Kingsgate Native: 'We jumped in the pool and ordered some champagne'

Only three horses have won two runnings of Saturday’s Temple Stakes at Haydock and one of those was popular sprinter Kingsgate Native, whose ability and enthusiasm was matched by his longevity over a career that spanned over nine years.

Kingsgate Native’s tale began with trainer John Best, having been bought at Doncaster’s yearling sales from Tally Ho Stud for 20,000gns in August 2006.

A first piece of work in the spring gave Best and owner John Mayne the impression they had a smart sprinter on their hands.

Kingsgate Native with his first trainer John BestCredit: Edward Whitaker

Best recalls: “He wasn’t the most stunning yearling to look at, but there was just something about him. He was very strong and correct in his conformation.

“The first time we worked him we thought we had a really nice prospect. He was an okay mover in his slow paces, but when we did a stronger piece with him we saw his talent straight away. Suddenly he became very good!”

Connections declared the son of Mujadil for a maiden at York three weeks prior to Royal Ascot, but waterlogging put paid to that plan and they decided to chance their arm and head straight to the royal meeting.

It was a decision that was justified as the 66-1 shot belied market expectations in no uncertain terms to finish a head second in the Windsor Castle Stakes on his debut.

Best says: “We knew he was pretty decent as he was working with an 80-rated four-year-old called Mine Behind, who was a very good workhorse. For Kingsgate Native to outwork him on some occasions showcased his ability, as that’s a real tall order for a two-year-old at that time of year.

“It may have looked like we planned it all by going to Royal Ascot first time out, but that wasn’t quite the case as York was cancelled on the day. If we’d won the Windsor Castle I’d have taken the credit though!

“It was an amazing run and he showed everything he had been showing us at home. He was probably just that little bit green and if York had gone ahead I think he would have won easily.”

Kingsgate Native was beaten a neck in the Molecomb on his second start at Glorious Goodwood, teeing up a tilt at the Nunthorpe.

It was on the Knavesmire in August where he made history, becoming the first two-year-old since 1992 scorer Lyric Fantasy to beat his elders in the Group 1 contest – a remarkable race to break your maiden in.

Kinsgate Native and Jimmy Quinn run out comfortable winners of the 2007 Nunthorpe at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

For Best it brings back great memories as he watched the race from an office at Ocala sales in Florida, having been out in the US buying yearlings.

Best says: “Kingsgate Native had the natural ability and speed, but the reason he was able to compete in the Nunthorpe and Abbaye as a juvenile was because he wasn’t like a two-year-old. He was more like a four-year-old, and we were very careful what we did with him between runs.

“John [Mayne] said he’d looked at the Nunthorpe and didn’t think we were out of it, so we went.

“I was in Ocala at the sales at the time with Dave Nevison. Con Marnane was there and he’d consigned a horse running in the Nunthorpe too, so we all wanted to watch it, but we couldn’t find anywhere showing it.

“You couldn’t have a bet on it either, so we ended up with my phone on loudspeaker in one of the offices and the three of us were round the table listening to it. The sales company in Ocala didn’t know what was going on with the screaming and shouting coming from this office! It was pretty special.

“Dave and I finished what we were doing at the sales for the day, went back to the hotel, jumped in the swimming pool and ordered some champagne.”

A tilt at the Prix de l’Abbaye followed, in which he finished a running-on second to Benbaun at Longchamp. Best once again listened in from afar.

“I was travelling to Keeneland when the Abbaye was run and the race took place while we were on the plane,” Best recalls.

“We managed to phone for a commentary from the plane and he was probably unlucky not to win there. When you look back on it, he could have won the Windsor Castle, Molecomb, Nunthorpe and Abbaye if things had panned out for him.

“The Nunthorpe was the only race where everything went perfectly. I’m not blaming anyone and it’s no-one’s fault, but we didn’t quite get the luck and it’s tight margins in the top races.”

Cheveley Park bought Kingsgate Native with the understanding he would run for Mayne as a three-year-old the following season.

Kingsgate Native (star on cap) wins the 2008 Golden Jubilee under Seb SandersCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

He returned in the King’s Stand and finished tenth with keenness proving his undoing, but just four days later he landed the Golden Jubilee under Seb Sanders to cap a memorable royal meeting for Best, having saddled 100-1 winner Flashmans Papers and third Mullionmileanhour in the Windsor Castle.

Best says: “We thought we had him pretty right for the King’s Stand, but he just overraced a little bit and didn’t get the cover to see out the race.

“We were pretty down after the race, but I spoke to Chris [Richardson, Cheveley Park managing director] and John and said I’d like to go again on Saturday.

“They could have said ‘that’s ridiculous, you can’t do that’, but they were all brilliant and supported me and he turned it all around four days on.

“The freshness was out of him and that probably made the difference. I was there that day too, which was quite nice! It was an unbelievable week.”

Kingsgate Native finished fifth in the July Cup and third in the Nunthorpe, staged at Newmarket, before heading to Flat racing’s HQ for stud duties at the end of his three-year-old campaign.

The star sprinter failed to fulfil his brief for Cheveley Park Stud though – proving infertile in a brief spell at stud – but he gave his second owners plenty of enjoyment back on the track for many years.

Kingsgate Native wins the King George Stakes at Goodwood in 2009Credit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

He returned to training with Sir Michael Stoute and won the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on his second run for the yard, undergoing a gelding operation after his three runs at four.

His first start after the surgery brought the first of two victories in the Temple Stakes at Haydock, defeating dual King’s Stand scorer Equiano, who went on to strike at Royal Ascot on his next start.

Ryan Moore partners Kingsgate Native to victory in the 2010 Temple Stakes at HaydockCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Back in third was Borderlescott, the previous season’s Nunthorpe winner, and Kingsgate Native joined the honour roll of a race that includes Dayjur, Lochsong and Kyllachy.

He failed to win again for Stoute, finishing a three-quarter length second to Sole Power in the following year’s Temple Stakes, but was a consistent performer in all the top sprints – a trait he continued when joining Robert Cowell in 2012.

On Kingsgate Native’s longevity, Best says: “I tend to x-ray the knees of all our two-year-olds to check they’re all closed and okay before we do any work with them. I always do it as if you work them too hard, too early, it can cause long-term damage. It certainly helps and Kingsgate Native was very correct in his confirmation, which aided his longevity, and he was very well managed by Sir Michael Stoute and Robert Cowell after leaving us.

“He went to two unbelievable yards that gave him the best chance to carry on his career as long as he could and some of his runs over the years were incredible.”

It's a bit tighter in 2013 as Shane Kelly gets Kingsgate Native home in front in the Temple StakesCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Age was just a number for Kingsgate Native. At eight, he landed his second Temple Stakes under Shane Kelly, in which Swiss Spirit, Reckless Abandon and Sole Power filled second, third and fourth.

It was a fifth Group-race victory for Kingsgate Native and Cowell was understandably thrilled, saying at the time: “He’s a very talented horse and just so quirky but when he’s right, he’s right. His preparation had been awesome. He’d been training like a bloody good horse and he showed it.”

Kingsgate Native with trainer Robert CowellCredit: Edward Whitaker

Kingsgate Native finished a two-length fifth to stablemate Jwala in the Nunthorpe that year – his penultimate crack at top-level company – and at the age of ten triumphed in the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock, where his form figures read 142013015.

He simply thrived on being in training and raced until the age of 11, striking on his penultimate start in a conditions race at Nottingham in 2016 before being retired later that year.

In all, Kingsgate Native won eight races, finished second or third on 15 other starts and accrued connections a mammoth £851,420 in prize-money during his successful and lengthy 60-start racing career.

Kingsgate Native is 16 now and still playing his part, and is stabled at the British Racing School in Newmarket teaching the next generation of stable staff on the art of riding out.

Best says: “I’m delighted I was part of his story and Chris sends me updates and little videos of him now and again. He was the highest-profile horse we’ve had, and among our top horses alongside Square Eddie and Rising Cross. He was exceptional and very special.

“He’s at the British Racing School and when we have students from there at the yard the first thing they say is they rode Kingsgate Native. From what I can gather, the pinnacle of being at the Racing School is riding Kingsgate Native!”

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