Monterosso (foaled 2007) is a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was originally trained in Britain, where he won three handicap races and the King Edward VII Stakes as a three-year-old in 2010. After being moved to the United Arab Emirates he recorded his most important success when he won the Dubai World Cup on 31 March 2012.
Background
Monterosso, a dark-coated bay horse with a white sock on his right hind foot, was bred in England by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Darley Stud. He was originally registered as being owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and was sent into training with Mark Johnston at Middleham, North Yorkshire.
Monterosso's sire, Dubawi won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Prix Jacques Le Marois before going on to a successful stud career, siring winners including Makfi (2000 Guineas) and Poet's Voice (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes). His dam, Porto Roca, was a successful Australian racehorse, winning the Coolmore Classic in 2001.
Racing career
2009–2010: early career
Monterosso began his racing career by finishing unplaced in a maiden race on the Polytrack surface at Wolverhampton Racecourse in November 2009. In the winter he was campaigned on the all-weather track at Lingfield, finishing second in a maiden on 15 January and then recording his first win in a similar event eight days later. On 6 February he carried top weight of 133 pounds and won a one-mile handicap race at the same venue.
Monterosso contested his first turf race in April when he won the Cock of the North Handicap at Ripon by a neck from the filly Eleanora Duse, a subsequent Group Two winner. After finishing second to Green Moon in the London Gold Cup (Johnston felt he had been unlucky) he was a comfortable winner of a handicap at Newmarket under top weight of 130 pounds. His performances since the start of the year had seen his official rating improve from 78 to 104, and he was thereafter campaigned in Group Races.
At Royal Ascot, Monterosso contested the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes over one and a half miles. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, he took the lead early in the straight and "quickened clear" to win by two and a quarter lengths from the subsequent St Leger winner Arctic Cosmos, with The Derby runner-up At First Sight in fourth place. Monterosso's continuing improvement resulted in his owners paying €150,000 to supplement the horse into the Irish Derby at the Curragh on 27 June. He started 3/1 favourite for the race, but was never able to reach the lead and finished fourth to Cape Blanco. Monterosso was again made favourite in the Deutsches Derby three weeks later, but finished seventh behind Buzzword. He returned to England for the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August but was "never a factor" and finished fifth of the ten runners behind Rewilding.
At the end of the 2010 season, Monterosso's ownership was transferred to the Maktoum family's Godolphin Racing operation and he was sent to Dubai to be trained by Mahmoud Al Zarooni. Another of Johnston's best three-year-olds, a chestnut named Capponi, also made the move.
2011: four-year-old season
On his first start for his new trainer, Monterosso contested the Group Two Dubai City of Gold over twelve and a half furlongs on turf at Meydan Racecourse. Ridden for the first time by Mickael Barzalona he took the lead in the straight and won by one and a quarter lengths from his stable companion Calvados Blues. Monterosso was then brought back in distance to ten furlongs and switched to tapeta for the world's most valuable race, the Dubai World Cup. Starting as a 40/1 outsider he tracked the leaders and stayed on well in the closing stages to finish third, beaten half a length and a neck by the Japanese runners Victoire Pisa and Transcend. Monterosso missed the rest of the 2011 season after contracting colic.