The curtain has come down on the career of star sprinter Celtic Sea.
Sean Tarry’s champion has retired from racing and is off to the States where she will embark on a broodmare career at the famed Gainesway Farm in Kentucky.
That was always a given, considering she is owned by Gainesway master Anthony Beck, who raced her in partnership with his wife Angela.
Celtic Sea charges to victory in the Sceptre Stakes (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
The five-year-old daughter of Captain Al closed out a stellar racing career in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship, where she ran below par to finish a well-beaten third behind Run Fox Run, whom she had defeated in both previous encounters.
That Celtic Sea took her connections on a heady ride would be an understatement. She was a Graded stakes winner in every season she raced and as her record shows, proved herself the dominant female sprinter of the past two seasons.
Successful in the Gr2 Golden Slipper and runner-up in the Gr1 Allan Robertson at two, she earned her Gr1 spurs at three when storming up the Scottsville track to land the SA Fillies Sprint at the expense of Cape Fillies Guineas victress Snowdance, scoring by the best part of two lengths. Just over a month later, she proved her prowess over a mile whilst inflicting a rare defeat on Horse of the Year Oh Susanna in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes.
She closed out her sophomore season in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint and in a pulsating three-way finish, finished second as the proverbial meat in the sandwich between winner Kasimir and third-placed Palace Chapel.
Not surprisingly, her achievements as a sophomore swayed the Equips Award judges and she was named the Champion three-year-old filly.
Celtic Sea’s relentless march to success continued at age four as she reached full maturity. Sent to Cape Town for the summer, she captured the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes and failed by a neck to hold off Clouds Unfold in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes.
A return to KwaZulu-Natal for the winter season brought with it a second Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint success.
This time, Celtic Sea was made to work for victory as she came under pressure some way out and jockey Gavin Lerena earned his riding fee to get her home in a humdinger finish, with mere shortheads separating her, Run Fox Run and longshot Singforafa.
Celtic Sea wins the Garden Province (Pic -Gold Circle)
Although she proved unsuccessful in her defence of her Garden Province crown – she ran second – the four-year-old had done enough to secure a second Equus Award as the season’s Champion Older Filly/Mare.
The decision to keep the dual champion in training at five may have raised some eyebrows, however, it seemed validated when she opened the season on a winning note in the Gr.2 Southern Cross Stakes, easily beating old adversary Run Fox Run.
As expected, the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes proved a mere formality and she made it back-to-back victories with a clinical two-length score over outclassed rivals. That was to be her final success and the announcement of her retirement came shortly after the Cape Flying Championship.
Trainer Sean Tarry with regular pilot, Gavin Lerena (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
Sean Tarry has trained some fabulous sprint fillies in his time, none better than Horse of the Year National Colour and champion Carry On Alice, both of which also left our shores. Asked to compare Celtic Sea to that illustrious pair he remarked: “She was probably more versatile and was at her best from 1200 to 1400m. She was very special and we knew she was good from early on.
“For a Captain Al, she was always manageable. She could get a bit worked up but once she got to the start she was fine. She always tried her best and was so brave and honest. I will miss her.”
Celtic Sea bows out with a splendid record.
She won twelve races, eight of which at Graded level and amassed earnings of over R3,3-million, a far cry from the R325,000 she cost her owner as a yearling.
Bred by champion breeders Wilgerbosdrift/Mauritzfontein, Celtic Sea is out of Brazilian import Ireland, a daughter of the tip top miler Mark Of Distinction.
Twice a winner in South Africa, she is also the dam of multiple Gr3-placed Cashel Palace (Fort Wood) and the consistent four-time winner Donald McDonald (ideal World). A half-sister to Brazilian Gr1 winner and Oaks third La Defense (Nedawi), Ireland foaled to Gimmethegreenlight last spring.
Celtic Sea’s departure is a sad loss to the South African gene pool to say the least. However, we wish her well.
May her broodmare career mirror her racetrack achievements!
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