Thirty years on and Bin Suroor will never forget Lammtarra
Saeed bin Suroor had not held a licence for long when he saddled the chestnut on that first Saturday in June.
In fact, he did not even train Lammtarra when the flashy colt made a winning debut in a Listed race in August 1994, his only run at two. That honour went to Alex Scott, who was tragically shot dead by a groom at his stud in Newmarket just a month later.
Lammtarra was transferred to the care of the little known at the time Bin Suroor and the rest, as they say, is history.
In a classy renewal, Walter Swinburn delivered his inexperienced partner late to deny Tamure and a certain Frankie Dettori, who would go on to have a long and successful partnership with Bin Suroor.
The history of the Turf is long and illustrious. But there have been few careers like that of Lammtarra. In just four lifetime starts he won the Derby, the King George and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the three most prestigious mile-and-a-half races in Europe.
Bin Suroor has since been champion trainer four times and trained 12 further Classic winners – but he knows he owes a massive debt to Lammtarra.
His string is much smaller these days, but he proved when Mawj won the 1000 Guineas just two years ago that given the right ammunition he is still capable of winning the biggest races.
He had runners in both the 1000 and 2000 Guineas this year, in Elwateen and Tornado Alert respectively, and both outran their big odds to finish fourth. Tornado Alert now tries to win him a second Derby.
'It is 30 years since Lammtarra which seems a long time, it would be great to win it again, it's the biggest race so it makes me want to win it more,' said Bin Suroor.
'The reason it is so special is because it is very hard to win, only one horse can win it every year.
'I remember Lammtarra well. We got him at the end of his two-year-old season and we obviously knew he was good as he won a Listed race on his debut.
'We took him out to Dubai to train and he was working very well. He was not a big horse, he was quite small, but he had a big engine with a big heart and a good turn of foot.
'He used to work with all our good horses and I never saw him lose a gallop.'
Of course one of the quirks of the racing and breeding industries is the more successful a colt is on the track at three, the less chance there is of them racing on at four as they become so valuable, and that was the case with Lammtarra.
'Once he had won the Derby we felt we only wanted him to run in the biggest races,' Bin Suroor went on.
'We took him to the King George and the Arc, the toughest races, but every time he held his form.
'He was a rare horse because what he showed you in the morning he also showed you on the track, they don't always. He was so special.'
Bin Suroor went on to train Dubai Millennium, who failed to stay when tried in the 1999 Derby won by Oath. But that was his only defeat in 10 races, being at his best over a mile and 10 furlongs.
'Lammtarra was the best I trained over a mile and a half. Dubai Millennium didn't stay in the Derby, but we had to try. Over 10 furlongs Dubai Millennium would have been the best,' he said.
'To win the Derby, the King George and the Arc, the three biggest mile-and-a-half races tells you he was the best at that distance – on any ground, too, as he won the Derby on fast ground and the Arc on heavy.
'I owe him a lot, he came early in my career and achieved so much.
'The Derby is the best race in the world, it is so hard to win, for me to win it not long after starting meant so much. The winner is the best and to win it is very special for the horse, the owner and the trainer.
'I would love to win a Derby for Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin now.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
17 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Allonsy takes Listed honours in Pontefract feature
Ralph Beckett's Allonsy got back to winning ways in the Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes. The Kirsten Rausing-owned and bred filly had won three handicaps in a row last season before finishing second in Listed company at Ascot. This season she had struggled at Goodwood and York, but she went into this Listed contest as the highest-rated in the field and fought out the finish with Karmology, who brought the second-highest figure. Hector Crouch on the 7-1 chance ranged up alongside Karl Burke's mare inside the final furlong and eventually got on top to win by a neck. Beckett's Meribella was third. Crouch told Racing TV: 'It looked a nice race for her, she'd been pushed in at the deep end in Group Three company so to drop back into Listed class and get her head in front was very important for her owner/breeder. 'She's extremely hardy. Once we got her figured out in her three-year-old career she did nothing but improve and she finished second in a Listed race at Ascot at the back-end of last year. 'She was a little bit frustrating last year until we switched to riding her really prominently, she's grown up quite a lot now and you don't have to ride her quite as forwards. 'We can go back up in grade now to see if she can gain more black type for her family, we've nothing to lose.'
The Herald Scotland
18 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Allonsy takes Listed honours in Pontefract feature
This season she had struggled at Goodwood and York, but she went into this Listed contest as the highest-rated in the field and fought out the finish with Karmology, who brought the second-highest figure. Hector Crouch on the 7-1 chance ranged up alongside Karl Burke's mare inside the final furlong and eventually got on top to win by a neck. Beckett's Meribella was third. Crouch told Racing TV: 'It looked a nice race for her, she'd been pushed in at the deep end in Group Three company so to drop back into Listed class and get her head in front was very important for her owner/breeder. 'She's extremely hardy. Once we got her figured out in her three-year-old career she did nothing but improve and she finished second in a Listed race at Ascot at the back-end of last year. 'She was a little bit frustrating last year until we switched to riding her really prominently, she's grown up quite a lot now and you don't have to ride her quite as forwards. 'We can go back up in grade now to see if she can gain more black type for her family, we've nothing to lose.'
Powys County Times
20 hours ago
- Powys County Times
O'Brien working back from the Arc with Los Angeles
Los Angeles will have the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on his agenda in the autumn, as he now heads for a mid-season break following his below-par display in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Last year's Irish Derby winner went to Royal Ascot unbeaten in two starts this year and was sent off the 13-8 favourite for the 10-furlong feature on Wednesday after registering the third Group One of his career in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month. However, he could only finish fifth, beaten seven lengths behind impressive winner Ombudsman, with trainer Aidan O'Brien now inclined to freshen up his leading middle-distance performer before returning to Paris in the autumn, where he was third 12 months ago. O'Brien said: 'He's going to have a little break now and he'll come back for an Arc prep and then go to the Arc. 'The 10 furlongs was always going to be a bit tight for him and he's always been a mile-and-a-half horse. He stayed at 10 as it suited us to stick there for now. 'He'll have something like the Royal Whip or something at the Curragh (August 16) on the way to the Arc.'
