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Champion mare, who won 14 Group 1 races, dies aged 16

Brilliant multiple top flight-winning racemare Goldikova (Anabaa) has died at the age of 16. 

Trained throughout her career by Freddy Head and raced by owner-breeders Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, the daughter of Anabaa (Danzig) retired in 2011 the winner of 27 of her 17 starts, including 14 at the highest level which saw her win £4,324,973 in career prize-money. 

Goldikova consolidated her name among the great when she became the first horse to win the same Breeders' Cup race three times when landing the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr 1, 8f)  in 2008, 2009 and 2010. 

Goldikova was out of winning Blushing Groom (Red God) mare Born Gold and is therefore a sister to Group 3 winner Anodin, as well as being a half-sister to fellow Group 3 winners Gold Luck (Redoute’s Choice), Gold Sound (Green Tune) and Gold Ring (Caerleon).

Gold Ring is herself the dam of Group 3-winning pair Golden Valentine (Dalakhani) and Goldwaki (Dalakhani) as well as Listed scorer Spectaculaire (Spectrum). 

Goldikova was not carrying this year but leaves behind seven offspring, headed by her Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) filly, Terrakova, a Group 3 winner and third in the Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) before injury put paid to her career. 

Terrakova has a two-year-old daughter by Lope De Vega (Shamardal) called Mirakova in training with Andre Fabre and a yearling son by Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) named Kovanof.