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Sottsass Gives Brant Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe Victory; Enable Sixth

Peter Brant's return to Thoroughbred racing and breeding in 2016 after a nearly 25-year hiatus hit its pinnacle on Sunday with a victory by Sottsass in the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. The 4-year-old colt by the French stallion Siyouni, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and ridden to victory by Cristian Demuro, had no trouble with the heavy ground at ParisLongchamp, defeating In Swoop and pace-setting Persian King in the 12-furlong European classic for 3-year-olds and up.

Juddmonte Farms Enable finished sixth in her bid for a record third Arc de Triomphe victory, Jockey Frankie Dettori said of the John Gosden runner: “She hated that ground. I knew my fate at the 400.”

The victory was the first in the Arc de Triomphe for Brant, Demuro and Rouget.

Sottsass was prominent from the outset, saving ground inside of Chachnak as Persian King established the pace. In Swoop raced just behind Sottsass, alongside Enable. There was little change in the running until the field of 11 runners reached the stretch run.

Persian King was well off the rail giving Demuro an option to go inside or outside of the front-runner. He chose to swing Sottsass to the outside for his run while In Swoop and jockey Ronan Thomas took the inside route. Sottsass hit the front with 200 meters to run, but In Swoop was inching forwardly when they reached the winning post.

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was one of five Group 1 races that were Breeders' Cup Challenge Series events at ParisLongchamp, giving the winners fees-paid berths to the world championship races to be held this year at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Nov. 6-7. The connections of the winners also receive $40,000 in travel allowances.

The victory by Sottsass gives him a fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the Turf. Other Group 1 Win and You're In Challenge Series races saw Tiger Tanaka win the Prix Marcel Boussac, giving her a berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; Sealiway win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, giving him a berth in the Juvenile Turf; Wooded win the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, giving him a berth in the Turf Sprint; and Tarnawa win the Prix de l'Opera, giving her a berth in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Enable, who won the 2017-'18 renewals of the Arc (and finished second in 2019) became the first horse to win both the Arc de Triomphe and Breeders' Cup Turf in the same year when she accomplished the feat in 2018.

Peter Brant at Belmont Park

Sottsass, who came into this year's Arc off a fourth-place finish behind Magical in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in Ireland on Sept. 12, had finished third behind Waldgeist in the 2019 Arc after earlier in the year winning the G1 French Derby and G2 Prix Niel. The French-bred colt was champion 3-year-old of 2019.

Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, Sottsass is a half-sister to Brant's American champion Sistercharlie (by Myboycharlie), who gave the owner his first G1 victory after being away from the game for so long when taking the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in 2018. Brant's horses in the U.S. are trained by Chad Brown.

Brant came back with a splash when he made the decision to return to racing, focusing heavily on broodmares but also buying weanlings and yearlings at both European and American bloodstock auctions. He spent $10 million in 2016 and doubled that investment the following year. Among his yearling purchases in 2017 was Sottass, bred by Ecurie Des Monceaux and purchased for 340,000 euros at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.

In a 2018 interview with the Paulick Report, Brant – who had campaigned such champions as Waya, Just a Game and Gulch in the late 1970s and '80s – spoke about how alliances and partnerships had become an important element in the current iteration of the Thoroughbred industry. As such, earlier this year he sold half-interest in Sottsass to Coolmore, where the Arc winner presumably will stand upon his retirement.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the general public was unable to attend the races at ParisLongchamp. Brant, presumably watched his colt win one of the world's most prestigious races from his home in the U.S.

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Likely Favorite Love Withdrawn From Arc De Triomphe, To Target Breeders’ Cup Turf

With very soft going predicted for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, Oct. 4, trainer Aidan O'Brien has withdrawn the likely favorite Love from consideration, reports Sky Sports Racing. The dual classic winner will now be aimed at the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“Sadly I don't think there's any prospect of the ground improving much,” O'Brien told skysports.com. “So we'll give her a little time now and give her a nice run in the Breeders' Cup. The plan is to have her in training next year, so that's something to look forward to.”

The 3-year-old daughter of Galileo, a Coolmore homebred, has won a trio of Group 1 races this year: the 1,000 Guineas, Investec Oaks, and Darley Yorkshire Oaks.

Galileo’s High Definition Leaves It Late In the Beresford

In a dramatic edition of The Curragh’s G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. on Saturday, Ballydoyle’s TDN Rising Star High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) produced what is certain to be one of the most talked-about performances of the year as he grasped victory from surefire defeat. In rear early as Seamie Heffernan bided his time, the 9-5 favourite who had also swooped late in a course-and-distance maiden on debut Aug. 22 straightened for home with a yawning gap to close and it was still around five lengths as Monaasib (GB) (Bobby’s Kitten) overhauled Snapraeterea (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}) a furlong from home. Seemingly out of reach moments before, Monaasib came squarely into High Definition’s sights by the time he passed that marker and as he gained some momentum the bay cut back the deficit as jaws dropped in the final yards. At the line, there was a scarcely-believable degree of comfort in the success, which was measured at 3/4 of a length as Snapraeterea surrendered three lengths away in third.

Aidan O’Brien is inclined to wait until next year with the winner, who gave off some of the vibes that Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) had in this in 2017. “He’s lovely and puts away a lot of ground,” he said. “He’s a big rangy horse with a massive big stride and is one to really look forward to. It was the same in his maiden–you would say he’s not going to get there and in the end he’s won easily. I’d say we’ll put him away now. He could start in a Guineas and he looks like he’ll be a middle-distance horse. I was a bit worried about the bend, as he’s never been around one before.”

Providing a 20th success in this important staging post for Ballydoyle, High Definition who at one point traded at 100-1 in-running on the Betfair exchange is a full-brother to last year’s Beresford hero Innisfree (Ire) who went on to finish runner-up in the G1 Futurity Trophy and has yet to be seen in 2020. He was one of the stable’s leading Derby contenders over the winter and it could be that his year-younger full-sibling makes up for his absence in the blue riband next June. High Definition is currently the last known foal out of the Listed Cairn Rouge S. winner and G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial runner-up Palace (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), one of four black-type winners for Lady Icarus (GB) (Rainbow Quest).

Lady Icarus proved a source of class, producing the G3 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial S. scorer Furner’s Green (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who was also third in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the listed-winning G1 Irish Oaks third Lady Lupus (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and the listed-winning and G3 Solonaway S. third Mystical Lady (Ire) (Halling). The latter is the dam of three black-type performers for Ballydoyle, headed by the Listed Dee S. winner and G1 Irish Derby and G1 Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher (Ire) also by Galileo. The third dam is the high-class Sonic Lady (Nureyev), heroine of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Sussex S. and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
ALAN SMURFIT MEMORIAL BERESFORD S.-G2, €80,000, Curragh, 9-26, 2yo, 8fT, 1:45.28, yl.
1–HIGH DEFINITION (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Palace (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Lady Icarus (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Sonic Lady, by Nureyev
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €48,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $67,314. *Full to Innisfree (Ire), GSW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $141,701. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Monaasib (GB), 131, c, 2, Bobby’s Kitten–Mullein (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (£65,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Landmark Racing Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Prendergast. €16,000.
3–Snapraeterea (Ire), 131, c, 2, Buratino (Ire)–Snap Alam (Ire), by Alamshar (Ire). (€15,000 RNA Ylg ’19 GOFSPT). O/B-J P Farrell (IRE); T-Joseph O’Brien. €8,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3, HF. Odds: 1.80, 7.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Sir Lucan (Ire), Reve de Vol (Ire), Southern Cape (Ire), Wuqood (GB), Brazil (Ire), Ides of August, Jack Duggan, Ace Aussie (Ire), Lifetime Legend (Ire), Adakaz (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Galileo’s High Definition Leaves It Late In the Beresford appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Cheveley Park Glory For No Nay Never’s Alcohol Free

Like last year’s G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. winner Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) beaten in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ S. at Salisbury Sept. 3, Jeff Smith’s Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) made a similar step forward to prove fastest where it mattered in Saturday’s fillies’ feature at Newmarket. Quickly able to head the fast-breaking G2 Lowther S. winner Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), the heavily-supported 7-2 second favourite was there to be shot at on the front end throughout but was able to ward off threats on all sides as Oisin Murphy asked for maximum effort. At the line, the bargain €40,000 Goffs November Foal Sale purchase had half a length to spare over the 5-2 market-leader Miss Amulet, with Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) just a further head away having been well beaten by the runner-up in the Lowther. “Andrew [Balding] has done a top job with her, because he’s had to carefully manage her training regime as she’s very generous at home,” Murphy explained. “We’ve a class of horse in the yard at the moment that we’ve never had before. She certainly fits into the 1000 Guineas category for next year, because she hits the line well and also relaxes. She’s a super filly.”

Off the mark over this trip on debut at Newbury Aug. 15, Alcohol Free was only 3/4 of a length behind the vastly-more experienced Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) from a wide draw when second in the Dick Poole also at this distance. Evidently improved in the interim with the money down on the bay who opened up in the betting at 6-1, she showed why by rapidly mastering her pace rival Miss Amulet who had exited the stalls with remarkable alacrity. Soon after the start, Alcohol Free was the one to aim at and despite her relative inexperience was able to remain there ahead of a strong field. Along with the eventual second and third, she also had in her wake her ultra-game Salisbury conqueror, the previously unbeaten G3 Albany S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. winner Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and the high-class Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).

Balding has had a year to remember and in all reality could have an even better 2021. “She didn’t have a great draw at Salisbury, she showed a bit of inexperience and we knew she would come on for that,” he said. “At the end of the day, Happy Romance was likely to be one of the favourites and we only had a couple of lengths to find on her. We had the option to run in the Rockfel, but Jeff was keen on going for the group one and he was dead right. She has been on a fast-track really, as she only started faster work about three weeks before she ran and we went to the races not knowing quite what to expect as she was the first two-year-old filly we had run. She won very easily there and the next logical step was to go for the Dick Poole and she showed enough there to warrant coming here.”

As far as the 1000 Guineas is concerned, the Kingsclere handler is keeping an open mind. “She should stay, I would have thought,” he opined. “She relaxes well and acts better with a bit of cover. Oisin was intent that he couldn’t see any pace in the race and he didn’t want to be too far back. I’m well past giving him instructions and he did a fantastic job. For the yard, this is fantastic as Jeff has been with us a long time, both with dad and as a big supporter of ours, so it is great to get him a group one winner again. She won’t run again this year. We will see how she does in the spring and we will make a decision nearer the time whether she runs in a Guineas trial. She is obviously good enough to go to the Guineas, so we don’t need to go to a trial to find out–it’s just whether she would benefit for a run in the spring.”

Alcohol Free’s dam Plying (Hard Spun) was a dual winner at slightly further than this trip in the Sheikh Mohammed silks for the Henri-Alex Pantall stable. Initially a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Yearling purchase, she was let go by Darley for just €12,000 to BBA Ireland at the 2013 Arqana December Sale and five years later was the property of Jossestown Farm for €21,000 at the Goffs November auction. Alcohol Free is her second black-type performer alongside the Listed Prix le Fabuleux winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), while the second dam is the Listed National S.-placed Nasaieb (Ire) (Fairy King) who produced the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Princess Margaret S. third Kissing Lights (Ire) Machiavellian). Nasaieb is a half-sister to the G3 Solario S. scorer Raise a Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge) from the family of the champion Numbered Account (Buckpasser). Plying’s yearling daughter of Starspangledbanner (Aus) was bought by Pegasus Bloodstock for €40,000 at this year’s Goffs February Mixed Sale and is due to sell during Thursday’s session of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale @ Doncaster. She also has a colt foal by Dandy Man (Ire).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE CHEVELEY PARK S.-G1, £220,000, Newmarket, 9-26, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:10, gd.
1–ALCOHOL FREE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Plying, by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Nasaieb (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Atyaaf, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€40,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV). O-J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £124,762. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $172,609. *1/2 to Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Miss Amulet (Ire), 126, f, 2, Sir Prancealot (Ire)–Shena’s Dream (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). (€1,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; £7,500 Ylg ’19 TASAYG). O-Mrs Doreen Tabor; B-Ringfort Stud (IRE); T-Ken Condon. £47,300.
3–Umm Kulthum (Ire), 126, f, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Queen’s Code (Ire), by Shamardal. (£75,000 2yo ’20 GOFARQ). O-Saeed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £23,672.
Margins: HF, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.50, 2.50, 9.00.
Also Ran: Happy Romance (Ire), Dandalla (Ire), Illykato (GB), Zoetic (GB), Sacred (GB). Scratched: Aloha Star (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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