Tag: Content (Ire)

Newmarket: Inspiral Ready for Marquise Sun Chariot Showdown

Four-times group 1 winners who boast two editions of Deauville's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois are rare commodities, so Saturday's G1 Sun Chariot S. is all the richer for the presence of Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who could be Frankie's 500th Newmarket winner if all goes to plan. First, they will have to master one of those big improvers that Andre Fabre has aimed at his favourite track, and Baron Edouard De Rothschild's Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) showed distinct appetite for battle in both Deauville's race named in honour of the owner-breeder's family and the G1 Prix Jean Romanet.

Fortunately for Inspiral, the autumn damp has been delayed and the Gosdens' filly has ideal conditions as she returns to the course and distance of her Fillies' Mile success two years ago. “She's in good form and the ground will suit. Softer ground can dampen her finish, but I think the ground on Saturday will be perfect,” Cheveley Park's managing director Chris Richardson said. “I think the French filly is the one we've got to be worried about, but if you're not in you can't win, so let's hope Frankie can work some more magic.”

This is unlikely to be Inspiral's grand finale, however.

“She's obviously lightly-raced, so we can see after Saturday whether Mrs Thompson will consider the Breeders' Cup option as her swansong, or indeed whether she might stay in training next year, which hasn't been decided yet,” Richardson added.

Andre Fabre said of Mqse De Sevigne, “I don't think the ground is too much of a concern, maybe over this distance it might be a bit sharp for her but she has done well over this distance before. She will go for the Breeders' Cup [Filly And Mare Turf] after this.”

With two 16-1 winners in the last four years, this is never an open-and-shut case and St Albans Bloodstock's Heredia (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is exactly the kind of progressive type which this late-season race favours. Her wins in the Listed Dick Hern S. at Haydock in August and G3 Atalanta S. at Sandown last month saw her back to the form of her success in Royal Ascot's Sandringham H. last year and she showed she handled faster ground there.

“Richard Hannon has been really pleased with her since Sandown, she has bounced out of that race,” the owners's racing manager Richard Brown said. “We took our time and said we would only do it if you were completely happy and Richard says she has never been better, so we're happy to take a chance.”

Lupini Waits On Ground For Kitty Rose Staffordstown Bid…
One of Irish racing's big stories of 2023, the Natalia Lupini-trained unbeaten filly Kitty Rose (GB) (Invincible Army {Ire}) is one of the main attractions on Saturday's Curragh card. Impressive when stamping her class on an up-to-scratch renewal of Leopardstown's Listed Ingabelle S. last month, she will line up for the G3 Staffordstown Stud S. if the ground is suitable according to her handler.

“She has been in good form and she's ready to run, the only thing is we're monitoring the ground as we had a lot of rain yesterday and today,” Lupini said of the revelation, who is set to be re-opposed in the mile contest by the Ingabelle runner-up Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Cork maiden winner Unreasonable (Ire) (No Nay Never). “We'll just have to keep a close eye on the ground as she probably doesn't want it too soft, so we're not going to run her on very soft ground. She seems to have stepped up a gear in her work since Leopardstown and everything looks good apart from the weather, unfortunately! The current owners are thinking this will be her last run of the year. She's a big filly and she will definitely benefit from a winter break.”

The post Newmarket: Inspiral Ready for Marquise Sun Chariot Showdown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Kitty Rose First Black Type Winner For Invincible Army As Irish Champions Day Kicks Off

The Irish Champions Festival began with a renewal of Leopardstown's Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle S. which may prove better than its status in time as two class acts dominated proceedings throughout. While Ballydoyle's 13-8 favourite Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) did her thing by going fast in front and keeping at it, Natalia Lupini's Kitty Rose (GB) (Invincible Army {Ire}–Varnish {GB}, by Choisir {Aus}) had too many guns from over a furlong out and stretched to an impressive 2 1/2-length success under Billy Lee. In doing so, the 3-1 second favourite who had made an instant splash for owners Nigel O'Hare, Gary Devlin and the Kabin Racing Syndicate in a decent maiden at Naas last month provided her first-season sire with his initial black-type winner.

 

For Milan-born and Co. Down-based Lupini, the win was a landmark moment in her fledgling training career. The winner, a 20,000gns Tatts Book 3 bargain, beat the smart yardstick Tannola (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) decisively on debut in the race that the stable's Highly Desirable (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) had been third in last year before going on to finish in the same spot in this race. “She's a big filly, very honest and when she gets into a rhythm she gallops towards the line. She gives it all,” she said. “The lads were looking at the Guineas next year. She'll be a stronger filly and she won't have any problems over a mile.”

“We'll see how she comes out of this race and we'll talk to the owners and see what they would like to do,” the trainer, who is expecting a child in October, added. “We would like to give her a bit of time in the winter to fill out. She's a big filly and will benefit from a winter break. She'll be a nice three-year-old and we're very much looking forward to having her next year. Hopefully we'll get to train her.”

Like the card's G2 Solonaway S. winner Flight Plan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Kitty Rose hails from the family of Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian). She is currently the last known foal out of the dam Varnish (GB) (Choisir {Aus}), a grandaughter of that G2 Prix de Pomone winner's half-sister White House (GB) (Pursuit Of Love {GB}) who produced the G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Eldalil (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and who is the second dam of the G3 Round Tower S.-winning sire Cappella Sansevero (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who was third in the G1 Phoenix S.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
BALLYLINCH STUD IRISH EBF INGABELLE S.-Listed, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-9, 2yo, f, 7f 72yT, 1:30.14, gd.
1–KITTY ROSE (GB), 128, f, 2, by Invincible Army (Ire)
1st Dam: Varnish (GB), by Choisir (Aus)
2nd Dam: Bronze Star (GB), by Mark Of Esteem (Ire)
3rd Dam: White House (GB), by Pursuit Of Love (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (20,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Nigel O'Hare, Gary Devlin & Kabin Racing Syndicate; B-Carmel Stud (GB); T-Natalia Lupini; J-Billy Lee. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $80,125.
2–Content (Ire), 128, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Mecca's Angel (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Westerberg, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,000.
3–Serious Notions (GB), 128, f, 2, Advertise (GB)–Darling Grace (GB), by Nayef. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (50,000gns RNA Wlg '21 TADEWE; €68,000 Ylg '22 GOFOR). O-Gaynor Bloodstock LLC; B-Highgate Stud (GB); T-Ger Lyons. €10,000.
Margins: 2HF, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.00, 1.63, 28.00.
Also Ran: Sea The Boss (GB), Making Time (Ire), Nemonte (Ire), Apricot Ice (Ire), Elegant Madame (Ire), Question Of Class (Ire). Scratched: Grand Job.

The post Kitty Rose First Black Type Winner For Invincible Army As Irish Champions Day Kicks Off appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Royal Ascot: “We Know He Is Good Enough.” Artorius Back for Jubilee Burn-Up

Royal Ascot 2023 winds up on Saturday with the centrepiece the meeting's now-familiar international dash, the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. These are some of the fastest equine dragsters on the planet, with the 1:11.05 six-furlong course record of Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) potentially under threat as the high pressure continues to build over Berkshire. Australia's Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) returns a year older and more mature than when a close third 12 months ago as he covered the final three furlongs faster than any. Hong Kong's Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) gets the dual benefit of an overseas holiday in the English sun and some time away from his nemesis Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}). He's also got Ryan Moore, which can't be bad.

Sam Freedman is not feeling the same pressure with the current favourite Artorius as 12 months ago.

“He is a lot shorter in the market and there is a bit more expectation, but last year it was the unknown and whether he was going to measure up–this year we know he is good enough,” he explained. “I am not so concerned about the opposition, but more where he will end up and where he will get to in the run. I am confident taking on any of the sprinters in the world, but it is a case of getting the right transit and a bit of luck.”

US interest comes in the form of the Christophe Clement-trained Big Invasion (Declaration Of War) on a big day for Dean and Patti Reeves who had a share of the Albany success of Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) on Friday. He faces a stark new challenge here, but looked the kind of strong closer in the GI Jaipur that will enjoy this stiff six. English queen Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is back on the track four days after her gallant effort in the G1 King's Stand S., where she was definitely compromised by Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) who due to his drift looked a more worthy winner than he actually was. The good news for fans of John Quinn's triple group 1 winner is that she is not the type to let such an injustice fester and the vibe from her accomplished trainer straight after was that the experience will even bring her to a peak.

“We left her down all week and looked at her on Thursday morning and she seems fine, so we're quite happy to roll the dice,” her Malton-based trainer said. “Plenty of horses have run well in both races, so it's doable. She seems bright and she's no travelling to do, which is important.”

Marc Chan's G1 British Champions Sprint S. hero Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will have to travel faster than he's ever done, something that won't be a problem for the dual Wokingham winner Rohaan (Ire) (Mayson {GB}) who finally gets his crack at the meeting's big one on the fast ground he loves. Based on his times when taking his second renewal of the day's big handicap, he would have been in the mix in this especially as he was carrying seven pounds more than the Platinum Jubilee winner Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and clocked a final three furlongs 2/10 second faster than Artorius.

With the ground quickening with each passing day, Saturday's G2 Hardwicke S. could be robbed of its star turn as connections of Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) revealed they will be checking out the lay of the land ahead of the mile-and-a-half test. Trainer Owen Burrows has avoided this kind of surface since the debut of Shadwell's G1 Coronation Cup winner and would welcome some storms in Berkshire. “This was the obvious race for him, our only slight worry is the ground being a bit quick for him, so I think we'll walk the track at midday on Saturday and make sure we're happy with it,” he said of the 6-year-old who was so impressive in last month's G3 Brigadier Gerard S. “He's won on a range of grounds, but I know speaking to Sheikha Hissa after he won at Sandown that Jim [Crowley] had mentioned to her that he's so much better on good ground and we want to look after him this year–we won't risk him on fast ground.”

George Strawbridge's talented Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is hardly the biggest fan of fast ground either, but she handled something near this when accounting for Wednesday's G2 Duke of Cambridge S. winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Middleton S. at York last month. Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) was on a quick surface when landing the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. over the course and distance when last seen and Willie Muir is relishing the end of the long wait. “As I've said all the way through, this is hopefully a prep race for the King George and will put the edge on him,” he said. “I've got no doubt his ability is all still there, but he's been off the course for a long time and we just want to get through this race and move on. As long as he goes through the race nice and comes home nice, we're laughing.”

Opening the card is the seven-furlong Listed Chesham S., where Ballydoyle's strong collection of juveniles is represented by the Navan scorer Pearls And Rubies (No Nay Never) and the eye-catching Leopardstown third Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). In a renewal dominated by Irish-trained fillies, others to note are Lindsay Laroche's Limerick winner Snellen (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) and The Curragh scorer Nemonte (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) who is another to represent Reeves Thoroughbred Racing owned in partnership with Steven Rocco.

Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Enfjaar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Ballydoyle's proven The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Juddmonte's Covey (GB) (Frankel {GB}) seem the trio to focus on in the seven-furlong G3 Jersey S., with the latter unusually impressive in the always-competitive Silver Bowl H. at Haydock last month. “He's a very exciting horse and we look forward to seeing him out again,” Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon said. “He looks to have plenty of pace for seven furlongs and he gets a mile, so the stiff seven in Ascot should be fine for him.”

The post Royal Ascot: “We Know He Is Good Enough.” Artorius Back for Jubilee Burn-Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights