June, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Daughter of Zarkava Starts Out at Compiegne

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday’s Insights features a daughter of the undefeated Arc heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar).

2.24 Compiegne, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT
VISSANI (FR) (Dariyan {Fr}) debuts for The Aga Khan and Alain de Royer-Dupre and is a half-brother to the triple Group 1-winning stayer Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) whose dam is the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud third Visorama (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}). Among his opponents is Al Shaqab Racing’s High Impact (Fr) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a Henri-Francois Devin-trained half-brother to the multiple group winner Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) and G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Al Johrah (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}).
3.32 Compiegne, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
ZAYKAVA (FR) (SIYOUNI {Fr}) is another Aga Khan gem on a big day for the operation and definitely the main focus as the latest progeny to represent the star mare Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar). A half-sister to the Stud’s first-season sire Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained homebred encounters some intriguing types including Godolphin’s Soundscape (GB) (Shamardal), an Andre Fabre-trained half-sister to Hunter’s Light (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

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A £10,000 RNA, Royal Ascot Winner Pyledriver Continues Fairytale Season In Saturday’s Investec Derby

Pyledriver surprised bettors with a $41.80 upset in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes on opening day at Royal Ascot, defeating Mohican Heights (David Simcock) and the highly-regarded Aidan O'Brien trainee Mogul. Now, Pyledriver will try to continue his fairytale campaign in Saturday's Group 1 Investec Derby at Epsom.

The Harbour Watch colt was a £10,000 (US$14,006) RNA at the 2017 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and his trio of breeders, Guy and Hugh Leach and Roger Devlin, decided to keep him in training with William Muir.

Pyledriver rewarded that faith with a win in a listed stakes race as a juvenile, and the colt began his 2020 season with a staying-on second behind Berlin Tango in the G3 Classic Trial at Kempton Park on June 3.

The June 16 King Edward victory was especially sweet for Muir, whose only previous winner at the Royal Meeting had been 18 years prior when Zargus landed the Balmoral Handicap. It was also the eighth Royal win for his jockey, Martin Dwyer, who is Muir's son in law.

Dwyer won the Derby in 2006 aboard Sir Percy, so his experience and the colt's penchant for wet ground could lead to an upset on Saturday.

“We could not have been happier with Pyledriver at Ascot and he has come out of the race really well,” Muir said. “I said from Ascot that he had to come right back to his best at home [if he is to run at Epsom]. That includes putting weight on and he has done that.

“We thought Pyledriver was a good horse at the beginning of the year, although because of the season and how it has turned out, we are able to have an Investec Derby runner, something which might not have happened in an ordinary year because he would have to have been supplemented.

“Martin [Dwyer, jockey] will have a sit on him again on Tuesday morning, but he will just have a normal routine between now and the race. He is fit and healthy, and we will just keep him right.

“There are one or two very strong horses in the Derby, but he has not done anything wrong. His time was good at Royal Ascot and he has come out of the race well. Everybody is excited, and we are really looking forward to it.”

Bookmakers have Pyledriver sixth in the Derby betting at 16-1 thus far.

“I'm realistic on the chance,” co-owner Guy Leach told The Guardian. “There's obviously a lot of other good horses. But we're just delighted to be there and he just keeps surpassing all expectations. You just hope he gets a clean run.”

Willie Muir's Pyledriver a few days out from The Derby @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/7qzBGg4uBs

— Nick Lightfoot (@Nick__lightfoot) June 29, 2020

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Candy Ride Colt Hammers For $875K

A son of top sire Candy Ride (Arg) summoned $875,000 from bloodstock agent Gary Young in Timonium Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old Sale. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, Hip 443 breezed in :10 1/5. The colt was purchased by Superfine Farms for $175,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale.

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Santiago Camp Eyeing Goodwood Cup

G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) could clash with three-times G1 Ascot Gold Cup hero Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in next month’s G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup. Victorious in the 14-furlong G2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, Santiago dropped back to a mile and a half at The Curragh just eight days later and fended off stablemate Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to take the Classic honours.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge is the ante-post favourite for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster in September, but the Ballydoyle handler has raised the possibility of taking on John Gosden’s star stayer Stradivarius over two miles first.

Stradivarius joined an elite band when making it a Gold Cup hat-trick at Royal Ascot and will be bidding for a fourth Goodwood Cup win, having landed his first title as a 3-year-old in 2017.

O’Brien said, “It could be straight to the St Leger, but we have it in our head he could go to Goodwood–we’ll just see how he is between now and then. We’ll give him a week before we have a good chat with the lads (Coolmore), so it will be straight to Doncaster or the two-mile race at Goodwood.

“It will depend on what the lads want, but we’ve always thought he was a horse who would stay very well and he showed that at Ascot. At The Curragh you have to stay very well as well. We had other horses in, so we knew it would be a test.”

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