Milan (8 March 1998 – 21 December 2022) was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who was bred in Britain but trained in Ireland. In a career which lasted from October 2000 until May 2002, he ran ten times and won three races. He recorded his most important success when winning the Classic St. Leger Stakes as a three-year-old in 2001. In the same year also won the Great Voltigeur Stakes and finished second in the Breeders' Cup Turf. He was retired after being injured in his only race as a four-year-old and became a successful National Hunt sire.
Background
Milan was a bay horse with a large white star and four white feet, who was bred at the Fittocks Stud at Upend, Newmarket in Suffolk. The stud is managed by Sara Cumani, the wife of the trainer Luca Cumani. Milan is one of numerous top-class middle-distance runners sired by the thirteen-time Champion sire Sadler's Wells. His dam Kithanga was a successful racemare who won the St. Simon Stakes and finished third in the Irish St. Leger. As a yearling, Milan was sent to the Tattersalls sales at Newmarket, where he was bought for 650,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne on behalf of the Coolmore organisation. Like many of the Coolmore horses he was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. He was registered for racing purposes as being owned by either Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier or a partnership of the two.
Racing career
2000: two-year-old season
Milan did not appear until the autumn of his two-year-old season when he began his racing career at the Curragh on 15 October. Contesting the Kildare Maiden Stakes he was ridden by Colm O'Donoghue and started at odds of 9/1 in a field of twenty-two runners. Milan tracked the leaders before moving into the lead a furlong from the finish and quickened clear to win "easily" by three and a half lengths from his stable companion Leopard Spot.
2001: three-year-old season
Milan began his three-year-old season in the Listed Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on 16 April. He started at odds of 7/1 and finished second to the subsequent Epsom Derby winner Galileo, with Vinnie Roe in third. With his stable companion Galileo aimed for the Derby, Milan was sent to contest Group One races in France. He finished a half length third to Chichicastenago in the Prix Lupin at Longchamp in May after which O'Brien called Milan "still a big baby". In the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly in June he was poorly drawn and stumbled exiting the stalls before finishing "powerfully" to take fifth place behind Anabaa Blue. In these races he was ridden by Mick Kinane who rode Milan in all his subsequent races.
Later in June, Milan started favourite for the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot but finished fourth of the twelve runners behind Storming Home. Milan and Storming Home met again in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August. On this occasion, Milan started second favourite at 6/1, despite receiving three pounds from his English-trained opponent. Kinane restrained Milan in the early stages before moving him forward in the straight. He took the lead a furlong from the finish and stayed on to beat Storming Home by one and a half lengths. Aidan O'Brien explained that the colt had been given a break since things had happened "a bit quick for him" in France and at Ascot, and that he had been looking fresh in training. The Racing Post described Milan as looking "stylish and progressive".