Opera Singer Heads Oaks Entries; Stellar Selection for Coronation Cup

Fifty-eight entries for the Betfred Oaks on May 31 have been revealed, led by last season's champion juvenile filly Opera Singer (Justify). The G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner remains the market leader despite the recent announcement by her trainer Aidan O'Brien that she may miss the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket following a minor setback in training. 

Her stable-mate Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is also among the 13 fillies to have been entered from Ballydoyle. Irish trainers Noel Meade, Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld have one entry apiece while Paddy Twomey has entered Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) and One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}).

Ralph Beckett has the strongest representation among the British-based trainers with nine fillies engaged at this stage. These include the maiden winner Treasure (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), owned by the King and Queen. 

Britain's champion training partnership of John and Thady Gosden, which won last year's Oaks with Lady Bamford's Soul Sister (Ire), has five entries, including Cheveley Park Stud's Regal Jubilee (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is currently third-favourite for the fillies' Classic. 

Making Dreams (GB) (Make Believe {GB}), the winner of Monday's G3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud, is one of four entries for Karl Burke. She races in the colours of Nick Bradley Racing, the syndicate which fielded the 2021 Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel (Ire).

The sole French entry for the race is the Group 3-placed Dare To Dream (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), who is trained by Chantilly-based Irishman Gavin Hernon. 

Friday's card for the Betfred Derby meeting includes the G1 Coronation Cup, which could see a rematch between the first two home in last year's Derby, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

The reigning Coronation Cup champion Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is also among the 23 entries, which include the St Leger winner Continuous (Ire) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and German Horse of the Year Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

 

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Seven Days: Bring on the Classic Trials 

I love Paris in the springtime, sang Ella Fitzgerald, and I'm pretty sure it was a thinly-veiled reference to her secret passion for heavy ground three-year-old maidens at Saint-Cloud.

What Classic clues may we glean there? Well, maybe none. But I liked the look of Narkez (Fr), who gave his rivals a six-length walloping in the Prix Comrade last Tuesday, picking up where he left off after winning at Clairefontaine last October. Bred by Nurlan Bizakov under his Sumbe banner, the colt represents that magic Siyouni (Fr)-Galileo (Ire) cross, though let's face it, Galileo mares work well all over the place. Narkez, trained by Andre Fabre, has helped to give his owner a great start to the season following the Listed win of Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the Doncaster Mile. 

One person who is entitled to love Siyouni more than most is Peter Brant, who celebrated his first European Classic victory when Sottsass (Fr) won the Prix du Jockey Club before going on to deliver the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for Brant as well. We're looking forward to seeing his first runners emerge this season, but in the meantime Brant looks to have another decent prospect by Siyouni on his hands in the form of Louise Procter (Fr). Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, she became the second TDN Rising Star of the week for her sire when remaining unbeaten in her third start in the Prix du Belvedere at Chantilly on Thursday. She looks smart and has the entries to match. 

Making Dreams (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) kept up her trainer Karl Burke's great strike-rate in French stakes races by winning the G3 Prix Penelope by six lengths on her seasonal debut at Saint-Cloud. She is another who should enter considerations for the Classics, as should the Prix Caracalla winner Mister Gatz (Fr), who was born in the spring in which his sire Adlerflug (Ger) died. The flashy chestnut colt was somewhat reminiscent of his father as he bowled around the lush Parisian turf looking like he was having a mighty time before putting his head down to stride clear of the field by five lengths. Trained in Deauville by Stephanie Nigge for a collection of owners which includes his breeder Mathieu Boutin and Gerard Augustin-Normand, Mister Gatz holds an entry for the Deutsches Derby. 

O'Shea Shines on Dubai's Big Day

Of course last week, or more specifically Saturday, was really all about the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan which could certainly be considered a triumph for internationalism. The trophies for the eight Group races were shared between horses trained in America, Ireland, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Britain and Dubai (x2).

It was also a great advertisement for keeping classy horses in training beyond the age of three. The winners of the five Group 1 contests were aged between five and seven, with Jerome Reynier's Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) being the youngest of those, and the wide-margin Golden Shaheen winner, the former Russian-trained Tuz (Oxbow), enjoying his finest hour as a seven-year-old on his fourth appearance on Dubai World Cup night. 

Tuz and the Dubai World Cup winner Laurel River (Into Mischief) won their races in a manner which must still have their trainer Bhupat Seemar and jockey Tadhg O'Shea blinking in disbelief. By six and a half and eight and a half lengths respectively, they each set a new record for the winning distance, with Laurel River, who broke from the outside gate, overturning that held by Dubai Millennium (GB) for 24 years. 

O'Shea, now 42, has been champion jockey in the UAE 11 times and he is in pole position to claim his 12th title this season. But despite that consistent success, the Irishman had a sole Group 1 victory to his name until Saturday.

A modest and loyal grafter, O'Shea praised Laurel River's owner Juddmonte for keeping him on the horse, saying, “They could have any jockey in the world on him and they kept the faith with me. I'll be forever indebted to them.”

Juddmonte didn't need any other jockey to claim a second Dubai World Cup after Arrogate's victory in 2017. O'Shea, bold from the outset from the number 12 stall, simply rode his rivals ragged and very much deserved his night in the spotlight. 

The Auguste Enigma

The last three winners of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) were all in action over the weekend, with Shahryar (Jpn) a good second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, which also featured the last two Japanese Oaks winners Liberty Island (Jpn) and Stars On Earth (Jpn), while Do Deuce (Jpn) was not beaten far when fifth in the G1 Dubai Turf. Lest we think that Japan is completely depleted of its best runners during the big meetings in the Middle East, then look no further than Sunday's G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin. It featured last year's Japanese Derby and 2,000 Guineas winners, Tastiera (Jpn) and Sol Oriens (Jpn), along with Geoglyph (Jpn), who beat Equinox (Jpn) to win the Guineas in 2022, and the G1 Shuka Sho winner of that same year, Stunning Rose (Jpn).

So much of the Sheema Classic build-up had centred on the clash between Liberty Island and Auguste Rodin (Ire), but the latter, who won last year's Derby and Irish Derby before going on to land the Irish Champion and Breeders' Cup Turf, added to his enigmatic status by finishing last of the 12 runners. 

Don't despair. When 12th in the Guineas on debut last season, Auguste Rodin bounced back to win at Epsom, and he put his last-place finish in the King George behind him to triumph next time out on Irish Champions Weekend. This column, at least, still holds the faith that when he's good, he's very, very good. 

Epsom's honour was however upheld in Sydney over the weekend, where the 2020 Derby winner Serpentine (Ire) claimed his second consecutive stakes win for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in the G3 Neville Selwood S. 

It's Whitsbury's World

It is important not to get too carried away with the early two-year-old races. Despite the annual hullabaloo over Royal Ascot, nothing really matters until the autumn, right? But it's impossible not to watch the early skirmishes with interest and Whitsbury Manor Stud's Sergei Prokofiev was represented by his second winner from just two runners when Flicka's Girl triumphed at Wolverhampton on Easter Monday. The David Loughnane-trained filly was also bred by Whitsbury Manor and sold, as is the stud's usual practice, at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 22,000gns.

Britain's other juvenile race on Monday over at Kempton went the way of Pont Neuf (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), a winner on debut for Eve Johnston Houghton, who also struck with the two-year-old Tanager (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) at Chelmsford on Good Friday. 

The trainer has a well established partnership with bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock when it comes to working the sales and the pair has once again unearthed a couple of useful looking prospects for 24,000gns (Tattersalls Somerville) and €22,000 (Tattersalls Ireland) respectively.

Johnson Houghton has made a flying start to the new season with four winners and three placed horses from nine runners since the official 'start of the Flat'.

Jack Came Back

It was announced last week that Ben Curtis, who was been riding at Fair Grounds in New Orleans over the winter, would remain in America for “the foreseeable future” after riding 43 winners and netting more than $1.5 million in prize-money.

Last September, Curtis had ridden his 1,000th winner aboard Merrijig (GB) (Schiaparelli {Ger}) and as that horse resumed on Good Friday, the absent Curtis was replaced in the saddle by Jack Gilligan, who has recently returned after a decade in the US and now has Curtis's former agent Simon Dodds representing him.

Merrijig was the first of two winners for Gilligan from three rides on Good Friday, and the jockey struck again 24 hours later on his sole ride at Wolverhampton. 

Not to be confused with the Irish conditional of the same name, Gilligan was born in Newmarket but left Britain at the age of 17 with his parents Pat, a racing writer and trainer, and Vicky, a barn foreman at WinStar Farm. With more than 400 wins in America, including two Grade III victories aboard Silver Dust (Tapit), he has been making the most of the opportunities handed to him since returning to his home town.

There are not many names in the jockeys' table with a better strike-rate than Gilligan so far this year. He is currently operating at 20% winners to rides. Backing all of his 45 mounts would have yielded a profit of almost £43 to a £1 stake.

Pecheur Swaps Roles for Rottgen

German Classic-winning jockey Maxim Pecheur retired at the end of last season to succeed Markus Klug as the trainer at Gestut Rottgen near Cologne. He had previously ridden Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) in the famous Rottgen colours to win the 2017 G1 Deutsches Derby. The colt was trained by Klug, as was Pecheur's G1 Preis der Diana winner, Diamanta (Ger) (Maxios {GB}), for Gestut Brummerhof. 

Pecheur is clearly adjusting well to his new role at the historic training centre and he could well have a Derby contender of his own this year after his first runner, Anspruch (Ger) (New Bay {GB}), won on debut at Cologne on Monday. The Rottgen-bred colt is out of the Group 3 winner Anna Katharina (Ger) (Kallisto {Ger}).

 

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Rebel’s Romance A Shock Sheema Winner As Auguste Rodin Disappoints

On a day where connections worldwide were treated to the very best racing in the UAE, Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) ran out a shock 28-1 winner of the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.

It was a race of contrasting emotions for two of the powerhouse stables in Europe as Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), sent off a 5-4 favourite, trailed home in last.

But the day belonged to Rebel's Romance, who was placed prominently by Buick throughout. Appleby revealed after the race that his big-race jockey set out to ride the GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner handily, knowing that there was a lack of pace in the contest, and the plan was pulled off to perfection.

The trainer said, “Rebel's Romance is a Breeders' Cup winner and a four-time Group 1 winner coming into the race and we were a 28-1 shot so that shows you the strength and depth of this race. William said he had a plan and we were confident the right thing to do was go forward on him.”

Appleby added, “I was very confident down the back that William was in the right spot because the fractions just weren't that quick and William knows this track so well. Most importantly I'm delighted for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and to have a winner tonight is a great relief. It was a great ride by William.”

Buick echoed the sentiments of his trainer in his post-race debrief and showered the winner with praise.

“He showed in Qatar what a versatile horse he is,” Buick said. “His best form has usually been when he's held up but in Qatar I tried something new. I was keen today to adopt a similar tactic and I got a lovely slipstream from the leader.

“He's a very good horse on his day and he showed that today. I'm absolutely delighted; he's a great horse and I'm so glad he's back to his best.”

Reflecting on the importance of Godolphin registering a win on the biggest day of the year in Dubai racing, Buick said, “You know His Highness wants to see the best horses come to Dubai and the best horses are here. These races are incredibly hard to win so of course I'm incredibly happy.

“It's great for the team, great for everybody. It's great to be here and it's great to ride a winner. It's an amazing training performance and a great job by the whole team. I'm in the fortunate position to be able to ride these horses.”

Meanwhile, O'Brien was left scratching his head as to why Auguste Rodin failed to fire. The multiple Group 1 winner never managed to land a blow with the master of Ballydoyle labelling the race as a “non-event”.

O'Brien said, “It was a bit of a non-event really. The race just developed into halves so we just want to put a line through the race really. Ryan just said he felt he wasn't happy where he was or anything. They just never activated at all so it was a bit of a non-event. It was just one of them where it didn't happen.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Saturday was a big day in the desert for the Listed Height Of Fashion S. runner-up Minidress (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), as her 4-year-old son Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was only just over a length away from providing her with a Group 1 feature double in the Dubai Turf. Already successful in the G1 Jebel Hatta and G2 Al Rashidiya, that fellow Appleby trainee is adding further gravitas to the dam's burgeoning reputation among the Godolphin broodmare ranks.

Also responsible for the listed-placed Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Minidress is a full-sister to the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Volcanic Sky (GB) with their dam being John Greetham's G3 Musidora S. winner and G1 Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks-placed Short Skirt (GB) (Diktat {GB}). Bought by the operation for 1.4million gns at the 2006 Tatts December Mares Sale, she is a daughter of the excellent producer Much Too Risky (GB) (Bustino {GB}) whose four stakes winners are headed by the G2 Prix de Pomone winner and Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian).

Whitewater Affair is herself the dam of the multiple Group 1-winning Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), another from the family to excel on this card having won the Dubai World Cup, as well as the G1 Yasuda Kinen winner Asakusa De'nen (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). Minidress has a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire) to come.

 

Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
LONGINES DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC-G1, AED6,000,000, Meydan, 3-30, 3yo/up, 12f 11yT, 2:26.72, gd.
1–REBEL'S ROMANCE (IRE), 126, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Minidress (GB), by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Short Skirt (GB), by Diktat (GB)
                3rd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB)
O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick.
$3,480,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-UAE at 9 1/2-11f,
MG1SW-Ger, GISW-US, GSW-Eng & Qat, 18-12-0-0,
$7,972,415. *1/2 to Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), SP-Ire;
and Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}), SP-Eng, G1SW-UAE,
$730,166. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shahryar (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Dubai Majesty,
by Essence Of Dubai. O-Sunday Racing Co. Ltd; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); T-Hideaki Fujiwara. $1,200,000.
3–Liberty Island (Jpn), 120, f, 4, Duramente (Jpn)–Yankee Rose
(Aus), by All American (Aus). O-Sunday Racing Co Ltd;
B-Northern Farm (JPN); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida. $600,000.
Margins: 2, 1, NK.
Also Ran: Justin Palace (Jpn), Emily Upjohn (GB), Point Lonsdale (Ire), Junko (GB), Stars On Earth (Jpn), Simca Mille (Ire), Sisfahan (Fr), Spirit Dancer (GB), Auguste Rodin (Ire).
Click for the ERA chart & video.

 

 

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“He Was Impressive” – Tower Of London All Class In Dubai Gold Cup

Class came to the fore in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup as Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) ran out an authoritative winner for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore.

A brother to St Leger hero Capri (Ire), Tower Of London came into the Group 2 contest at Meydan off the back of a cheeky victory in the G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H. in Saudi Arabia.

Tower Of London built on that victory to post a career best at odds of 2-1, storming home from the rear to run out two lengths too strong for 80-1 shot Al Nayyir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) just over a length further behind in third.

Moore said, “He was better again again. The pace slackened up down the back [straight] and I had to move him forward but he quickened up very well. He was impressive.”

Tower Of London's victory represented the perfect start at Meydan for O'Brien and Moore, who had Auguste Rodin to look forward to in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic later on the card.

All roads will lead to Royal Ascot for Tower Of London, according to O'Brien, who revealed the G2 Hardwick S. rather than the G1 Gold Cup could be the plan.

O'Brian said, “He's an Ascot-type horse, he could go for the Hardwicke–or something like the [G1] Coronation Cup. Ryan was very adamant he doesn't need to go two miles. I don't think Ryan thought he'd get the Gold Cup trip. He's classy.”

Pedigree Notes

Tower Of London's dam Dialafara (Fr) (Anabaa), who was a €175,000 purchase from The Aga Khan Studs' draft at the 2010 Arqana December Mixed Sale, was exclusively bred to Galileo until the giant's passing and now has a resulting 2-year-old colt by Camelot (GB). She has proven remarkable value for that price tag, producing the G1 Irish Derby and G1 St Leger hero Capri (Ire), the G3 Loughbrown S. winner Cypress Creek (Ire) and the G3 Stanerra S. winner Passion (Ire) who was also third in the G1 Irish Oaks, the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Ribblesdale S. Her daughter Sovereign Parade (Ire) is in turn responsible for the G1 Fillies Mile and G2 Rockfel S. heroine Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}), while she also threw a Cheltenham Festival winner in Brazil (Ire) for good measure.

Dialafara is out of the G2 Prix de Malleret winner and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Diamilina (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), a half-sister to the sire Diamond Green (Fr) (Green Desert) who was runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S., G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. She is also connected to the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer (Ire) (Halling).

 

Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
DUBAI GOLD CUP SPONSORED BY AL TAYER MOTORS-G2, AED1,000,000, Meydan, 3-30, 3yo/up, 16fT, 3:17.29, gd.
1–TOWER OF LONDON (IRE), 122, c, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Dialafara (Fr), by Anabaa
                2nd Dam: Diamilina (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
                3rd Dam: Diamonaka, by Akarad (Fr)
   TDN Rising Star. O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier, M
Tabor,Westerberg; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Camas Park Stud (IRE);
T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. $580,000. Lifetime Record:
GSW-Sau, SW-Ire, GSP-Eng, 10-5-1-0, $2,869,593. *Full to
Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Euro at 14f+, Hwt. 3yo-Ire
at 11-14f & 14f+, Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Eng
at 14f+, G1SW-Ire & Eng, G1SP-Fr, $2,067,692; Cypress Creek
(Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW-Ire, GSP-Eng, $102,373; and Passion
(Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), SW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $200,604. Click
   for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk
   Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Al Nayyir (GB), 128, g, 6, Dubawi (Ire)–Bright Beacon (GB), by
Manduro (Ger). (UAE40,000 HRA '21 ERASEP). O-Elbashir
Salem AB Elhrari; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Georges Doleuze.
$200,000.
3–Trawlerman (Ire), 128, g, 6, Golden Horn (GB)–Tidespring
(Ire), by Monsun (Ger). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-John & Thady
Gosden. $100,000.
Margins: 2, 1HF, SHD.
Also Ran: Siskany (GB), Giavellotto (Ire), Sevenna's Knight (Ire), Enemy (GB), Iron Barows (Jpn), Sober (Fr), Passion And Glory (Ire), Libyan Glass (Jpn), Coltrane (Ire), Roberto Escobarr (Ire), Daramethos (Ire), Sea Stone (Ire). Scratched: Eldar Eldarov (GB).
Click for the ERA chart & video.

 

All roads will lead to Royal Ascot for Tower Of London, according to O'Brien, who revealed the Hardwick rather than the Gold Cup could be the plan.

O'Brian said, “He's an Ascot-type horse, he could go for the Hardwicke–or something like the Coronation Cup. Ryan was very adamant he doesn't need to go two miles. I don't think Ryan thought he'd get the Gold Cup trip. He's classy.”

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