home straight, only to show her customary acceleration and end up winning by almost two lengths from Gio Ponti.  

It would have been easy for her connections to retire her on the spot, but instead she returned as a six-year-old, having spent the winter, as usual, at the Wertheimer stud, in Normandy. She fended off Cirrus Des Aigles by a neck on her return in the Prix D’Ispahan and would also win a fourth Prix Rothschild, plus she also gave her all when runner-up in the Queen Anne (behind Canford Cliffs), Jacques Le Marois (Immortal Verse) and Prix De La Foret (Dream Ahead).  

Her season had been geared towards a fourth Breeders’ Cup triumph, back at Churchill Downs, and when she hit the front a furlong for home it seemed the dream would be realised. However, she couldn’t quite finish the job and was caught by both Court Vision and Turallure in the closing stages. The pouncer had herself been pounced on. 

Goldikova went on to produce several foals, most notably Terrakova, a Group 3 winner who was also a close third in the French Oaks. She evoked fond memories of her mum, but racing was only ever going to get one bite at getting a mare quite like her.