Triple Crown winners at Coolmore

Justify winning at Belmont

​Triple Crown winners are rare in racing but tour members on the 2019 Ontrack Hunter Valley Horse and Wine Tour will be able to get up close with two stallions with America’s most prized trophy on their CVs.

American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown in 37 years when winning the 2015 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes and he has stood at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley for the past two seasons.

This spring he will be joined in the palatial Coolmore stallion barn by the 2018 Triple Crown Champion in Justify.

“American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown winner to stand at stud in Australia and it’s hard to believe that our Hunter Valley Horse Tour will be at Coolmore in November and will get the chance to inspect two Triple Crown champions,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds Managing Director Grant Morgan.

“American Pharoah always creates a fantastic impression while Justify is a special horse as he’s the only Triple Crown winner to retire undefeated, having won all of his six races.

“He’s a son of stallion sensation Scat Daddy, who also has another son at Coolmore in the Hunter in the brilliant sprinter Caravaggio.

“Of interest to Australians was that Justify raced in the China Horse Club colours which have become so familiar on our racetracks.”

A chestnut colt Justify went from winning his first race, a 1400 metres maiden at Santa Anita in February to winning the Group One Belmont Stakes over 2400 metres in June.

Unfortunately he suffered a slight injury soon after and the decision was made to retire the colt.

In September last year, majority owner WinStar Farm announced that Justify would stand at Ashford Stud, the North America branch of Coolmore Stud at a fee for 2019 of $(US)150,000.

“It’s always great to see these mighty horses in the flesh and I can’t wait to get to Coolmore in October and see Justify.

“We’ve had a fantastic response to the Hunter Valley Tour this year and we are not far from being sold out, so it seems a lot of our clients are also looking forward to seeing the Triple Crown champions as well,” said Grant Morgan.