| Minella Indo | |
|---|---|
 Racing silks of Barry Maloney | |
| Sire | Beat Hollow |
| Grandsire | Sadler's Wells |
| Dam | Carrigeen Lily |
| Damsire | Supreme Leader |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 18 April 2013[1] |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Mrs R H Lalor |
| Owner | Barry Maloney |
| Trainer | Henry de Bromhead |
| Record | 24: 8-5-4 |
| Earnings | £712,348 |
| Major wins | |
| Spa Novices' Hurdle (2019) Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle (2019) M W Hickey Memorial Chase (2020) BetVictor Make Your Best Bet Chase (2020) Cheltenham Gold Cup (2021) Metal Man Chase (2023) Irish Daily Star Chase (2023) | |
| Last updated on 13 April 2024 | |
Minella Indo (foaled 18 April 2013) is an Irishracehorse who competes inNational Hunt racing. He was one of the leadingNovices'Hurdlers 2018/19 season when he recorded Grade 1 victories in theSpa Novices' Hurdle andIrish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle. He made little impact in his first seasonover fences but emerged as a top class steeplechaser in the 2020/21 season as he won the M W Hickey Memorial Chase and the BetVictor Make Your Best Bet Chase before taking theCheltenham Gold Cup.
Minella Indo is a bay horse with a whitestar bred in Ireland by Mrs R H Lalor. As a foal in November 2013 he was consigned to theTattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale and was bought for €24,000 by John Nallen of Minella Racing.[2] He wasgelded before the start of his racing career.
He is one of the best horses sired byBeat Hollow whose wins included theGrand Prix de Paris and theArlington Million. Beat Hollow's other foals have includedSea Moon,Wicklow Brave (Irish St Leger), Cinders and Ashes (Supreme Novices' Hurdle) and Beaten Up (Doomben Cup).[3] Minella Indo's dam Carrigeen Lily, who foaled him when 22 years old, showed some racing ability, winning foursteeplechases from thirty-six attempts.[4] Her dam Carrigeensharragh was also a successful steeplechaser and a distant female-line descendant of the influential British broodmare Genuine.[5]
Minella Indo began his racing career on the amateurpoint-to-point circuit, and recorded an easy win in amaiden race over three miles onsoft to heavy ground atDromahane meeting on 18 March 2018.[6] He then entered the ownership of Barry Maloney and was sent into training withHenry De Bromhead atKnockeen,County Waterford. On his first run under professional rules he ran third to Passageway and City Isle in aNational Hunt Flat race atPunchestown on 28 April.
In the 2018/19 National Hunt season Minella Indo was campaigned inNovices'Hurdle races. He finished third in a maiden hurdle race atLimerick Racecourse in December and then came home second to Allaho in the Grade 3 Surehaul Mercedes-Benz Novice Hurdle atClonmel Racecourse in February. For his next start the gelding was sent to theCheltenham Festival and started a50/1 outsider for the Grade 1Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle over three miles on 15 March. Ridden as on his previous start byRachael Blackmore he went to the front three flights from the finish and stayed on well to win by threelengths from theGordon Elliott-trained favourite Commander of the Fleet.[7] Blackmore commented "I can't believe it. I always knew he was a really nice horse and thought he was coming with a right shout, but you just don't think it's going to work out. It's brilliant I don't know what to say. It's an amazing place and I'm so glad to be part of it."[8]
On 1 May, with Blackmore again in the saddle, Minella Indo started the 5/1 third choice in the betting for the Grade 1Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. After tracking the front-running favourite Allaho he went to the front approaching the final hurdle and kept on well under pressure to win by two lengths.[9] After the race, De Bromhead said "He just stays so well. Rachael said as soon as she pulled him out, he took off and he pricked his ears coming to the last. It's lovely to come here and win this on top of the Albert Bartlett. I'm a bit lost for words to be honest, just delighted. Chasing is the plan next season".[10]
On his first appearance over fences, Minella Indo finished second to the mare Laurina in a beginners' chase over two and a half miles atGowran Park on 23 November. In a similar event over three miles atNavan Racecourse on 18 January he started the 2/5 favourite and won by a length and a half from Captain CJ after taking the lead soon after the start.[11] On 11 March Minella Indo ran for the second time at the Cheltenham Festival when he contested the Group 1RSA Insurance Novices' Chase. He disputed the lead from the start and was in front at the final fence but was outpaced on the run-in and beaten a length into second place by theNicky Henderson-trained Champ.
Minella Indo began his next campaign in the Grade 3 M.W. Hickey Memorial Chase atWexford Racecourse on 26 October. Starting the 8/13 favourite in a four-runner field and won very easily, coming home 25 lengths clear of theKim Muir Chase winner Milan Native, despite being eased down by Blackmore in the closing stages.[12] De Bromhead said "I'm delighted with that - he jumped brilliant and Rachael was brilliant on him. He looked sharp for his first run... you'd be hoping he'd turn into a Gold Cup horse, but we'll see and we'll take it one race at time."[13] Four weeks later the gelding went off the odds-on favourite for the Grade 2 BetVictor Make Your Best Bet Chase at Navan and recorded another easy victory as he went to the front at the penultimate obstacle and won by seven and a half lengths from Bramah Bull.[14] In December the gelding was moved up to Grade 1 class and started favourite for theSavills Chase atLeopardstown Racecourse but fell at the eight fence of a race which was won by his stablemate A Plus Tard.
On 7 February Minella Indo went off favourite for theIrish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, but after being in contention for most of the way he finished fourth of the five starters behind Kemboy, The Storyteller and Delta Work, beaten just under seven lengths by the winner. With Blackmore riding A Plus Tard, Minella Indo was partnered byJack Kennedy when he started at odds of 9/1 for theCheltenham Gold Cup over three and a quarter miles on 19 March.Al Boum Photo, who was attempting to record a third consecutive win in the race, started favourite, while the other nine runners includedNative River, Kemboy, Champ, Lostintranslation (Betfair Chase), Santini (runner-up in the previous year) and Frodon (King George VI Chase). After tracking the leaders as Frodon set the pace Minella Indo moved up to take the lead on the final turn. He held off a sustained challenge from A Plus Tard to win by one and a quarter lengths with a gap of four and a quarter lengths back to Al Boum Photo in third.[15] The 21-year-old winning jockey, who has been plagued by injury problems said "This is what I have dreamed of as a child. It could always be a lot worse - broken legs and broken collarbones will heal. It's obviously unfortunate, but you have to get on with it. It's definitely the best day of my life. I know I'm still young, but I suppose I have been in the position where I could have been winning them for a couple of years, so to get it done is brilliant."[16]
Minella Indo started the season with a 5 horse race at Down Royal in October. He came 3rd in a race won by Frodon. In the King George VI Chase he pulled up. In the Irish Gold Cup he was ridden by Robbie Power. He came 2nd by 6.5 lengths to Conflated. In the Cheltenham Gold Cup he was again ridden by Robbie Power. He came 2nd by 15 lengths to A Plus Tard.
Minella Indo's first race of the season was in the Savills New Years Day Chase in heavy conditions. He was ridden by Rachael Blackmore. He won by a neck from Stattler. In the Cheltenham Gold Cup he was ridden by Nico De Boinville. He was pulled up.
Minella Indo started the season with a race at Punchestown in October. He won by 1.75 lengths from Hurricane Georgie. In November in a grade 1 race at Down Royal he came 4th out of the 4 runners. In January he came 4th in a Cheltenham cross country handicap carrying top weight. At theGrand National he was 6th in the weights and was ridden by Rachael Blackmore. He led going over the last but was overtaken by I Am Maximus and Delta Work in the run in to finish 3rd, 8 lengths behind winner I Am Maximus and 0.5 lengths behind 2nd Delta Work.[17][18]
| Sire Beat Hollow (GB) 1997 | Sadler's Wells (USA) 1981 | Northern Dancer (CAN) | Nearctic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalma (USA) | |||
| Fairy Bridge | Bold Reason | ||
| Special | |||
| Wemyss Bight (GB) 1990 | Dancing Brave (USA) | Lyphard | |
| Navajo Princess | |||
| Bahamian (IRE) | Mill Reef (USA) | ||
| Sorbus | |||
| Dam Carrigeen Lily (IRE) 1991 | Supreme Leader (GB) 1982 | Bustino | Busted |
| Ship Yard | |||
| Princess Zena | Habitat (USA) | ||
| Guiding Light (FR) | |||
| Carrigeensharragh (IRE) 1976 | Walshford (GB) | I Say | |
| Romany Rose | |||
| Rock Forest (GB) | King of the Jungle (IRE) | ||
| Tullymurry (Family 8-f)[5] |