Slade Power (foaled 2 April 2009) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist sprinter, Slade Power won one minor race as a two-year-old in 2011 before winning the Sandy Lane Stakes in England and the Belgrave Stakes in Ireland (both Listed races) in 2012. He emerged as a top-class performer as a four-year-old in 2013, winning the Sapphire Stakes, Phoenix Sprint Stakes and British Champions Sprint Stakes. He was even better in 2014, establishing himself as arguably the leading sprinter in Europe by winning the Greenlands Stakes, Diamond Jubilee Stakes and July Cup.
Background
Slade Power is a bay horse with no white markings bred in Ireland by his owners David and Sabena Power (members of the Power bookmaking family). He was from the first crop of foals sired by Dutch Art a horse who won the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes in 2006. Dutch Art's other offspring include Caspar Netscher (Gimcrack Stakes, Mill Reef Stakes), Baccarat (Wokingham Stakes), Producer (Supreme Stakes), Garswood (Lennox Stakes) and Lightning Thunder (runner-up in the 1000 Guineas). Slade Power was the first foal of his dam Girl Power, who won one minor race at Tipperary from seven starts as a three-year-old in 2007.
As a yearling in August 2010 Slade Power was sent to the sales at Doncaster where he was "bought back" for 5000 guineas by the trainer Ed Lynam, acting on behalf of the colt's breeders. He was sent into training with Lynam at Dunshaughlin, County Meath. He has been ridden in all but two of his races by Wayne Lordan.
Racing career
2011: two-year-old season
Slade Power began his racing career in a maiden race at the Curragh Racecourse on 2 May. Starting at odd of 14/1, he finished second, beaten four lengths by Reply, a colt trained by Aidan O'Brien. He did not appear again until December, when he recorded his first success in a six furlong maiden race on the Polytrack surface at Dundalk Stadium. Ridden by Pat Smullen, he took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by one and a half lengths from thirteen opponents at odds of 11/10.
2012: three-year-old season
Slade Power began his three-year-old season in a handicap race over six furlongs at Cork Racecourse on 7 April. Carrying top weight of 131 pounds and ridden by Johnny Murtagh, he took the lead inside the final furlong and won by one and a quarter lengths from Nini Ok. In the following month he started favourite for a race at Dundalk, but was beaten half a length by the filly Ishvanna, to whom he was conceding eight pounds. On June, Slade Power raced in England for the first time when he contested the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park Racecourse. He tracked the leaders, moved into second place a furlong out, and took the lead in the closing stages, and won by a neck from Es Que Love, with Lethal Force a length away in third. On his return to Ireland, Slade Power took the Listed Belgrave Stakes at Fairyhouse over six furlongs on soft ground, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning by half a length from Arctic with the Portland Handicap winner Santo Padre in third and Gordon Lord Byron in fourth. After the race Lynam indicated that the horse would be aimed at the Haydock Sprint Cup and said He is one I am dreaming about and could be very good. I was going to bring him to Newbury yesterday (for the Hackwood Stakes) but I chickened out of it. He seemed to handle the ground well, though Wayne Lordan said he wasn't in love with it." Slade Power did not race again until 20 October, when he was sent to England for the Group Two British Champions Sprint Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot Racecourse. As in many of his races, he started slowly and never looked likely to win, finishing eighth of the fifteen runners behind Maarek. Slade Power sustained a fractured pelvis in the race and, according to Lynam, his life was saved by the treatment administered by the veterinary physician Simon Knapp.