Lillie Langtry (foaled 27 February 2007) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Bred at a small stud in County Cork she was sold as a yearling and raced for the Coolmore organisation. As a two-year-old, she was one of the best juvenile fillies in Ireland winning three of her seven races including the Fillies' Sprint Stakes, Debutante Stakes and Tattersalls Timeform Fillies' 800 as well as finishing third in both the Albany Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes. She was injured when finishing unplaced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. In 2010 she recorded her biggest wins when achieving Group One victories in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. She was retired at the end of the year with a record of five wins from eleven races and has become a successful broodmare, producing three Classic race-winning daughters.
Background
Lillie Langtry is a dark bay or brown mare with a small white star and bred in Ireland by Kevin Lynch. Her dam, Hoity Toity, was an unraced daughter of the Prix du Jockey Club winner Darshaan. Hoity Toity was a fourth-generation descendant of Noble Lassie, the dam of Vaguely Noble. Hoity Toity was bought for 50,000 guineas by Lynch and became one of only two mares kept at Lynch's Ballinahown Stud near Fermoy in County Cork. Lillie Langtry was sired by Danehill Dancer, who won the Phoenix Stakes, National Stakes and Greenham Stakes before becoming a very successful breeding stallion. His other progeny have included Choisir, Mastercraftsman, Legatissimo and Dancing Rain.
As a foal, Lillie Langtry was consigned by the Castletown Stud to the Tattersalls sales in December 2007 and was bought for 70,000 guineas by the Ashtown House Stud. In October 2008, the yearling filly returned to Tatteralls and was sold for 230,000 guineas to the bloodstock agents McKeever St.Lawrence. She subsequently entered the ownership of the Coolmore Stud organisation and was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the official details of her ownership changed from race to race: she was sometimes listed as being the property of Michael Tabor, whilst on other occasions she was described as being owned by a partnership of Tabor, Derrick Smith and Susan Magnier. She was ridden in all but one of her races by Johnny Murtagh.
Racing career
2009: two-year-old season
Lillie Langtry made her racecourse debut in six furlong maiden race at Naas Racecourse on 13 May 2009 in which she finished second to the Jim Bolger-trained Kitty Kiernan. Nineteen days later, Lillie Langtry met Kitty Kiernan again in the Group Three Fillies' Sprint Stakes over the same course and distance. After racing in fifth place, she took the lead a furlong from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to beat Kitty Kiernan "comfortably" by two and a half lengths. In June, LL was sent to England to contest the Albany Stakes and was made the 11/8 favourite. Ridden by Seamie Heffernan she finished second of the twenty-two runners behind the Ed Dunlop-trained Habaayib.
On 6 August, Lillie Langtry was moved up in class and distance for the Group Two Debutante Stakes over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse. Starting the 2/5 favourite, she was restrained by Murtagh at the rear of the field before accelerating in the last quarter mile. She took the lead inside the final furlong and won by one and three quarter lengths from her stablemate Devoted To You. After the race the filly was made ante-post for the 2010 1000 Guineas: Aidan O'Brien commented "she's one of those fillies that changes gear quickly. She has such speed that she has no problem over seven furlongs, and she'll have no problem over a mile." At the Curragh on 30 August, Lillie Langtry started the 8/11 favourite for the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes, with her main opposition appearing to come from the Sweet Solera Stakes winner Long Lashes. After being held up in the early stages she made steady progress in the straight but never looked like winning and finished third behind Termagant and Famous.