Month: June 2021

Royal Ascot Drama: Wesley Ward-Trained Campanelle Elevated To Victory In G1 Commonwealth Cup

The Wesley Ward-trained Campanelle was awarded the G1 Commonwealth Cup in the stewards' room following a dramatic renewal of the six-furlong contest for 3-year-olds.

Campanelle (5/1), ridden by Frankie Dettori, and Dragon Symbol (4/1) for Oisin Murphy fought out a ding-dong battle throughout the final furlong, with the latter having a head to spare at the winning post.

However, interference was deemed to have taken place, with Dragon Symbol drifting right as they raced to the line, and the US-challenger was promoted to first place. Measure Of Magic (11/1) was five lengths behind the front two in third.

Victory for Campanelle – who won the G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2020 – gave Ward a 12th success at Royal Ascot while it was a 76th for Dettori.

Ward said: “We are elated. Both horses ran fantastic, they dug down deep and there were only inches apart. I think it was a validated result – in the United States terms, he has taken her across the track. Archie Watson shook my hand after the enquiry, a true gentleman.

“This was Campanelle's first run since the Breeders' Cup. It was a gritty performance on heavy ground and, to come back from that, it is a true testament of how good this filly is.

“I actually thought the ground boded well for her chances. We weren't sure about heavy ground, but we knew she liked soft ground.

“Winning at Royal Ascot is so special, especially with my children here from the onset in 2009, it has been so special. To have Campanelle ponied down by my first winner Strike The Tiger too means a lot.

“Royal Ascot has changed my life. If it wasn't for Royal Ascot, my kids would be going to community college and instead my eldest son is going to law school in August.

“We'll sit down with the owners. Campanelle worked well on the July Course, but the July Cup could come a bit quick. I have run horses in the Prix Maurice De Gheest in the past and I think she'll do well whatever ground comes on the day. I think it would suit.

“Campanelle is going up the pecking order. Lady Aurelia was very special, but if she keeps delivering, she'll keep going up!”

Dettori said: “It is never nice winning a race in the stewards' room. I feel sorry for Dragon Symbol's connections that I took it off them. But in these conditions, when you are taken across about eight lanes, I got nudged three times, lost my momentum and got beaten a head, so the stewards felt they gave me the benefit of the doubt.

“I was coming back on the line, and it was a good effort by Campanelle and by the original winner, but I'm glad that we've got it. I feel very sad that I got it, but I had reason to believe that my filly was still the best on the day.

“Campanelle won the Queen Mary, she won the Prix Morny, and now she has won the Commonwealth. They keep on bringing horses here and I'm always delighted to ride winners for Wesley.”

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Stidham Hoping For Big Effort From Micheline In Sunday’s Eatontown Stakes

Now that Micheline has notched her first graded stakes victory, doing so in her 2021 debut, trainer Michael Stidham is convinced there's much more to come this year for the 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini.

The next step is Sunday's Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park, with the $150,000 Father's Day feature race attracting a full field of 12 (as well as four alternates). Stidham is hoping the mile and a sixteenth grass race sets up the Godolphin runner for the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes on Aug. 14 at Arlington.

“We had her ready to go at Belmont Park on June 4 (in the Grade 2 New York Stakes) but it absolutely poured rain,” he said. “It had rained there for a couple of days and right before the race they had to postpone the post parade because it was raining so hard. So we scratched her out of that.

“We needed a race for her. We knew this one would come up tough but we're pointing to the Beverly D. So we needed a race. It's time to get another race in her.

“Hopefully we'll get a good firm turf course on Sunday at Monmouth.”

Stidham learned about Micheline's aversion to a soft or yielding turf the hard way. After a sharp seasonal debut that saw her win the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Downs on March 6 off a five-month layoff – “I didn't feel like I had her cranked up to 100 percent but she won anyway,” Stidham said – Micheline was a tiring sixth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland on April 10.

That race was run over a yielding turf course.

“The race at Keeneland was a disappointment but the rain came down in buckets all morning and all day and the turf was horribly soft,” said Stidham. “She hated it. She never looked comfortable on it. When it came time for her to make her move she was spinning her wheels.

“To me it's a throw-out race.”

Micheline has proven to be a consistent turf router during her 14-race career with five wins, two seconds and a third. She has earned $671,978.

“She was always a filly that showed us a lot of ability and talent,” said Stidham. “The proof of that is we shipped her to Saratoga for her first career start (in 2019). That will tell you what we thought of her. We rarely ship to Saratoga unless we really like one.”

Micheline finished third in her racing debut. Stidham then shipped her to Monmouth Park, where she won the Sorority Stakes at a mile on the grass – as a maiden.

If Stidham has any reservations about the Eatontown Stakes — beyond the full, competitive field — it's the distance. Micheline won the Hillsborough at a mile and an eighth and has also won a mile and a half stakes race.

She is 1-for-5 lifetime at the Eatontown distance.

“I would say it's a little short for her,” Stidham said. “I would say she is better going a mile and an eighth and up. We hope she can overcome the distance Sunday with her class and talent.”

Mychel Sanchez has the mount.

First race post time for Sunday's 12-race card is 12:15.

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No Nay Never’s Alcohol Free Takes The Coronation

Just minutes after losing the argument for keeping the G1 Commonwealth Cup on Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), Oisin Murphy was playing Mr bouncebackability as he steered Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) to clear-cut glory in the G1 Coronation S. It will certainly be a Royal Ascot Friday the reigning champion jockey, who has generally been put through the emotional wringer this month, will never forget with such extreme highs and lows all within the space of less than an hour. To add another aside to this tumultuous spell, Alcohol Free even opted to drop him as he was making his way back to the hallowed place having seen off TDN Rising Star Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Jeff Smith's G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine had stamina doubts entering this test, with her fifth in Newmarket's Guineas largely inconclusive, but trainer Andrew Balding who is having a Royal Ascot to savour was adamant she possessed the right material. Buried in mid-pack early, the 11-2 shot was the first to subdue the aggressively-ridden G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Novemba (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) passing the furlong pole before answering the doubters with a continued surge to put 1 1/2 lengths between her and Snow Lantern. Mother Earth was a model of consistency as usual, a neck further behind, denying the game Novemba third place by half a length. “I didn't get a chance to stress ahead of Alcohol Free,” Murphy said. “I said it to my valet that 'there's no place for tears in here–there are far worse things going on in the world' and we're in the entertainment industry. Alcohol Free is a real pain, but so talented and they got her here in super form.”

In a quirk of fate, Alcohol Free received the widest stall on her first two starts at two and while it was not a major problem on her winning debut at Newbury in August it probably cost her when 3/4-of-a-length second to the battle-hardened Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in Salisbury's G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. in early September. Late that month, the bay got it together to deny Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket showing the kind of pace that suggested a mile would be a stretch. Coming back in the seven-furlong G3 Fred Darling S. at Newbury Apr. 18, she was stuck out on the wing again but had enough to deny Statement (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) by a short head. While that performance entitled her to a crack at the May 2 Newmarket Classic, it didn't scream Guineas winner and in the event itself she was again wide without cover and not seen to best effect. Although she was only two lengths off Mother Earth there, connections were convinced that she had not given her true running and it was full steam ahead to this test.

Primo Bacio (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) was a significant non-runner due to the drastic change in going brought about by the almost apocalyptic weather, and her absence was to leave some important questions unanswered with Snow Lantern having trailed her at York last time. Alcohol Free was due to be drawn wide before the stalls were moved to the far rail and that slice of fortune meant that she received early cover as David Egan took the bull by the horns on the German raider Novemba. Dragging his rivals into action in early straight as he kicked again on the runaway German Guineas winner, Egan drew the sting from TDN Rising Star Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) but Murphy was still happy in behind and even had time to remove his goggles as he angled his mount for her challenge. As the winner settled the outcome passing the furlong pole, Snow Lantern who had run freely throughout the early stages as she had at York was forced to change course slightly before storming home.

“What worried me was the clerk of the course decided to put the stalls on the far rail. That was fine, but then everyone wants to get to that rail and I was worried it was going to get congested,” Murphy added. “Alcohol Free relaxed, I stayed on the bit for as long as I could and given her pedigree, she was always going to handle the ground.” Balding admitted to a feeling of deflation after the Guineas and said, “Alcohol Free is very classy. We had heavy hearts after Newmarket, because it isn't often you go into a Classic expecting to win it. For whatever reason, it didn't pan out that day and she was below-par, but she was back to her best today and she looked pretty good. We were a bit concerned when all the rain came, because her stamina wasn't guaranteed, but full credit to Oisin–it's the measure of the man to have the disappointment he had five minutes before they go in the stalls. To give her such a good ride takes some doing.”

“We have worked her at home plenty of times on soft ground, it doesn't inconvenience her and she travels very strongly–it was just whether she would see out the final furlong and I was very grateful that she really powered home,” the Kingsclere handler said. “Today was the first time ever she has got some cover and it's been through ill-luck rather than design that she hasn't before. The slightly awkward draw turned into a really good draw when they started to race down under the trees and she got some cover and switched off beautifully. She did win a group 1 last year, so there's never been any doubt about her ability but she needed a bit of luck and everything to drop right. She's in the [G1] July Cup [at Newmarket July 10] and the [G1] Sussex Stakes [at Goodwood July 28]–whether she does both or one I don't know, but I think we'll stick to Britain this year.”

Richard Hannon said of Snow Lantern, “Her day will come and she's run a super race. We had a point to prove after York. She is an aeroplane. In terms of what I came here wanting, she's done–she was so much less keen.”

Alcohol Free is out of Plying (Hard Spun), a dual winner in the Sheikh Mohammed silks for the Henri-Alex Pantall stable who was initially a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Yearling purchase before selling out of a Darley draft for €12,000 to BBA Ireland at the 2013 Arqana December Sale. Five years later, she was bought by Jossestown Farm for €21,000 at the Goffs November auction and the rest is history. Also responsible for the Listed Prix le Fabuleux winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), she is out of the Listed National S.-placed Nasaieb (Ire) (Fairy King) who produced the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Princess Margaret S. third Kissing Lights (Ire) Machiavellian). Nasaieb is a half-sister to the G3 Solario S. scorer Raise a Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge) from the family of the champion Numbered Account (Buckpasser). Plying's unraced 2-year-old filly Hooked On You (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was a 130,000gns purchase by Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale and is in training with Karl Burke. Her yearling colt by Dandy Man (Ire) was bought by Ballyhane for €80,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale.

Friday, Royal Ascot, Britain
CORONATION S.-G1, £426,875, Ascot, 6-18, 3yo, f, 7f 213yT, 1:43.13, hy.
1–ALCOHOL FREE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Plying, by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Nasaieb (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Atyaaf, by Irish River (Fr)
(€40,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £242,081. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, $558,968. *1/2 to Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Snow Lantern (GB), 126, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Sky Lantern (Ire), Red Clubs (Ire). O/B-Rockcliffe Stud (GB); T-Richard Hannon. £91,778.
3–Mother Earth (Ire), 126, f, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Many Colours (GB), by Green Desert. (€150,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £45,932.
Margins: 1HF, NK, HF. Odds: 5.50, 14.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Novemba (Ger), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr), Fev Rover (Ire), Flirting Bridge (Ire), Empress Josephine (Ire), Potapova (GB), Shale (Ire), Lullaby Moon (GB). Scratched: Oodnadatta (Ire), Primo Bacio (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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