Triptych

Triptych (1982–1989) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who won nine top-class races in Europe. She earned over $1.5 million in prize money. Triptych died in a freak accident in 1989 when in foal. Background Triptych was a dark bay mare bred in Kentucky by Nelson Bunker Hunt & Edward L. Stevenson. She was sired by Riverman an American-bred French-trained horse who won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in 1972. As a breeding stallion he was highly successful, being the sire of many important winners including Irish River, Bahri, Gold River, River Memories and Detroit. She was consigned to the 1983 Keeneland Sales summer yearling auction, where she was purchased for US$2.15 million by an agent for Alan Clore. Racing career Triptych ran 41 times and won 18 races; of those, 12 were Pattern races, including nine Group 1 events. She was placed another 19 times, all but one of them in Group 1 races, and her worldwide earnings amounted to more than £1,500,500. Her first big win came in the 1984 Prix Marcel Boussac, when she was trained by David Smaga in France, but she moved to David O'Brien in Ireland for her second season when she became the first filly to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, was runner-up in The Oaks to Oh So Sharp and third to Commanche Run and Oh So Sharp in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup (now the International Stakes) at York.