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‘Horse Of A Lifetime’: 8-Year-Old Lord Glitters Delivers Fairytale Performance In Bahrain International

Shouldering a three-pound penalty for winning a Group 1 in Dubai, the 8-year-old grey Lord Glitters produced a remarkable performance to claim a thrilling renewal of the £500,000 (about US$565,000) Group 3 Bahrain International Trophy for trainer David O'Meara, owners Geoff & Sandra Turnbull and young jockey Jason Watson.

With his usual jockey Danny Tudhope injured, Jason Watson stepped in for the ride and judged the pace to perfection. With a frenetic early gallop set by Pogo, Watson and Lord Glitters sat at the rear of the 13-strong field before picking off his younger rivals one by one. It looked as though it would be yet more big race international success for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, as Barney Roy got the better of Magny Cours in the final two furlongs, but the oldest horse in the race knuckled down and accelerated past the pair to win by a half-length, with Magny Cours a neck back in third.

An ecstatic David O'Meara paid tribute to “a horse of a lifetime” after the race.

He said: “There are no words! He is a fantastic horse; I might have been quoted in the past saying that he is a horse of a lifetime and I think he is for us. He has proved it once again and we don't have loads of horses like him, so he is very special to us. His last two runs weren't ideal, but the races hadn't work out for him. His run in August in the Strensall Stakes gave us confidence that he would be competitive in this race. He did well in Dubai last year and that is the plan again if he comes out of this race well. The Saudi Cup meeting is an option now so we will bring him home and see how he is and start planning for that.”

O'Meara was also full of praise for his jockey after the race.

On Watson, he said: “Jason is a hell of a talent. He has given him a fantastic ride; it is the first time he has ridden the horse in a race so he couldn't have had a better start!”

Watson himself was pinching himself after the race, he said: “I'm delighted. We went hard early on, and the main job was to get him to relax, and he relaxed very well for me. At halfway, they slowed right up to give the horses who were making the pace a breather, but that also enabled us to have a breather. Turning in, I could see a couple of horses starting to come under pressure including Zakouski. The best horse to follow in my opinion was Barney Roy, so I tracked him through and once we found clear daylight, we just mowed them down. He kept going right to the line. He's such a genuine horse, and I'm just really, really happy.”

Watson is no stranger to big race international races and has won Group 1 races in Italy and Germany, but he admitted to feeling the pressure of riding a horse like Lord Glitters.

He continued: “It's truly special. I'm just very fortunate that I've had a lot of success when I've gone abroad. I've won quite a few prestigious races now, but every time you do, you just have to pinch yourself. There was a big amount of pressure on me coming out here to ride a horse like Lord Glitters, who is such a legend of the sport and so well supported back home. I'm just pleased that he pulled it out the bag for me today.”

After being elevated to Group 3 status for the first time, it was the two Group 1 and Royal Ascot-winning horses that filled the first two positions which delighted the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club's Executive Director Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Alkhalifa.

He said: “To have had two Group One winners fighting out the finish was very special. On paper, it looked a very strong renewal for a Group Three and so it proved. Lord Glitters and Barney Roy are very well-known horses who have won Group One races in multiple countries. It was a thrilling race to watch, and we are very excited to see how the race can progress in future years.”

Final Finishing Positions:

1. Lord Glitters

2. Barney Roy

3. Magny Cours

4. Fev Rover

5. Cadillac

6. Penja

7. Pogo

8. Dubai Future

9. Zakouski

10. Emperor Of The Sun

11. Victory Chime

12. Naamoos

13. What A Welcome

The post ‘Horse Of A Lifetime’: 8-Year-Old Lord Glitters Delivers Fairytale Performance In Bahrain International appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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For Breeders’, Dubawi Stands Alone

Dubawi (Ire) has long been established as a sire of international merit. This weekend at Del Mar, however, he took his reputation to another level, siring three winners at the Breeders' Cup-something never before achieved by a sire in the meeting's 37-year history.

Twelve sires have supplied two winners in a single Breeders' Cup. That was first accomplished by Cox's Ridge in the second Breeders' Cup in 1985 when Life's Magic took the Distaff and Twilight Ridge the Juvenile Fillies. Four other sires did it when the Breeders' Cup was a single-day event: Nureyev in 1987 with Miesque and Theatrical (Ire); Kris S. in 1993 with Hollywood Wildcat and Brocco; Sadler's Wells in 2003 with High Chaparral (Ire) and Islington (Ire); and Awesome Again in 2004 with Ghostzapper and Wilko.

Since the Breeders' Cup became a two-day event in 2007, seven more sires have joined the ranks of turning out two winners in a single year. The seemingly ageless More Than Ready earns first mention, having done it twice, in 2010 and 2017. More Than Ready remains the Breeders' Cup's leading sire by winners, with a cumulative seven, edging out Sadler's Wells and Unbridled's Song with six apiece.

Smart Strike notched a high-profile double at that first two-day Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park with Curlin in the Classic and English Channel in the Turf. Chester House added his name the following year and was then joined by Mizzen Mast in 2012, City Zip in 2014 and Medaglia d'Oro in 2017. Into Mischief was the most recent sire to pull off the double with Authentic and Gamine in 2020.

And then, along came the Dubawis (and their trainer Charlie Appleby, jockey William Buick and owner/breeder Godolphin) to Del Mar to tear apart the history books. Modern Games (Ire) got things going (in admittedly dramatic fashion) to give his trainer a third win in eight years in the Juvenile Turf. Like Modern Games, Space Blues (Ire) was sent off favourite for the Mile and delivered a seamless victory under Buick. The third of the trio, Yibir (GB), however, didn't allow connections to breathe easy in the Turf, pulling hard out of the gates and fighting Buick before finally settling in a joint last after a few furlongs. Yibir began to wind up heading into the last of three turns and–as his stablemates had done while sitting closer to the pace-employed a sustained rally to wear down his rivals.

The Breeders' Cup was a jewel in the crown of a remarkable season for Dubawi, during which he has had stakes winners in seven countries. His tally of 37 stakes winners in 2021 is greater than any other sire standing in Europe or America, with Into Mischief-the only sire bettering him by prizemoney-next at 26 and Frankel third on 24. Dubawi also leads all European and American sires in 2021 by group winners (23) and is tied with Frankel on six Group 1 winners.

As is typical for Dubawi, his six Group 1 winners this year have been versatile distance-wise, ranging from six furlongs up to a mile and a half. Rebel's Romance (Ire) was an eye-catching winner of the G2 UAE Derby on the dirt, and he is one of 23 stakes winners for his sire on that surface. The likes of Prince Bishop (Ire), Monterosso (GB), North America (GB), Lucky Nine (Ire), Mubtaahij (Ire) and Hunter's Light (Ire) are further proof that Dubawis act on the dirt, and it would be fascinating to see if Dubawi could extend his Breeders' Cup dominance down the road with a few runners pitched onto the dirt.

As for Appleby, his accomplishments this weekend likewise deserve examination in a historic context. Richard Mandella set the mark for a trainer when winning four races on the single-day Breeders' Cup card at Santa Anita in 2003, and 17 years later Brad Cox equaled that tally at Keeneland last year. Chad Brown has twice sent out three Breeders' Cup winners in a meeting, in 2014 and 2019, and Todd Pletcher accomplished the feat in 2010. It is also worth noting that, with the highly unlikely double gate scratch of Appleby's Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the Turf was Appleby's only Breeders' Cup starter that did not win. The last-out GI Canadian International winner finished ninth behind Yibir.

So Appleby-in his best year yet as a trainer–joins elite company. It is fair to point out, too, that no other trainer has provided three Breeders' Cup winners in a weekend all by the same sire, though two of Pletcher's three in 2010 were by that Breeders' Cup sire extraordinaire More Than Ready, who he also trained. More Than Ready is also one of four of the 13 sires with multiple Breeders' Cup winners in a year to have them on both dirt and turf-the others are Medaglia d'Oro, Smart Strike and City Zip.

Dubawi will turn 20 in the New Year, and will stand his 17th season with Darley, all but one of those being at Dalham Hall. The stallion that started out at £25,000-and dipped to £15,000 before his first runners hit the track-has continued to write his extraordinary story through each passing season, and there is every reason to think there is plenty still to come.

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Breeders’ Cup Notes: Clement, Yahagi Get First BC Victories, Ward Wins Juvenile Turf Sprint For Third Consecutive Year

There were 14 World Championship races this weekend at Del Mar and no one main base of operations had a stranglehold on the victors.

Domestically, four winners were based in Kentucky, three in New York and two in California, European runners accounted for three victories and Japan posted its first two World Championships victories.

In all, six foreign-breds won Breeders' Cup races, a record for a single year. Plus, winning owners came from Japan, England, Ireland, South Korea, and the UAE.

The Kentucky-based winners were Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the Grade 2 Juvenile Turf Sprint, Golden Pal in the G1 Turf Sprint, Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Sprint, and Knicks Go in the G1 Longines Classic.

The New York-based winners were Echo Zulu in the G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies, Pizza Bianca in the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Life Is Good in the G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile.

The California-based winners were Corniche in the G1 TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Ce Ce in the G1 Filly and Mare Sprint.

The European-based winners were Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF ,and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

The Japan-based winners were Loves Only You (JPN) in the G1 Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf and Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff.

Godolphin Becomes First Owner and Breeder to Win Three Races at One Championship

Godolphin, led by its prominent sire Dubawi (IRE), produced several firsts at the just-concluded Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.

With victories by Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup l Mile presented by PDJF, and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, Godolphin became the first owner and breeder to win three races at a single Championship and Dubawi (IRE) became the first sire to have three of his offspring win Breeders' Cup races in a single year.

Charlie Appleby trained all three winners and William Buick rode all three winners.

Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Fourth Consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award

Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode three winners and added a second-place and three fourth-place finishes, won the 19th annual Bill Shoemaker Award given to the most outstanding jockey in the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships hosted by Del Mar.

Ortiz's victories came on Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint, Golden Pal in the G1 Turf Sprint, and Life Is Good in the G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile. He finished second in the G1 Longines Turf on Broome (IRE).

William Buick also rode three winners, but had no other top-four finishes that formed the basis for the Shoemaker Award tiebreaker with jockeys riding an equal number of winners. Buick's wins came on Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Juvenile Turf, Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF, and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz each rode two winners.

Rosario won aboard Knicks Go in the G1 Longines Classic and Echo Zulu in the G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies and Ortiz was victorious on Pizza Bianca in the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf and Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Sprint.

Shoemaker remains the oldest jockey to ride a Breeders' Cup winner when he guided Ferdinand to victory in the 1987 Classic at Hollywood Park. He was 56 years, 3 months, and 2 days old at the time.

On Friday, Mike Smith recorded his record-enhancing 27th Breeders' Cup victory aboard Corniche in the G1 TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Smith is a week younger than Shoemaker was when he rode Ferdinand to the 1987 victory.

Two Jockeys Claim Initial Breeders' Cup Victories

Yuga Kawada, who was making his Breeders' Cup debut, and Oisin Murphy, who was riding in his fifth World Championships, each posted their initial Breeders' Cup victories on Saturday.

Kawada scored with his second mount, Loves Only You (JPN) in the G1 Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf and Murphy won with his 11th overall mount, Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff.

Clement, Yahagi Notch First Breeders' Cup Victories

Christophe Clement saddled his first Breeders' Cup starter in 1997; Yoshito Yahagi saddled his first Breeders' Cup starter on Saturday.

By the end of the weekend, both trainers had added Breeders' Cup winner to their resumes.

Clement won with his 42nd starter when Pizza Bianca won the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday.

Yahagi did him one better by winning with his first two starters: Loves Only You (JPN) in the G1 Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf and Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff.

Knicks Go, Golden Pal Claim Second Different Breeders' Cup Victory

Until this year's World Championships, only four horses had won two different Breeders' Cup races.

Add two more to the list.

Two 2020 winners at Keeneland came back in different races this year to return to the winner's circle in different races. Knicks Go, winner of the 2020 G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, scored a front-running victory in the G1 Longines Classic and Golden Pal, winner of the 2020 G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint, repeated his front-running performance to win the G1 Turf Sprint.

The other four winners were Zenyatta, 2008 Distaff and 2009 Classic; Beholder, 2012 Juvenile Fillies and 2013 and 2016 Distaff; Stephanie's Kitten, 2011 Juvenile Fillies Turf and 2015 Filly & Mare Turf; and Secret Circle, 2011 Juvenile Sprint and 2013 Sprint.

Ward Wins Juvenile Turf Sprint for Third Consecutive Year

The past three years, the Breeders' Cup World Championships have started with the G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint and for the past three years, Wesley Ward-trained runners have been the first to visit the winner's circle.

Twilight Gleaming (IRE) opened this year's event Friday afternoon with a half-length score to follow in the hoofprints of Four Wheel Drive in 2019 and Golden Pal in 2020.

Two other trainers besides Ward have won the same race in three consecutive years: D. Wayne Lukas, who did it twice, and Chad Brown.

Lukas won the Distaff in 1985, 1986, and 1987 with Life's Magic, Lady's Secret, and Sacahuista, respectively, and the 1986, 1987, and 1988 Juveniles with Capote, Success Express, and Is It True, respectively.

Brown won the Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2016, 2017, and 2018 with New Money Honey, Rushing Fall, and Newspaperofrecord (IRE), respectively. Bob Baffert won the Classic from 2014-2016 with Bayern, American Pharoah, and Arrogate.

Channel Maker, Firenze Fire Make Fifth Breeders' Cup Starts

A total of seven horses have made five starts in the Breeders' Cup World Championships with Channel Maker and Firenze Fire joining the club Saturday.

Channel Maker finished fifth in the Longines Turf, his fourth appearance in that race to go with a Juvenile Turf start in 2016 at Santa Anita.

Firenze Fire finished eighth in his third Sprint start. Previously he had run in the Juvenile and Dirt Mile.

Other five-year starters are Better Talk Now (all in the Turf), California Flag (all in the Turf Sprint), Kona Gold (all in the Sprint), Obviously (IRE) (four times in the Mile and once in the Turf Sprint), and Perfect Drift (all in the Classic).

Gun Runner 10th Classic Winner to Sire a Breeders' Cup Winner

When Echo Zulu won Friday's G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies, she made 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Gun Runner the 10th Classic winner to sire a Breeders' Cup winner.

The other Classic winners to have sired World Championships winners are A.P. Indy, American Pharoah, Awesome Again, Curlin, Ghostzapper, Pleasantly Perfect, Tiznow, Unbridled, and Wild Again.

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Five Favorites Won Over the Weekend

Five favorites delivered victories from the 14 Championship races during the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

The winning favorites were Echo Zulu (G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies), Corniche (G1 TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance), Golden Pal (G1 Turf Sprint), Life Is Good (G1 Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile), and Space Blues (IRE) (G1 FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF). Echo Zulu and Life Is Good were odds-on choices.

The highest price winner of the weekend was Marche Lorraine (JPN) in the G1 Longines Distaff with a $101.80 win mutual on a $2 bet.

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‘Icing On The Cake’: Yibir Completes Appleby’s Del Mar Trifecta In Breeders’ Cup Turf

Trainer Charlie Appleby has experienced the entire rollercoaster of emotions that horse racing has to offer within the microcosm of a single weekend where the turf meets the surf. On Friday, one of his Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf entrants was scratched at the gate, while the other was mistakenly scratched, then reinstated to run for purse money only before winning convincingly. Again on Saturday in the Mile, one entrant was scratched at the gate while the other, Space Blues, galloped to victory.

The trainer's trifecta was completed on Saturday evening with a strong victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf by the quirky sophomore gelding Yibir.

“A fantastic weekend, though I'll be taking a couple of them home fresh,” Appleby said. “I don't know quite how to describe it, really… Today, obviously standing there again to see potentially what was unfolding in front of us, it took a little bit of stepping back and having to take a breath again. But I just knew the right horse was left in the gate in Space Blues, so he was always going to be the main player. And then that in the last, that was the icing on the cake, really. We felt this horse had a lot of talent, he was galloping really good with all our 3-year-old middle distance horses and he's gone and finished it off today.”

The Goldolphin homebred by Dubawi had just one horse beat around the far turn, so jockey William Buick had to be patient before unleashing his rally down the center of the course. That well-timed ride saw 8-1 chance Yibir run down Broome (9-1) to win by a half-length, completing 1 1/2 miles over Del Mar's firm turf course in 2:25.90, a new course record.

“It's been unbelievable,” Buick said. “An amazing weekend. I've been coming to Breeders' Cup for many years and many times things have not gone my way. I understand how hard it is to have winners here so I appreciate every bit of success. The luck has gone my way this year. I couldn't pull him up after the line as he finished that strong. He's a very special horse.”

Yibir was not particularly quick into stride when all 14 entrants broke from the starting gate, and labored at the back of the field in the early going. He seemed to settle in after the first half-mile, and Buick said he started to get confident in his chances from that point.

Up front, Tribhuvan and Acclimate pulled away from the rest of the pack by five lengths to set all the early fractions: :24.04, :48.38, 1:12.41. Closest to the frontrunning pair was Channel Maker, with Bolshoi Ballet and Walton Street also near the front. Meanwhile, defending Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa traveled just ahead of Yibir at the back of the field.

The field took closer order after a mile in 1:36.76, and Ryan Moore set about moving Broome up from the rear of the field. Buick tracked that move, and followed Moore's path to build up Yibir's momentum with a wide move around the far turn.

In the stretch run, Broome got away from the field by about two lengths, but Yibir switched to his right lead and mowed her down with a powerful late rally. At the line, Yibir was a half-length ahead of the Aidan O'Brien-trained mare, while 3-year-old filly Teona ran a bang-up race to finish third. Japan checked in fourth, while Channel Maker hung around to finish fifth.

The remaining order of finish was: Bolshoi Ballet, Sisfahan, Rockemperor, Walton Street, Gufo, Tarnawa, Astronaut, Tribhuvan, and Acclimate.

“It was the one race this weekend that I didn't know how to assess it,” Buick said of the Turf. “There was a lot of pace in the race but I didn't know what my horse, how he would be able to react. He's a bit of a complex character and you saw him at Belmont last time where he dropped himself out and I had that scenario in my head that he might be a bit rank, and anyway, he broke well, and he pulled hard.

“To be honest with you, I thought he was doing too much. But then once we turned into the back he dropped and he was in a good mile and a half steady rhythm and I was just hoping that he stayed there for the finish because he's got an amazingly strong finish, and halfway around the home turn I could see Broome had gone, but I was always confident of picking him up. He has an amazing turn of foot and I couldn't pull him up after the line. Amazing horse, and I think he did something that not many horses can do, so all credit to him and great weekend. Well done to Charlie and everyone at Godolphin, all the team at home, everyone. It's fantastic.”

Bred in Great Britain by Godolphin, Yibir is out of the winning German-bred Monsun mare Rumh. That mare, a $502,236 yearling purchase at the 2009 Tattersalls sale, is also the dam of multiple Group 1 winner and 2018 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Wild Illusion.

Yibir has had an up-and-down career for Appleby, though his final two runs ahead of the Breeders' Cup were both convincing victories, including the $1 million Jockye Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park. Overall, the gelding has compiled a record of six wins from 12 starts with earnings of $2,895,580.

“It's just a tribute to the job that Charlie does with his horses with the team he's got behind him, and certainly what William does on the afternoon,” said Godolphin's Jimmy Bell. “So it's been, I'm sure, a big team effort and a lot of credit goes to Charlie and his team for being able to present him on a day like today.”

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Aiden O'Brien (Broome (IRE), second and Japan, fourth) – “They've all run well, but just not quite good enough today. The winner has done it well and is very smart.”

Trainer Roger Varian (Teona (IRE), third) – “As she angled for home I thought we had a big chance. Watching the race again I don't think it's an ideal track for her. Hopefully she's fine after the race. She'll be aimed at all the big races next year and it's very exciting. If having runners at Breeders' Cup doesn't get your blood up nothing will!”

Trainer Bill Mott (Channel Maker, fifth) – “He ran a super race. Luis (Saez) rode him great. There were two very fast horses in there, so we just laid in behind them. He ran hard. He ran is heart out. We were fifth, but if they give you a good effort you can't complain.”

Jockey Luis Saez (Channel Maker, fifth) – “He did everything right and I did everything they asked for. I just got beat. When I got to the quarter pole, he responded really well and I had some horse and thought I can win this race. I kept trying but the winner just kept coming.”

Jockey Colin Keane (defending winner Tarnawa, 11th) – “She ran flat. I think France last time on very soft ground took plenty out of her. She seemed fine after the race.”

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