Sunday Insights: Recent OBS Grads Headline Sunday Action

4th-Mth, $55K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5fT, 2:02 p.m.
AMO Racing's MADAME MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), out of a half-sister to MGISW Divisidero (Kitten's Joy), went for $550,000 at OBSMAR after clocking .10 flat during the under-tack breeze show. The Jorge Delgado trainee gets Isaac Castillo in the irons. TJCIS PPS

1st-HAW, $35K, Msw, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, 3:30 p.m.
Another recent OBSMAR grad who fetched $500,000, Dorothy Crowfoot (Audible) makes her first start for trainer Larry Rivelli. Her dam, Enjoy This Moment (Midnight Lute), is a half-sister to MGSW Sum of the Parts (Speightstown) and GSW Rocket Heat (Latent Heat). TJCIS PPS

6th-WO, $111K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f (AWT), 3:57 p.m.
Heading north of the border, Tag Team (Curlin) debuts for Josie Carroll with Kazushi Kimura aboard. The $400,000 OBSAPR purchase is out of a female family which includes second dam Citiview's full-sister GISW Hookedonthefeelin. She is responsible for MGISW Pussycat Doll (Real Quiet), dam to GISW Aquaphobia (Giant's Causeway), and GISW Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor). TJCIS PPS

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Valiant Force Sets Sights on Breeders’ Cup

Amo Racing's longshot G2 Norfolk S. winner Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) will target the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, trainer Adrian Murray revealed. The colt has already secured a spot in the starting gate at Santa Anita Park in California on Nov. 3 as the race was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series qualifier for the Future Stars Friday card.

“He's probably going to be aimed at the Breeders' Cup now in November,” Murray said. “He will more than likely run before then but having talked to the owner he is keen to go there, so that will be our big target for him.

“He's a horse with a lot of speed, so I would say we will stick to five furlongs for the time being.”

Murray sent out three runners during the Royal Ascot meeting, including Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was third in the G2 Coventry S. He is also owned by Amo Racing.

“He's a really nice horse and I think he's going to be a really good horse down the road, there's lots of improvement to come from him yet,” Murray said. “He might go for a Group One at the Curragh, but we will need to sit down and have a discussion. He's entered for a couple of Group Ones but it might be the Phoenix Stakes for him. He's entered in all the good races anyway, but we're not going to rush him though.”

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Wootton Bassett’s King Of Steel Dominates The King Edward VII

He's as big as it gets among top-class thoroughbreds, but Amo Racing's King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}–Eldacar {GB}, by Verglas {Ire}) showed for the second time this month that he has grace in abundance as he stormed to glory in Friday's G2 King Edward VII S. Denied only by Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in a dramatic finale to the Derby, the imposing grey was at risk of coming back too quickly but his odds of 11-10 reflected the confidence in Roger Varian not to make that particular error.

In the event, Kevin Stott faced as tricky a tactical quandary as Chris Hayes had earlier on the card on Tahiyra (Ire) with the pace notably slow and the exuberant favourite needing anchoring at the back. It takes a true class act to circle a KEVII field already quickening, but that was what King Of Steel had looked at Epsom and he duly confirmed that impression with a 11.54 split to two out where he seized control. Chased by Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) from there, he lugged right to the rail but stayed powering on to beat Ballydoyle's representative by 3 1/2 lengths. Derby also-ran Artistic Star (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was another 2 1/2 lengths behind in third.

“They didn't go fast and he was a bit keen–I couldn't get him to drop it until halfway and so I was a little bit nervous but in a matter of strides he was in front and then was just lengthening,” commented Stott, who was enjoying his breakthrough moment at Royal Ascot. “He could easily go back to ten–he has plenty of speed and is so quick on his feet for a big horse.”

 

“He has a blue eye on one side and you have to be nice and relaxed with him, because he might be a tiny bit blind on that side,” his rider added. “You can see how big he is and, if he stays in training next year and fills into this big frame, you don't know how good he could be. It's very exciting for me and for Kia to have such a good horse.”

Varian has another group 1 target in mind now. “It is a relief, as when they run so big in the Derby you want them to back it up,” he said. “He's got such a great constitution and we went on the signs he was giving us, which were great. He's a super horse and so agile. It is very satisfying that he confirmed today what he did in the Derby. We'd like to go to the Grand Prix de Paris, but a lot can change with horses so let's see how he is tomorrow.”

Pedigree Notes

King Of Steel is the last foal out of Eldacar, who died from foaling complications after producing the King Edward VII winner. She is a granddaughter of the Listed Prix Yacowlef winner and G3 Prix du Calvados-placed Seralia (GB) (Royal Academy). One of Lady O'Reilly's many successful broodmares, she produced a trio of black-type performers including the G3 Prix de Psyche winner Serisia (Fr) (Exit To Nowhere) who was in turn responsible for the G1 Chipping Norton S. and G1 Ranvet S.-winning Australian champion miler Contributer (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}). A half to Exit To Nowhere's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Shaka (GB), she is also the ancestress of Le Havre's multiple group-placed Sotteville (Fr) and Crisolles (Fr) and the Listed Prix de la Californie scorer and G3 Prix Texanita third Straight Right (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Another family member, the G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Sorciere (Ire) (Orpen), is the dam of Thursday's surprise Buckingham Palace S. winner Witch Hunter (Fr) also by Siyouni.

Friday, Royal Ascot, Britain
KING EDWARD VII S.-G2, ÂŁ250,000, Ascot, 6-23, 3yo, c/g, 11f 211yT, 2:35.30, g/f.
1–KING OF STEEL, 128, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Eldacar (GB), by Verglas (Ire)
2nd Dam: Seracina (GB), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Seralia (GB), by Royal Academy
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. ($200,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Roger Varian; J-Kevin Stott. ÂŁ141,775. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 4-2-1-0, $602,398. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Continuous (Jpn), 128, c, 3, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Fluff (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & Westerberg; B-Wynatt, Chelston Ireland & Orpendale Bloodstock (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien. ÂŁ53,750.
3–Artistic Star (Ire), 128, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Nechita (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-J C Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. ÂŁ26,900.
Margins: 3HF, 2HF, 2. Odds: 1.10, 9.00, 7.50.
Also Ran: Dubai Mile (Ire), Arrest (Ire), Relentless Voyager (GB).

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Malibu Moon’s Valiant Force Provides Amo’s First Royal Winner In The Norfolk

All the talk before Thursday's G2 Norfolk S. centred around American Rascal (Curlin) and Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), but it was the 150-1 shot Valiant Force (Malibu Moon–Vigui's Heart, by Quality Road) who held sway to provide Amo Racing with a breakthrough first Royal Ascot winner. Runner-up to His Majesty (Ire) (No Nay Never) on debut in the Listed First Flier S., the Adrian Murray-trained $100,000 Keeneland September yearling was discounted by the betting public due to his latest fifth despite having excuses in the G3 Marble Hill S. Dominating the far-side group under Rossa Ryan, he veered left late on but hit the line with 1 1/4 lengths to spare over Malc (GB) (Calyx {GB}), with the 7-4 favourite Elite Status half a length behind in third.

 

As it turned out, the Marble Hill was the race to concentrate on ahead of this much-anticipated renewal with The Curragh's staging post featuring not only the winner but also Ballydoyle's His Majesty, who had been involved in a three-way go in that six-furlong contest. Left stranded on his own up the centre of the track on that day as the remainder crossed towards the stands' side, Valiant Force was still in front a furlong from the finish and had quicker ground as well as company to aid his cause this time. His Majesty was clear of the disadvantaged stands'-side pack here in fourth, becoming the fourth Ballydoyle juvenile to represent the stable with major credit this week.

Kia Joorabchian owns the winner alongside Rachael O'Callaghan and Giselle De Aguiar and said, “We've been trying for a long time and we kept getting beaten, but kept getting up. I'm just delighted for these guys. We've loved this horse all the time and he was on his own last time at The Curragh, so we knew he could do it.”

Adrian Murray, who hit the board in Tuesday's juvenile feature, added, “We knew he was a nice horse and we couldn't believe the price. He was only beaten half a length by His Majesty first time out and he was 150-1 today, it just didn't make sense! I knew he was much better than that. We were third here in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday and I wondered if that would ever happen again. It's the stuff of dreams. It's great for the small man.”

Malc's trainer Richard Fahey was almost completing a third consecutive success in this race and commented, “Coming here I thought I had a real nice bunch of two-year-olds, but the way the others had run I couldn't be confident. Today everything did go right, he sticks his head down and he has a go. To be honest we think he's a six-furlong horse, but at Ascot you almost want a six-furlong horse over five. In the mid-part of the race, I'm not saying that's where we lost it, but he got a little outpaced and the winner got first run.”

Karl Burke said of the beaten favourite, “A furlong out I thought we might catch the leader, but he just couldn't get there. The Prix Morny was always our target before today. I'll go and have a word with Sheikh Obaid, but I imagine we'll step him up to six. He's not the finished article yet, but he's a lovely horse.”

Pedigree Notes
The winner is the first foal out of the unraced dam Vigui's Heart, a daughter of the triple stakes scorer Blue Heart (Exchange Rate) and half to the GIII With Anticipation S. third Joyful Heart (Kitten's Joy). Blue Heart is kin to four other stakes performers including the dam of the GIII Gulfstream Park Sprint S. winner C. Zee (Elusive Bluff). Also connected to the triple graded-stakes place-getter Katie Baby (Curlin), Vigui's Heart's filly foal is by Mitole.

 

Thursday, Royal Ascot, Britain
NORFOLK S.-G2, ÂŁ110,000, Ascot, 6-22, 2yo, 5fT, :59.75, g/f.
1–VALIANT FORCE, 129, c, 2, by Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Vigui's Heart, by Quality Road
2nd Dam: Blue Heart, by Exchange Rate
3rd Dam: Flawless Diamond, by Saint Ballado
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. ($75,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $100,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Amo Racing, Mrs R O'Callaghan & G De Aguiar; B-Ramon Horta Rangel & Spendthrift Farm (KY); T-Adrian Murray; J-Rossa Ryan. ÂŁ62,381. Lifetime Record: SP-Ire, 3-1-1-0, $89,328. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Malc (GB), 129, c, 2, Calyx (GB)–Bereka (GB), by Firebreak (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (34,000gns Ylg '22 TATSOM; 140,000gns 2yo '23 TATBRE). O-Middleham Park Racing LXVI; B-Bearstone Stud (GB); T-Richard Fahey. ÂŁ23,650.
3–Elite Status (GB), 129, c, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Dotted Swiss (Ire), by Swiss Spirit (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (56,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; 325,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Karl Burke. ÂŁ11,836.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 150.00, 66.00, 1.75.
Also Ran: His Majesty (Ire), Thunder Blue (GB), Devious (GB), Reveiller (Ire), Mon Na Slieve (Ire), No Nay Mets (Ire), The Fixer (Ire), Toca Madera (Ire), Shayekh (Ire), American Rascal, Noche Magica (Ire). Scratched: Baheer (Ire), Hala Emaraaty (Ire).

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