Placid Ark

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Placid Ark
SireArkenstone
Grandsire
DamNorthern Queen
DamsireStar of the North
SexGelding
Foaled1983
CountryAustralia
ColourBay
BreederAsprey Stud
OwnerEight-person syndicate
TrainerWally Mitchell
Record21: 14-2-1[1]
Earnings$771,300
Major wins
Lightning Stakes (1987)
Oakleigh Plate (1987)
Newmarket Handicap (1987)
Canterbury Stakes (1987)
A J Moir Stakes (1987)
Linlithgow Stakes (1987)
Winterbottom Stakes (1987)
Bobby Lewis Quality (1988)
Awards
Australian Co-Champion Racehorse of the Year (1987)
Honours
Placid Ark Stakes at Ascot Racecourse

Placid Ark (1983-1988) was an Australian thoroughbred foaled in Western Australia. His sire Arkenstone was a winning son of the Western Australian champion sire and his dam was Northern Queen a mare bred in South Australia by the United States imported stallion Star of the North.

Bred at near Pinjarra by H.B (Pip) Dent, Placid Ark was purchased at the Sunspeed Yearling Sales for $5,000 for a novice eight-person syndicate headed by Hotelier on the recommendation of Ascot Racecourse trainer Wally Mitchell. Wally Mitchell was persuaded to purchase the horse by the breeder, H.B.(Pip)Dent. Pip was so convinced of the quality of the horse that he offered to give Wally his money back if the horse didn't win (cited in West Australian newspaper's obituary of Pip Dent).

Placid Ark earned number of wins as a two-year-old including the first ever defeat of star filly who later campaigned successfully in the United States of America and after making a promising start in his three-year-old season in Perth, Western Australia, plans were made to take him to Melbourne to contest the autumn sprinters treble of the Lightning Stakes, Oakleigh Plate & Newmarket Handicap. Placid Ark made history when he became the first horse to win all three races in the same season. Accompanying Placid Ark on the trip was New South Wales born jockey who had relocated to Perth as stable rider for Mitchell.

Placid Ark's performances in the 1986-87 racing season resulted in him being voted a co-winner of Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year honors.

Out of racing for a time due to an injury, Placid Ark came back in 1988 to win the Bobby Lewis Quality before a shattered sesamoid resulted in the gelding having to be euthanized.

References[]

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