● Knock on wood. Can Redwood, a five-year-old son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf champion High Chaparral, make a triumphant return to Woodbine after finishing third to Joshua Tree, just a head and a nose back of last year’s Pattison Canadian International champion.
● He’s left the competition stumped at the Toronto oval before. One month prior to his close call in the International, Redwood took the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf, a half-length victor in the 1 ½-mile turf stake. Since he branched out to North America, specifically, Toronto, last year, the dark bay hasn’t returned to the winner’s circle. But he does have three runner-up finishes (including the Grade 1 Hong Kong Vase and the Grade 1 Dubai Sheema Classic). He hasn’t been to Hollywood, but Redwood’s been to Goodwood, where he finished fourth to Drunken Sailor in a stake on July 19.
● Trained by Charles Hills and ridden by Michael Hills, Redwood was notching his fourth win in only 10 career starts when taking the Northern Dancer. It was his seventh race in a busy season, yet, career-wise, he’s lightly-raced, after making just one start as a juvenile, winning a maiden contest at Newmarket, then seeing the starting gate only twice as a three-year-old. Said jockey Michael Hills, after the Northern Dancer. “When I got to the rail, it was lovely. I took the inside run. The English horses like that. It was a perfect passage. I just told him, ‘Go do your thing.’”
● Prior to the Northern Dancer, Redwood had finished a close second to Marinous (who was sixth to Workforce in the 2010 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe) in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville in France. Before that, he’d won his first stake, the Group 3 Glorious Stakes July 30 at Goodwood. He was also a solid second to Sans Frontieres in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes, July 8 at Newmarket over one and one-half miles.
● As for the 2010 International, Redwood, sporting the role of mutuel favourite at 2-1, got off to a slow start. Seventh at the half, he rallied with authority to be third at the stretch call, just missing top spot in a three-horse photo with the aforementioned Joshua Tree, who is back to defend his title, and runner-up Mores Wells (also back), who nosed out Redwood for second spot.
● Home, sweet away from home. “It’s a lovely course at Woodbine and he’s shown that he’s handled it very well,” said Charles Hills. “It has that sweeping bend and that long straight. It’s a track he’s well-suited for.”
● While he’s had just 15 starts, the lifetime earner of over $2.3 million (U.S.) is one of the most consistent starters in the field having notched 11 top-three finishes. “We gave him a nice break after his race in July and freshened him up for the International,” said Hills. “Last year when he ran at Woodbine, he was still an inexperienced horse. But he’s been around the world and I would say he’s more streetwise than in his last appearance here.”
● Hills, rightfully, takes great pride in Redwood’s ability and determination regardless of the competition, course or circumstances. “He’s a tough horse,” offered Hills. “He’s not necessarily the type of horse that will win by two lengths or more, but he’s always prepared to run well and he always manages to give a good account of himself. His races at Woodbine were excellent and hopefully, he can return and have another memorable outing.”
Owner – Prince Khalid Abdullah
His Highness Prince Khalid Abdullah, who was born in 1937 in Taif, Saudi Arabia, currently has homes in Saudi Arabia and England.
His Juddmonte Farms was honoured with its’ first Eclipse Award in 1992 as North America’s outstanding owner. It subsequently earned an additional ‘owner’ Eclipse in 2003 and on four occasions has won Eclipse Awards as Breeder of the Year (1995, 2001, 2002 and 2003) .
Now a semi-retired international businessman, Abdullah once presided over a massive conglomerate known as ‘Mawared’. His sons currently manage the business, which includes ventures in catering, cleaning, cement, electronics and insurance. He also owns a one percent interest in Chase Manhattan Bank.
Abdullah bought his first racehorses in 1977 and his first winner was Charming Native, trained by Jeremy Tree, at Windsor on May 14, 1979. He was the first Arab owner to win an English Classic when his now famous green colours with white sleeves, pink sash and cap, were carried to victory by Known Fact, who took the 1980 2,000 Guineas upon the disqualification of Nureyev.
From those beginnings, Juddmonte now has one of the most expansive breeding and racing operations in the world, with stud farms in Britain, Ireland and Kentucky, 350 broodmares and more than 200 horses in training in England, France and the U.S.
The remarkable triumph of Juddmonte’s breeding programme is illustrated by the fact that it took just 17 years to annex all five English Classics with home-breds. In fact, the feat was achieved within a 10-year span commencing with Quest For Fame’s 1990 Derby triumph. Toulon collected the St Leger the following year, while in 1993 Zafonic took the 2,000 Guineas and a second Derby was thrown in for good measure thanks to Commander In Chief, another son of Slightly Dangerous. Reams Of Verse captured the 1997 Oaks and Wince completed the clean sweep when winning the 1,000 Guineas in 1999.
Some of Juddmonte’s best horses, either bred and/or owned include Zafonic, Quest for Fame, Jolypha, Dancing Brave, Rainbow Quest, Dansili, Storming Home, Commander in Chief, Known Fact, Oasis Dream, Chester House, Aptitude, Hasili, Flute, Ryafan, Toussaud, Heat Haze, Honest Lady, Banks Hill and Intercontinental, the latter duo full sisters who both won the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Sightseek, Empire Maker, who provided Juddmonte with its first U.S. classic victory in the 2003 Belmont Stakes and 2006 Arc winner Rail Link.
At Woodbine, Juddmonte’s biggest wins have come in the Pattison Canadian International with French Glory in 1990, stakes record-holder Raintrap in 1994 and in 2009 with Champs Elysees (voted Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2009) and 2009 Woodbine Mile with Ventura.
Trainer – Charles Hills
Following an eight-year spell as assistant trainer to his father, legendary conditioner Barry Hills, Charles took over the licence on August 22, 2011. During his time as assistant, he was lucky enough to have worked closely with horses such as classic winners Haafhd and Ghanaati, and Group 1 winners Red Clubs, Dark Angel, Equiano, Redwood, Maids Causeway, La Cucaracha and Spinning Queen.
Before his time with his father, Charles spent six months in Australia working for the Hayes family. This was followed by a two-year stint with James Fanshawe in Newmarket, where he was associated with high-class horses such as Soviet Song, Gandera, Invermark and Hors La Loi III.
He is proud of the fact that all the current owners at Faringdon Place are supporting him, and he is equally pleased that the top-class staff structure in place will remain.
The private training facilities at Faringdon Place, a mile outside Lambourn, are some of the most modern in the country. There are three indoor barns which house the horses, an indoor school and 125 acres of private gallops which comprise of two woodchip gallops, a Polytrack gallop and extensive grass gallops.
His personal website is charleshills.com.
Jockey – Michael Hills
Born January 22, 1963, Michael Hills is the son of trainer Barry Hills and twin brother of Richard Hills, who won the 2001 International aboard Mutamam. Michael married his wife Christine (Chrissy) in 1989. The couple lives in Wickhambrook outside Newmarket and have a daughter named Samantha.
Hills rode his first winner in 1979 and was champion apprentice jockey, when riding for Newmarket trainer Jeremy Hindley in 1983. He has approximately 1, 800 career wins.
He has two horses to be thankful for. The first was the great grey stayer, Further Flight. Together, they won nine Group races, including the Group 3 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Newmarket a record six consecutive times. Michael then won his seventh Jockey Club Cup in the 1990's on Rainbow High in 1999. The other horse is Shaamit.
Probably his greatest moment came in 1996 when he piloted the William Haggas-trained Shaamit to victory in the Epsom Derby. Hills also won the King George and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot that year on the Geoff Wragg-trained Pentire. He has also enjoyed Group 1 success on such Hills-trained horses as Storming Home (2002 Champion Stakes), Red Clubs (2007 Haydock Sprint Cup) and Equiano (2010 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot), in addition to Redwood.