Month: April 2023

Observations: All Eyes on Ballydoyle Pair in the “Tough Talk” Maiden

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. Sunday's Insights features the well-bred River Tiber (Ire) at The Curragh for Ballydoyle. 

1.25 Curragh, Mdn, €17,000, 2yo, 6fT
RIVER TIBER (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) appears the pick of the two juvenile colts from Ballydoyle making his debut in this maiden which proved such a fertile source of group performers 12 months ago as Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) led home Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and other useful types. A 480,000gns Book 1 purchase, the February-foaled bay hails from the family of the 2013 G1 Phoenix S. winner Sudirman (Henrythenavigator) and Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who captured last year's Listed Dee S. for this stable. Also here is Democracy (Ire) (No Nay Never), a full-brother to last year's G3 Oh So Sharp S. scorer Midnight Mile (Ire) from the family of Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

The post Observations: All Eyes on Ballydoyle Pair in the “Tough Talk” Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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O’Brien Predicts Piz Badile Improvement Ahead Of Curragh Return

Donnacha O'Brien is predicting that Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) will strip a lot fitter for his comeback effort in the G3 Alleged S. at the Curragh on Sunday and identified the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup as the early-season target for last year's Irish Derby runner-up. 

The trainer also provided an upbeat bulletin on the hugely-exciting Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who could get his season underway in the G3 Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown on May 7. 

Piz Badile will face just five rivals on Sunday, including likely favourite Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with O'Brien optimistic that the best may yet be to come from his charge at four. 

He said, “Piz Badile is in good form and has done very well from three to four. It will be nice to get him started and hopefully the ground dries out a little bit for him. He doesn't mind a bit of juice in the ground but I'd rather if it wasn't heavy ground. We're looking forward to the year ahead with him.”

Asked how he reflects on last season with Piz Badile, O'Brien said, “I suppose he won his Derby Trial well and then we went to Epsom for the Derby and he didn't really handle the track. He went on to run a very good race to finish second in the Irish Derby and then the ground was like flint in France for the Grand Prix de Paris. He pulled out of that race a little bit jarred which is why we gave him the rest of the year off. 

“Looking at his pedigree and even physically, he's a horse who was always going to make up into a better four-year-old, and we had that in the back of our minds even at the start of last season's campaign.

“The plan was to use this race as a prep for the Tattersalls Gold Cup, which is over the same course and distance, and I think he will come on a lot from whatever he does on Sunday. He'll come on plenty for it and is going to be a lot better on better ground.”

Proud And Regal | Scoop Dyga

O'Brien revealed that Nell Gwyn S. entry Not Even Close (Ire) (Zoustar {Aus}) is an unlikely runner at Newmarket on Wednesday but confirmed that Wodao (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) would definitely take his chance in the G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly on Monday. 

He said, “Wodao had a really nice comeback run behind Tenebrism (Caravaggio) at Cork. We didn't have him entered in this race but it popped up and the ground is soft over there, which will be to his liking. He takes his racing well and we thought it looked a nice opportunity to put him in. Some of the Irish sprints can be very competitive and even some of our listed races will be the equivalent Group 2s and Group 1s because of the types of horses who will be using such races as preps.”

On Not Even Close, he added, “She's a lovely filly and has done really well throughout the winter but I don't think she'll be running in the Nell Gwyn. As is the case with most of mine, we're trying to find a bit of nice ground for her somewhere, but it's been a bit of a nightmare start to the year with all of the rain that we're getting. 

“I bought her for Justin Carthy and then Qatar Racing bought into her after she won nicely at Dundalk. It's my first horse for Qatar and I think she's a smart filly. Obviously she is completely unproven at any kind of stakes grade but, on her work at home, she looks as though she can make up into a stakes filly.”

But there's no doubting the great hope for O'Brien this season is Proud And Regal, a winner of the G1 Criterium International when last seen in October.

O'Brien said, “He's a lovely horse and has done well over the winter. We didn't run him in any of the early trials as he'd have had to carry the Group 1 penalty. 

“At the minute, we're aiming him at the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, as he wouldn't have a penalty in that. We could see where we want to go with him after that. 

“He could go the Derby route or he could even drop back for something like the Irish 2,000 Guineas. But we'll start him off at Leopardstown first and then decide about where we want to go afterwards.”

The post O’Brien Predicts Piz Badile Improvement Ahead Of Curragh Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘We Want To Run’: Moquett Playing Derby Waiting Game With King Russell

Trainer Ron Moquett is in a waiting game with King Russell after the 3-year-old colt moved into the Kentucky Derby (G1) picture by collecting 40 qualifying points for his second-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G1) April 1 at Oaklawn.

King Russell's 40-point total, however, only ranked 25th entering Saturday on the latest Kentucky Derby Leaderboard released by Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, meaning King Russell will need several defections in the next 2½ weeks to make the 1¼-mile race May 6 at Churchill Downs.

“Just waiting to see if we make it,” Moquett said during training hours Friday morning at Oaklawn. “We want to run.”

A gray son of Creative Cause, King Russell entered the Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn's fourth and final Kentucky Derby points race, with only a maiden victory on his resume. King Russell made his first two starts last fall in Kentucky and finished second in his first two races this season at Oaklawn before his breakthrough victory at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25. King Russell, under Rafael Bejarano, closed strongly in the Arkansas Derby to finish 4¼ lengths behind Angel of Empire and ahead of Grade 3 winners Reincarnate (third) and Rocket Can (fourth).

“We knew that when the distance stretched out, we were going to be better and better,” Moquett said. “He's one of those horses that was very talented, but we knew it was going to take some races to mentally mature and he's putting it together, step by step. Kind of come into his own at the right time. The last race, not everything went perfect for him in the Arkansas Derby, but he showed that he definitely prefers more ground and definitely has the class and ability to run with those type of horses.”

Moquett said King Russell is already at Churchill Downs with assistant trainer Greta Kuntzweiler, adding Bejarano would retain the mount for the Kentucky Derby. Bejarano, in his debut as an Oaklawn regular, rode first call for Moquett at the 2022-2023 meeting.

Asked about a Plan B, Moquett said King Russell could be wheeled back in the $200,000 Bath House Row Stakes at 1 1/8 miles April 22 at Oaklawn or go in an allowance race on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The Bath House Row winner, providing it's Triple Crown eligible, will receive automatic entry into the Preakness (G1) May 20 at Pimlico. The Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown.

“We know he's a good, quality horse, so, it doesn't have to be all right now,” Moquett said. “If we get to the Derby fine, it not we'll regroup and work our way to the next big one.”

Moquett has had two Kentucky Derby starters, finishing 15th with Far Right in 2015 and 19th with Whitmore in 2016. Moquett trains King Russell for Roger Naber and former Kentucky Governor Brereton C. Jones, the colt's breeder.

Angel of Empire, in his first work since the Arkansas Derby, covered a half-mile in :48.20 Saturday morning at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox. Angel of Empire (154 points) ranks third on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.

Other Oaklawn-raced horses safely in the Kentucky Derby field, according to Churchill Downs, are Rocket Can (60 points to rank 10th through Friday), Hit Show (60/11th), Confidence Game (57/12th), Verifying (54/13th), Sun Thunder (54/14th) and Reincarnate (45/18th).

Another Oaklawn-raced horse, Jace's Road (45 points), entered Saturday No. 19, but he could be bounced by Oaklawn-raced Disarm. Disarm (40/26th) was entered in the $400,000 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) Saturday at Keeneland, a 1 1/16-mile race that offered 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, eight to the runner-up and six to the third-place finisher. Continuar, a Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invitee, holds the 20th spot in the rankings.

Angel of Empire also finished second in the Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile Jan. 1, which was Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby points race. Confidence Game won Oaklawn's third Kentucky Derby points race, the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25.

The post ‘We Want To Run’: Moquett Playing Derby Waiting Game With King Russell appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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