Tony Bin

Tony Bin (1983–2000) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in Europe for his Italian owner from a base in Milan and became a leading sire in Japan.

Tony Bin
Sire	Kampala (GB)
Grandsire	Kalamoun
Dam	Severn Bridge (GB)
Damsire	Hornbeam
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1983
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Pat O'Callaghan
Owner	Luciano Gaucci
Trainer	Luigi Camici
Record	27: 15-5-4
Earnings	£1.189.885
Major wins
Premio Presidente della Repubblica (1987, 1988) Gran Premio di Milano (1987, 1988) Gran Premio del Jockey Club (1987) Premio Federico Tesio (1988) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1988)
Awards
Timeform rating 134 (1988) Leading older male in Europe (1988) Leading sire in Japan (1994)
Last updated on 17 September 2011

Background

Bred by Pat O'Callaghan, Tony Bin was foaled on 7 April 1983. He was a son of Rathbarry Stud's Kampala and out of the mare Severn Bridge by Hornbeam. The colt was a descendant of the great Nearco through both his sire and his dam. O'Callaghan sold him for 3,000 guineas to the Allevamento White Star breeding and racing operation of Italian businessman Luciano Gaucci.

Racing career

Tony Bin was trained by Luigi Camici. At age two, his best result in a major race was a third in the GI Gran Criterium at Milan's San Siro Racecourse. As a three-year-old in 1986, he finished second in the GI Gran Premio del Jockey Club.

In 1987 at age four, Tony Bin won some of Italy's most prestigious Group One events, including the Gran Premio del Jockey Club, Premio Presidente della Repubblica and Gran Premio di Milano, repeating as winner of the latter two in 1988. Sent to race in France and England, he ran second in the 1988 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and third to Mtoto in the 1988 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. In October, he beat Mtoto in France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Assessment

At the end of the 1988 season, Tony Bin was officially rated the equal of Mtoto as the best older male horse in Europe, one pound behind the filly Miesque. Timeform also could not divide Tony Bin and Mtoto, awarding both horses a rating of 134 and making them the best older horses of either sex, one pound ahead of Miesque and the British filly Indian Skimmer.

Stud record

Tony Bin was sold for US$4 million to Zenya Yoshida Japan. He stood at stud at their Shadai Stallion Station in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, where he met with considerable success. The leading sire in Japan in 1994, Tony Bin produced progeny that includes:

• Air Groove (1993) – Horse of the Year and 1997 Champion Older Mare in Japan. In July 2004, her foal (later named The Sunday Fusaichi) by Dance in the Dark sold for ¥490,000,000 (US$4.54 million), making it the world's highest-priced foal and the most expensive horse ever sold at auction in Japan. Air Groove also foaled Admire Groove and Rulership (winner of the 2012 Q.E.II Cup), the former of which in turn foaled Duramente.
• Offside Trap (1991) – Winner of the 1998 Autumn Tenno Sho.
• Jungle Pocket (1998) – winner of the Tokyo Yushun and Japan Cup, voted the 2001 Japanese Horse of the Year and rated that year by Timeform as the third best three-year-old colt in the world.
• Lady Pastel (1998) – winner of the 2001 Yushun Himba.
• Narita Century (1999) – Japanese stakes winner of US$2,466,527.
• North Flight (1990) – winner of Yasuda Kinen and Mile Championship.
• Telegnosis (1999) – winner of GI NHK Mile Cup with career earnings of more than US$3 million.
• Vega (1990) – winner of the 1993 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks); dam of 1999 Tokyo Yushun winner Admire Vega.
• Winning Ticket (1990) – winner of the 1993 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).

Tony Bin sired other Grade I millionaire winners and was also the damsire of the Japanese colt Heart's Cry, winner of the 2006 Dubai Sheema Classic, who handed Deep Impact his first-ever loss in winning the 2005 Arima Kinen.

Tony Bin Died on 10 March 2000 unexpectedly of heart failure at the age of seventeen.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Tony Bin (IRE), bay stallion 1983

Sire Kampala (GB) 1976	Kalamoun　 1970	Zeddaan	Grey Sovereign
			Vareta
		Khairunissa	Prince Bio
			Palariva
	State Pension　 1967	Only for Life	Chanteur
			Life Sentence
		Lorelei	Prince Chevalier
			Rock Goddess
Dam Severn Bridge (GB) 1965	Hornbeam　 1953	Hyperion	Gainsborough
			Selene
		Thicket	Nasrullah
			Artistic
	Priddy Fair　(IRE) 1956	Preciptic	Precipitation
			Artistic
		Campanette	Fair Trial
			Calluna　(Family: 19-b)