St Mark's Basilica (horse)

On his racecourse debut St Mark's Basilica started the 6/4 favourite for a maiden race over six furlongs at the Curragh on 26 July in which he was ridden by Wayne Lordan and finished second to the Ger Lyons-trained Coill Avon. Despite his defeat he was then stepped up sharply in class to contest the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over the same course and distance on 9 August and went off the 7/2 favourite. With Lordan again in the saddle he kept on well in the straight but never looked likely to win and came home fifth of the ten runners behind Lucky Vega.[5] Seamie Heffernan took the ride when the colt started odds-on favourite for a maiden at the Curragh on 22 August and recorded his first victory, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning "readily" by one and a quarter lengths from Loch Lein.[6]

St Mark's Basilica was promoted back to Group 1 class for the National Stakes at the Curragh on 13 September in which he was ridden by Ryan Moore and started at odds of 9/1. He stayed on well from the rear of the field and finished third, beaten one and a half lengths and a short head by Thunder Moon and Wembley (also trained by Aidan O'Brien).[7] It had been intended that the colt would next contest the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp Racecourse but the O'Brien contingent for the meeting was withdrawn when it became apparent that a batch of contaminated feed made it likely that they would fail drug tests.[8] The colt was rerouted to England for the Dewhurst Stakes on soft ground at Newmarket Racecourse on 10 October in which he was ridden by Frankie Dettori and went off at odds of 10/1 in a fourteen-runner field. Thunder Moon started favourite while the other contenders included Cadillac (Juvenile Stakes), Chindit (Champagne Stakes), Wembley, Alkumait (Mill Reef Stakes), Etonian (Solario Stakes) and Tactical (July Stakes). St Mark's Basilica settled in mid-division as the 100/1 outsider Devilwala set the pace, before moving forward to take the lead approaching the final furlong. He kept on well in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length from Wembley, with Thunder Moon taking third ahead of Devilwala.[9] Aidan O'Brien commented "It was one of those weeks, but that's the way the cards have fallen for us... You'd think the first three look like they are proper Guineas horses, don't they? Frankie gave him a lovely ride... He's genuine, tough, and has class as well."[10]