August, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Nicola Currie Leads Ladies Team to Shergar Cup Win

A pair of wins for Nicola Currie saw the jockey win the Alistair Haggis “Silver Saddle” Trophy and assist the Ladies Team to Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup glory at Ascot.

Going into the finale, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash, the Ladies Team had a five-point advantage, but Team Ireland finished first and second with Joe Fanning and Tadhg O'Shea. Currie was third, giving the Shergar Cup to the Ladies Team by three points with 69 points. Ireland was second on 66 points, with Great Britain third with 64. Team Rest of the World was fourth with 53. Currie won the overall riding title with 47 points, 18 ahead of David Egan of Team Ireland. Veteran reinswoman Haley Turner was also presented with the original Shergar Cup in recognition of her amassing 304 points over her appearances in the unique competition.

Currie, who partnered with Turner and Mickaelle Michel for the Ladies Team victory, said, “What a team. In the end they were straightforward rides and straightforward winners. It's been a fantastic day and thanks to all the owners and trainers who have helped today.

“Ascot is my favourite racecourse. I love riding here. I've been lucky over the years here and it's great to have won the Silver Saddle. All the publicity is great, it's hard work being a jockey and any publicity is good publicity.”

Turner, Captain of the Ladies team, said, “Well done to Nicola she has rode out of her skin today. The Shergar Cup has helped me over the years by projecting my career and hopefully it will be the same for Nicola as she deserves more quality rides than she is getting. I love the Shergar Cup, it is so much fun.”

Michel added, “I've loved riding today. I was close on a second and it would have been lovely to win a race but riding at Ascot has been brilliant.”

Nick Smith, Ascot's Director of Racing & Public Affairs, commented, “It has been a good day and tremendous to be back after a year's absence. We are grateful to the sponsors for standing by us.

“Credit must go to James Willoughby who has done the algorithms and puts the teams together. He made it a level playing field and has done it for several years. However, this will be his crowning glory given three teams finished right up next to each other.

“It's lovely to see Nicola shine–that is what the event is about, to give people a profile, and I'm sure she will remember this for a long time. It's also nice to give Hayley the existing Shergar Cup, which is much deserved. It was not her day today, but seven points was enough to put her over the 300 threshold of Shergar Cup points. Credit to Mark Johnston who is the Leading Trainer and he went away with a £2,000 stable prize.”

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Ruler Of The World’s La Petite Coco Stuns Give Thanks Rivals

Coming into Saturday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks S. with a growing reputation, Team Valor's La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) only served to enhance it significantly as she ruled with an iron fist in the Cork feature. Runner-up to the re-opposing Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah) in the June 23 Listed Naas Oaks Trial before dominating a conditions event over 11 furlongs at Killarney July 12, the 2-1 favourite was always travelling enthusiastically behind the front pair and when given her head by Billy Lee took off with 2 1/2 furlongs to race. Stretching clear over the furthest trip she has encountered so far, the bay hit the line strong to score by 5 1/2 lengths from the G3 Munster Oaks winner Thunder Kiss (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). “We've had her since April and she has not put a foot wrong,” trainer Paddy Twomey said. “She is progressing physically and is enjoying training and has plenty of talent. She has plenty of entries and I said after Killarney that the [Oct. 17 GI] E. P. Taylor is a possible target, but I have her in the [Oct. 16 G1 QIPCO] Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes and the [G1] Prix Vermeillle [at ParisLongchamp Sept. 12] also. She is versatile ground-wise and although she has the pace for 10 furlongs, a mile and a half is no problem to her.”

La Petite Coco is the first runner from three live foals out of the unraced La Petite Virginia (Ger) (Konigstiger {Ger}), who is a half to the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Lavirco (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}) and his G2 Deutsches St Leger-winning full-brother Laveron (Ger) who was also third in the Deutsches Derby. Also kin to the G3 Furstenberg-Rennen winner Lyonel's Glory (GB) (Green Desert), she is a daughter of La Virginia (Ger) (Surumu {Ger}) who is the second dam of the G3 Badener Stutenpreis winner and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio runner-up Lacy (Ger) (Authorized {Ire}) and the G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Langtang (Ger) (Campanologist). La Virginia is a full-sister to the group 3 scorer and G2 German 1000 Guineas runner-up La Colorada (Ger), whose own impressive progeny list is headed by the legendary triple group 1-winning champion and leading sire Lomitas (GB) with this being the dam line of the blue hen Love (GB) (Crepello {GB}). Her descendants include another Deutsches Derby hero in Lagunas (GB) and another notorious sire in Lord of England (Ger). La Petite Virginia's yearling filly is by Ivawood (Ire).

Saturday, Cork, Ireland
IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF GIVE THANKS S.-G3, €65,000, Cork, 8-7, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:39.84, sf.
1–LA PETITE COCO (IRE), 127, f, 3, by Ruler of the World (Ire)
1st Dam: La Petite Virginia (Ger), by Konigstiger (Ger)
2nd Dam: La Virginia (Ger), by Surumu (Ger)
3rd Dam: La Dorada (Ire), by Kronzeuge (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Mr B Schone (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €39,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0, $85,257. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thunder Kiss (Ire), 140, f, 4, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Desert Snow (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). O-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd; B-Newtownanner Stud (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €13,000.
3–Federica Sophia (Ire), 137, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Sapphire (Ire), by Medicean (GB). O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. €6,500.
Margins: 5HF, HD, NO. Odds: 2.00, 2.75, 9.00.
Also Ran: Amma Grace (Ire), Willow (Ire), Yaxeni (Fr), Camphor (Ire), Rosscarbery (Ger), High Heels (Ire), Traisha (Ire). Scratched: Silence Please (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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La Jolla, Graduation Stakes Headline Sunday Card At Del Mar

Stakes horses will once again double up for a Del Mar crowd, this time on Sunday with the presentation of the 81st La Jolla Stakes and the 70th edition of the Graduation Stakes. The races will go as the 6th and 9th races, respectively, on the shore track's 10-race program.

The La Jolla, a Grade 3 affair that carries a purse of $150,000, has drawn a half-dozen 3-year-olds for a mile and one-sixteenth jaunt on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course at Del Mar Thorughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. The Graduation also has drawn six California-bred 2-year-old starters for its five and one-half furlong spin on the main track. It offers a purse of $100,000.

The Irish horse Cathkin Peak, owned by Sterling Stables, Nentwig, and CYBT, is a candidate to be the favorite in the La Jolla. A bay son of the Irish stallion Alhebayeb, Cathkin Peak raced once in his native land as a 2-year-old, then was purchased privately and shipped to California where he won a pair of races, including the overnight Eddie Logan at Santa Anita Park last December. He subsequently chased home the blossoming star Rock Your World in February's Pasadena Stakes, also at Santa Anita, then went on the shelf. This will be his first start in nearly six months, but trainer Phil D'Amato has put a series of steady works into him for this comeback.

Double L Stable and Natalie Baffert's Hudson Ridge hails from the powerful Bob Baffert barn and is a son of one of Baffert's Triple Crown winners, American Pharoah. The colt broke his maiden with a dead-head score in a straight maiden race at Santa Anita on May 1 and came back to win a pair of races after that, including the Cinema Stakes.

Two of the other La Jolla runners — Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal's Zoffarelli and Yuesheng Zhang's Sword Zorro also first saw light of day in Ireland. The former will be making his U.S. debut in the La Jolla, while the latter owns a victory in the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita on grass April 25.

The Graduation – like many 2-year-old races at this time of year – is a tough one to sort out with only minimal past performances to work with. Morning line maker Jon White could barely separate two of the runners, hanging Lovingier, London, and Zondlo's Rock N Rye as an 8/5 favorite, just a tick better than Lovingier, Beckerle, and Carrillo's Thirsty Always at 9/5.

Rock N Rye is a homebred by Always Thirsty who was a handy winner of a straight maiden race in his second start at Santa Anita on May 30 in his most recent outing. He's been training steadily for this return date at both San Luis Rey Downs and Del Mar.

Thirsty Always, also by Stay Thirsty, scored in his first start at Santa Anita on May 16, then shipped up to Pleasanton and captured the Nevin Stakes there on July 10.

Trainer Walther Solis conditions both juveniles.

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Here's the lineup for the La Jolla from the rail out with riders and morning line odds: Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1); Gary Barber's Wyfire (Kyle Frey, 12-1); Hudson Ridge (Abel Cedillo, 5/2); Cathkin Peak (Juan Hernandez, 2-1); Zoffarelli (Drayden Van Dyke, 3-1), and Sword Zorro (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1).

The field for the Graduation lays out like this: Lovingier or Templeton Horses' Mr. T's Thirsty (Tyler Baze, 2-1); McMahon or Rudy's Trip to Spain (Frey, 2-1); Thirsty Always (apprentice Cesar Ortega); Rock N Rye (Rispoli); Moger, Burke or Estrada, et al's Northvale Road (Tiago Periera, 6-1), and Branch or Hill's Fowler Blue (Edwin Maldonado, 12-1).

First post for Sunday's card is 2 p.m.

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Lemon Drop Kid Firster Good As ‘Gold’ At the Spa

1st-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-7, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.28, fm, 2 1/4 lengths.
DRIPPING GOLD (c, 2, Lemon Drop Kid–Aurelia, by Danzig) was let go at a generous 63-10 off a 9-2 morning line and took advantage of a golden trip to score by a comfortable margin in the Whitney Day opener at Saratoga. In the early vanguard, Dripping Gold came back to Jose Lezcano to sit a close-up fourth for the opening six furlongs. Pulled off the inside to deliver his challenge passing the quarter pole, he pinched a winning break and had 2 1/4 lengths on the rail-rallying Gooch Go Bragh (Distorted Humor) at the line. A full-sister to Aurelia's Belle, a two-time graded winner on synthetic and a Grade III winner on turf, of $346,387, Dripping Gold hails from one of the deepest families in the stud book, as her dam is a daughter of GSW Aishah (Alydar), whose notable produce include MGSW Atelier (Deputy Minister), Saratoga GISW Aldiza (Storm Cat), SW Arabis (Deputy Minister) and a trio of additional black-type performers. Dripping Gold's third dam is Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee (Never Bend), the dam of champion MGISW Althea (Alydar), whose daughter Aurora (Danzig) bred four full stakes winners, including the late Arch (Kris S.), GISW Acoma (Empire Maker) and UAE Horse of the Year Festival of Light (A.P. Indy). Althea's MGSW sister Aquilegia produced SW Amelia (Dixieland Band), whose seven winners from 10 to race include GSW/GISP Kindergarden Kid (Kitten's Joy), GSW Assateague (Stormy Atlantic), GISP sire He's Had Enough (Tapit), MGSW & GISP Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow) and Japanese GSWs Rabbit Run (Tapit) and Asakusa Genki (Stormy Atlantic). An $80,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, Dripping Gold fetched $300,000 at OBSMAR after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-West Point Thoroughbreds, John A Ballantyne & Titletown Racing Stables; B-Alexander-Groves Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.

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