Saffron Walden (horse) Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. He was ridden in all but two of his races by Mick Kinane. The horse's name was originally spelled "Saffron Waldon" but was later amended to match the name of the town in Essex. The error was believed to have occurred when a fax message was misread and was only corrected after the colt won the Irish 2000 Guineas. He was from the eleventh crop of foals sired by Sadler's Wells, who won the Irish 2000 Guineas, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes in 1984 went on to be the Champion sire on fourteen occasions. Saffron
Saffron Walden (horse) progress on the outside in the straight but never looked likely to win and finished seventh of the sixteen runners, six and a quarter lengths behind the winner Oath. Saffron Walden was then dropped in class and distance for the Group Three Meld Stakes over ten furlongs at the Curragh on 23 July in which he started 4/5 favourite but was beaten four lengths into second place by the four-year-old Make No Mistake. In August he was sent to England for the second time for the International Stakes at York Racecourse. He pulled hard in the early stages and faded