Tag: Aidan O’Brien

Saint-Cloud: Juvenile Features Dominate Sunday Action

Saint-Cloud stage the key fayre on Sunday, with the G1 Criterium International and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud offering the juvenile crop a late opportunity to flaunt Classic pretensions. In the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Ballydoyle look for their first winner since 2010 with the impressive Curragh maiden winner Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) while the Joseph O'Brien-trained compatriot Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will provide clues as to the merit of his G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. conqueror Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Godolphin's unbeaten Andre Fabre-trained TDN Rising Star Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) is also in the mix along with Bernardine and Sean Mulryan's Haynes, Hanson & Clark S. winner Bracken's Laugh (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). His trainer Richard Hughes said, “It's a big ask going into such a race on just your second start, but that's why I ran him in a winner's race at Newbury. He needed to run in a proper race to prove himself and I feel he did that on the day, he made up a two or three lengths on a couple of winners and won well at the line and he proved he goes on the heavy ground.”

“When you spend 200,000gns on a horse you hope you are buying a superstar and I stuck my neck on the line for this fella,” Hughes added. “He's a huge horse and he did a very good breeze back in May when he shouldn't have been able. He's got an abundance of pace and he's bred to stay a minimum of a mile and a half. I feel I have ticked all the boxes other than having only run once.”

In the Criterium International, another TDN Rising Star from the Fabre stable is Baron Edouard De Rothschild's Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), who beat the re-opposing Saganti (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon over this mile trip and track last month. Guy Pariente, Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's G2 Champagne S. runner-up Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) is a key opponent and trainer David Menuisier believes he has a measure of the merit of Alcantor. “It's the form line of the Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud, when we finished fourth with Devil's Point and Andre Fabre's horse looks really good,” he said. “We respect the opposition but the horse is really well and I'm counting on him for a big run.”

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The Best Since Frankel? What The Ratings Say About City Of Troy

We can believe what our eyes are telling us. That was the verdict from Timeform on Monday, with the ratings gurus placing City Of Troy a joint second in terms of winning performances posted in the Dewhurst this century. 

The one horse rated higher than Aidan O'Brien's bright young star? You guessed it, the mighty Frankel, who those closest to City Of Troy drew parallels with after that stunning victory at Newmarket on Saturday. 

“He really is our Frankel,” said Michael Tabor, one of the part-owners in City Of Troy after the Dewhurst demolition. 

“I know the way Aidan speaks. We're all optimists, but this horse is special. No question, he's the real deal.”

He added, “That's what we feel at this moment. Maybe down the line we'll have egg on our face, but I like to talk before the event and I really feel this horse could be anything.”

High praise indeed. It seems as though Tabor was not alone in his summarisation of the performance with Timeform rating City Of Troy 125p. 

That puts him alongside Pinatubo, Teofilo and New Approach for what they achieved in their respective Dewhurst victories. Meanwhile, Frankel achieved a rating of 126 for his Dewhurst triumph in 2010.

City Of Troy has raced just three times and remains unbeaten after pulling over three lengths clear of the 107-rated Alyanaabi in the Group 1 contest. 

The bookmakers were suitably impressed and slashed City Of Troy into even-money favouritism for next year's 2,000 Guineas. Not only that, but he is now just 5-2 to win the Derby, while some firms are quoting odds of 10-1 for City Of Troy to do what no horse has done since Nijinsky in 1970 by winning the Triple Crown. 

To provide further context to what the figures suggests City Of Troy achieved on Saturday, horses like Too Darn Hot, Shamardal [124 apiece], Rock Of Gibraltar, Air Force Blue [123 apiece], Sir Percy and Dawn Approach [122 apiece] were all rated behind him. 

The best since Frankel is how many key industry figures labelled City Of Troy after Saturday. The ratings would suggest the same.

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Justify’s City Of Troy Outclasses Dewhurst Opposition

Assuaging any and all fears presented by softened conditions, Coolmore's impressive G2 Superlative S. victor City Of Troy (Justify–Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) set the seal on European  champion juvenile status with a performance brimming with pure brilliance in Saturday's G1 Native Trail's Dewhurst S. at Newmarket.

The 'TDN Rising Star' was the sharpest of eight into stride and floated along on the lead through halfway. Committed by Ryan Moore when stirred into action approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 8-15 favourite lengthened clear in effortless fashion to take an insurmountable buffer into the final furlong and moved like a tremendous machine on the ascent to hit the line strong with a 3 1/2-length advantage back to G3 Somerville Tattersall S. winner Alyanaabi (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Eben Shaddad (Calyx {GB}) performed with credit on unsuitable ground and finished one length adrift in third. The success provided Aidan O'Brien with a record-equalling eighth victory in the seven-furlong contest.

 

 

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
NATIVE TRAIL'S DEWHURST S.-G1, £528,750, Newmarket, 10-14, 2yo, 7fT, 1:24.85, sf.
1–CITY OF TROY, 129, c, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Together Forever (Ire) (G1SW-Eng & SW-Ire, $318,729), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Green Room, by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Chain Fern, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. TDN Rising Star. O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £299,854. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $451,293. *1/2 to Military Style (War Front), GSW-Ire; Absolute Ruler (War Front), GSP-Ire; and King Of Athens (War Front), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alyanaabi (Ire), 129, c, 2, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Alyamaama, by Kitten's Joy. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Owen Burrows. £113,681.
3–Eben Shaddad, 129, c, 2, Calyx (GB)–Galileo's Lady, by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. ($100,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; €190,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled & Najd Stud; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-John & Thady Gosden. £56,894.
Margins: 3HF, 1, 1HF. Odds: Scratched: 0.53, 6.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Henry Adams (Ire), Haatem (Ire), Iberian (Ire), Array (Ire), Indian Run (Ire).

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Frankel’s Ylang Ylang On Top In Fillies’ Mile

Friday's G1 Fillies' Mile became a test of stamina and character and there was no shirking of the issue from TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Shambolic {Ire}, by Shamardal) as she provided Aidan O'Brien with a record-equalling sixth renewal of the Newmarket feature.

Beaten twice since winning Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. in July, the 1.5million gns Book 1 relative of Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}) was better than the bare form of her third in this track's seven-furlong G2 Rockfel S. last month and had race tactics to suit if not the soft ground with stablemate Brilliant (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) the target up ahead.

Checked momentarily as the Rockfel runner-up Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) was carried left into her path by the G2 May Hill S. runner-up See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) approaching two out, the 9-2 shot was pulled around that duo by Ryan Moore and began pursuit into the dip. Taking until the last 50 yards to get by, she was firmly on top at the line to reverse form with Shuwari and prevail by half a length from that 3-1 favourite, with See The Fire 3/4 of a length away in third.

“It all went a little bit pear-shaped in mid-season and it's hard to come back like that, but she's classy and very brave,” O'Brien said. “She's very exciting for next year and I'd imagine the lads will want her to start in the Guineas, but she'll have no problem going further and could get the Oaks trip.”

“Obviously the Moyglare went wrong–she ran a bit keen because she'd made the running the first twice, but when her chance was gone Ryan looked after her,” he added. “She came here for a lovely, educational run the last day and because her season got interrupted she wouldn't have been 100% at her best today. We were kind of coming here more for education for next year than today being the be-all and end-all, but I thought Ryan was really incredible on her.”

Ollie Sangster said of Shuwari, “I was very happy and she ran a great race. She saw out the trip well–I think we just got outstayed in the last 50 yards by Ryan and obviously that is a very good filly. I think she liked the ground as it wasn't that soft. Everything went well apart from the fact we didn't win. That will be her for the season and I suppose we will work back from the 1000 Guineas. I wouldn't be afraid of pitching straight up into a 1000 Guineas, as she is a straightforward filly to train. The dream is still alive.”

Andrew Balding was also satisfied with the effort of See The Fire and said, “She travelled strongly, but she got there sooner than Oisin wanted to. She just tired late on, but she is an exciting filly and we are looking forward to next year. I think we will look towards the 1000 Guineas with her.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Ylang Ylang is the first foal out of Listed Pretty Polly S., Listed Height of Fashion S. and Listed Chalice S.-placed Shambolic  who is a half-sister to the aforementioned dual G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup hero and multiple Hong Kong champion Viva Pataca who raced as Comic Strip while in the UK. She is also kin to the GI Flower Bowl Invitational and GI Diana S. heroine Laughing (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and to the dam of the listed scorer and G3 Lillie Langtry S.-placed Twitch (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}).

The family, which received an update last year when Mottisfont (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}) was third in the G3 Sweet Solera S., includes the multiple graded-stakes scorer and sire Brave Act (GB) while the fourth dam is the champion 2-year-old filly Circus Ring (Ire) (High Top {Ire}). Shambolic's yearling colt by Kingman (GB) sold for 425,000gns at the town's recent Book 1 to Qatar Racing and the China Horse Club, while she also has a filly foal by Siyouni (Fr).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 FILLIES' MILE-G1, £500,000, Newmarket, 10-13, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:38.80, sf.
1–YLANG YLANG (GB), 128, f, 2, by Frankel (GB)
                1st Dam: Shambolic (Ire) (MSP-Eng), by Shamardal
                2nd Dam: Comic (Ire), by Be My Chief
                3rd Dam: Circus Act (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
   1ST GROUP 1 WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. (1,500,000gns Ylg '22
TATOCT). O-Magnier,Tabor, Smith, Brant, Westerberg;
B-Newsells Park Stud & Merry Fox Stud (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien;
J-Ryan Moore. £283,550. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 5-3-0-1,
$404,796. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shuwari (Ire), 128, f, 2, New Bay (GB)–Lady Pimpernel (GB),
by Sir Percy (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (80,000gns Ylg
'22 TATOCT). O-Mrs B V Sangster & Ballylinch Partnership;
B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Ollie Sangster. £107,500.
3–See The Fire (GB), 128, f, 2, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Arabian
Queen (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Mr
J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £53,800.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 4.50, 3.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Classical Song (Ire), Brilliant (Ire), Caught U Looking (Ire), Seaward (Ire), Ambiente Amigo (GB). VIDEO.

 

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