Bradsell Scratched From BC Turf Sprint

Group 1 winner Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) has been scratched from the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint by trainer Archie Watson.

A winner of the King's Stand S. this term, the Victorious Racing runner was due to be ridden by Luke Morris, as his regular rider Hollie Doyle is serving a suspension.

Europeans are still strongly represented in the Santa Anita affair, however, as G1 Nunthorpe S. hero Live In the Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) is still signed on, as is Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never).

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A Fourth Group 1 For Night Of Thunder’s Highfield Princess In The Abbaye

   There were some who were preparing to write off John Fairley's mare of steel Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}–Pure Illusion {Ire}, by Danehill) following her uncharacteristically disappointing effort in the G1 Flying Five at The Curragh last month, but the 6-year-old answered the doubters by simply placing another of the world's big sprints onto her impressive resume as she conquered Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines.

While she may not quite be the same supercharged dragster who went through an unprecedented treble at this level in the space of just over a month last summer, the Queen of England's North proved here that when ability drops courage can still elevate.

Working hard from some way out having been cast an unfavourable wide draw, the 2-1 favourite gave her all for Jason Hart to eventually claw back her three-years-younger front-running compatriot Perdika (GB) (Unfortunately {Ire}) inside the last 50 metres and forge a length victory in this “Win and You're In” race for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Ballydoyle's revived G2 Futurity S.-winning TDN Rising Star Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) managed to force his way into the frame, a short head back as the habitual blanket finish occurred again in behind.

“She won that through pure guts,” Hart said of John Quinn's long-overdue first winner at this prestigious meeting. “She was flat out the whole way–the ground is a bit quick, but she has the heart of lion. It was only in the last 50 yards when the leader tied up that I knew we were going to win. I knew she was back to herself when I worked her a week ago and credit to connections for keeping her in training, as she's got another Group 1. What a mare, she's so tough.”

Although Highfield Princess had done nothing wrong in her Group 1s so far this term, with perhaps valid excuses for her Flying Five no-show last time, it was only in Goodwood's G2 King George S. that she had really shone and that aura of invincibility she had taken into the Breeders' Cup in November was gone by the time she lined up for this. For Quinn, the result was a personal triumph after some near-misses on this fixture in previous years.

“We have had plenty of horses run really well at this wonderful meeting–in the Abbaye, El Astronaute was third, Liberty Beach was beaten two heads and Safe Voyage was beaten two heads in the Foret,” he said. “It is one of the greatest meetings in the world and I hoped I would one day train a winner here and it is wonderful.”

“She tries hard and you could say from where she was drawn she was inconvenienced,” he added. “She toughed it into the race and toughed it out of the race, because two furlongs out she was flat out so fair dues to her. It was a very brave decision to keep her in training, considering she had won three Group 1s in Europe and was probably one of the best fillies around. I'm so pleased they have been totally vindicated. She's shown she's as good as any sprinting mare in the world.”

Quinn is looking for a second try at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint following her fourth placing at Keeneland last year. “Why not? I will need to speak to my owner, but I would be strongly suggesting it,” he said. “We needed to see how today went and today went very well. I wouldn't rule out the Breeders' Cup or the big sprint at Hong Kong in December. It's John and his family's decision whether she'll race on next year, but as long as she's okay she could go to Santa Anita or Sha Tin.”

Sally Nicholls, owner-breeder of Perdika, was understandably delighted with the game performance of the rapid runner-up. “Her performance took my breath away. She ran so well,” she said. “Her future certainly lies at stud in 2024. A Group 1 placing changes everything regarding her broodmare profile. She loves France and so do we. Now we're going to crack open our piggy bank and send her to a good stallion.”

Aidan O'Brien was looking ahead with Aesop's Fables, who had spent so long in the wilderness but is back where he was last summer. “He ran really well against horses who had already proved themselves at this level,” he said. “He's blossoming as a sprinter right now. I haven't yet decided where we will be going with him next. One thing's for sure, though and that's that we'll be seeing a lot more of him over five furlongs in the future.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Highfield Princess, who was bred in the Calvados region at the Haras du Camp Benard run by Fabienne Simoes De Almeida and her mother Martine Van De Kerchove, was led out unsold at only 29,000gns when offered at the 2018 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. Fairley had paid just 18,000gns for the dam Pure Illusion from the Godolphin draft two years earlier at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and in the meantime, her son Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}) had captured the G2 July S. and had placed in the G1 Middle Park S., G2 Gimcrack S., G2 Richmond S. and G2 Norfolk S.

Pure Illusion is a daughter of the G3 Princess Margaret S. winner Saintly Speech (Southern Halo), who is also the second dam of the G3 Park Express S. and G3 C. L. Weld Park S. winner Chrysanthemum (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who in turn produced the G3 Sandown Classic Trial scorer Cunco (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and his G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S.-winning full-sister Maxux (Ire). The family also includes the G3 Prix du Calvados winner Woodland Melody (Woodman), whose listed-winning daughter Shady Reflection (Sultry Song) produced the GII Las Vegas Marathon S. and GIII Greenwood Cup scorer Cary Street (Smarty Jones).

 

 

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'ABBAYE DE LONGCHAMP LONGINES-G1, €350,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-1, 2yo/up, 5fT, :55.07, g/s.
1–HIGHFIELD PRINCESS (FR), 133, m, 6, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Pure Illusion (Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saintly Speech, by Southern Halo
3rd Dam: Eloquent Minister, by Deputy Minister
(29,000gns RNA Ylg '18 TATDEY). O/B-Trainers House Enterprises Ltd (FR); T-John Quinn; J-Jason Hart. €199,990. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & Ire, 38-14-8-6, €2,090,889. *1/2 to Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}), GSW & G1SP-Eng, $355,619. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Perdika (GB), 133, f, 3, Unfortunately (Ire)–Golden Dirham (GB), by Kheleyf. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs Sally Nicholls; B-Bumble Bloodstock & Mrs Sally Nicholls (GB); T-George Boughey. €80,010.
3–Aesop's Fables (Ire), 137, c, 3, No Nay Never–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-M Tabor, D Smith, Mrs J Magnier & Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,005.
Margins: 1, SHD, NO. Odds: 2.10, 32.00, 43.00.
Also Ran: Get Ahead (GB), Rogue Lightning (Ire), Makarova (GB), White Lavender (Ire), Kerdos (Ire), Batwan (Fr), Ponntos (Ire), Moss Tucker (Ire), Bouttemont (Ire), Equality (GB), Dramatised (Ire), Tudo Bem (Fr), Equilateral (GB), Art Power (Ire), Asymmetric (Ire). Scratched: Coeur De Pierre (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Naas Sunday: Sprinters Warm Up for Royal Ascot

by Tom Frary

Sunday's card at Naas sees some of the leading Irish sprinters build towards next month's Royal meeting, with the six-furlong G3 Goffs Lacken S. the feature. There was no mistaking the authority of the filly Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in Navan's Listed Committed S. last month and although that was on heavy ground, she hails from the Jessie Harrington stable carrying all before it at the moment. Saturday's Listed Carnarvon S. placegetter Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the re-opposing The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) were left behind as she opened up in the style of a group 1 performer G1 Middle Park S. runner-up and it may be that Shane Foley has finally found the key to her.

River Tiber Lined Up For Coventry Prep…
Royal Ascot's juvenile contests should take more shape after the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. and opening Coolmore Stud Calyx Race, with the latter race hosting Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Stars Democracy (Ire) (No Nay Never) and River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the line-up. Ryan Moore is booked for River Tiber, who did something out of the ordinary even for his yard's juveniles when scoring by 10 lengths on debut at Navan last month. In the Sprint S., Team Valor International and Gary Barber's acquisition Ribchestina (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) makes her debut for the Paddy Twomey stable, having scored on her introduction for Sheila Lavery here last month.

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Sioux Nation’s Ocean Quest Impresses In The Committed

Last seen being inched out by Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in The Curragh's G3 Round Tower S. in August, Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) returned with a vengeance at Navan on Saturday to stamp her authority on the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed S. Held together early by Shane Foley racing freely in third, the 10-1 shot brushed aside Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) passing two out en route to a categoric six-length dismissal of that G2 Futurity S.-winning TDN Rising Star, with the 4-5 favourite The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third.

“She is a very good filly and Jessie [Harrington] was contemplating stepping up to seven or a mile, but she has a lot of natural speed and was even keen there despite the fact that we were skipping along,” Foley said of the winner, the first part of a listed double for the in-form stable on the card. “She has thickened into a fine filly and is quite keen and forward-going at home and even going down today took me on for the first furlong–she has to have things her way.”

Assistant trainer Kate Harrington added, “She was going to the [G1] Cheveley Park last year and she pulled a muscle the week before, so we put her away for the rest of the season. We knew she was good last year–she won the first two-year-old race of the season and we bided our time with her and let her strengthen up. She'll go to the [G1] Commonwealth Cup, that's what mum said on the phone! Obviously, mum will have a chat with the owners and everything, but it looks like the likely aim at the moment.”

Ocean Quest, who was also third in the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas at the start of August, is the second foal out of a daughter of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial scorer and G3 Bahrain Trophy third Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB}) who also produced the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen winner Poetic Dream (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and G3 Prix Francois Boutin scorer Who Knows (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Her 2-year-old filly Ocean Bliss (Ire) is by El Kabeir, while she also has a yearling filly by Raven's Pass.

IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF COMMITTED S.-Listed, €42,500, Navan, 4-22, 3yo, 5f 164yT, 1:18.31, hy.
1–OCEAN QUEST (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Sioux Nation
     1st Dam: Gold Zain (GB), by Aqlaam (GB)
     2nd Dam: Zain Al Boldan (GB), by Poliglote (GB)
     3rd Dam: Carla (Fr), by Cardoun (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-J Kirkland & Mrs J M Ryan; B-Dr T K Chah (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €25,500. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 4-2-1-1, $78,565.
2–Aesop's Fables (Ire), 136, c, 3, No Nay Never–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €8,500.
3–The Antarctic (Ire), 134, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (750,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Magnier,Tabor,Smith,Westerberg,Brant; B-Bally Philip Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €4,250.
Margins: 6, 3/4, 14. Odds: 10.00, 3.50, 0.80.
Also Ran: Shartash (Ire), Cosmic Invasion (Ire).

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