Septimus (4 April 2003 – 12 December 2010) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which was frequently interrupted by injury he won eight of his thirteen races between September 2005 and November 2008. He showed very promising form as a juvenile, winning the Beresford Stakes and finishing third when favourite the Racing Post Trophy and went on to win the Dante Stakes by eight lengths in an abbreviated three-year-old campaign. At four he won the Mooresbridge Stakes and was then stepped up in distance to take the Lonsdale Cup and the Doncaster Cup. In his final season he won the Curragh Cup and the Irish St. Leger, taking the latter event by thirteen lengths. He was rated the best horse in the world over extended distances in both 2007 and 2008. He was retired to stud but had fertility problems and died on 12 December 2010 after complications resulting from a gelding operation.
Background
Septimus was a bay horse with a large white star and three white socks bred in Ireland by the Barronstown Stud in partnership with Orpendale, a breeding company associated with the Coolmore Stud organisation. In September 2004 the yearling was consigned by Barronstown to the Goffs sales and was bought for €220,000 by Coolmore's bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the official details of his ownership changed from race to race: he was sometimes listed as being the property of Derrick Smith, whilst on other occasions he was described as being owned by a partnership of Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier.
He was from the eighteenth crop of foals sired by Sadler's Wells, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes in 1984 went on to be the Champion sire on fourteen occasions. His dam Caladira who was bred and owned by Aga Khan IV won on her racecourse debut and finished unplaced on her only subsequent start. She was a great-granddaughter of the British broodmare Run Honey (foaled 1946) whose other descendants have included Aloma's Ruler and Cirrus des Aigles.
Racing career
2005: two-year-old season
Septimus began his track career in a seven furlong maiden race on 10 September on Leopardstown Racecourse in which he was ridden by Wayne Lordan and won by half a length from his stablemate Arabian Prince. He was then moved up sharply in class for the Group 2 Beresford Stakes over the same distance at the Curragh on 9 October and started 4/6 favourite against five opponents. Ridden by Seamie Heffernan, he tracked the leaders before taking the lead inside the final furlong and won by a length from Rekaab. After the race he was offered at odds of 25/1 for the following year's Epsom Derby.
Two weeks after his win at the Curragh, Septimus was sent to England and moved up in class and distance for the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy over one mile on heavy ground at Doncaster Racecourse. He was made the odds-on favourite but looked to be outpaced in the final stages and finished third to Palace Episode and Winged Cupid.
2006: three-year-old season
On 23 April Septimus began his second season with a trip to France for the Prix La Force over 2000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse in which he was well-fancied, but never looked likely to win and finished seventh of the nine runners behind Barastraight. On his next appearance he contested the Dante Stakes (a major trial race for The Derby) over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse on 18 May. Racing on soft ground and partnered by Kieren Fallon he started 13/8 favourite ahead of Palace Episode and four other colts. After tracking the leaders he went to the front a quarter of a mile from thefinish and drew right away from his opponents to win by eight lengths from the Michael Stoute-trained Best Alibi. Fallon commented "I'm happy he's got this race under his belt and he deserves it. This horse is very fluent so we could take him anywhere... the way he went away from them there with his ears pricked, you'd have to be impressed".
On 3 June Septimus joined Horatio Nelson, Dylan Thomas and Mountain in a four-horse Ballydoyle entry for the Epsom Derby and started the 17/2 fourth choice in the betting. He was towards the rear of the field from the start and came home twelfth of the seventeen finishers behind Sir Percy. The colt subsequently had injury problems and missed the rest of the season.
In the 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Septimus was given a rating of 116, making him the 105th best racehorse in the world.