Rebel's Romance (foaled 19 March 2018) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred middle-distance retired racehorse, bred and owned by Godolphin. In a career spanning seven seasons, he won 22 races, including nine Group or Grade 1 victories. Racing in eight countries, he became known as a globetrotter and international superstar. He was trained by Charlie Appleby in Newmarket and Dubai, and was ridden in all but five of his races by William Buick.
He raced twice on the all-weather in Britain as a two-year-old in 2020, winning on both occasions. As a three-year-old in 2021 he won the Group 2 UAE Derby on the dirt in Dubai, but his career took off in 2022 when he was switched to turf and went on to win a Group 3 and three Group 1 races, including the Breeders' Cup Turf. After a disappointing season in 2023, he regained his form in 2024 with four more victories at the highest level, including a second Breeders' Cup Turf, for which he was awarded the American Champion Male Turf Horse at the 2024 Eclipse awards. There were further Group 1 successes in 2025, but he narrowly failed to win an historic third Breeders' Cup Turf. After winning two Group 2 races in 2026, he was retired as an eight-year-old. He had won over £12 million in prize money and won races in Britain, Germany, the US, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Background Rebel's Romance is a brown gelding who was bred in Ireland by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin racing enterprise and who raced in Godolphin's colours. His sire, Dubawi, was the winner of three Group 1 races, including the Irish 2,000 Guineas. His dam, Minidress, was runner-up in the Listed Height of Fashion Stakes. He was sent into training with Charlie Appleby, who is based at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket but also trains during the winter at Godolphin's Marmoon stables in Dubai.
Racing career
2020: Two-year-old season Rebel's Romance began his career at Newcastle in October 2020, winning a Novice Stakes race on the all-weather surface by a length as the 9/2 third choice in a field of nine runners. He followed up in November with a four-length victory at Kempton Park as the 11/10 favourite, again on the all-weather surface.
2021: Three-year-old season Rebel's Romance overwintered in Dubai and opened his three-year-old campaign in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over a mile at Meydan at in January. Settling in mid-division after the start, he made progress with a quarter-mile out, leading with one furlong to run to win by a head over the US-bred Mouheeb. On 20 February, in the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby in Saudi Arabia, Rebel's Romance finished fourth to the Japanese-bred Pink Kamehameha.
In his next assignment, Rebel's Romance was entered in the UAE Derby, a major event in the Road to the Kentucky Derby. After starting towards the rear, jockey William Buick pushed him after being outpaced after one furlong. He moved into second place over a furlong out, then hit the front and was clear in the final 100 yards, drawing away to a -length victory. Although Rebel's Romance earned 100 points for the victory, which would ensure a spot in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Charlie Appleby wasn't committed for his plans.
Although Rebel's Romance was in fifth place in the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby standings trainer Appleby commented on social media, "Having spoken to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, we feel (Rebel's Romance) needs more time, and he will now be aimed at the last leg of the US Triple Crown, the G1 Belmont Stakes." After arriving in the United States in May and after a couple of workouts in preparation for the Belmont Stakes, Rebel's Romance was found to have a hind leg infection and was withdrawn from consideration for the event.
2022: Four-year-old season In early 2022, Rebel's Romance ran unplaced in two races at Meydan over miles before returning to Moulton Paddocks for summer season. In June he was stepped up to miles to contest the Listed Fred Archer Stakes on the July Course at Newmarket and won by lengths. He followed this with victory in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood. In August, ridden by James Doyle, he won the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in Germany. After the race, Appleby said: "Rebel’s Romance has got a nice progressive profile, we've probably been running him on the wrong surface for so many years but now we've switched him to turf he's three from three and enjoying it". He returned to Germany in October to win the Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne under William Buick.
On 5 November, in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland in the US, Rebel's Romance started slowly. Jockey Doyle said that, after a slow break, "We ended up in a nice position". He added: "I was keen to get him off the inside rail and get him out to the middle of the track. It was a little raw on the turns." Rebel's Romance ran on strongly to win by lengths from Irish-bred Stone Age and War Like Goddess in third. Rebel's Romance finished the miles on firm turf in course-record time of 2:26.35.
2023: Five-year-old season Rebel's Romance was initially scheduled to start the season with the Dubai City of Gold on 1 March, but due to inflammation in a foreleg, he was withdrawn. On 25 March, he was entered in the Dubai Sheema Classic, where he finished seventh of ten runners, eleven lengths behind the winner, Equinox.
On 30 July, at Saratoga Race Course in New York, Rebel's Romance started odds-on favourite in Bowling Green Stakes, but he clipped heels and stumbled, unseating jockey Richard Mullen. Rebel's Romance was unhurt, but Mullen was taken to hospital with injuries including broken ribs and three fractured vertebrae and did not return to racing until November.
Rebel's Romance finished fourth at the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Aqueduct in New York before being entered in the Grosser Preis von Bayern, only to be scratched. His final race of the year was the Wild Flower Stakes on the all-weather at Kempton, which he won.
2024: Six-year-old season Rebel's Romance started what was to be his most successful year with a win in the Group 3 Amir Trophy on turf in Doha. He then started a 25/1 outsider in his second attempt at the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan and won the race by two lengths to net £2.74 million, the biggest prize of his career. After the race Appleby said: "He's got the world at his feet now. He deserves a bit of rest but hopefully he's going to be one of our flagbearers for the season." Rebel's Romance continued his successful season with a win in the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse, before coming third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Ascot. He then won the Preis von Europa at Cologne for a second time.
In November 2024, Rebel's Romance started favourite at Del Mar to win his second Breeders' Cup Turf. He won by a neck, taking his tally of Group and Grade 1 races to nine and his earnings to more than £9 million. By this time he was being referred to as a "globetrotter" and "international superstar". He was named the American Champion Male Turf Horse at the 2024 Eclipse awards.
2025: Seven-year-old season Rebel's Romance started the year with a second win in the Amir Trophy, this time held at Al-Uqda Racecourse. He then came fourth in an attempt to win a second Dubai Sheema Classic before returning to Newmarket for the summer. In May he raced over miles for the only time in the Yorkshire Cup at York. He started at 11/10 favourite and won by a head after a slowly-run race that ended in a sprint finish with the field of five virtually level as they approached the post. He then won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes on the last day of the Royal Ascot Meeting in June, and returned to the same racecourse in July to come third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. A trip to Germany in August secured him a second win in the Grosser Preis von Berlin. It was a first Group 1 success for jockey Billy Loughnane, who had been given the ride as William Buick was due to ride at Deauville.
In September, Rebel's Romance, ridden by Frankie Dettori, won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont Park in New York. With William Buick back in the saddle, he then attempted an historic third win in the Breeders' Cup Turf, only to be beaten lengths into second place by outsider Ethical Diamond, trained by Willie Mullins.
2026: Eight-year-old season and retirement In February, Rebel's Romance won the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold at Meydan. After the race, Appleby said: ""He's getting older so we'll take it race by race, but we wanted him to show everyone what a great racehorse he is and thankfully he's done it again tonight". His next race was on 9 July 2026 on the July Course at Newmarket, where he had run for the first time on turf four years previously. Starting odds-on favourite in a field of four, he won the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Stakes by a length from stablemate Arabian Crown in spite of tiring in the closing stages of the race.
Eight days after his victory in the Princess of Wales's Stakes, Godolphin announced the retirement of Rebel's Romance. Over his seven seasons of racing, he had won 22 of his 32 starts and amassed over £12 million in prize money, making him Godolphin's highest ever earner. Nine of his victories had been at Group or Grade 1 level. Appleby explained the decision: "After yet another brilliant win at Newmarket last week, we all discussed it and felt now is the right time to call it a day. It's been an absolute honour to train such an amazing horse, who has been a dream to look after from the moment he arrived." William Buick, who had ridden Rebel's Romance in all but five of his races, said he had been privileged to ride such a wonderful horse.
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