Beethoven (foaled 2 April 2007) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his upset victory in the 2009 Dewhurst Stakes. He was highly tried as a juvenile and ran prominently in several major races before winning the Dewhurst on his tenth appearance of the season at odds of 33/1. As a three-year-old he won the Desmond Stakes and ended his year with a success in the Qatar Derby. He was based in Qatar for the rest of his racing career, making his last appearance in 2015.
Background
Beethoven is a bay horse with a small white star bred in Ireland by Whisperview Trading Ltd, a breeding company owned by the trainer Aidan O'Brien. As a yearling the colt was consigned by the Carriganog Stud to the Goffs Million sale in September 2008 and was bought for 260,000 euros by Hugo Merry Bloodstock on behalf of John Magnier's Coolmore Stud organisation. The colt was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the official details of Beethoven's ownership changed from race to race; he was sometimes listed as being the property of Michael Tabor, whilst on other occasions he was described as being owned by a partnership of Tabor, Derrick Smith and Susan Magnier.
Beethoven was from the first crop of foals sired by Oratorio a top-class performer over ten furlongs who won the Eclipse Stakes and the Irish Champion Stakes in 2005. As a breeding stallion the best of his other offspring have included Military Attack, the Italian champion Biz the Nurse and the Golden Rose Stakes winner Manawanui. Beethoven was the first foal of his dam Queen Titi, a useful racemare who won the Listed Garnet Stakes at Naas Racecourse in 2005. She was bred and owned by Anne-Marie O'Brien and trained by her husband Aidan. Queen Titi is a granddaughter of Luv Luvin', an American broodmare whose other descendants have included Henrythenavigator, Magician and the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Saffron Walden.
Racing career
2009: two-year-old season
Beethoven began his racing career in a maiden race over six furlongs at York Racecourse in England on 14 May in which he started the 9/4 favourite but finished third of the ten runners behind No Hubris and Flying Statesman. At Naas Racecourse on 1 June he started odds-on favourite for a minor event and led for most of the way before being overtaken inside the final furlong and beaten a head into second place by the Ger Lyons-trained gelding Love Lockdown. Despite his defeats, Beethoven was then stepped up in class and distance for the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot on 20 June and started the 4/1 joint-favourite alongside his stablemate Emperor Claudius. He was in contention from the start but never looked likely to win and finished fourth, three and a quarter lengths behind the Richard Hannon Sr-trained Big Audio. In July he ran twice at the Curragh, finishing third to Walk On Bye in the Group Three Anglesey Stakes and fifth to his stablemate Alfred Nobel in the Group One Phoenix Stakes. On 6 August the colt was dropped back in class for a maiden race over six furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse and started the 4/7 favourite in an eleven-runner field. Ridden as in three of his five previous starts by Johnny Murtagh, he took the lead after two furlongs and stayed on in the closing stages to win by a head form Clashnacree.