Author: News

“He’s A Group Horse” – Davison Has Royal Ascot Plan For Rapid Improver

Trainer Jack Davison says he is convinced that rapid improver Bergamasco (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}) is a Group horse in the making and is preparing the colt for a tilt at the Britannia S. at Royal Ascot following a career-best performance in winning the Patton Race at Dundalk on Friday. 

Bergamasco has gone from strength to strength at Dundalk over the winter by winning three times, including when accounting for Nerano (War Front) and the 104-rated Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the one-mile contest, which was recently downgraded from Listed status. 

Despite that silky smooth success, the handler confirmed that no offers have been levelled at connections, who are happy to roll the big dice with a horse that was acquired for just €12,000 as a yearling.

Davison said, “Bergamasco has loads of options now. I think he'll get nine or 10 pounds for Friday, which would get him into the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot. Hopefully he'd have a live chance in a race like that.”

He added, “I think he's a Group horse. I really fancied him on Friday because I thought it would take a Stakes horse to win it. I watched his replay of his previous win and, when a race is run to suit, he's capable of quickening up off a fast pace. The time of the race on Friday was quite good as well.”

Bergamasco races in the colours of the trainer's parents, John and Paula, who are hugely distinguished breeders in their own right under the banner of Killarkin Stud. Davison explained how, from humble beginnings, Bergamasco has provided the family with a great amount of enjoyment, and says he is confident that there is plenty more fun to be had with the improving three-year-old. 

He said, “I bought him off Tally-Ho Stud and a good friend of mine, Tommy Burns, who bred him, for just €12,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. I bought a lot of yearlings that year–some expensive ones–and then my parents said that they'd quite like a colt to race and he was the cheapest one we bought. He's pretty highly-rated now and has won almost €50,000 in prize-money so he has worked out well. It's a good story.”

Davison added, “There hasn't been much interest in the horse since Friday. I think people underestimate a horse like him just because of his sire, really. It was just a three-runner race at Dundalk and I suppose all of his winning has been at Dundalk. Maybe people want to see some turf form from him? I haven't had any solid offers for the horse since he won on Friday and I certainly won't be giving him away either because I think there is loads to come from him. He could be a horse to go to a London Sale with an entry in the Britannia Stakes. That could be an option.

“I'm very much a, 'have horse will travel,' kind of trainer, which is why I won't be giving this lad away. If you look beyond Ascot, there is a lot of money on offer in places like Saudi Arabia, which could be right up his street. He could be ideal for big-race international targets. We're under no pressure with him.”

Away from Bergamasco, Davison has big plans for classy prospect She's Quality (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), talented sprinter Thunderbear (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) and some smart youngsters who have yet to hit the track. 

He explained, “I think highly of She's Quality. She might make a reappearance in a six-furlong conditions race at Dundalk in a fortnight's time. She was always going to be more of a three-year-old as she's very big. I'd say she's a nice sprinter in the making. Thunderbear really thrives for soft underfoot conditions. We might run him in a handicap on the opening day of the season at the Curragh. He'll be top weight, no doubt, but we'll probably claim off him and try and get a bit of confidence into him.”

Davison added, “I have one really nice three-year-old colt but I won't say his name for fear of jinxing him! But he's a nicer horse than Bergamasco and he hasn't even seen a racecourse yet. “We have a lovely team of 25 horses. Everything we have is worth having in training in Ireland so we're really happy with how things are building towards the season ahead. It's all about stats now. If I bring a runner to the races, I want people to take note. If we can keep that going forward, we'll be very happy.”

 

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Godolphin’s Encino Gets By Epic Ride In John Battaglia Upset

Godolphin homebred Encino broke his maiden over course and distance Jan. 26 and parlayed that right into points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a win in Saturday night's John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park. Debuting as the beaten favorite, albeit by only a neck, over a mile on the Tapeta Dec. 29, the Brad Cox trainee stepped up with a gate-to-wire run second-time out in a better than it seemed half-length win. Sent at 5-1 Saturday behind race favorite Epic Ride, Encino broke nearly widest of the field but was able to tuck in on the run to the first turn and sit a stalking trip behind a quartet of pacers up front. Situated just off the hip of the favorite up the backstretch, he followed that one's move into the far turn, had to swing outside of him as they straightened away and dug in gamely to get by close to home.

“After I broke pretty well from the gate I was able to get over and begin to follow Epic Ride,” said winning rider and reigning Eclipse Award winner Axel Concepcion. “He relaxed very well down the backside and around the far turn I was able to ask him for his best run. I had a lot of horse still left down the lane and he continued to run hard all the way to the wire.”

His dam's second foal and first to race, Encino is the 23rd stakes winner for his sire and out of a half-sister to champion 2-year-old, GI Kentucky Derby winner and sire Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}). Glittering Jewel has since produced back to back fillies by Street Boss before visiting Good Magic for this year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

JOHN BATTAGLIA MEMORIAL S., $142,500, Turfway, 3-2, 3yo,
1 1/16m (AWT), 1:44.22, ft.
1–ENCINO, 118, c, 3, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Glittering Jewel, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Bedazzle, by Dixieland Band
                3rd Dam: Majestic Legend, by His Majesty
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Axel Concepcion. $87,536. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0,
$141,971.
2–Epic Ride, 124, c, 3, Blame–Pick a Time, by Gio Ponti.
($160,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Welch Racing LLC; B-Fred W.
Hertrich (KY); T-John Ennis. $28,560.
3–Blue Eyed George, 120, c, 3, Flameaway–Acting Naughty,
by Offlee Wild. ($50,000 Ylg '22 TTAYRL; $200,000 2yo '23
OBSAPR). O-BG Stables; B-Clear Creek Stud LLC (LA); T-Michael
McCarthy. $9,280.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 5.69, 1.16, 3.88.
Also Ran: Mugatu, Ode to Balius, Bolt At Midnight, Mission Ready, Karlwithanarl, Good Bali, Fidget, Mr. Faversham. Scratched: Break Out, Gettysburg Address, Katheeb.

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Helios Express Leaves It Late In Hong Kong Classic Cup

Sent away as the $16.50 (65-100) jolly to add Sunday's HK$13-million Hong Kong Classic Cup to last month's Hong Kong Classic Mile, top-rated Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) managed to work his way out of a jackpot with 200 metres to travel and flashed home to touch off an extremely game Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) by a short head Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse. He can join the likes of the late Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) and Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as Triple Crown winners should he negotiate the step up to the 2000 metres in the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby in three weeks.

Having shown a penchant to want to do too much in the Classic Mile, Helios Express was going to need to relax in the nine-furlong contest if he was to see out the trip. He switched off well enough mid-division and against the rail in the early stages as Beauty Crescent (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Chancheng Glory came across from their wide draws to dispute whatever pace there was. But by about midway, Helios Express was tugging hard and Hugh Bowman had his hands full and his feet in the dashboard, doing everything in his power to try and save something for a finish.

The favourite went better on the turn as Beauty Crescent turned them into the Sha Tin straight, but he was going to have to be ridden for some luck. Held together inside, Helios Express quickly moved onto the leaders' heels, but his stablemate Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) was there three off the fence and the no exit sign was illuminated for a handful of strides. But owing to the fact that Ensued lacks acceleration, Helios Express pushed away from the inside and now had dead aim on Chancheng Glory, who went to the front 250m from home. The latter, a 51-1 chance, had something left and wasn't going away, but Bowman kept after Helios Express and shoved him across the line. Ensued was a one-paced third ahead of Classic Mile third Star Mac (Aus) (Heroic Valour {Aus}), who got home well from the tail.

“There were a few anxious moments at the 700m when I couldn't hold him but I was given no option but to ride him as I rode him, given the way the race panned out,” said Bowman, a two-time Derby winner, but registering his first in the Classic Cup. “He settled really well but then when the pace started to change, it got really muddling around the corner, he didn't cope with that very well. It's hard to be too critical of him for that reason, either. With a smooth run race (in the Derby), he'll be okay.

“He needs an even tempo, he doesn't particularly need it fast. Like all horses, he's going to benefit from an even pace. It's not only him–it's the entire field.”

 

 

 

Pedigree Notes:

Western Australian-bred Helios Express continues an outstanding run in Hong Kong for his sire, who sits second behind Deep Field (Aus) in progeny earnings for the current season and his two stakes winners ranks as joint-best alongside Starspangledbanner (Aus). His other black-type scorer this term is G1 Centenary Sprint Cup hero Victor the Winner (Aus), who is a probable starter in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chuyko Racecourse Mar. 24.

A three-time winner at the races, Paris Texas passed away in September 2021 according to the Australian Stud Book, but has left behind Helios Express's unraced 3-year-old full-sister Isolation Ridge (Aus), who is in training with Lindsey Smith at Linton in Victoria.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
HONG KONG CLASSIC CUP-LR, HK$13,000,000, Sha Tin, 3-3, NH/SH4yo, 1800mT, 1:47.73, gd.
1–HELIOS EXPRESS (AUS), 126, g, 4, by Toronado (Ire)
1st Dam: Paris Texas (Aus), by Hinchinbrook (Aus)
2nd Dam: Hialeah Star (Aus), by Luskin Star (Aus)
3rd Dam: Hialeah Gold (Aus), by Sovereign Red (NZ)
O-Andy Yung Ming Tai; B-C Wells (WA); T-John Size; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$7,280,000. Lifetime Record: 9-7-1-1, HK$23,070,200. *Formerly Tex Mex (Aus). Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Chancheng Glory, 126, g, 4, Mor Spirit–Solid Scam, by Consolidator. ($50,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $220,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Chancheng Racing Syndicate; B-H Allen Poindexter (IA); T-Francis Lui; J-Keegan de Melo; HK$2,730,000.
3–Ensued, 126, g, 4, Lemon Drop Kid–Alluvial Gold (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). ($120,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; €260,000 2yo '22 ARQMAY). O-Ada Wong Yin Man; B-T/C Stable LLC (KY); T-John Size; J-Ryan Moore; HK$1,495,000.
Margins: SHD, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 65-100, 51-1, 69-10.
Also Ran: Star Mac (Aus), Beauty Crescent (Ire), Helene Feeling (Ire), Chill Chibi (NZ), Unbelievable, Speed Dragon (NZ), Fallon (Ire), Elliptical (Aus), Simply Maverick (Aus), Ka Ying Generation (Ire), Awesome Fluke (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.

 

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