Montjeu

Montjeu
Montjeu at the 1999 Japan Cup
Sire	Sadler's Wells
Grandsire	Northern Dancer
Dam	Floripedes
Damsire	Top Ville
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1996
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Sir James Goldsmith
Owner	Laure Boulay de la Meurthe Michael Tabor
Trainer	John E. Hammond
Record	16: 11-2-0
Earnings	$2,062,822
Major wins
Prix Isonomy (1998) Prix Greffulhe (1999) Prix du Jockey Club (1999) Irish Derby (1999) Prix Niel (1999) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1999) Tattersalls Gold Cup (2000) Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2000) K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (2000) Prix Foy (2000)
Awards
European Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1999) #1 - International Classification for 3-Yr-Olds (1999) Timeform rating: 137 Leading sire in France (2005)

Montjeu (1996 – 29 March 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained thoroughbred horse racing racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1998 to November 2000 he ran sixteen times and won eleven races. After winning twice as a juvenile, he was the outstanding European racehorse of 1999, winning the Prix du Jockey Club, the Irish Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Four more victories in 2000 included the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was then retired to stud where he proved to be an outstanding sire of winners.

He died on 29 March 2012 at age 16 at Coolmore Stud from complications related to septicaemia.

Montjeu, a bay horse standing 16.1 hands high, was bred in Ireland by Sir James Goldsmith, who named him after his chateau outside Autun in France. Goldsmith died in 1997 before the colt began racing, and his ownership went to a holding company (Tsega Ltd) owned by Laure Boulay de la Meurthe, mother of two of Goldsmith's children. Montjeu was sired by the thirteen times British Champion Sire Sadler's Wells out of the Prix de Lutece winner Floripedes. The colt was sent into training with John E. Hammond at Chantilly.

Montjeu ran twice as a two-year-old in the autumn of 1998. On his racecourse debut he appeared in the Prix de la Maniguette over 1600 m at Chantilly and won "easily" from nine opponents. A month later, he was moved up to Listed class and won the Prix Isonomy by three quarters of a length from Spadoun. Montjeu's form was boosted two weeks later when Spadoun won the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud. At the end of the year, a half-share in Montjeu was sold to the Coolmore organization, represented by Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier.