Tag: Bathrat Leon

Annaf Scrapes Paint for 1351 Turf Sprint Win in Riyadh

UK trainer Mick Appleby, who burst onto the international scene with a win in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) last year, doubled up on the world stage with a victory in the $2-million G2 Saudi National Bank 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia by Fosnic Racing's ANNAF (IRE) (h, 5, Muhaarar {GB}–Shimah, by Storm Cat). Japan's La La Christine (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) finished second while Byline (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) was third. Last year's winner, Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), was slow away from the gates and never got involved after a troubled trip.

“It's great going abroad winning these races and it puts us on the international map,” said Appleby. “Huge credit to the team in the yard who work hard all year.”

With Rossa Ryan aboard from a wide post, Annaf found cover early and didn't waste an inch as he edged over to the rail. Staying under the radar, he angled steadily up throughout the running and landed in an advantageous spot, finally slipping through the slimmest of seams to thread the needle on the inside and burst clear late. With a move not for the faint of heart, Annaf finished three-quarters of a length the best with a final time of time of 1:17.88 for the 1351 metres, or approximately 6 3/4 furlongs. The Japanese mare La La Christine closed from the clouds with a spectacular turn of foot, but ran out of ground and secured second as Bahrain's Byline found his best stride late to follow in her wake.

“With Annaf I have always tended to ride for luck. It seems to work for him,” said Ryan. “He lets hard-hitters do the work for him and picks up the pieces.

“The owner and trainer don't put any pressure on me and I know he has pace to get me out of trouble. I didn't have a lot of room but he stuck his head out for me. It's brilliant because I picked this lad up as a spare one day in Lingfield, I had to drop him out and bide my time and the relationship formed from there.”

Ryan rode Annaf for the first time in January, 2023 in a Lingfield handicap and the two embarked on a three-race win skein. They went their separate way for a few months and reunited for a third in the G1 King's Stand S. last June at Royal Ascot. A fourth in a Group 3 at Sandown ensued and the two separated once again before finally reuniting in September. They notched two nose wins, including in the Oct. 7 G3 John Guest Racing Bengough S. at Ascot, and were last seen finishing second on the all-weather at Lingfield Feb. 4.

“Rossa gave him a great ride,” said Appleby. “All down to Rossa, not my training. He keeps improving and keeps surprising us. God knows where we go next. He has got an invite to Japan, so possibly we'll go there next. We always thought he was good horse who'd get better with age and he might not be finished yet. The sky is the limit.”

Pedigree Notes

Haras Du Petit Tellier's Muhaarar (GB), new to the operation for 2024 after standing at Haras des Faune, is the sire of Annaf and 23 other black-type winners. The son of Oasis Dream (GB), himself a multiple Group 1 winner and crack English sprinter, famously sired the exacta in the 2021 G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. Also among his dozen group winners is last year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire). In addition, his Byline (GB) was third in the 1351 Turf Sprint, giving Muhaarar a one-three finish in Saturday's race.

Damsire Storm Cat, leading broodmare sire in the U.S. three times, has 308 stakes winners out of his daughters, including a long list of champions. Interestingly, two of Muhaarar's 12 group winners are out of Storm Cat-line mares, including Paris Peacock (Ire), a group winner in Ireland in 2022 and graded stakes-placed in the U.S. last year.

Annaf is a fourth-generation Shadwell-bred. His dam, one of the top fillies in Ireland in her day, also produced English stakes winner Mushir (GB), who is by Muhaarar's sire, Oasis Dream. Her last reported foal is the sophomore colt Mitwaa (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a winner in Qatar. Shadwell also bred and raced Muhaarar. Fosnic Racing picked up Annaf as an unraced 2-year-old for 16,000gns at the 2021 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale.

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
SAUDI NATIONAL BANK 1351 TURF SPRINT-G2, $2,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-24, NH4yo/up, SH3yo/up, 1351mT, 1:17.88, gd.
1–ANNAF (IRE), 125, h, 5, by Muhaarar (GB)
                1st Dam: Shimah (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, SW & G1SP-Ire,
                                $161,479), by Storm Cat
                2nd Dam: Sayedat Alhadh, by Mr. Prospector
                3rd Dam: Muhbubh, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(16,000gns HRA '21 TATOCT). O-Fosnic Racing; B-Shadwell
Estate Company, Ltd. (Ire); T-Michael Appleby; J-Rossa Ryan;
$1,200,000. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Eng, 26-8-3-3,
$1,590,994. *1/2 to Mushir (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), SW-Eng
& SP-UAE, $171,335. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–La La Christine (Jpn), 121, m, 6, Mikki Isle (Jpn)–Super
Madame (Jpn), by Tanino Gimlet (Jpn). (¥18,900,000 Ylg '19
JBBAAUG). O-Fujii Kosan Co., Ltd.; B-; T-T. Saito; J-C. Demuro;
$400,000.
3–Byline (GB), 125, g, 7, Muhaarar (GB)–Lauren Louise (GB), by
Tagula (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (140,000gns Ylg '18
TATOCT; 110,000gns HRA '20 TATOCT). O-Al Adiyat Racing; B- (GB); T-A. Smith; J-G. Mosse; $200,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, HF.
Also Ran: Win Greatest (Jpn), Matilda Picotte (Ire), Aguri (Jpn), King Gold (Fr), Raaed (Ire), Jumby (Ire), Bathrat Leon (Jpn), Dr Zempf (GB), Art Power (Ire), Mysterious Night (Ire), Cold Front (GB). Click for the JCSA chart and video.

 

 

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Saudi Cup Runners Arrive In Riyadh From Japan, U.S.

The plane carrying the Japanese contingent to Riyadh for next Saturday's Saudi Cup meeting touched down at King Khalid International Airport, and each of the nation's four entrants for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup appear to have taken the flight in good order.

Looking to make it back-to-back successes in the world's richest horse race following the stunning all-the-way victory by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) last February are Japan's champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid); reigning G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}); Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), last year's G2 UAE Derby hero and runner-up to White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic; and the MGSW/MG1SP Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro).

Lightly raced for a 6-year-old, with just 14 starts under his belt, Lemon Pop won last year's G1 February S. and ventured overseas for the first time for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. An outpaced 10th behind Sibelius (Not This Time), the chestnut successfully stepped up in trip and wired the G1 Champions Cup in his first try over nine furlongs last December. Connections have opted for the path of greater resistance for his seasonal debut a week from Saturday.

“There's going to be plenty of competition there and that nine furlongs will test him now because we're not absolutely sure that's his best distance,” Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney told the TDN's Emma Berry in a recent interview. “But anyway, the option really is either to stay at home in Japan and run in the February S….or to go abroad and run in the Saudi Cup. So that's what we're doing.”

 

 

 

A field of 16 will be drawn Friday for Sunday's February S., a 'Win and You're In' challenge race that offers a berth in the field for the 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. But while the February does not lack for quantity, the racing calendar dictates that the country's stars are elsewhere.

“In truth, [the Saudi Cup] hurts the February S. a little bit, which is only one of two Grade 1 races in the JRA calendar on dirt,” Sweeney opined. So you have horses like Lemon Pop, Ushba Tesoro, Derma Sotogake all going to Saudi. Whereas in a different era they would all run in the February S.”

The Japanese have been major players in the brief history of the Saudi Cup races, and their other main chances include defending champion Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint; Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G3 Saudi Derby; and Remake (Jpn) (Lani), who will try to improve on his third-place effort in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

The American representatives also touched down in Riyadh late Wednesday evening, including the Saudi Cup-bound White Abarrio, National Treasure (Quality Road) and Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming).

 

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Japan, Kawada Dominate Korean Features

Japanese horses flexed their muscles at the Saudi Cup meeting in February and again in Dubai the following month and a quartet of gallopers that made the short trip over for Sunday's Korea Cup (1800m) and Korea Sprint (1200m)–each carrying international Group 3 status–made their presence felt yet again in front of a packed house at Seoul Racecourse.

Japan took the first three runnings of the Cup in which they were represented from 2016-2018 and finished third with favored Sekifu (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) last year as Winner's Man (Kor) (Musket Man) led home a local 1-2 over Raon the Fighter (Kor) (Bayern) following a two-year, COVID-enforced postponement of the features. Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), last year's G2 UAE Derby hero and GI Kentucky Derby participant, was joined on the trip over by Gloria Mundi (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), less heralded, but six-from-eight on dirt, including a Group 3 when last seen in May.

With Yuga Kawada in for the afternoon, Crown Pride was bet into $1.30 (3-10) favoritism and made light work of it, taking over at the midway stage, turning back a mild bid from Gloria Mundi nearing the straight and careering away under a hold to take it by 10 lengths over his compatriot. Winner's Man ran on for third, while Hong Kong raider Apache Star (Aus) (War Chant) faded into ninth after racing prominently early.

 

 

 

Koji Maeda's Remake (Jpn) (Lani) was third in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint and a troubled fifth in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen earlier in the year and prepped for the Korea Sprint with a facile success in listed company at Morioka last month. Also favoured at 30 cents on the dollar, the homebred sat a midfield trip for Kawada, went for an inside run into the stretch and raced past pacesetting Beolmaui Star (Kor) (To Honor and Serve) to score by four easy lengths in track-record time. The well-traveled Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), a winner at group level in Dubai in 2022 and in Saudi Arabia this term, ran on for third ahead of Hong Kong's Duke Wai (NZ) (Per Incanto), who rallied from well back for fourth. Defending champ Eoma Eoma (Algorithms) was fifth.

Foreign targets in the immediate future for the winners could include Breeders' Cup appearances, though Crown Pride could be pointed for the valuable JBC Classic in November or December's G1 Champions Cup, in which he was narrowly defeated last season. Remake is also a candidate for the JBC Sprint and/or the G3 Capella S., which marked his first win at stakes level in 2022.

Sunday, Seoul, South Korea
KOREA CUP-G3, ₩1,600,000,000 ($1,196,000), Seoul, 9-10, 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:51.5, gd.
1–CROWN PRIDE (JPN), 126, c, 4, by Reach the Crown (Jpn)
1st Dam: Emmy's Pride (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Emmy's Smile (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Hemisphere (Jpn), by White Muzzle (GB)
O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Shadai Farm; T-Koichi Shintani; J-Yuga Kawada; ₩880,000,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, G1SP-Jpn, 12-4-4-0, $3,632,652. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Gloria Mundi (Jpn), 126, h, 5, King Kamehameha (Jpn)–Bettolle (Ity), by Blu Air Force (Ire). O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Northern Racing; T-Ryuji Okubo; J-Ryusei Sakai; ₩352,000,000.
3–Winner's Man (Kor), 126, h, 5, Musket Man–Winner's Marine (Kor), by Volponi. O-Lee Gyeong Hui; B-Kim Gi Seok; T-Choi Ki Hong; J-Seo Seung Un; ₩224,000,000.
Margins: 10, 5, HF. Odds: 0.30, 3.40, 17.40.
Also Ran: Success Macho (Kor), Haengbok Wangja, Tuhonui Banseok, Crazy Conti, Global Hit (Kor), Apache Pass (Aus), Simjangui Godong (Kor), Brigadier General (Aus), Tiz Barows (Kor), The Gumpu, Moohnak Chief. Scratched: Complete Value (Kor).

 

 

Sunday, Seoul, South Korea
KOREA SPRINT-G3, ₩1,200,000,000 ($897,000), Seoul, 9-10, 3yo/up, 1200m, 1:10 (NTR), gd.
1–REMAKE (JPN), 126, c, 4, by Lani
1st Dam: Sariel (Jpn) (GSP-Jpn, $888,410), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Shinko Nobby, by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Christabelle, by Northern Dancer
O-Koji Maeda; B-North Hills Co Ltd; T-Koichi Shintani; J-Yuga Kawada; ₩770,000,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Jpn, GSP-KSA, 14-7-2-2, $1,891,484. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Beolmaui Star (Kor), 126, c, 4, To Honor and Serve–Gaya Gongju (Kor), by War Zone. O-Lee Jong Hun; B-Kim Geun Young; T-Baik Kwang Yeol; J-Seo Seung Un; ₩308,000,000.
3–Bathrat Leon (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Kizuna (Jpn)–Bathrat Amal (Jpn), by New Approach (Ire). O-Hiroo Race Co Ltd; B-Mishima Bokujo; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Ryusei Sakai; ₩196,000,000.
Margins: 4, 2HF, 2HF. Odds: 0.30, 47.80, 3.70.
Also Ran: Duke Wai (NZ), Eoma Eoma, Daehan Jilju, Morfhis, Ssonsal, Calm Strong, Raon Tap Man (Kor), Black Musk, Clean Up Happy (Kor), Yes Perfect, Good Pilseung, East Jet (Kor).

 

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Isolate, Gaffalione Take Out the Godolphin Mile

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES —  Making just his third start in Dubai and stretching out to a mile for the first time in over two years, RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) never gave his 13 rivals in Saturday's G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by One Za'abeel as he put on a powerful front-running display to carry visiting jockey Tyler Gaffalione to an easy 5 1/2-length victory.

Not the fastest away from the stalls in the mile chute, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling speared through from between horses to take up the running linking up with the course proper, as defending champion Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and his countrymate Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) put the pressure on the pacesetter from the outside. Always holding that pair at bay as the field raced into the final 600 meters, Isolate was about two lengths clear into the stretch and lengthened away to score impressively. Law of Peace (Ire) (Shamardal) and Atletico El Culano (Uru) (Alcorano {Brz}) each raced near the tail of the field early, but powered home to fill out the minor placings. Bathrat Leon just held fourth over American ex-pat Everfast (Take Charge Indy).

“Tyler did a great job getting him out and going, getting a nice pace on and he stays a mile, we can definitely say that now,” said trainer Doug Watson, winning this race for the third time. “I wasn't quite sure until he turned in and there wasn't much going with him.”

He added, “I'm just thrilled for Sheikh Rashid (bin Humaid al Nuaimi) and the whole team at home. I've been here for almost 30 years, I've progressed from being in charge of the ambulance at the first Dubai World Cup to now having winners on the night. It's quite remarkable.”

Campaigned in the States by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Isolate was a two-time winner and third in the 2020 GIII Nashua S. for Kathy Ritvo before being transferred to trainer Tom Amoss, for whom he tallied four races, including last year's Work All Week S. at Hawthorne and a romping score in the Tale of the Cat S. at Saratoga. Just touched off in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society S. in September, Isolate was acquired by these connections and his two lead-up races locally were solid runner-up efforts to Tuz (Oxbow) in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint in February and to the commonly owned Sound Money (Flatter) in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal S. on Super Saturday.

Pedigree Notes:

Isolate is one of three stakes winners and becomes the first graded winner for his sire (by Proud Citizen), who bred by, raced for and began his stud career at Airdrie Stud before ultimately relocating to Arkansas. Isolate is out of a winning daughter of seven-times stakes winner and three-times graded-placed Travelator, the dam of SWs Hollywood Jet (Uncaptured) and Stone Silent (Adios Charlie) and the dam of Grade III winner Last Judgement (Congrats). Tranquil Song is also responsible for a 2-year-old colt by Enticed and a colt by Tacitus foaled Mar. 1.

 

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