Multiple Group 1 Winner Alcohol Free Up For Grabs At Tattersalls 

Outstanding four-time Group 1 winner Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never–Plying, by Hard Spun) will be offered at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale which takes place from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. Selected for the new Sceptre Session on Tuesday, Nov. 29, the Churchtown House Stud-bred promises to be amongst the highlights of the 2022 global bloodstock sales calendar.

Owned by Jeff Smith, the €40,000 Goffs November Foal Sale graduate won the G1 Cheveley Park S. as a juvenile, the G1 Sussex S. and G1 Coronation S. at three before showing a deadly turn of foot to win this year's G1 July Cup at Newmarket. During her career, she has also placed in last year's G1 Falmouth S. and the 2022 G1 Sussex S.

Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said of the half-sister to stakes winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), “It is an honour to be asked to offer Alcohol Free for sale at the Tattersalls December Sale on behalf of Jeff Smith.

“Jeff has been the most wonderful supporter of British racing and breeding for so many years and Alcohol Free is yet another outstanding performer to carry his famous colours following in the illustrious footsteps of some great champions, including Arabian Queen (Ire), Chief Singer (GB), Lochsong (GB) and Persian Punch (Ire).

“Four-time Group 1-winning race fillies rarely appear at public auction and she is a rare jewel to grace our inaugural Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Sale.”

The filly's extended family features G3 Solario S. hero Raise A Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge).

 

The post Multiple Group 1 Winner Alcohol Free Up For Grabs At Tattersalls  appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Alcohol Free to Miss Haydock Sprint Cup

Four-time Group 1 winner Alcohol Free (Ire) has been ruled out of Saturday's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock with a minor injury.

A winner at the top level at two, three and four, the Andrew Balding-trained filly required stitches for a cut in an “awkward place” and looks likely to be sidelined for around ten days.

“Unfortunately Alcohol Free has sustained what we hope is a minor injury, but it is significant enough to rule her out of the Sprint Cup,” reported Balding.

“She's got a cut which requires some stitches in an awkward place. Hopefully it is not the end of her career, but it will seriously compromise her chances of getting to Haydock in top form, so we have decided to scrap that and work on alternative plans.”

Having won the Cheveley Park S. as a juvenile, Alcohol Free's successful 3-year-old campaign included victories over a mile in the Coronation S. and Sussex S. A drop back in trip this season also saw Jeff Smith's colour-bearer claim the July Cup at Newmarket before finishing third to Baaeed (GB) in a repeat attempt at the Sussex S. at Goodwood.

Her trainer added, “We are just going to have to be guided by how she responds. It has been stitched and we need to see how she responds to that, and we certainly wouldn't be taking any chances, so we will be playing it on a day-by-day basis.

“We will know more about things in a week's time. Racing is full of setbacks and disappointments, so we are fairly used to them. It is a blow, but thankfully they can't take away what she has already achieved.”

The post Alcohol Free to Miss Haydock Sprint Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Boughey Boost as Hoo Ya Mal Handed Leger Mission Before Shipping to Australia

An exciting career awaits in Australia but, before Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) joins Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott down under, he will be prepared by George Boughey for an ambitious tilt at the St Leger at Doncaster. 

Trained by Andrew Balding to split Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Epsom, Hoo Ya Mal was subsequently snapped up by his new connections for a whopping £1.2million at the Goffs London Sale. 

While races like the Melbourne Cup are what Hoo Ya Mal was bought to run in, his new owners feel there could be unfinished business in Britain, and have entrusted Boughey with training the colt for the final Classic of the year at Doncaster. 

Boughey told SBK, “It's very exciting to have a horse like Hoo Ya Mal in the yard. His work has been good and we are looking at the Gordon S. next before a possible tilt at the St Leger, before he heads to Australia with Gai Waterhouse for the Carnival out there.”

The post Boughey Boost as Hoo Ya Mal Handed Leger Mission Before Shipping to Australia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

No Nay Never’s Alcohol Free Prevails In The July Cup

She wasn't supposed to like fast ground, but Jeff Smith's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Sussex S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) skipped the light fantastic on Newmarket's balmy July Course to stamp her class on Saturday's feature G1 Darley July Cup. Back to this six-furlong trip for the first time since winning the G1 Cheveley Park S. as a juvenile when under three-lengths ninth in Royal Ascot's G1 Platinum Jubilee S., the 14-1 shot was drawn in the right place with that race's winner Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) blazing the trail towards the far side. Delivered by Rob Hornby to subdue that rival inside the final furlong, the Andrew Balding-trained homebred asserted to beat the Godolphin runner by 1 1/2 lengths, with half a length back to Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) in third as the Platinum Jubilee form of the older horses came to the fore. “She's now won four group ones at two, three and four, which is a very unusual feat,” trainer Andrew Balding said after greeting his first July Cup winner. “She's a very talented filly and this is her time of year as well, she's twice the horse she was in the spring and it's just lovely to have her back on song.”

 

Since the failed attempt by connections to stretch her to an extended 10 furlongs in the G1 Juddmonte International last August, Alcohol Free's record of one placing in four subsequent starts seemed to tell a story but closer analysis afforded her leeway heading into the most extreme speed test she had yet to face. Apart from the re-entry to the sprinting world in the Platinum Jubilee, she had probably needed her seasonal return when third in the Apr. 22 G2 Sandown Mile and it was only her fourth in the May 14 G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury and eighth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. that cast any doubt as to her retained ability. This represented a return to the pomp of her defeat of Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the Goodwood feature last term, with her deadly acceleration the key in a deep contest full of sprinting talent proven in the international sphere.

As it turned out, the 2022 July Cup was a case of being in the right place with Naval Crown and James Doyle the one to target and Alcohol Free able to sit over two lengths off him with Artorius in her wake. Despite pace pressure from Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal), Naval Crown was able to fend off all bar the filly heading to two out and the rest never stood a chance with the front three following that straight path towards the far rail. As on Friday, it was Rob Hornby who was judging things to a tee and it is fitting that he was becoming the first to ride the winners of the Falmouth and this at the same meeting since Johnny Murtagh in 2004.

“It just goes to show her guts and bravery, because she has form on every bit of ground now,” her rider commented. “Coming back to six furlongs, we were unsure if the ground was a bit quick and she was a bit disorganised in the first half of the race which she can sometimes be. From half way I felt her really kick in and she had a real fire in her belly today. It is a hell of a training performance from Andrew and everyone back at Park House. She is a fiery character and she has got a lot of personality. She has always shown lots of natural speed, but stamina as well.”

Balding is intent on heading back to the Sussex now to add to a star-studded line-up. “We needed to run somewhere between Ascot and Goodwood really–the Sussex Stakes has always been her main target, having won the race last year and we were just trying to find the best plan to get her there,” her trainer added. “She's obviously a speed miler rather than an attritional miler, so Goodwood should suit her really well and we look forward to it.”

Charlie Appleby was delighted with the performance of the runner-up and said, “Naval Crown has run a rock-solid race. The plan with him was to go and be forward. He set a good clip there and it was only the filly that has come and dived on us late. It was another solid performance at that level as well, and at sprinting more importantly. I think going forward we will probably head towards Haydock [for the Sprint Cup] with him, as the ground doesn't worry him at all.”

Sam Freedman said of Artorius, “Frustrating is the wrong word, because he always runs very well and a frustrating horse is probably one who mixes his form. He's very honest and reliable in the sense he's always finishing his races off and the 1300 metres for his next target would suit him nicely. He needs them to come back to him a little bit and today it's probably not been the easiest thing to do to make up ground.”

Christophe Soumillon reported that the seventh-placed 9-4 favourite Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) was unlucky. “Unfortunately, when I asked him to come through horses I never had a clear run and we shifted from the left to the right. He finished well and it wasn't a bad run,” he said.

Alcohol Free, who becomes her sire's second July Cup winner after Ten Sovereigns (Ire), is out of Plying (Hard Spun) who also produced the Listed Prix Le Fabuleux winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The second dam is the Listed National S.-placed Nasaieb (Ire) (Fairy King), who was responsible for the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Princess Margaret S.-placed Kissing Lights (Ire) (Machiavellian) and is a half to the G3 Solario S. scorer Raise A Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge). From the family of the champion juvenile filly Numbered Account (Buckpasser), Plying's unraced 2-year-old colt by Dandy Man (Ire) is named Hidden Ambush (Ire) while she also has a yearling filly by Gleneagles (Ire).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
DARLEY JULY CUP-G1, £628,500, Newmarket, 7-9, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:09.47, g/f.
1–ALCOHOL FREE (IRE), 131, f, 4, by No Nay Never
     1st Dam: Plying, by Hard Spun
     2nd Dam: Nasaieb (Ire), by Fairy King
     3rd Dam: Atyaaf, by Irish River (Fr)
(€40,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-Mr J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Rob Hornby. £356,422. Lifetime Record: 14-6-1-2, $1,864,597. *1/2 to Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW-Fr, $108,819. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Naval Crown (GB), 134, c, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Come Alive (GB), by Dansili (GB). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £135,128.
3–Artorius (Aus), 134, c, 4, Flying Artie (Aus)–Gracie's Lass (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus). (120,000 Ylg '20 MMGYRL). O-Newgate, China Horse Club & Partners; B-Mr G J Perry (AUS); T-Anthony & Sam Freedman. £67,627.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1HF. Odds: 14.00, 4.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Creative Force (Ire), Double Or Bubble (Ire), Emaraaty Ana (GB), Perfect Power (Ire), Happy Romance (Ire), Flaming Rib (Ire), Romantic Proposal (Ire), King Hermes (Jpn), Cadamosto (Ire), Twilight Jet (Ire). Scratched: Blackrod (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post No Nay Never’s Alcohol Free Prevails In The July Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights