page_title: Flintshire (horse)
section_title: 2015: five-year-old season
hierarchical_section_title: Flintshire (horse) / Racing career / 2015: five-year-old season
caption_attribution_description: English: Flintshire, racehorse trained at France
context_page_description: Flintshire is a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who has been trained in France and the United States. Unraced as a juvenile, he was one of the best three-year-old colts in France in 2013, winning the Prix du Lys and the Grand Prix de Paris. In 2014 he finished second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders' Cup Turf before recording his biggest win in the Hong Kong Vase. As five-year-old he won the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap and again finished second in the Arc. At the start of his six-year-old season in 2016 he was sent to be trained in the United States. He began the season with victories in the Manhattan Handicap, Bowling Green Handicap and Sword Dancer Stakes, before finishing second in his last two starts, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and Breeders' Cup Turf.
context_section_description: Flintshire made his first appearance of 2015 in the Prix Darshaan over 1900 metres on the Polytrack surface at Chantilly on 3 March. The race was intended as a trial for French-trained horses aimed at the Dubai World Cup Night meeting. He started the 1/2 favourite but was beaten a short neck by the four-year-old filly Dolniya. In the Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse on 28 March, Flintshire started 3/1 second favourite behind the Japanese filly Harp Star in a field which also included Dolniya, Main Sequence and Designs On Rome. In a slowly-run race, he raced in mid-division before making steady progress in the straight and finished second, two and a quarter lengths behind Dolniya.
  On his return to Europe, Flintshire faced Dolniya yet again in the Coronation Cup on 6 June. After tracking the filly for most of the way he was outpaced in the final furlong and finished third of the four runners behind the upset winner Pether's Moon. On his return to France, the horse started the 5.7/1 third favourite behind Treve and Dolniya in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on 28 June. After tracking the leaders he took the lead in the straight but was overtaken by Treve in the closing stages and was beaten one and a quarter lengths into second place. An intended run in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was abandoned owing to the soft ground at Ascot. Flintshire was shipped back to America and contested the 1.5-mile (2,400 m) Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York State on 29 August. In a stalking position until the final turn, he then took a commanding lead and won by three lengths in a time of 2:23.77 on a firm turf course. Khalid Abdulla's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented "He's just so unbelievably consistent. He's traveled the world. He's won in Hong Kong, he's won in Dubai, and now he's won here. He's a remarkable horse".
  On October 4 Flintshire made his third bid for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and started at odds of 18.6/1 in a seventeen-runner field. He was among the leaders from the start and stayed on strongly in the straight to finish second, two lengths behind the winner Golden Horn. Flintshire attempted to repeat his 2014 success in the Hong Kong Vase and finished second to the Irish three-year-old Highland Reel.
caption: Flintshire before the 2015 Hong Kong Vase
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