Tag: Al Aasy (Ire)

Australia’s Adelaide River Takes The Kilternan

Making it another Irish Champions Day winner that was easy to find on paper, the third pattern-race winner for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore came in the G3 Paddy Power S. registered as the Kilternan S. courtesy of Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Always comfortable in a clear lead, the 11-8 favourite by virtue of the class edge he held having been runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris turned the screw from the top of the straight and may have been idling late as Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) cut the deficit to half a length.

O'Brien had a surprising admission about the colt who had pushed Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) so hard in the Curragh Classic. “We always thought he was kind of like Duke Of Marmalade, as he's after competing in big ones and getting very close in them but he's such a big horse that he's definitely going to have to be a way better horse next year,” he said. “He's after having a few tough races in second so it was nice for him to come here and Ryan was able to dictate his own pace on him. He said he did quicken very well, but just got a bit lonely in the last half a furlong.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Adelaide River, who had also been third in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and second in the G2 Beresford S. as a 2-year-old, is the first foal out of Could It Be Love (War Front) who was second in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and a clutch of lesser black-type contests. A half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Champagne S.-winning champion and leading sire Uncle Mo, her unraced 2-year-old filly Everlasting (Ire) is by Kingman (GB), while she also has a yearling by the same sire due to sell on Monday at the Keeneland September Sale. She was bred to Gun Runner for 2024.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
PADDY POWER S. (KILTERNAN S.)-G3, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-9, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:31.05, gd.
1–ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Could It Be Love (G1SP-Ire & GSP-Eng, $163,827), by War Front
2nd Dam: Playa Maya, by Arch
3rd Dam: Dixie Slippers, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €60,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Fr, G1SP-Ire & GSP-Eng, 9-2-5-1, $584,982. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Al Aasy (Ire), 138, g, 6, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Kitcara (GB), by Shamardal. (300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. €20,000.
3–Layfayette (Ire), 138, g, 6, French Navy (GB)–Scala Romana (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). (€4,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP; €54,000 2yo '19 TATGOR). O-Mrs Patricia Hunt; B-Matthew Duffy (IRE); T-Noel Meade. €10,000.
Margins: HF, HF, HF. Odds: 1.38, 2.25, 25.00.
Also Ran: White Birch (GB), Valiant King (GB), Mashhoor (GB), Young Ireland (Ire).

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The Curragh: “She’s Ready to Rock and Roll.” Is Pretty Polly-Bound Via Sistina the Real Deal?

Very few elite contests are won in the style that Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) displayed in last month's G2 Dahlia S., but Becky Hillen's star mare has to do it again at the next level in Saturday's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Granted more ease in the ground, trainer George Boughey is intent on pitching her against the best of the Irish in the 10-furlong test. “I've never seen her look so well and she's been training super, so it's all systems go as long we get a little bit more rain,” the trainer said of the former Joseph Tuite-trained 5-year-old, who signed off last season with a win in the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air. “She's travelled over good and she's ready to rock and roll. It's been the plan for a while and we look forward to taking them on.”

Joseph O'Brien, who was responsible for two of the last four winners, saddles TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah), who took all of the attention away from Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when winning last month's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud. Last year's G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner is one of two Coolmore hopes alongside Ballydoyle's Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who is backed up 13 days after after her second in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly.

Al Riffa In International Return…
It has taken a while, but Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is back in action in the G3 Paddy Power International S. on the Pretty Polly undercard. Not sighted since winning the track's juvenile feature in September, he is giving Joseph O'Brien all the right vibes as he faces another long-absent colt in Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), last seen finishing a disappointing sixth in the Listed Chesham S. at last year's Royal Ascot.
While Alfred Munnings has to dust off the cobwebs, stablemate and fellow TDN Rising Star Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) is back just eight days after her runner-up finish in the Royal meeting's G3 Albany S. as she takes in the G2 Airlie Stud S. Three of Aidan O'Brien's last four winners of this had also been in action in Berkshire, but if this proves too quick a turnaround it may be that it benefits another with Coolmore involvement in the Joseph O'Brien-trained Grand Job (Justify) who was second in Matrika's course-and-distance maiden last month.

Return Acts At Newmarket…
The July Course's season got underway on Thursday and the action there on Saturday is not to be missed, with Charlie Appleby taking the wraps off last year's G3 Gordon S. winner and promoted G1 St Leger runner-up New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Listed Fred Archer S. “New London has had wind surgery since his last run and we have been very pleased with him at home,” his trainer said. “He has been for two racecourse gallops and this looks a good starting point for a campaign that should progress through the summer and into the autumn.”

The Fred Archer also sees the comeback of Shadwell's talented Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who looks to become the latest in a sequence to defy a lengthy lay-off having been sidelined since his win in Ascot's Listed Buckhounds S. last May. Interestingly, William Haggas also brings back another of Sheikha Hissa's stars missing in action of late in Aldaary (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in the card's G3 Criterion S.

“We need soft ground for Aldaary, I declared him when it was raining,” Haggas said of last year's impressive Listed Spring Trophy winner who has been off for the same 420-day stretch as Al Aasy. “The ground is on the slow side at Newmarket, but whether that remains the case we'll see. We can make a decision as late as we need to, but as long as it's not fast I'd say he'll probably run because he needs to get going. Al Aasy is the same, he likes a bit of cut in the ground, but he needs to start. They've both been training well, so I'm hopeful they'll run well.”

In the fixture's opening Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' S., Charlie Appleby tests the waters with TDN Rising Star Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) who dazzled at Haydock 16 days ago. She faces Ballylinch Stud's What A Question (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a key member of the Charlie Johnston juvenile academy who was impressive at Goodwood on her debut a day after her Godolphin rival.

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Al Aasy Primed For July Test

One of the season's elite older horses is in action at Newmarket on Thursday as Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) headlines the opening card of the three-day July Festival. Runner-up in the June 4 G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom last time, Shadwell's progressive 4-year-old stays in his home town for the 12-furlong G2 Princess of Wales's Tattersalls S. at the meeting at which he first served notice of his talent when taking last year's G3 Bahrain Trophy. Successful in the G3 John Porter S. and G3 Aston Park S. over this trip at Newbury Apr. 18 and May 15, the apple of William Haggas's eye lost nothing in defeat when a neck second to Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) in the Coronation Cup and bids to stay in the picture for the July 24 G1 King George and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. “I was thinking of waiting for Ascot, but I've changed my mind,” his trainer said. “He's in good form and I think ground should be fine. We've had some decent showers and everybody has been saying we need the rain, so I should think it will be lovely ground.”

Up against Al Aasy is The Niarchos Family's 'TDN Rising Star' Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who has yet to deliver on early promise and who after finishing runner-up in the G2 Dante S. at York last July has been unplaced in three of his four starts. “Al Aasy is clearly the one we all have to fear and he is likely to take a lot of beating too, but hopefully Highest Ground can return to form after a below-par run in the Hardwicke,” jockey Ryan Moore said. “He obviously had a tough task there though and the soft ground was not ideal for him by any means. His earlier defeat of a good subsequent winner in Outbox at Leicester was a fair effort, however he has to raise his game if the form horses run their races, that much is obvious.”

In the six-furlong G2 Tattersalls July S. for 2-year-olds, some of the prominent Royal Ascot runners go head-to-head with the June 15 G2 Coventry S. second and fifth Eldrickjones (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) and Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) joined by the June 17 G2 Norfolk S. third Project Dante (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and the June 16 Listed Windsor Castle S. runner-up Dig Two (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}). Nick Bradley said of Eldrickjones, “It looks no stronger than the Coventry and some might say it's a little bit weaker. He goes there with a massive chance, I think.”

Trainer Bryan Smart said of Project Dante, “The horse proved his worth and we like him a lot. He did a nice piece of work on Friday and had a nice little blow on Tuesday morning–Graham Lee rode him and was thrilled with him. He said he feels as good as if not better than he did before Royal Ascot. I think he'll get the trip, because he settles and you can put him in most places.”

Hugo Palmer saddles both Dig Two and Ebro River, with the latter already successful in black-type company having won Sandown's Listed National S. May 27, and he said, “They both ran very well at Ascot. It's always tricky having two colts in the same race, but I feel they both deserve to take their chance. They've both really thrived since Ascot–I've been delighted with them. Ebro River is a winner of a listed race on soft ground, so any significant rain wouldn't hinder his chances, but I think he proved at Ascot he's also fine on top-of-the-ground. Dig Two definitely wants quick ground, so if the word soft started to appear in the going description we would probably take him out.”

In the G3 Bahrain Trophy, Nat Rothschild's June 16 G2 Queen's Vase third Stowell (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) encounters Godolphin's Apr. 23 G3 Sandown Classic Trial third and May 21 Listed Cocked Hat S. runner-up Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), while the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. looks a fascinating race with some smart colts from the major stables. Among them is Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Derab (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was not disgraced when eighth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club over 10 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly June 6, and the same owner-breeders' Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who was fourth in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot June 15. Juddmonte's Barry Mahon commented, “We're keeping an eye on the weather with Maximal, because he wants fast ground so with the risk of thunderstorms, we'll be monitoring it with him. Both horses are in good form. It's not ideal to have the two of them running, but there's no alternative. Maximal ran a great race at Ascot and the other horse, to be fair, had a rough trip over to France. He had rough trip in the race and we threw him in at the deep end a little bit. It will be nice to give him a confidence-booster close to home and get him back on an upward curve.”

Godolphin's G3 Autumn S. winner One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is tried in cheekpieces following his disappointing seventh in the G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot June 17 and Charlie Appleby is hoping for a return to his former glories. “One Ruler has been slightly frustrating so far this year, but dropping back to a mile should suit,” he said. “He will be a major player if he can rediscover his two-year-old form.” Shadwell's well-regarded and unbeaten Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is another fascinating contender, having won by 7 1/2 lengths over this course and distance June 19.

Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. has attracted a field of 13, with the June 18 G1 Coronation S. one-two-three Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) tackling their elders including the May 2 G2 Dahlia S. one-two Lady Bowthorpe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal) and the June 16 G2 Duke of Cambridge S. winner Indie Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Also in the mix is David Ward's Primo Bacio (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who was forced to miss the Coronation due to the testing ground but who had previously been the impressive winner of York's Listed Michael Seely Memorial S. May 14.

Click here for the group fields.

 

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Newbury Cruise For Sea the Stars’ Al Aasy

William Haggas could not have hoped for a better warm-up for the June 4 G1 Coronation Cup for the apple of his eye Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), with Shadwell's deeply-promising 4-year-old going through Saturday's G3 Al Rayyan S. at Newbury like a routine piece of work. Treating Juddmonte's 2019 G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as a mere lead-horse, the 10-11 favourite who had won comfortably on fast ground in the course-and-distance G3 John Porter S. Apr. 18 sauntered by that rival two out. Unextended from there with Jim Crowley almost motionless, the low-mileage bay recorded a bloodless four-length verdict over Thunderous (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with Logician a respectable 1 1/2 lengths away in third. “I couldn't fault him–he was very relaxed, which we considered to be the most important part and Jim felt he could have waited longer if he was able to,” Haggas said. “He's such a strong traveller and works like that at home. He gives his all and always looks like Nijinsky against the others.”

Successful in four of his last five starts including the 13-furlong G3 Bahrain Trophy on ground similar to this at Newmarket in July, Al Aasy's only blip was when last of six in Goodwood's G3 Gordon S. on a fast surface three weeks later. He will eventually have to prove that a lively surface holds no fears and he may have to do that at Epsom next month, but on this evidence he will be a tough nut to crack whatever turns up in Surrey. “He was just getting above himself and the gap between the John Porter and the Coronation Cup was too long,” his trainer elaborated. “I came to the conclusion that if he couldn't win this under a penalty, he wouldn't be wining a Coronation Cup. He's very well-balanced and I think he'll glide around Epsom. We loved him as a yearling and it's win-win for us, as he was bred by Mrs Tsui who has the younger full-sister Sea Karats (Ire) who will have more to offer in time. I've always thought Sea the Stars was a good stallion and Sheikh Juma [Dalmook Al Maktoum] and I were mad-keen to buy as many as possible at the start. They are tough and they stay. Some are tricky, but they are good.”

As his trainer outlined, Al Aasy comes from the Tsui Family's Sunderland Holding operation as the first foal out of Kitcara (GB) (Shamardal) who is a daughter of the dual German listed winner and G3 Premio Sergio Cumani runner-up Kitcat (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Also responsible for the dual listed scorer and G2 Prix Noailles runner-up Kapour (Ire) (Toylsome {GB}), she descends from the listed-placed Kittiwake (GB) (Barathea {Ire}) who is a half-sister to the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S.-winning sire Pentire (GB). This is also the family of the G1 Gran Criterium winner and leading German sire Konigstiger (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) and the G1 Epsom and Irish Derby hero and champion sire Shirley Heights (GB). Kitcara's aforementioned 3-year-old filly Sea Karats (Ire), who was a 500,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, was runner-up in this month's Listed Pretty Polly S. She also has an as-yet unnamed 2-year-old filly also by Sea the Stars and a yearling filly by Australia (GB).

Saturday, Newbury, Britain
AL RAYYAN S. (ASTON PARK S.)-G3, £100,000, Newbury, 5-15, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:39.11, g/s.
1–AL AASY (IRE), 129, c, 4, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Kitcara (GB), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Kitcat (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Kittiwake (GB), by Barathea (Ire)
(300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1, $151,931. *Full to Sea Karats (Ire), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thunderous (Ire), 126, c, 4, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Souviens Toi (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). (70,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (George Stubbs); B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £21,500.
3–Logician (GB), 126, h, 5, Frankel (GB)–Scuffle (GB), by Daylami (Ire). O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £10,760.
Margins: 4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 0.91, 8.50, 1.88.
Also Ran: Ranch Hand (GB), Rainbow Dreamer (GB). Scratched: Asiaaf (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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