Charming Thought: Difference between revisions

| foaled = 24 January 2012<ref name="pedigree">{{cite web|url=https://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm/=Charming%20Thought%20(GB)?page_state=DISPLAY_REPORT&reference_number=9365841&registry=T&horse_name==Charming%20Thought%20(GB)&dam_name==Annabelle%27s%20Charm%20(IRE)&foaling_year=2012&include_sire_line=N|title=Charming Thought pedigree |publisher=Equineline |date= |accessdate=}}</ref>

Charming Thought is a bay horse with a small white [[Horse markings#Facial markings|star]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?showpic=11063850&time=1439125102|title=Charming Thought profile|author=Hugh McMahon|publisher=The Sport Horse Show and Breed Database}}</ref> bred in England by the Merry Fox Stud. As a [[yearling (horse)|yearling]] in October 2013 he was offered for sale at [[Tattersalls]] and bought for 625,000 [[Guinea (British coin)|guineas]] by John Ferguson Bloodstock, actin on behalf of [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum|Sheikh Mohammed]]'s [[Godolphin Racing|Godolphin]] organisation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/sales/results/individual_home.sd?tab=&st=8&l=&i=1&ob=ln&od=ASC&page=1&fv=131072&df=2013-10-08&dt=2013-10-10&venue_id=5&hn=&s=&a=&sin=Oasis%20Dream&dn=&sdn=Indian%20Ridge&vn=&b=&mip=&map=&lm=#individualResultsTabs=catalogue_5|title=Tattersalls October Sale 2013|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref> The colt was sent into training with Charlie Appleby at [[Newmarket, Suffolk]].

He was sired by [[Oasis Dream]], a sprinter who won the [[July Cup]] and the [[Nunthorpe Stakes]] in 2003 before becoming a very successful breeding stallion. His other progeny have included [[Jwala (horse)|Jwala]], [[Goldream]], [[Midday (horse)|Midday]], [[Power (horse)|Power]] and [[Muhaarar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/stallionbook/stallion.sd?horse_id=565797&popup=1&tab=stud|title=Oasis Dream - Stud Record|work=[[Racing Post]]}}</ref>

He was the first foal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/111249/belardo-among-juvenile-standouts-at-newmarket|title=Belardo Among Juvenile Standouts at Newmarket|date=17 October 2014|author=Myra Lewyn|publisher=[[The Blood-Horse]]}}</ref> of Annabelle's Charm, who showed some ability as a racehorse, winning three of her fourteen races between 2008 and 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/horses/horse_home.sd?horse_id=721274#topHorseTabs=horse_race_record&bottomHorseTabs=horse_form|title=Annabelle´s Charm - Record By Race Type|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref> and was a granddaughter of Flamenco Wave, a lightly-raced but high-class performer who won the [[Moyglare Stud Stakes]] in 1988. Flamenco Wave was even better as a broodmare, producing several other winners including [[Aristotle (horse)|Aristotle]], [[Starborough]] and [[Ballingarry (horse)|Ballingarry]]. Her unraced daughter Leaping Water became the dam of [[St Nicholas Abbey (horse)|St Nicholas Abbey]]. She was one of many good horses descended from the American broodmare Fleet Flight: others have included [[Almutawakel]] and [[White Muzzle]].<ref name="tbl">{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family16g.htm|title=Polly Agnes - Family 16-g|work=Thoroughbred Bloodlines}}</ref>

Charming Thought made his racecourse debut in a [[maiden race]] over six [[furlongs]] at [[Nottingham Racecourse]] on 15 August in which he started at odds of [[Fractional odds|2/1]] and finished second, beaten half a [[Horse length|length]] by the [[Mark Johnston (racehorse trainer)|Mark Johnston]]-trained Flash Fire. On 3 September the colt started 4/11 favourite in a nine-runner field for a maiden over the same distance at [[Lingfield Park Racecourse]]. Ridden by [[William Buick]] he raced in third place before taking the lead a furlong from the finish and drew clear to win "readily" by two lengths from Kinematic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=608714&r_date=2014-09-03&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS|title=188Bet Casino Maiden Stakes result|date=3 September 2014|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref> Nineteen days later Charming Thought was made the odds-on favourite against three opponents when he was ridden by [[Adam Kirby]] in a minor race over six furlongs at [[Leicester Racecourse]]. After being restrained by Kirby in the early running he took the lead inside the final furlong and won by half a length from Surewecan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=609774&r_date=2014-09-22&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS|title=Kegworth Novice Stakes result |date=22 September 2014|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref>

On 17 October Charming Thought was moved up sharply in class and started a 22/1 outsider for the [[Group races|Group One]] Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at [[Newmarket Racecourse]]. The unbeaten Ivawood started the 1/2 favourite after wins in the [[July Stakes]] and the [[Richmond Stakes]], whilst the other four runners were Cappella Sansevero ([[Round Tower Stakes]]). [[Muhaarar]] ([[Gimcrack Stakes]], Kool Kompany ([[Railway Stakes (Ireland)|Railway Stakes]], [[Prix Robert Papin]]) and the [[Aidan O'Brien]]-trained The Warrior. Muhaarar set the pace before giving way to Ivawood approaching the final furlong at which point Charming Thought, who had been restrained by William Buick in the early stages, was switched to the right to make his challenge. He moved up alongside Ivawood in the last hundred yards and prevailed by a nose in a closely contested finish with Muharaar a length and a quarter back in third place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=607608&r_date=2014-10-17&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS|title=Middle Park Stakes result |date=17 October 2014|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref> The colts victory gave the Godolphin stable their first Group One win of the year in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/29663146|title=Charming Thought wins Middle Park Stakes|date=17 October 2014|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]}}</ref> Charlie Appleby commented "It’s great to get the first Group One in England out of the way. It was the last roll of the dice for us. This is a horse we’ve held in high regard from the spring onwards, we just met with a slight setback in the spring, so we had to be patient with him. We’ll put him away now, that was always the plan, win lose or draw".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/17/charming-thought-ivawood-godolphin-glory|title=Charming Thought stuns Ivawood to give Godolphin Group One glory|author=Greg Wood|date=17 October 2014|publisher=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

A succession of injury problems, starting with a "chip in the knee"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/racing/news/12040/10305838/charming-thought-ready-to-return-in-cathedral-stakes-at-salisbury|title=Charming Thought ready to return in Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury|date=6 June 2016|publisher=Sporting Life}}</ref> kept Charming Thought off the track in 2015

The colt returned as a four-year-old in the Listed [[Cathedral Stakes]] at [[Salisbury Racecourse]] on 12 June 2016. Ridden by Buick, he made some progress in the closing stages without ever looking likely to win and finished fourth of the eleven runners behind Don't Touch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/horses/result_home.sd?race_id=651395&r_date=2016-06-12&popup=yes#results_top_tabs=re_&results_bottom_tabs=ANALYSIS|title=Cathedral Stakes result |date=12 June 2016|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref> He showed little improvement in two subsequent starts that year, finishing sixth to [[The Tin Man (British horse)|The Tin Man]] in the [[Hackwood Stakes]] at [[Newbury Racecourse]] in July and ninth of ten behind the filly Nemoralia in the [[City of York Stakes]] at [[York Racecourse]] in August.