Giant's Causeway (horse)

Giant's Causeway
Sire	Storm Cat
Grandsire	Storm Bird
Dam	Mariah's Storm
Damsire	Rahy
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1997
Country	United States
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Orpendale & Michael Tabor
Owner	Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor
Trainer	Aidan O'Brien
Record	13: 9–4–0
Earnings	$3,078,989
Major wins
	Futurity Stakes (1999); Prix de la Salamandre (1999); Gladness Stakes (2000); St. James's Palace Stakes (2000); Eclipse Stakes (2000); Sussex Stakes(2000); Juddmonte International Stakes (2000); Irish Champion Stakes (2000)
Awards
	Cartier Horse of the Year (2000); Leading sire in North America (2009, 2010, 2012)
Honours
	Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland
	Last updated on April 17, 2010

Giant's Causeway (born February 14, 1997) is a Kentucky-bred thoroughbred racehorse who competed primarily in Europe.

Background

Giant's Causeway is a chestnut horse bred in Kentucky by Orpendale & Michael Tabor.

As a two-year-old in 1999, Giant's Causeway was unbeaten in three races: a maiden race at Naas, the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh and the Prix de la Salamandre at Longchamp.

In the spring of 2000, Giant's Causeway won the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh and then finished second in both the 2000 Guineas and the Irish 2000 Guineas.

His winning sequence was broken in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on 23 September, when he was beaten half a length by Observatory. On his final racecourse appearance, Giant's Causeway was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in which he raced on dirt for the first time. Starting at odds of 7.6/1 he was beaten a neck into second place by the American colt Tiznow, with the other beaten horses including Captain Steve, Lemon Drop Kid, Fusaichi Pegasus and Cat Thief.

His performance in 2000 earned him European Horse of the Year honors.

In 2001, Giant's Causeway entered stud at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, then the following year was sent to stand at Coolmore's Australia branch. His success led to the stallion going to Coolmore's U.S. unit, Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky. In 2006, he stood for a fee of $300,000.^{[citation needed]}.

Giant's Causeway is the sire of First Samurai, 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand, 1000 Guineas and Coronation stakes winner Ghanaati, Maids Causeway, Oonagh Maccool, My Typhoon, Aragorn, Rite of Passage, Heatseeker, and Noble Causeway among others. In 2007, his son Mike Fox won Canada's most prestigious horse race, the GI Queen's Plate and Red Giant won the $1 million Virginia Derby. His best offspring so far was from his first crop in 2004. Shamardal was the European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt that year and returned the following year to claim the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the Prix du Jockey Club and the St. James's Palace Stakes.