406:(1995). After the race Robinson said "He didn't just quicken once-he quickened twice. I knew it would take a good horse to get to me and I can't believe how far he's won" whilst Jarvis commented "He's such a galloper that he burns them off. He loves to bowl along, and when the rains came I thought the race looked ideal. When he won the Prix la Force his final fractions were those of a six-furlong horse. He's not just a stayer."
476:. Robinson send the horse into the lead as usual and took a five-length lead, which widened to an eight length advantage entering the straight. Marienbard steadily reduced the leaders advantage but could never get on terms and Holding Court won by two and a half lengths, with gaps of two, six and three lengths back to the next three finishers. In October, Holding Court contested France's most prestigious race, the
394:). Robinson sent Holding Court into the lead from the start and was never seriously challenged. He drew away from the field in the straight and won by six lengths from Lord Flasheart, with Circus Dance taking third just ahead of Kutub, Broche and Ciro. He was the fourth British-trained colt to win the race in eleven years following
434:
being the only other horse in the eleven runner field to start at odds of less than 16/1. He tracked the leaders and reached third place in the straight but made no further progress and eventually finished sixth, more than twelve lengths behind
Sinndar. Two months later Holding Court was sent to
425:
85,000. Before the race
Robinson said that he would be "supremely confident" of beating the Derby winner on soft ground but only "hopeful" on good going. In the event, the race was run on a surface described as "yielding" – between good and soft. He started 9/4 second favourite behind his
346:
on heavy ground at
Haydock in April. He led from the start and won by three and a half lengths. In the following month he was sent to France for the first time to contest the Group Three Prix La Force (a trial race for the Prix du Jockey Club) over 2400 metres and started 2.9/1 second favourite
718:
182:. In a racing career which lasted from September 1999 until January 2002 he ran sixteen times and won five races. Originally trained by Brian Meehan, he showed promise as a two-year-old before being moved to Michael Jarvis's stable in the spring of 2000. After winning a
294:
and finished second of the fourteen runners, beaten a head by the favourite Qamous. Two weeks later, he started for a minor stakes race over heavy ground at
Haydock and recorded his first win, leading from the start and beating Cover Up (later to win the
447:
at
Longchamp in October. He began to struggle before half way and finished tailed-off last of the five runners behind Crimson Quest. Jarvis was reportedly "mystified" by the performance and requested a dope test.
342:
took over the ride and partnered the colt in all but one of his subsequent
European races. On his first appearance of the season, the colt carried top weight of 133 pounds in a ten and a half furlong
468:
and Little Rock. On 26 August, Holding Court returned to France for the Group Two Grand Prix de
Deauville over 2500 metres. He started the 5.3/1 fourth choice in the betting behind Epitre (
351:
he went to the front from the start and went clear in the straight to win by three lengths from the favourite, with a gap of two and a half lengths back to the other three runners.
1067:
487:
After his last race in Europe, Holding Court was sold and sent to race in Saudi Arabia where he finished fifth in the HRH Prince
Abdullah bin Al Aziz Cup on dirt at
354:
On 4 June, Holding Court started at odds of 6.1/1 in a field of fourteen colts for 163rd running of the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400 metres on very soft ground at
480:
at
Longchamp. He started a 23/1 outsider he was close to the leaders until the last 600 metres, but then faded to finish fifteenth of the seventeen runners behind
1062:
933:
1016:
951:
827:
206:
where he had no success racing on dirt and had no impact at stud. Holding Court was suited by front-running tactics and showed a marked preference for
934:"French Derby: Sensational!; Rivals left gasping as Holding Court's French Derby blitz puts Jarvis and Robinson back on the glory trail"
234:. His dam Indian Love Song was a poor racehorse, who failed to win in 33 races, but came from a good family, being a granddaughter of
1072:
790:
765:
222:
bred in the United
Kingdom by Pauline & John Good. He was from the first crop of foals sired by the Prix du Jockey Club winner
460:
at Newmarket on 4 May. He briefly took the lead three furlongs out before finishing third behind Millenary and Sandmason. In the
318:
on 23 October. He started at odds of 13/2 but was never in serious contention and finished eighth of the nine runners behind the
983:
1057:
1034:
461:
477:
359:
464:
two months later he led from the start but was overtaken a quarter of a mile from the finish and finished third behind
698:
3 x 4 to Northern Dancer, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generation of his pedigree.
469:
444:
339:
873:
436:
343:
279:
199:
183:
162:
300:
219:
307:) by six lengths. On his final race of the season, Holding Court was moved up sharply in class for the
488:
1001:
969:
919:
905:
443:
winner Samum. On his final start of the season, Holding Court was dropped in class for the Group Two
355:
315:
291:
207:
611:
243:
239:
191:
157:
58:
891:
859:
198:. He was beaten in his three remaining races that year but returned as a four-year-old to win the
457:
375:
335:
311:
495:) in November and fourth in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup in the following January.
367:
786:
761:
503:
After his retirement from racing, Holding Court stood as a breeding stallion in Saudi Arabia.
323:
231:
465:
626:
519:
439:. He took the lead after 400 metres but faded in the straight and finished fifth behind the
379:
319:
223:
30:
742:
620:
440:
395:
348:
304:
287:
283:
186:
on his first appearance as a three-year-old he was campaigned un France where he won the
845:
643:
577:
431:
124:
809:
1051:
383:
363:
187:
152:
427:
403:
391:
296:
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120:
366:
winner Kutub started 2.1/1 favourite, whilst the other contenders included Ciro (
535:
418:
410:
308:
271:
94:
695:
473:
399:
371:
235:
680:
555:
387:
282:
on 4 September. In his three remaining races of 1999 the colt was ridden by
254:
347:
behind the previously unbeaten Bonnet Rouge. Ridden by the locally based
275:
250:
227:
68:
665:
633:
592:
572:
527:
414:
40:
492:
481:
238:
runner-up Maina. Apart from Holding Court, Indian Love Song produced
422:
435:
Germany and matched against older horses for the first time in the
660:
249:
The Goods sent their colt into training with Brian Meehan at
270:
On his racecourse debut, Holding Court finished sixth in a
334:
For the 2000 season, Holding court was transferred to the
242:(also by Hernando) who won thirteen races including the
860:"Punch Retail Budget Beaters Conditions Stakes result"
190:
before recording his biggest success when he won the
409:
Four weeks later, Holding Court was matched against
226:, who went on to sire other major winners including
984:"Longchamp: Jarvis mystified by Holding Court flop"
952:"Interview – Philip Robinson: Robinson holds court"
892:"Haydock Park Sponsorship Club Rated Stakes result"
512:Pedigree of Holding Court (GB), bay stallion, 1997
421:after his owners paid a supplementary entry fee of
286:. On 30 September Holding Court started at odds of
146:
138:
130:
116:
108:
100:
90:
82:
74:
64:
54:
46:
36:
26:
21:
713:
711:
8:
456:Holding Court began his third season in the
218:Holding Court was a bay horse with a white
202:. In the autumn of 2000 he was exported to
18:
1068:Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
510:
174:(foaled 27 February 1997) was a British
707:
374:), Cosmographe (Prix l'Avre), Roscius (
804:
802:
1063:Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
7:
1017:"Holding Court sold to Saudi Arabia"
874:"Tomba moved from Meehan to Jarvis"
16:British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse
14:
970:"Prix du Conseil de Paris result"
290:for the Westley Maiden Stakes at
1002:"Grand Prix de Deauville result"
1015:Bill Barber (17 October 2001).
972:. Racing Post. 15 October 2000.
862:. Racing Post. 13 October 1999.
828:"Good ideas pay with Love Song"
1004:. Racing Post. 26 August 2001.
1:
894:. Racing Post. 22 April 2000.
846:"Tomba – Record By Race Type"
810:"Grand Duchess – Family 22-d"
426:principal opponent, with the
1035:"Holding Court – Statistics"
920:"Prix du Jockey Club result"
922:. Racing Post. 4 June 2000.
908:. Racing Post. 18 May 2000.
330:2000: three-year-old season
1089:
687:Indian Game (Family 22-d)
462:Princess of Wales's Stakes
452:2001: four-year-old season
338:stable of Michael Jarvis.
676:
659:
654:
639:
618:
610:
603:
588:
571:
566:
551:
534:
526:
516:
478:Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
266:1999: two-year-old season
151:
1073:Thoroughbred family 22-d
743:"Hernando – Stud Record"
719:"Holding Court pedigree"
472:), Maximum Security and
470:Prix Hubert de Chaudenay
445:Prix du Conseil de Paris
814:Thoroughbred Bloodlines
781:Timeform staff (1988).
756:Timeform staff (1987).
437:Grosser Preis von Baden
280:Haydock Park Racecourse
200:Grand Prix de Deauville
163:Grand Prix de Deauville
112:Pauline & John Good
104:Pauline & John Good
906:"Prix La Force result"
606:Indian Love Song (IRE)
301:Queen Alexandra Stakes
1058:1997 racehorse births
362:entry headed by the
356:Chantilly Racecourse
316:Doncaster Racecourse
292:Newmarket Racecourse
584:Hopespringseternal
513:
378:), Lord Flasheart (
192:Prix du Jockey Club
158:Prix du Jockey Club
990:. 16 October 2000.
783:Racehorses of 1987
758:Racehorses of 1986
694:Holding Court was
511:
458:Jockey Club Stakes
376:Predominate Stakes
312:Racing Post Trophy
278:on firm ground at
691:
690:
360:Hamdan Al Maktoum
169:
168:
1080:
1043:
1042:
1031:
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739:
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655:Indian Bird (GB)
567:Whakilyric (USA)
514:
489:Malaz Racecourse
244:Prix de la Forêt
78:17 February 1997
50:Indian Love Song
19:
1088:
1087:
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958:. 30 June 2000.
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918:
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880:. 1 April 2000.
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621:Northern Dancer
615:
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568:
552:Virginia Hills
541:Northern Dancer
531:
523:
518:
509:
501:
454:
441:Deutsches Derby
368:Grand Critérium
349:Olivier Peslier
340:Philip Robinson
332:
305:Jockey Club Cup
284:Frankie Dettori
268:
263:
216:
161:
156:
123:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1086:
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1026:
1007:
993:
975:
961:
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940:. 5 June 2000.
925:
911:
897:
883:
865:
851:
848:. Racing Post.
837:
834:. 6 June 2000.
819:
798:
791:
773:
766:
748:
745:. Racing Post.
734:
706:
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644:Tudor Minstrel
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609:
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599:Pass A Glance
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578:Mr. Prospector
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178:racehorse and
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149:
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128:
127:
125:Michael Jarvis
118:
114:
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86:United Kingdom
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792:0-900599-46-4
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767:0-900599-44-8
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640:What A Treat
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547:Flaming Page
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397:
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389:
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384:Prix Hocquart
381:
380:Prix de Condé
377:
373:
369:
365:
364:Prix Noailles
361:
357:
352:
350:
345:
344:handicap race
341:
337:
329:
327:
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321:
320:Aidan O'Brien
317:
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261:Racing career
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241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
213:
211:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
188:Prix La Force
185:
184:handicap race
181:
177:
173:
172:Holding Court
164:
159:
154:
153:Prix La Force
150:
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53:
49:
45:
42:
39:
35:
32:
29:
25:
22:Holding Court
20:
1038:
1029:
1020:
1010:
996:
987:
978:
964:
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946:
937:
928:
914:
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868:
854:
840:
831:
822:
813:
785:. Timeform.
782:
776:
760:. Timeform.
757:
751:
737:
726:. Retrieved
722:
619:
562:Ridin' Easy
540:
502:
486:
455:
428:2000 Guineas
408:
404:Celtic Swing
392:Chester Vase
353:
333:
297:Ascot Stakes
269:
248:
217:
204:Saudi Arabia
176:Thoroughbred
171:
170:
121:Brian Meehan
1021:Racing Post
988:Racing Post
956:Racing Post
938:Racing Post
878:Racing Post
832:Racing Post
650:Rare Treat
612:Be My Guest
499:Stud record
432:King's Best
419:Irish Derby
402:(1990) and
274:over seven
272:maiden race
208:soft ground
59:Be My Guest
1052:Categories
728:2015-01-30
723:Equineline
703:References
474:Marienbard
400:Sanglamore
372:Prix Lupin
214:Background
147:Major wins
681:St. Paddy
556:Tom Rolfe
411:The Derby
388:Millenary
336:Newmarket
324:Aristotle
322:-trained
309:Group One
255:Berkshire
232:Look Here
134:16: 5-1-2
37:Grandsire
1039:Equibase
672:Relance
627:Nearctic
536:Nijinsky
520:Hernando
507:Pedigree
398:(1989),
276:furlongs
251:Lambourn
236:The Oaks
228:Sulamani
224:Hernando
142:£353,855
139:Earnings
69:Stallion
31:Hernando
666:Tanerko
634:Natalma
593:Lyphard
589:Lyrism
573:Miswaki
528:Niniski
466:Mutamam
430:winner
417:in the
415:Sinndar
413:winner
396:Old Vic
196:lengths
194:by six
117:Trainer
101:Breeder
83:Country
55:Damsire
41:Niniski
789:
764:
696:inbred
677:Maina
493:Riyadh
482:Sakhee
386:) and
358:. The
165:(2001)
160:(2000)
155:(2000)
131:Record
91:Colour
75:Foaled
661:Relko
657:1975
616:1974
614:(USA)
608:1983
569:1984
532:1976
530:(USA)
524:1990
240:Tomba
220:blaze
109:Owner
787:ISBN
762:ISBN
522:(FR)
517:Sire
303:and
288:12/1
230:and
180:sire
27:Sire
604:Dam
423:IR£
314:at
253:in
95:Bay
65:Sex
47:Dam
1054::
1037:.
1019:.
986:.
954:.
936:.
876:.
830:.
812:.
801:^
721:.
710:^
484:.
382:,
370:,
326:.
299:,
257:.
246:.
210:.
1041:.
1023:.
816:.
795:.
770:.
731:.
491:(
390:(
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