Trainers: Bart Cummings, Aiden O'Brien
Owner: Dato Tan Chin Nam & Tunku Ahmad Yahaya; John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derek Smith
Race record / Prizemoney: 23 starts, 14 wins, 4 seconds, 1 thirds / $8,813,497
Major Wins
- W. S. Cox Plate 2009, 2010
- Underwood Stakes 2010
- Yalumba Stakes 2010
- LKS Mackinnon Stakes 2010
- Tattersalls Gold Cup [Ireland] 2011, 2012
- Eclipse Stakes [Great Britain] 2011
- Irish Champion Stakes [Ireland] 2011
- Prince of Wales's Stakes [Asoct, UK] 2012
So You Think achieved the rare distinction of being acknowledged as a champion racehorse in Australia before earning acclaim in the northern hemisphere.
Touted for his good looks and perfect conformation, the dark brown colt was foaled in New Zealand in 2006, sired by the Irish Derby and English Derby winner High Chaparral. His dam was the top class race mare Triassic. Raced in a partnership headed by Dato Tan Chin Nam, So You Think was trained in Australia by Bart Cummings.
In two seasons on the Australian turf, So You Think won eight races. Five of these were at Group 1 level, and notably included two Cox Plates - the first while still a three-year-old.
A week after his second Cox Plate win, he won the 2010 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington. Three days later he made his final Australian appearance, racing over 3200 metres for the first time, in the Melbourne Cup. After reaching the lead close to home, he finished a gallant third to the seasoned international stayer Americain.
So You Think was then sold to Coolmore Stud, and a move to Ireland to be trained by Aidan O’Brien followed. In 2011 he won the Grade 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and both Grade 2 Mooresbridge Stakes and Grade 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh. At Ascot that year he narrowly lost the 2011 Prince of Wales Stakes to Rewilding and the Champion Stakes to Cirrus des Aigles, before beating English Derby and Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce to take the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park.
In 2012, after winning a second Tattersalls Gold Cup, he returned to Ascot and won the Prince of Wales Stakes, beating Carlton House.
Other notable performances include his fourth in the 2012 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, Kentucky, and fourth in the Dubai World Cup. So You Think is credited with 14 wins, 5 placings and earnings exceeding $10 million. Retiring to the Australian Coolmore Stud in June 2012, So You Think quickly produced Group 1 winning progeny, including Australasian Oaks winner Sopressa and Randwick Guineas winner Inference.
Timeform, the UK-based sports data company that has mathematically assessed racing form since 1948, rated So You Think at 133, marginally behind such Australian champions as Tulloch, Kingston Town, Black Caviar, Galilee and Vain.
“To me, he was like the Rock Hudson of the 60s. he had everything. He’s got looks. He’s got the ability. He’s got the temperament. And he’s got the will power to win. this horse had everything. And I was that proud to ride him.” Joe Agresta