Welcome to Noel Michaels’ Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money.
Month: November 2022
Triple GISW Jack Christopher Retired to Ashford
'TDN Rising Star' and three-time Grade I winner Jack Christopher (Munnings–Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours) has been retired from racing and will stand in 2023 alongside his sire at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. His introductory fee will be $45,000.
“We are delighted to have Jack Christopher now here at Ashford standing alongside his sire Munnings,” said Coolmore's Dermot Ryan. “He's a striking horse with great presence and a lovely temperament. Horses like him are what makes racing exciting to watch.”
Owned by the partnership of Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud, and Peter M. Brant, Jack Christopher debuted with an 8 3/4-length win at Saratoga at two and was immediately tabbed a 'Rising Star' off the performance. Sent next to the GI Champagne S. at Belmont, he scored by daylight again off 8-5 odds. Made the 9-5 morning-line favorite for last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar before being scratched the day prior to the race, Jack Christopher underwent a procedure and returned this spring on Derby Day with a comeback victory in the GII Pat Day Mile S. A blowout 10-length score in the GI Woody Stephens S. followed before his lone career loss–a third to Cyberknife (Gun Runner) in the GI Haskell S. in his first time stretching out–and finally a return to the winner's circle in his last start, the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Jack Christopher retires with a record of 6-5-0-1 and earnings of $1,216,400. He was unbeaten around one turn.
“Jack Christopher was an exceptional talent,” said trainer Chad Brown. “I've never had a dirt horse with such brilliance. He never disappointed us in a workout or a race and was just a pleasure to train.”
From the family of Running Stag (Cozzene)–who was a MGSW in the U.S. and a GSW in France, in addition to being GISP in the U.S. and G1SP in Hong Kong–Jack Christopher is out of a half-sister to MGISW and sire Street Boss (Street Cry {Ire}).
The post Triple GISW Jack Christopher Retired to Ashford appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Jack Christopher Retired To Coolmore, To Stand First Season For $45,000
Triple Grade 1 winner Jack Christopher (Munnings) has been retired from racing and will stand at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud at a fee of $45,000.
“Jack Christopher was an exceptional talent,” said his trainer Chad Brown. “I've never had a dirt horse with such brilliance. He never disappointed us in a workout or a race and was just a pleasure to train.”
A flashy chestnut, like his sire Munnings, he went unbeaten around one turn scoring three times at the highest level over seven furlongs and a mile. On Travers day last year the word was all over the track that Jack Christopher was Chad Brown's best young prospect and he more than lived up to the hype. Putting on a show down the lane, he won going away by 8¾ lengths earning himself TDN Rising Star status in the process.
Stepped straight up to Grade 1 company for the Champagne Stakes he ran true to his odds as the 8-5 favorite proving much too good for Hopeful winner Gunite.
More explosive performances followed in his sophomore year in the G2 Pat Day Mile, the G1 Woody Stephens by 10 lengths and the G1 H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes.
The best son of Munnings, whose fee has risen from $20,000 to $100,000 in the past five years, Jack Christopher is out of a half-sister to dual Grade 1 winner and proven Grade 1 sire Street Boss.
“We are delighted to have Jack Christopher now here at Ashford standing alongside his sire Munnings,” said Coolmore's Dermot Ryan. “He's a striking horse with great presence and a lovely temperament. Horses like him are what makes racing exciting to watch.”
The post Jack Christopher Retired To Coolmore, To Stand First Season For $45,000 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Magical Lagoon Faces Japan’s Best Females in QE II
Some eleven years have transpired since the great Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) carried Ryan Moore to a second consecutive victory in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and it will be up to reigning G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to put a halt to the locals' 10-race winning streak Sunday afternoon at Hanshin Racecourse.
It has been a magical season, indeed, for Yuesheng Zhang's talented bay filly, who used a runner-up effort in the Listed Salsabil S. at Navan in late April as a springboard to an 11-4 success in the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot in June. The Tattersalls October graduate, trained by Jessica Harrington, got the better of a final-furlong tussle with Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to take out the Irish Oaks July 16 (video) and fought out the fractions in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks last time Aug. 18 only to fade into fifth behind future G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), recent winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Shane Foley
putting raider 3f MAGICAL LAGOON
The Royal Ascot
and Irish Oaks
Impressive stuff, will take a power of beating on Sunday #HeroIsComing pic.twitter.com/nPJgzv9iPF
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) November 9, 2022
While G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) misses this, the season's Classic form is strongly represented. Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) defeated Pin High (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) in Group 2 company in March, but was a disappointing 10th in the G1 Oka Sho the following month. An improved third in the Oaks, she exits a runner-up effort behind perfect-trip Stunning Rose (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G1 Shuka Sho Oct. 16 (video), in which Stars on Earth was desperately unlucky to lose her Triple Crown bid.
“She is still a young horse and there should be more to come from her,” said trainer Tomokazu Takano. “With just three weeks between races, we've been careful with her, giving her slow canters and checking how she takes the bit when running uphill. She was third in the Japanese Oaks, so the distance should be good this time.”
Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) won the 2020 Oaks, but her career has been a bit stop-start since. A good third to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in Hong Kong's G1 FWD QE II Cup in 2021, the 5-year-old has made just three starts since, her best outcome a sound third behind Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June. She was most recently beaten into sixth as the favorite behind the immaculately bred Geraldina (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}–Gentildonna {Jpn}) in the G2 All Comers S. Sept. 25.
Moore is in Japan on a short-term contract following his Breeders' Cup three-timer last weekend. He takes the reins aboard the Classic-placed 4-year-old filly Andvaranaut (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}).
The post Magical Lagoon Faces Japan’s Best Females in QE II appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
