Leading 1000 Guineas Hope Commissioning Retired After Setback

Leading 1000 Guineas hope Commissioning (GB) has been retired after suffering a career-ending setback, according to John and Thady Gosden. She had been as short as 6-1 with some firms.

John Gosden said, “Unfortunately Commissioning sustained an injury to her left hind fetlock. Despite being given time to heal, she has sadly not recovered sufficiently and the decision has been made to retire her from racing.”

The unbeaten daughter of Kingman (GB) signed off last season with an impressive victory in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. All three of her wins came at Newmarket as Abdulla Al-Khalifa and Isa Salman's filly also landed the G2 Rockfel S. as well as an impressive debut victory on the July course. 

Thady Gosden added, “Commissioning has left our stables today to go to Highclere Stud. She retires an undefeated Group 1 and Group 2 winner. She showed extraordinary speed and displayed a very determined and competitive mental attitude in her training and racing.”

Commissioning, who was bred by her owners at Highclere, made history by becoming a first Group 1 winner to have been bred and raced under Bahraini ownership.

Highclere Stud's Jake Warren, who represents Abdulla Al-Khalifa and Isa Salman, said, “Although this is incredibly sad news, the owners and breeders of this filly created racing history. They are both very good horsemen and experienced owner-breeders. Commissioning's family are all resident here at the stud, and her dam [Sovereign Parade (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)] is in foal to New Bay and is due to foal any moment. Her half-sister is due to visit New Bay, which is also very exciting.”

He continued, “It is such a thrill to have bred such a high-class animal and for her to have achieved so much in her career. It bodes well for the future for her and for the family as a whole.”

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Little Big Bear Crowned European Champion Juvenile

Little Big Bear (Ire) has been named Europe's champion juvenile for 2022 and becomes the 12th European champion 2-year-old to have been trained by Aidan O'Brien.

The son of No Nay Never, who was bred by Camas Park Stud and Summerhill, achieved his top rating of 124 for his seven-length rout in the G1 Keeenland Phoenix S. at the Curragh. The victory was the culmination of four straight wins in five starts, including the Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot and the G3 Anglesey S.

“We always thought from day one he was very good and we were very surprised the first day that he got beat, but with 2-year-olds that can happen,” said O'Brien, who noted that the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas is the aim for Little Big Bear.

“He always showed plenty of speed, but when he stepped up to six furlongs he did really improve and I remember Ryan saying he'd get seven on his ear after the Phoenix S.

“He's by No Nay Never, who is a big influence on speed, but there's a good chance that a mile could be within his compass this year. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) handicapper Mark Bird added of the champion juvenile, “His dominant performances in taking the G3 Anglesey S. and the G1 Phoenix S. propelled him clear of his rivals in the race to be Europe's top 2-year-old from an early stage of the season and whetted the appetite for what promises to be an exciting 3-year-old career.”

Three of the top five colts in the ratings were trained at Ballydoyle by O'Brien. Blackbeard (Ire), another son of No Nay Never who won the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S., was ranked five points below his stablemate and equal with Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in joint-second on 119. The latter, trained by Andrew Balding for Juddmonte and bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud, was the highest-rated juvenile trained in Britain. Blackbeard retired to Coolmore Stud at the end of last season and was the subject of plenty of interest during last weekend's Irish Stallion Trail.

Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon confirmed that Frankie Dettori, who has announced that he will retire at the end of this season, will keep the ride on G1 Darley Dewhurst S. winner Chaldean.

“I spoke with Andrew last week about it and he was of the same mind that Frankie seemed to click well with the horse and in their two starts they built up a good rapport, so we definitely wouldn't look to be changing anything there unless Frankie has a commitment anywhere else,” Mahon said.

“Frankie has been a phenomenal jockey for so many years. He's been phenomenal for the sport and is loved and adored all around the world.

“We're very much looking forward to the next 12 months. Hopefully we'll be able to retain his services plenty as we've a few nice horses with the Gosdens and elsewhere, and Frankie is always top of our list when he's available.”

Along with Chaldean, the Juddmonte operation also has homebred and 113-rated Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) as a potential Guineas contender this year.

“In an ideal world I suppose we would like to keep them apart, with possibly one running in the English Guineas and the other going to France or Ireland,” Mahon added.

“But there's a lot of work to be done yet and if something had a little setback along the way it would be nice to have a replacement to fill in for the English 2000 Guineas. I think we'll aim for both of them to head towards Newmarket for the time being and get a bit closer and sit down with the Abdullah family and see what they'd like to do.”

Ballydoyle's leading Derby hope, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), was assessed with a ranking of 118 for his victory in the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy, a mark which puts him level with the G2 Qatar Richmond S. winner and Dewhurst runner-up Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and the leading 2-year-old filly of 2022, the Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

O'Brien added, “We think Auguste Rodin is a very good horse. We were nearly not running him in the Vertem Futurity as he's a lovely, big, slick horse and we were worried about the ground.

“He's a very good mover with a good mind, we always thought he'd be a better horse at three and we think he'll get middle distances, so the plan with him is he'll probably start in the Guineas and see where we go from there.”

Of the exciting Tahiyra, Bird added, “She set off impressively in the illustrious hoofprints of her half-sister and Breeders' Cup heroine Tarnawa, when winning at Group 1 level on just her second start.”

Tahiyra is the first European champion 2-year-old filly for her trainer Dermot Weld and the latest for her owner-breeder the Aga Khan following the great Zarkava (Fr) in 2007.

Adding to O'Brien's impressive roll call of 2-year-olds in 2022 was the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road (Ire), a breakthrough winner at the highest level for his young sire Saxon Warrior (Jpn), who also made the top 10 on a mark of 115. His stablemate and fellow Breeders' Cup winner Meditate (Ire), yet another top juvenile by No Nay Never, was awarded 114.

“It was only when we stepped Victoria Road up in trip that we started to get the best out of him,” O'Brien commented. “He could be a French Guineas or French Derby-type horse.”

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin were responsible for two of the leading colts, with the G2 Gimcrack S. winner Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}) awarded 117 and Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was beaten a nose by Victoria Road in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, on 115.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}), owned and bred by Isa Salman and Abdulla Al Khalifa, was the second-highest-ranked filly in Europe on a mark of 115. Unbeaten in her three starts last year, including the G1 Fillies' Mile and G2 Rockfel S., she was rated highest of all juvenile fillies trained in Britain.

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Rising Stars: The Ones That Got Away

For all that the annual parade of TDN Rising Stars is generally a formidable one, there are always those that just miss the cut and who forge on to bring that familiar sense of regret and longing from our team here. Of the Europeans who were closely considered but ultimately left out of the picture, none stings more than Ballydoyle's rugged Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never), who first appeared in the five-furlong Dundalk maiden in early April won in the past by Scat Daddy's high-achieving Caravaggio and Skitter Scatter. Mostly workmanlike on this debut, the future star of two of the six-furlong peaks of his generation was judged more in the mould of two of his stable's more recent winners of this race in Cadamosto (Ire), another son of No Nay Never who failed to hit the heights, and King Neptune (War Front). How wrong we were! Like fellow luminaries Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), he was only hinting at the depth of his ability on his Polytrack bow and is truly the one that got away. Below are a few others who, like Blackbeard, were denied Rising Star status but unlike him will be racing in 2023 with the chance to prove us wrong.

COMMISSIONING (GB) (f, Kingman {GB}–Sovereign Parade {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire})

While Kingman enjoys a swathe of TDN Rising Stars, due to his progeny's tendency to instantly wow as he did when handed the tag himself on the July Course at Newmarket 10 years ago, Isa Salman and Abdulla Al Khalifa's homebred was left out of the reckoning after her imposing win there in the summer. John and Thady Gosden's G1 Fillies' Mile and G2 Rockfel S. heroine is a class act and a glaring omission from the ranks. We hold our hands up.

MEDITATE (IRE) (f, No Nay Never–Pembina {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire})

Oh, Meditate! How could we? Or how could we not is our question after her emphatic Curragh debut win, also in April. Our only alibi is that the Ballydoyle juveniles at this time of year come thick and fast and it is hard to select the real deals among them. Although she was brushed aside by TDN Rising Star Tahiyra  (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S., her GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf romp suggests she is going to be reminding us of our misdemeanour for some time to come.

TRILLIUM (GB) (f, No Nay Never–Marsh Hawk {GB}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire})

Another filly who looks destined for the top, Rockcliffe Stud's homebred looked highly promising at Newbury in July and was as close as it gets to getting on our TDN Rising Star radar without making it. We were left flinching after her G3 Molecomb S. win and defeat of the Abbaye winner The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) in the G2 Flying Childers S., and she is readily forgiven her G1 Cheveley Park S. flop which was probably one run too many. Whether the Richard Hannon stable would forgive us for not bestowing on her the TDN's chief monicker is another question. Expect big things in 2023 from this talent.

MIDNIGHT MILE (IRE) (f, No Nay Never–Ruby Tuesday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire})

Another daughter of No Nay Never who deserved more of the spotlight when impressing with her finishing surge on her Doncaster debut in July and who made that clear with another strong closing effort to win the G3 Oh So Sharp S. It has been a while since Roisin Henry's colours have been prominent and the way that Richard Fahey's intriguing stable figurehead went through the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf behind Meditate suggests they can be so again.

DRAGON ICON (IRE) (c, Lope De Vega {Ire}–Matauri Pearl {Ire}, by Hurricane Run {Ire})

Maidens and novices at Kempton in November aren't always the strongest, but there was a lot to like about the way Yoshiro Kubota's full-brother to Aunt Pearl (Ire) went through his seven-furlong introduction and jockey David Egan was notably impressed. While the make-up of the race made it a touch difficult to grant a TDN Rising Star tag, it would be no surprise if the Roger Varian trainee, whose dam is a full-sister to another smart Stateside performer in Wekeela (Fr), comes to the fore in 2023.

CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) (c, Almanzor {Fr}–Fiery Sunset {GB}, by Galileo {Ire})

What would a list of promising Classic prospects be without a member of Sir Michael Stoute's Freemason Lodge? One of the last of The Queen's winners, the half-brother to the GIII San Francisco Mile scorer Evening Sun (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) looks all over a Derby type and while his novice win over a mile at Salisbury in September was not quite enough to clinch TDN Rising Star status he has all the materials to be a leading light for The King.

RAJAPOUR (IRE) (c, Almanzor {Fr}–Raydara {Ire}, by Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire})

Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) proved last year what Jean-Claude Rouget can do with an Aga Khan homebred and Rajapour went slightly under the Rising Star radar on his debut at Deauville August. Two wins later, the son of the G2 Debutante S. scorer Raydara (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) was back there taking the Listed Prix Isonomy which Montjeu (Ire) captured in 1998, and he is one of the most exciting among France's Classic crop.

SOUL SISTER (IRE) (f, Frankel {GB}–Dream Peace {Ire}, by Dansili {GB})

It would be remiss not to include a Frankel here, albeit one that prevailed only narrowly on her sole start when getting the better of the experienced Doom (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) over a mile on testing ground at Doncaster on her sole start in October. Bred to be a smart middle-distance performer, Lady Bamford's daughter of the G2 Prix de la Nonette winner and multiple Grade I-placed Dream Peace is a half-sister to past TDN Rising Star Guru (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who ultimately proved to be disappointing. From the family of Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) et al, the John and Thady Gosden-trained homebred performed to a high standard on her debut and has every chance of being a top-class performer at three.

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