Breeding and early career
A huge feature during the past decade has been the phenomenal success of trainer Aidan O'Brien from the famous Ballydoyle stables in County Tipperary.
While the foundations for this success have been built on the bloodlines of legendary sire Sadler's Wells, another outstanding Coolmore stallion, Danehill, has also established a huge influence upon the mighty racing and breeding empire.
Danehill, third behind the great Nashwan in the 1989 Two Thousand Guineas, developed into a champion sprinter, winning the Cork and Orrery Stakes at the Royal meeting as well as the Haydock Sprint Cup.
By Northern Dancer's son Danzig, Danehill has been a multiple champion sire in both the northern and southern hemisphere, his stock seemingly becoming much more versatile than that of Sadler's Wells.
Notable amoung his progeny have been the 2004 Derby winner North Light, and the following years Gold Cup winner Westerner, while amoung the top-class Ballydoyle trained stars he has produced have been the multiple Group 1 winners Rock Of Gibraltar, Desert King, Oratorio, George Washington, Duke Of Marmalade, and Dylan Thomas.
Indeed, there are good reasons to place the latter right up there amoung the very best horses to have raced in Europe throughout these last ten years...
A big, handsome, imposing bay colt, Dylan Thomas made a successful winning racecourse debut at Tipperary in June 2005.
He followed up by winning at Leopardstown that September, but a defeat at Salisbury together with a dissopointing sixth of 7 behind Palace Episode in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster placed him some way down the pecking order of the year's best two-year-olds, principle of which were his Ballydoyle stable-companions Horatio Nelson and George Washington.
Classic campaign
May 2006 - and it was the latter, George Washington, who lit up headquarters with an explosive performance under Kieren Fallon (Ballydoyle stable jockey) in the Two Thousand Guineas, while another Ballydoyle trained son of Danehill, Aussie Rules, triumphed in the French equivalent at Longchamp.
Dylan Thomas had won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown, but he was sent off an unfancied 25-1 shot at Epsom on that first Saturday in June in the premier classic, behind his much stronger fancied stable companions Horatio Nelson (Fallon) and the impressive eight length Dante winner Septimus, the mount of Mick Kinane.
Under Johnny Murtagh, Dylan Thomas ran a stormer at Epsom, running right up with the pace, and leading rounding Tattenham Corner, prior to playing his part in one of the closest and most dramatic finishes in recent Derby history, finishing third in a finish of heads and short-heads behind Sir Percy and Dragon Dancer.
The Aga Khan owned Darsi had won an average looking renewal of the Prix du Jockey Club, and this appeared to be a pretty ordinary crop of middle-distance three-year-old colts.
With Sir Percy sidelined after returning stiff and jarred up from Epsom, Dylan Thomas had a favourites chance in the Irish Derby, and under Fallon he stormed to an impressive three-and-a-half length triumph at The Curragh, chased home by the French trained colt Gentlewave, ahead of Best Alibi, with Dragon Dancer fourth and Darsi unplaced.
Dissopointingly, the King George at Ascot went ahead without no representation from the classic generation, leaving Hurricane Run to beat Electrocutionist and Heart's Cry in a thriller.
Dylan Thomas next appeared at York in the Juddmonte International, but in a dissopointing renewal, he finished fourth behind Notnowcato.
However, back on faster ground next time at Leopardstown, he got the better of a titanic battle with the outstanding English trained mare Ouija Board in the Irish Champion Stakes.
Dylan Thomas did not handle the dirt surface at Belmont Park in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and was put away for the winter, to remain in training for a four-year-old campaign...
4 year old campaign
APRIL 2007 - and what a fabulous campaign it proved to be, as Dylan Thomas proved himself amoung the most consistant and outstanding top class middle-distance horses to have run in Europe throughout the last ten years.
His durability was quite amazing as he went through a ten-race programme, running every month from April through to December, nine of them at the highest level, partnered by four different jockeys in a year he became only the sixth horse to win both the King George and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the same season.
He made a winning return to action in the listed Alleged Stakes at The Curragh, before landing the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp under Christophe Soumillon, defeating Irish Wells and the globe-trotting Doctor Dino.
He was then beaten by Notnowcato back at The Curragh in the Tattersalls Gold Cup under Heffernan, before he again had to settle for second, beaten by the French crack Manduro in a vintage renewal of the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Manduro was a superstar this year, "the best I have ever trained" stated Andre Fabre, and but for injury he may well have gone onto win the Arc himself.
He was an exceptional horse when beating Dylan Thomas at Royal Ascot, in a contest that mirrors the vintage Eclipse Stakes we have witnessed this year, with Sea The Stars defeating Rip Van Winkle and Conduit.
Dylan Thomas had a five week break until appearing again at Ascot, Johnny Murtagh taking over from the banned Fallon in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The great midsummer showpiece had now lost it's diamonds due to the withdrawal of sponsors De Beers, and once again there was no representation from the classic generation.
Dylan Thomas had the assistance of stable-mate Scorpion to set the race up perfectly, and the Ballydoyle number 1 quickened to win in emphatic style by four lengths from Youmzain with Maraahel third.
Though not a vintage renewal of the King George, there could be no doubting the winner's superiority over his rivals on the day.
Dylan Thomas cruises home in the 2007 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
The Ballydoyle horse continued to dance every dance, running second to the Derby winner Authorized in Yorks Juddmonte International, before becoming the first horse to win the Irish Champion Stakes twice, leading home Duke Of Marmalade at Leopardstown.
The Arc
So it was onto Longchamp in the French capital, for Europe's most glittering contest, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
A field of 12, headed by the brilliant Derby winner Authorized, with Ballydoyle represented by Dylan Thomas as well as their latest Irish Derby winner, Soldier Of Fortune.
A famous and dramatic race concluded with Dylan Thomas and Kieren Fallon keeping the race following a 35 minute stewards inquiry, after interfering with Zambezi Sun and Soldier Of Fortune. Fallon had got him home by a head from Youmzain, with Sagara third.
Dylan Thomas wins the 2007 Arc
Later career and legacy
It was rare indeed for a horse to win the Arc having raced twice in April, and in every month since. Dylan Thomas was having his eighth outing of the season, and although running below his best twice after in the Breeders Cup Turf and Hong Kong Vase, his was an extraordinary achievement.
He was never dominant or indisputably superior to his contemporaries, but he was most certainly an outstanding and superlative middle-distance racehorse, with an attitude and temperament second to none as he recorded six Group 1 victories.
Probably the best racing son to have represented his sire, there have been very few better racehorses to have come out of Ballydoyle in recent times.
Undoubtably one of 'the' great racehorses of the decade...
Danehill, third behind the great Nashwan in the 1989 Two Thousand Guineas, developed into a champion sprinter, winning the Cork and Orrery Stakes at the Royal meeting as well as the Haydock Sprint Cup.
