February, 2024 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Irish 2,000 Guineas Winner Mac Swiney Relocates To Anngrove Stud

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and Group 1-winning two-year-old Mac Swiney (Ire) has relocated from the Irish National Stud to Anngrove Stud for the 2024 season.

Mac Swiney lit up the 2021 season for trainer/breeder Jim Bolger when beating his stable-mate, the 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare (Ire), to land the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

A three-time winner as a juvenile, he had ended his debut season with victory in the G1 Vertem Futurity having also landed the G2 Beresford S. Mac Swiney's dam Halle Na Saoire (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is a full-sister to the Group 2 winner Light Heavy (Ire).

Anngrove Stud's Alastair Pim commented, “We are delighted to stand Mac Swiney. It's rare that a small stud gets the chance to stand a Classic winner in his first year at stud. He was a high class two-year-old who showed speed and versatility and is a Classic winning three-year-old. As the late great Paddy Mullins said to my father 'every National Hunt mare in the country will stay three miles, it's the bit of speed they need in the final furlong' and Mac Swiney certainly fits that criteria.”

MacSwiney, described by Bolger as 'tough, courageous and adaptable' joined the Irish National Stud roster initially for 2024. However, the switch to Anngrove Stud is thought to better suit his appeal to the dual-purpose breeders.

Irish National Stud boss Cathal Beale said, “In recognition of the Irish National Stud's enduring support of National Hunt racing and breeding we are delighted to offer a horse of Mac Swiney's calibre to the breeders of Ireland, he is a beautiful specimen with lots of quality and a big strong athletic walk. INS has a long tradition of standing our dual-purpose horses with the Pim family at Anngrove Stud. The sire line speaks for itself with horses like Pied Piper flying the flag for New Approach.”

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Star Guitar’s TDN Rising Star Manama Gold Remains Unbeaten in UAE Oaks

'TDN Rising Star' MANAMA GOLD (f, 3, Star Guitar–Charged Cotton, Dehere) remained perfect with a 1 1/4-length tally in the AED700,000 G3 UAE Oaks over the closing Mizzyaan (Justify) at Meydan Racecourse on Friday. It was the first stakes win for the chestnut, who covered the 1900-metre trip in 2:00.81.

In charge from the bell, as none of her five rivals seemed overly interested in picking up the baton, Manama Gold was always going along at an easy clip while staying fairly close to the rail past the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch. Mizzyaan kept a close eye on the Fawzi Nass trainee the whole way around from second just off Manama Gold's girth, and Lighting Paradise (Congrats) saved every inch of ground in third. Once the real running began, Manama Gold did not open up as readily as in her past two trips to the post, but she still managed to come home without ever being headed, albeit the winning margin was smaller. Adrie de Vries took care with his filly, and did not ask too much of her to secure the victory. Lightning Paradise threatened to take over the place position down the lane, but Mizzyaan found another gear and fought her off to retain second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of that foe.

A winner of her Meydan debut going 1400 metres on Dec. 12, Manama Gold extended the margin to 9 1/4 in a 1600-metre conditions race where she earned her 'TDN Rising Star badge.

Pedigree Notes

The 15 stakes winner and second Pattern winner for her Louisiana-based sire, Manama Gold is the second stakes winner for her dam, Charged Cotton. Star Guitar was previously represented by GII Honorable Miss H. heroine Minit To Stardom.

She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Sethamee Street (Street Sense), and a full-sister to multiple stakes winner Ova Charged (Star Guitar), who was second in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. A stakes winner at Laurel, Charged Cotton visited Not This time in 2022, and the result was a yearling filly. She was barren to the cover of Star Guitar for this year.

GI Philip H. Iselin H. and GI Jerome H. hero Schossberg (Broad Brush) is under the third dam.

Sales history: $100,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, AED726,000.
O-Victorious. B-Brittlyn, Inc. (LA). T-Fawzi Nass. *1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN.

1-9 favorite #4 MANAMA GOLD, by @StarGuitarLA, wins the G3 UAE Oaks. Adrie De Vries in the irons on the unbeaten filly, who is now three for three. pic.twitter.com/MFMnas52P7

— TVG (@TVG) February 23, 2024

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Five Questions to be Answered in the 2024 Rebel Stakes

The Hot Springs, Ark. path to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve continues Saturday with the 1 1/16-mile Rebel Stakes, a $1.25 million race and the third of four qualifying races at Oaklawn Park for 3-year-olds targeting the 2024 run for the roses.

Big-Race Showdown: Expert Picks for Honeybee, Rebel Stakes

For the eighth year in a row, America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races every weekend leading up to the 2024 Triple Crown and then continuing through the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The handicappers face off in what we like to call the “Big-Race Showdown.”