Tag: Andrew Balding

Mastercraftsman’s Coltrane In Tune In The Lonsdale

Mick and Janice Mariscotti's ultra-consistent 6-year-old gelding Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}–Promise Me {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) settled for placings in this term's G1 Gold Cup and G1 Goodwood Cup and exacted revenge on Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) with a determined effort in Friday's G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York.

Coltrane, a 14-length runner-up in this marathon contest last year, had risen through the staying ranks to notch victories in last term's G2 Doncaster Cup and this term's G3 Sagaro S. and raced in fourth through the early stages. Inching into third at halfway, the 11-4 second favourite made continued headway to wrest control from habitual frontrunner Quickthorn approaching the two pole and was driven out in the latter stages to withstand the late threat of Courage Mon Ami by 1 1/2 lengths in game fashion. Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) fared best of the remainder and stayed on to finish a half-length adrift in third.

“That was fully deserved, he's been incredibly consistent and he is adored by everyone,” commented Anna Lisa Balding. “Tom [Marquand] gave Quickthorn such a great ride at Goodwood and he fully deserved that, but it was Coltrane's turn today and he's done it in brilliant style. I'm thrilled to win another Group 2 for Mick and Janice [Mariscotti] as they have been incredibly patient. He had surgery two years ago and he hasn't looked back since, but that is why he doesn't go to Australia. He's like a pet, he's adorable and I think it will be Ascot [Champions Day] next as he ran so well in the [G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup] race last year.”

Stable companion Nate The Great was pulled up in the home straight and vanned off the track for treatment. “Hopefully Nate The Great will be okay,” Balding added. “They have put a compression boot on him and taken him back to the stables. The vets are there and they are doing what they can.”

Reflecting on the performance of Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami, Franke Dettori said, “He wasn't keen, but it took him a while to warm up and then he came good. The [Group 1] penalty and shorter trip made Coltrane a better horse than me. We didn't let Quickthorn go today and that made a big difference. It was the right result today, Coltrane and my horse first and second in the Gold Cup and first and second today. The [G1] Prix du Cadran over two-and-a-half [miles] would be tailor-made for him and I guess he'll come back for the Gold Cup next year without me.”

 

Friday, York, Britain
WEATHERBYS HAMILTON LONSDALE CUP S.-G2, £250,000, York, 8-25, 3yo/up, 16f 56yT, 3:27.92, g/f.
1–COLTRANE (IRE), 131, g, 6, by Mastercraftsman (Ire)
1st Dam: Promise Me (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hula Angel, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Jode, by Danzig
(50,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Mick & Janice Mariscotti; B-Rockfield Farm (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £141,775. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Eng, 21-8-7-1, $998,278. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Courage Mon Ami (GB), 134, g, 4, Frankel (GB)–Crimson Ribbon, by Lemon Drop Kid. O-Wathnan Racing; B-Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £53,750.
3–Giavellotto (Ire), 131, c, 4, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Gerika (Fr), by Galileo (Ire). O-Scuderia La Tesa Ltd; B-Societa Agricola La Tesa SRL (IRE); T-Marco Botti. £26,900.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 3HF. Odds: 2.75, 2.50, 5.00.
Also Ran: River of Stars (Ire), Broome (Ire), Quickthorn (GB). DNF: Nate The Great (GB).

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Dubawi’s Arabic Legend A New TDN Rising Star

Newmarket's Weatherbys British EBF Maiden S. is one of those key races that can uncover a class act and Friday's renewal of the seven-furlong July Festival test may have witnessed another as Arabic Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}–Sheikha Reika {Fr}, by Shamardal) earned a TDN Rising Star tag. Withdrawn from his intended start at Doncaster last month after becoming upset in the stalls, the second foal out of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's GI E.P.Taylor S. heroine was always travelling strongly on the wing with Rob Hornby trying to contain him off the moderate pace.

Looming on the front end approaching the furlong pole as the even-money favourite Emperor's Star (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) appeared at the fore on the other side, the 17-2 shot mastered that well-touted rival in the final 100 yards. At the line, the Andrew Balding trainee had 1 1/2 lengths to spare over the Godolphin relative of Cloth Of Stars (Ire), with another three lengths back to that sire's son Dallas Star (Fr) who had been beaten under three lengths in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S.

“He's got a lot of ability and he's an exciting prospect,” Balding said of the winner, who was adding his name to a recent list that includes the future group winners Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) and the group 1-placed Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). This is also the maiden that saw Alhaarth (Ire) beat Mark Of Esteem (Ire) in 1995 and was won by Bahhare a year later, by Dubai Destination in 2001 and by Rio De La Plata in 2007.

“He is a very well-bred horse and we think a little bit of him,” Balding added. “He quickened up nicely and when the rain came it was encouraging. That certainly wasn't going to inconvenience him. I'm sure he will stay a mile and I'm sure he will get further in time. Anything's possible, as he's a high-class horse who is bred to be. He'd be right up towards the top of our two-year-olds.”

Dubawi now has 38 TDN Rising Stars, with the likes of In Italian (GB), Space Blues (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB), Benbatl (GB) and Zarak (Fr) among them.

5th-Newmarket, £15,000, Mdn, 7-14, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:30.51, g/s.
ARABIC LEGEND (IRE), c, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Sheikha Reika (Fr) (GISW-Can, SW-Eng,
                                $287,753), by Shamardal
                2nd Dam: Screen Star (Ire), by Tobougg (Ire)
3rd Dam: Actoris, by Diesis (GB)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $10,640. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Andrew Balding.

 

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Son Of Aclaim A New TDN Rising Star

There must be something in the air at Haydock this month as Opulence Thoroughbreds and Teme Valley's newcomer Purosangue (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}–Avon Breeze {GB}, by Avonbridge {GB}) became the second TDN Rising Star on Thursday's evening fixture and the third in the last three meetings at the Merseyside venue. Unleashed by Andrew Balding having brought enough attention at April's Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale to fetch £125,000, the 5-1 shot proved a handful for Ray Dawson going to post and in the early stages before establishing a lead before halfway in the five-furlong British Stallion Studs EBF Novice S.

When Dawson got serious a furlong out, the relative of the Listed Rose Bowl S. winner Saigon (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) showed his true mettle to surge to a four-length success from the Karl Burke-trained Instant Recall (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), with half a length back to All Is Fair (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}) from the David Loughnane stable. “It's a shame that Royal Ascot is next week,” Dawson said of Aclaim's second TDN Rising Star, after Cachet (Ire) who achieved fame as last year's G1 1000 Guineas heroine.

Pedigree Notes
The dam Avon Breeze may not have made it to black-type level, but she won 10 of her 52 starts in the North of England from five to six furlongs and achieved an official rating of 92. Purosangue is only her second runner, while her yearling colt by Eqtidaar (Ire) was sold for 22,000gns to Hegarty Bloodstock at the Tatts December Foal Sale. The family's most notable performers under the first three dams are the aforementioned Saigon, who was also runner-up in the G3 Horris Hill S. and third in the G2 Mill Reef S., and Tabaret (GB) (Bertolini) who took the Listed Roses S. and was third in the Listed Windsor Castle S.

3rd-Haydock, £9,999, Novice, 6-15, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.06, g/f.
PUROSANGUE (GB), c, 2, by Aclaim (Ire)
     1st Dam: Avon Breeze (GB), by Avonbridge (GB)
     2nd Dam: African Breeze (GB), by Atraf (GB)
     3rd Dam: Luanshya (GB), by First Trump (GB)
(£35,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK; £125,000 2yo '23 GOUKB). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $6,837. O-Opulence Thoroughbreds & Teme Valley; B-Hellwood Stud Farm & R C Dollar (GB); T-Andrew Balding. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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‘I Doubt There’s One With A Better Turn Of Foot’ – Foxes Team High On Derby Chance

International bloodstock agent Alastair Donald, who purchased Thursday's G2 Dante S. winner The Foxes  (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) on behalf of the King Power team, is backing the colt to get the Derby trip at Epsom. 

The Foxes was cut into a general 8-1 chance for Derby glory after winning the key trial at York for trainer Andrew Balding and the in-form jockey Oisin Murphy. 

He hails from a family the connections know well, given the half-brother Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) carried the blue and white silks of King Power with great distinction, and Donald had to go to 440,000gns to secure him at Book 1 at Tattersalls from his breeders Barronstown Stud.

Donald recalled, “We had a natural affiliation towards the pedigree with Bangkok being a good horse for the King Power team but, even without Bangkok being in the pedigree, the mare is faultless. To be honest, he was a better-looking horse than Bangkok was as a yearling. Bangkok is a very elegant horse but this fella is even more so. 

“He had more scope than Bangkok, however, he is still quite an old-fashioned and pretty horse–he almost looks like a show horse in the ring, accentuated by the flashiness of his white socks etc. But, walking around the paddock, he's a horse who naturally catches the eye.”

Thursday proved that The Foxes, who hails from that outstanding broodmare Tanaghum (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), dam of six black-type performers including Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven's Pass), has an engine to match his looks. 

His progression has delighted Donald, who put forward the colt's potent turn of foot as a key asset with a view towards winning the Derby. 

He said, “From the moment he won the Royal Lodge, it was always going to be the plan for him to run in the Craven as a stepping stone towards the Dante. Now it's on to the big one, all being well. 

“The fact that he switches off and relaxes so much more than Bangkok used to–he was very much a 10-furlong horse and was always on it a bit–gives him a great chance of getting the Derby trip.”

Donald added, “He relaxes a lot better than Bangkok did and, obviously, his full-sister Perotan (Ire) stayed two miles. I wouldn't go to Epsom beating the drum saying, yes, he'll definitely get the 12 furlongs, but I think there are plenty of things to suggest that he will. And, if he does, I doubt there will be a horse in the Derby with a better turn of foot than he has.”

Asked what victory at Epsom would mean to the team, Donald concluded, “King Power have put a lot of money into the game and this is what it is all about–winning big races. We've had some nice horses and winners at Royal Ascot. We've had Group 1 winners and Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) has been great for us, but the Derby is everyone's dream and it's very hard to get a runner in the race, let alone one with a decent chance.”

 

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