Balanchine’s victory in the 1994 Irish Derby was notable for numerous reasons...
1994 Irish Derby
1st – Balanchine
2nd – King's Theatre
3rd – Colonel Collins
It was Frankie Dettori's first and only victory in the Irish Derby, it was only the second win in 94 years by a filly in the race and it marked an important first Irish Classic for a fledgling operation named Godolphin.
In 1992, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, along with his three brothers, devised a revolutionary idea which would transform horse racing on a global scale. Racehorses would be campaigned in Europe during the month and returned to Dubai over winter, benefitting from the warmer climate. Godolphin was named after one of the three founding stallions of the Thoroughbred and the newly-founded organisation achieved their first winner at Nad Al Sheba in 1992. With international aspirations, Sheikh Mohammed decided to invest in juveniles for his 'experiment' during the 1993 season, purchasing four from Robert Sangster for approximately two million pounds - Chesham Stakes winner State Performer, Balanchine, Escarpment and Shepton Mallet. These two-year-olds would winter in Dubai and form part of the first wave of the Godolphin operation.
Trained by Peter Chappel-Hyam, Balanchine ended her juvenile season two-from-two and seemed to flourish under the care of Hilal Ibrahim in Dubai over the winter. Returning to the UK for the 1000 Guineas, she appeared physically stronger than her counterparts in the paddock and out-ran odds of 20/1 to finish second over a distance shorter than ideal. Despite her pre-training taking place in the desert, Balanchine relished the soft ground conditions in the Epsom Oaks and provided Godolphin with their first English Classic winner. In a post race interview, Sheikh Mohammed said: 'This experiment has obviously worked. We will now have to think about campaigning horses from Dubai all over the world.'
John Dunlop's filly Salsabil had defied a ninety year history in 1990 by winning the Irish Derby and connections of Balanchine decided on the same brave course of action. Despite stiff opposition in the shape of Epsom Derby second King's Theatre, the victory never looked in doubt with Balanchine accelerating down the Curragh straight to win by four and a half lengths for a delighted Frankie Dettori. Three weeks later, the filly was diagnosed with colic and was given an emergency operation to save her life. Although she returned as a four-year-old, she did not look the force of old and finished down field in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Although Balanchine did not produce anything of note once retired to stud, she will be forever remembered for her path-finder role in the establishment of Sheikh Mohammed's 'experiment'.
