Other meanings of Paddington
Thoroughbred racehorse
Paddington (foaled 5 March 2020) is a retired Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2000 Guineas Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes in 2023. Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, he was one of the leading three-year-old colts of his generation in Europe.
Paddington is a bay colt bred in Ireland by Barronstown Stud and raced by the Coolmore partners. He was sired by the leading stallion Siyouni, winner of the 2009 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, and out of the unraced mare Modern Eagle, a daughter of the multiple champion sire Montjeu. Modern Eagle is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner and sire Declaration of War, making Paddington a close relative of that notable performer. As a yearling, Paddington was offered at the Tattersalls October Sale, where Coolmore's bloodstock agent bought him for 420,000 guineas. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle, where he developed into a middle-distance prospect with a strong turn of foot.
Paddington began his career as a two-year-old in 2022, winning a maiden race at Naas on his debut before finishing third in the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes. He returned at three in 2023, winning a minor race at Leopardstown before stepping up to Group 1 company in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, where he defeated the favourite Auguste Rodin by a length and a half. He then took the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, beating the French colt Big Rock, and followed up with a decisive victory in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, where he beat the older horse Emily Upjohn. His winning streak ended in the International Stakes at York, where he finished third behind the older horse Mostahdaf, and he was retired after a disappointing run in the Irish Champion Stakes.
In the 2023 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Paddington was rated 124, making him the joint-third-highest-rated three-year-old colt in the world, behind only Ace Impact and Equinox. His Eclipse Stakes victory was particularly notable as he became the first three-year-old to win the race since 2016, and he was widely praised for his versatility in winning over distances from a mile to a mile and a quarter. Timeform awarded him a rating of 128, placing him among the best colts of his generation. He was also named Cartier Horse of the Year finalist, though the award went to the older horse Mostahdaf.
After his retirement, Paddington entered stud at Coolmore's Irish base in 2024 at a fee of €35,000. As a son of Siyouni, who has sired top-class performers such as Sottsass and Laurens, Paddington is expected to appeal to breeders seeking a middle-distance influence. His pedigree combines the speed of Siyouni with the stamina of Montjeu, and early reports indicate he has received strong support from commercial breeders. His first foals are due in 2025, and racing fans will watch their progress with interest.
Paddington's name is a tribute to the fictional bear from children's literature, a tradition at Coolmore of naming horses after literary characters. His dam, Modern Eagle, was sold at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 1.5 million guineas, a testament to the value of her progeny. Paddington's victory in the Eclipse Stakes was notable for the fact that he was ridden by Ryan Moore, who had chosen him over the stable's other contender, Luxembourg. In his final race, the Irish Champion Stakes, he was found to have an irregular heartbeat, which explained his poor performance and prompted his retirement. He is one of only a few horses to have won both the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Eclipse Stakes in the same year, a feat previously achieved by the great Giant's Causeway in 2000.
Paddington's racing career was brief but brilliant, and his early retirement to stud was a loss to the turf, but his legacy is assured through his classic victories.
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