Strong Suit (foaled 9 February 2008) is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. Although he never won a Group 1 race and was overshadowed by contemporaries such as Frankel and Dream Ahead he was a top-class performer over distances from six furlongs to one mile and was rated among the twenty best racehorses in the world at his peak. As a juvenile in 2010 he won the Coventry Stakes and was placed in both the Phoenix Stakes and the Middle Park Stakes. In the following year he took the Jersey Stakes, Lennox Stakes and Challenge Stakes as well as being narrowly beaten in the Prix Jean Prat. He failed to win as a four-year-old and made no impact when sent to race in the United States. After his retirement from racing he stood as a breeding stallion in India.
Background
Strong Suit is a chestnut horse with a large white star bred by the Arkansas-based McDowell Farm in partnership with Gainsborough Farm and Robert N Clay. As a foal he was offered for sale at Keeneland in November 2008 and was bought for $27,000 by the bloodstock agent Margaret O'Toole. He was shipped to Europe and in August 2009 he was put up for auction at Goffs and was sold for £40,000 to Peter Doyle Bloodstock. He entered the ownership of Julie Wood and was sent into training with Richard Hannon Sr. at East Everleigh in Wiltshire. Strong Suit was ridden in all but one of his European starts by Richard Hughes.
His sire, Rahy (1985–2011), sired the winners of over three hundred races, including more than thirty at Group One/Grade I level. Apart from Strong Suit, his best progeny included Noverre, Serena's Song and Fantastic Light. Strong Suit's dam Helwa never contested a race but was a granddaughter of Private Colors, a full-sister to Personal Ensign.
Racing career
2010: two-year-old season
Strong Suit made his racecourse debut in a maiden race over six furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 14 May and started the 6/4 favourite in a twelve-runner field. He recovered from being hampered when the front-running Straight Line veered to the left, took the lead a furlong out and won "going away" by one and three quarter lengths from Neebras. A month later the colt was stepped up sharply in class to contest the Group 2 Coventry Stakes over six furlongs at Royal Ascot and started the 15/8 favourite in a thirteen-runner field. After being repeatedly denied a clear run in the last quarter mile he produced a strong late run, caught the leader Elzaam in the last stride and won by a nose. Hughes commented "He's a bit raw and goofy. When I pulled him out to go around one after a couple of furlongs, he cocked his jaw and ran into the back of the other horse. It was like hitting a stationary car. How he got back up to win after that I don't know".
On 8 August, Strong Suit was sent to Ireland to contest the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over six furlongs at the Curragh and was made the 4/9 favourite against six opponents. He took the lead approaching the final furlong but was overtaken in the final strides and was beaten half a length and a short head by Zoffany and Glor Na Mara. On his final start of the season the colt contested the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 1 October. Racing on soft ground he proved no match for the easy winner Dream Ahead but came home second of the eight runners.
In the official end of the year classification, Strong Suit was give a rating of 113, making him the 17th best juvenile colt in Europe.
2011: three-year-old season
On 16 April Strong Suit started second favourite for the Greenham Stakes (a major trial for the 2000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newbury but made no impact and came home last of the six runners behind Frankel. He then underwent an operation to correct a breathing problem. After an absence of two months the colt returned to the track in the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot a race in which he carried a five-pound weight penalty for his Coventry Stakes win a year previously. He started at odds of 11/1 in a nine-runner field which included New Deerfield (King Charles II Stakes), Splash Point (UAE 2000 Guineas), Havane Smoker (runner-up in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches), Oracle (third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas) and the previously undefeated Western Aristocrat. After racing second place Strong Suit took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by half a length from New Deerfield.