Postponed

DUBAWI’S SONS Night Of Thunder and New Bay are blazing a trail for their sire in their first seasons at stud and Postponed, officially rated a better racehorse than both of them, is aiming to follow hot on their heels as their sire’s influence continues to increase.

A 360,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase, Postponed hails from a speedy family that contains a number of classy juveniles up close and it’s unsurprising that he was able to make his debut for Luca Cumani in a 7f maiden during Newmarket’s July meeting. He was successful on his second start, again over 7f, and then finished second in the 7f Tattersalls Millions Two Year Old Trophy on his final run of the season.

He began his three-year-old campaign on the Classic trail finishing third to Toormore and The Grey Gatsby in the mile Group 3 Craven Stakes and filled the same position in the 1m2f Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot. He won his first black-type contest over 1m3f when taking Hamilton’s Listed Glasgow Stakes, and followed that up with success in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes. At four he won the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Group 2 Prix Foy, and was also third in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh.

He moved yards after his success in the Prix Foy and travelled to Dubai for his first race for Roger Varian, who used the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold as a successful springboard to a winning run in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.

Back in England after his winter in the sun he continued in a winning mood beating Found to win the Group 1 Coronation Cup and Highland Reel again, this time in the Group 1 Juddmonte International.

Bred by St Albans Bloodstock, Postponed’s younger Nathaniel half-sister God Given provided Luca Cumani with a fairytale ending to his training career when she won the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio on her final run.

The pair are out of Ever Rigg, a Dubai Destination daughter of Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Bianca Nera (Salse). She is a half-sister to Hotelgeniedotcom, the Selkirk filly who was placed in both the Moyglare and the Fillies’ Mile (G1), and the dam of Group 1 Falmouth Stakes winner Simply Perfect (Danehill).

Postponed was retired at a fee of £20,000 and covered 106 mares in his first season. Amongst those in his first book included Portmanteau, the dam of Group 1 winner and Darley sire Hunter’s Light, who produced a filly by him, and Fallen Star, dam of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes winner Fallen For You, in turn the dam of Group 2 winner Glorious Journey (Dubawi). Mount Elbrus, the grand-dam of 2019 European champion two-year-old Pinatubo, was also covered by Postponed in 2019 and she has yearling filly by him. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, in whose colours Postponed raced, sent his Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Ajman Princess (Teofilo) to the sire for her first covering and she produced a filly.

At the foal sales, 15 of Postponed’s first crop were offered with 11 of them changing hands for an average of 67,145gns, more than three times his covering fee.

The most expensive foal from the first crop of Postponed was the half-brother to the Group 1 Poule D’Essai des Pouliches fourth Tropbeau. Consigned by Norris Bloodstock, he was purchased by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 280,000gns.

Langton Stud’s Postponed colt out of Shemya also broke the six-figure barrier at that sale making 150,000gns to Yeomanstown Stud.

Racing Form

20 runs, nine wins, nine places | Best Timeform Rating: 130 | Average winning distance: 11.17f

Stakes form

AT 3 Won Neptune Great Voltigeur Stakes, York, Gr.2, (11½f. beating Snow Sky (GB) and Odeon (GB)), EBF Stallions Glasgow Stakes, Hamilton Park, L., (11f. beating Double Bluff (IRE) and Impulsive Moment (IRE)), third in Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.3, (to Toormore (IRE)), Tercentenary Stakes, Ascot, Gr.3, (to Cannock Chase (USA)).

AT 4 Top rated older horse in England in 2015 (11-13f.). Won King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (11½f. beating Eagle Top (GB) and Romsdal (GB)), Qatar Prix Foy, Parislongchamp, Gr.2, (12f. beating Spiritjim (FR) and Baino Hope (FR)), second in Gordon Richards Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3, (to Western Hymn (GB)), third in Tattersalls Gold Cup, Curragh, Gr.1, (to Al Kazeem (GB)), Hardwicke Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, (to Snow Sky (GB)).

AT 5 Champion older horse in Europe in 2016. Won Investec Queen Elizabeth Coronation Cup, Epsom Downs, Gr.1, (12f. beating Found (IRE) and Roseburg (IRE)), Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, (10f. beating Highland Reel (IRE) and Mutakayyef (GB)), Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Meydan, Gr.1, (12f. beating Duramente (JPN) and Last Impact (JPN)), SkyCargo Dubai City of Gold Stakes, Meydan, Gr.2, (12f. beating Dariyan (FR) and Haafaguinea.

AT 6 Second in SkyCargo Dubai City of Gold Stakes, Meydan, Gr.2, (to Prize Money (GB)), third in Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Meydan, Gr.1, (to Jack Hobbs (GB)).