Month: July 2022

Keane Keeps The Ride Aboard Irish Derby Hero Westover in King George 

Colin Keane will maintain his partnership with G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot next week.

The news was confirmed by Barry Mahon, general manager for owners Juddmonte, at the Curragh on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett's colt was ridden by Rob Hornby on his first two starts this year, winning the G3 Classic Trial S. at Sandown before finishing third in the Derby at Epsom, but Keane was aboard for the colt's greatest triumph in the Irish Derby last month.

The Juddmonte team are keen to keep the winning partnership intact and, speaking to Racing TV, Mahon said, “We're very excited, the horse is in good form. I spoke with Ralph this morning, he's very happy with him and all being well in the next few days, he's set to go to the King George and Colin Keane will ride him.”

He added, “[There's] no major thinking [behind the decision], he won on him the last day, he's a three-times champion jockey and we have a very close association with him.

“He's ridden two Classic winners for us and we have a special arrangement with him that when his first retainer Ger Lyons doesn't use him, we can have his services and he's available next weekend and Ger has kindly let him off to ride the horse, so he will stay on board.”

Racing fans may have been denied the rematch between Westover and his Derby conqueror Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) at Ascot on Saturday when Sir Michael Stoute was forced to rule his unbeaten colt out of the race after he suffered a setback. 

However, no sooner had Desert Crown been scratched, Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who missed the Irish equivalent due to travel complications, was re-rerouted to Ascot.

Mahon commented, “We're very excited. We were in this position before the Irish Derby with [Oaks winner] Tuesday getting supplemented, so we're used to surprises.”

 

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No Nay Never’s Little Big Bear Too Good In The Anglesey

He had already looked one of Ballydoyle's brightest prospects prior to Saturday's G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey S., but TDN Rising Star Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) now looks the real deal after running away with The Curragh's juvenile staging post. Withdrawn from the G2 July S. when the ground got too quick at Newmarket, the June 15 Listed Windsor Castle S. winner led all bar the rail-running Kodi Noir (Ire) (Kessaar {Ire}) throughout the early stages with that outsider on borrowed time. Asked to pick up heading to two out, the 2-5 favourite drew away in impressive fashion to register a 4 3/4-length verdict over Yosemite Valley (GB) (Shamardal), with the filly Badb (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) half a length away in third.

 

“He's always shown a lot and is a lovely smooth traveller who's very uncomplicated,” commented Aidan O'Brien, who was recording a 12th success in this race and putting him one behind the late great Vincent O'Brien. “He's very happy to make the running and very happy to sit in. Ryan said he couldn't believe how easily he was going down past the two today. He said when he asked him the response was very quick. Even though he's big, he's very strong and mature, he's powerful. Interestingly, Ryan said today that he could be a Dewhurst horse or a National Stakes horse. Obviously he's running through the line and that's a good sign. You'd have to have him as a Guineas horse, definitely at the moment. When they feel like they are going to get seven at two they usually get a mile at three. He could obviously come back here for the Phoenix Stakes, that would be the plan and that's what we were thinking coming here today.”

Little Big Bear looks like a potential miler on racing style and on pedigree, being out of the Listed Prix de Liancourt winner and G3 Prix Cleopatre runner-up and and GI E P Taylor S. fourth Adventure Seeker (Fr) (Bering {GB}) who produced the G3 Hobart Cup runner-up Andrea Mantegna (Giant's Causeway). A half to the G3 Princess Margaret S.-placed Along Again (Ire) (Elusive City), she is a granddaughter of the legendary All Along (Fr), the French champion and US Horse of the Year in 1983 courtesy of her G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, GI Turf Classic, G1 Rothmans International and GI Washington D. C. International victories. Adventure Seeker's yearling is a full-brother to Little Big Bear.

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
JEBEL ALI RACECOURSE & STABLES ANGLESEY S.-G3, €65,450, Curragh, 7-16, 2yo, 6f 66yT, 1:17.82, gd.
1–LITTLE BIG BEAR (IRE), 131, c, 2, by No Nay Never
     1st Dam: Adventure Seeker (Fr) (SW & GSP-Fr, $155,312), by Bering (GB)
     2nd Dam: American Adventure, by Miswaki
     3rd Dam: All Along (Fr), by Targowice
1ST GROUP WIN. (€320,000 Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Camas Park Stud & Summerhill (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €33,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 4-3-1-0, $117,946. *1/2 to Andrea Mantegna (Giant's Causeway), GSP-Aus, $352,585. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Yosemite Valley (GB), 131, c, 2, Shamardal–That Which Is Not, by Elusive Quality.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd. (GB); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €11,000.
3–Badb (Ire), 128, f, 2, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Belong (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O/B-Mrs Ann Marie O'Brien (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €5,500.
Margins: 4 3/4, HF, HD. Odds: 0.40, 9.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Slan Abhaile (Ire), Thunderbear (Ire), Kodi Noir (Ire). Scratched: Voce Del Palio (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Frankel’s Hans Andersen Powers To Rising Stardom In Ireland

Westerberg and Coolmore's 450,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Shadow Hunter {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}) gained much benefit for his debut run, tackling an extended seven furlongs at Tipperary last month, and earned a 'TDN Rising Star' badge with a dominant display down to seven furlongs for Saturday's Juddmonte Farms Expert Eye Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden at the Curragh. The 10-11 favourite was sharply into stride to gain immediate control. Nudged along when the pack threatened approaching the quarter-mile marker, he held a comfortable buffer entering the final furlong and quickened beyond recall in style before easily holding the late rush of Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by 1 3/4 lengths.

“He had a lovely run the first day, he learned plenty and we're delighted with him,” said Aidan O'Brien. “He was a little bit green turning in in Tipperary and came forward lovely. He won well today and should have no problem stepping into stakes company now. He should have no problem going further, but there is no rush to step him up [in trip]. He could come back here for the [G2] Futurity or something like that.”

Hans Andersen, full-brother to a yearling colt, is the second of three foals and lone runner produced by Listed Roses S. victrix and G3 Cornwallis S. third Shadow Hunter (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}), herself the leading performer out of a winning half to G1 1000 Guineas placegetter Super Sleuth (Ire) (Selkirk). The January-foaled bay's stakes-placed third dam Enemy Action (Forty Niner), herself a daughter of the stakes-placed Sun And Shade (GB) (Ajdal), is a half-sister to dual Group 2-winning sire Daggers Drawn (Diesis {GB}) and to the dams of GI Garden City S. third Concise (GB) (Lemon Drop Kid) and G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas) heroine Evading Tempete (GB) (by Dubai Destination).

1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 7-16, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:26.95, gd.
HANS ANDERSEN (GB), c, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Shadow Hunter (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Arcano (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sweet Irish (GB), by Shamardal
3rd Dam: Enemy Action, by Forty Niner
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, €15,600. O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith; B-Sun Bloodstock SARL (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. Sales history: 450,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

The post Frankel’s Hans Andersen Powers To Rising Stardom In Ireland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Roulette Trivia

The Great British Pub Quiz and the American show Jeopardy have a lot to answer for – they are both responsible for the retaining of highly useless yet highly interesting bits of trivia; information that you would never need in normal life. However, which of us haven’t at some point uttered the words, “well, it’ll come in useful for a pub quiz”, or something akin to that. It is for this reason solely that I have chosen to pick a few of my favorite pieces or roulette trivia to share with you – use them wisely.

Did you know that the roulette wheel was invented by the French inventor Blaise Pascal. Pascal was actually trying to create a perpetual movement machine, but ended up with the roulette wheel – not a bad rap.

The double 00 position found on American Roulette Wheels were added only when roulette found its way to the United States of America. Previous to this the wheel only had the single 0 position, but the American casino owners didn’t feel that the house had enough of an edge with this and so added the extra position.

The chap that added the original one 0 position was named Francois Blanc; he was also responsible for setting up the first casino in Monte Carlo. It was rumored that in order to learn the secrets of roulette Mr. Blanc actually made a pact with the devil. The evidence lies in the wheel itself: If you add all the numbers of the board together you come to the sum of the devil, 666.

Row 5 is the worst row to bet on; statistically speaking row 5 is the least likely row to win.

One of the most impressive recent wins was by an English man called Ashley Revel who sold everything he owned in 2004 and went to a Las Vegas Casino. He put down the sum of all of his possessions, $135, 300, on a double or nothing bet. He bet on red, and red came in – he left with double his money!

Also in 2004, a group of 3 were accused of winning over 1,000,000 GBP by illegal measures in a London casino. The casino charged the group with using mobile phone and laser technology in order to predict the falling of the ball. The case was taken to court and the casino lost – the group kept all of their winnings.

Einstein apparently commented that “you can’t beat a roulette table unless you steal from it”.

Roulette has played a part in many a flick, the most famous of which being James Bond’s ‘Diamonds are Forever’, and of course Casablanca where we found our hero, Rick, fixing the wheel for a destitute client to win big and be able to escape to America.

Hope this comes in handy!

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