Doyen (IRE)

Began his career under Andre Fabre's tutelage with a fifth in a backend juvenile contest (October 2002); the following spring he returned with three consecutive wins, culminating with victory in the Group 3 Prix du Lys at Longchamp; he was given a summer break and reappeared with a decent second behind Dalakhani in the Group 2 Prix Niel (September 2003), but finished fourth behind the same winner the following month in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe; he joined Godolphin for his 4yo campaign, which began with a good second in the Group 1 Coronation Cup behind Warrsan at Epsom (June 2004); just over two weeks later, he relished firm ground over 1m4f at Royal Ascot with a showstopping 6l success in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes in a new course-record time; in July, he returned to Ascot with an equally impressive Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes success; he never reached such heights again and was retired in the summer of 2005.