Series stars to stud: Ivawood

Ivawood wins impressively at Newmarket on their July course. Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com.

The juvenile star that promised much, but fell just short of becoming a QIPCO British Champions Series champion.

In this week’s Series stars to stud, we take a look at the racing career of Richard Hannon’s star, Ivawood.

As a two-year-old, the highly-regarded son of Zebedee had the world at his hooves.

A striking display on his debut at Sandown Park in June 2014, when beating subsequent Betfred Sprint Cup third Magical Memory, set the ball rolling  for an exciting career.

The comfortable triumph was followed by a taking display in better company.

On Newmarket’s July Course in the July Stakes, Ivawood would claim Group 2 success to suggest that he was to become a serious mile contender from the Hannon family’s Herridge Stables. His two-and-three-quarter-length success, defeating subsequent 2015 QIPCO British Champions Day star Muhaarar, showed that he could emerge as a Classic contender.

His Richmond Stakes display confirmed this.

On the Sussex Downs, where trainer Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes have had so much success, Ivawood demonstrated his class and potential with a rout of his Glorious Goodwood rivals by four-and-a-half lengths.

Now a winner of two Group 2 contests, the Carmichael Jennings-owned horse was still untested in Group 1 company.

His juvenile judgement day came in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

In a thrilling finish, Ivawood would bow out of his two-year-old campaign with a narrow defeat to Godolphin’s Charming Thought on the Rowley Mile – a nose being the difference to Group 1 glory and failure.

It would turn out to be the closest he would ever come to a top-flight victory.

Heading into his Classic campaign, vibes were good that his career would be glittered with Group 1 success. However, it never reached the heights that fans, pundits and connections were hoping for.

A disappointing third in the Greenham Stakes, behind Muhaarar and Estidhkaar, was followed by a spirited effort in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas when worn down in the heat of battle by the French raider Territories and eventual winner, Gleneagles.

The same result occurred in the irish equivalent.

Despite new tactics being deployed, the front-running effort – as valiant as it was – was not enough to beat the mighty effort of Gleneagles at The Curragh.

From here, his season faded dramatically.

Fancied to run well, 14^th place in the Jersey Stakes, a sorry seventh in the Prix Maurice De Gheest and an extremely poor 13^th on his final bow in the Weber Park Stakes at Doncaster was all he could manage.

Although not the career many had hoped for, Ivawood now heads off into retirement as a stallion for the brilliant Coolmore Stud, where he will join a long list of exceptional stallions.

Connections will be hopeful that he can rekindle the magic of his two-year-old campaign into his new career at stud.