By Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Van Beethoven, a son of US sire Scat Daddy, has been retired by the Coolmore operation and will stand at Haras de Grandcamp in France in 2021.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old ran eight times as a juvenile, claiming two wins.
He broke his maiden tag in his second race, before finishing fourth in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, England.
The Canadian-bred colt achieved the best result of his two-year-old season when winning the GAIN Railway Stakes at The Curragh, Ireland, in June 2018.
As a three-year-old, he raced seven times, with his one-length runner-up spot in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington on 10 August 2019, being arguably the best result of his 15-start career.
Speaking about the colt’s move to stud in France, Winning Bloodstock’s Samuel Blanchard said:
“Van Beethoven didn’t win a Group 1, but was a top 2-year-old. Among the five best sires of juveniles in France this year, four had not won a Group 1. This is also the case with Mehmas, the leading first-season sire in Europe.”
Van Beethoven was unplaced in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland in October last year, and shortly afterwards moved to US trainer Chad Brown, though ultimately the colt never raced again.
The bay colt, which was foaled on 19 February 2016, is out of My Sister Sandy, a full-sister to the dam of triple Grade 1-winning mare Stopchargingmaria.
Though Van Beethoven will stand at stud in France, Coolmore has retained a significant interest in him.
Photo Credit: Michael McInally/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM/Breeders’ Cup
