2012 Prix Maurice de Gheest Winner
Moonlight Cloud was a brilliant European sprinter who became one of the most successful sprint mares of her era. She was foaled in 2008 in Britain and was owned by George Strawbridge of Augustin Stables, the same operation that raced Forever Together and Informed Decision in America. She was trained in France by Freddy Head, the legendary jockey turned trainer who guided her to all of her major wins. Her sire was Invincible Spirit, the Haydock Sprint Cup winner and a top sire, and her dam was Ventura, a daughter of the Irish bred champion Spectrum.
Moonlight Cloud raced from 2010 through 2013 and put together a remarkable Group 1 winning career on the European turf. She had brilliant turn of foot and could close from any spot, traits that made her ideally suited to the strong sprint and mile races of France and England. She raced almost exclusively at six and seven furlongs, where her speed and class made her nearly impossible to beat at her best.
The signature wins came in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, one of the most important sprint races in Europe. Moonlight Cloud won the race three times in 2011, 2012, and 2013, an incredible feat that put her in the very top ranks of European sprinters. She also won the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, the Prix de la Foret, and other top stakes in France and Britain.
Her most famous race may have been her loss. In the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, Moonlight Cloud met the Australian unbeaten superstar Black Caviar and ran her to a head in a thrilling photo finish. Many fans thought Moonlight Cloud had run a winning race, and the effort earned her a rating of 121 that year, the 46th best horse in the world. She retired in early 2014 and went on to a career as a broodmare for George Strawbridge. Moonlight Cloud is remembered as one of the great European sprint mares of the modern era and the horse who pushed Black Caviar closer than anyone else ever did.
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