Golden Horn is a brown horse with no white markings bred in England by his owner Anthony Oppenheimer's Hascombe and Valiant Stud. Oppenheimer is a member of the family that controlled the De Beers Mining Company. Golden Horn was sired by Cape Cross a leading miler who won the Lockinge Stakes in 1998 and the Queen Anne Stakes in the following year. As a breeding stallion Cape Cross, who stands at the Kildangan Stud in County Kildare has had considerable success, being the sire of Ouija Board, Sea the Stars and Able One.
Golden Horn's dam, Fleche d'Or was an unraced daughter of Dubai Destination and came from a family which had produced several major winners for the Oppenheimers. Her half-sister Rebecca Sharp was a top-class racemare who won the Coronation Stakes and finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, whilst her great-grandmother Lora produced the 1000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner On The House. Other descendants of Lora's dam Courtessa have included Habibti and the Australian champions Danewin and Octagonal. Nine months after foaling Golden Horn, Fleche d'Or was sent to the Tattersalls Breeding Stock sale in December 2012 and bought for 62,000 guineas by Harry McAlmont of the Norelands Stud. Golden Horn was offered for sale as a yearling in October 2013 at Tattersalls but was bought back by his breeder when the bidding stopped at 190,000 guineas.
The colt was sent into training with John Gosden at his Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk. Gosden is a British native (the son of John "Towser" Gosden) who began his training career in California in 1980 and had his first major success with Bates Motel in 1984. He left the United States in 1989 and has trained in Britain ever since. His other major winners in Europe have included Kingman, Taghrooda, Ravens Pass, Nathaniel and Benny the Dip.
Date Race Dist (f) Course Class Prize (£K) Odds Ran Place Margin Time Jockey Cite
29 Jul 2014 Oath Maiden Stakes 8.5 Nottingham Maiden 6 15/8 8 1 Head 1:46.69 William Buick
15 Apr 2015 Feilden Stakes 9 Newmarket Listed 20 2/1 7 1 1.5 1:48.16 Frankie Dettori
14 May 2015 Dante Stakes 10.5 York 2 90 4/1 7 1 2.75 2:08.74 William Buick
6 Jun 2015 Epsom Derby 12 Epsom 1 813 13/8 12 1 3.5 2:32.32 Frankie Dettori
4 Jul 2015 Eclipse Stakes 10 Sandown 1 255 4/9 5 1 3.5 2:05.77 Frankie Dettori
19 Aug 2015 International Stakes 10.5 York 1 518 4/9 7 2 Neck 2:09.92 Frankie Dettori
12 Sep 2015 Irish Champion Stakes 10 Leopardstown 1 494 5/4 7 1 1 2:05.41 Frankie Dettori
4 Oct 2015 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 12 Longchamp 1 2214 9/2 17 1 2 2:27.23 Frankie Dettori
31 Oct 2015 Breeders' Cup Turf 12 Keeneland 1 1057 4/6 12 2 0.5 2:32.06 Frankie Dettori
