Tag: Craig Bernick

TDN Rising Star Les Pavots Impresses In Deauville’s Prix du Calvados

'TDN Rising Star' Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) encountered G1 Prix Morny contender Ramatuelle (Justify) when hitting the board in June's G3 Prix du Bois at Chantilly and backed up a win in last month's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles at Vichy with an impressive performance and a career high in Saturday's G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville.

The 22-5 chance was steadied to race at the tail of the field and found a comfortable rhythm tracking all seven rivals through the early fractions. Making smooth headway from halfway, she quickened in impressive fashion when shaken up with 300 metres remaining and kept on strongly under urging in the closing stages to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths from British challenger Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). Last month's G3 Prix Six Perfections victrix Laulne (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was prominent throughout and finished 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

“She is a talented filly and improving with every race,” said trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. “I had some concerns today about the [very] soft ground, but she handled it beautifully. She is in the [G1] Marcel Boussac and that is a logical next step, but we also have in mind to take her to the [GI] Breeders cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.”

Pedigree Notes
Les Pavots, a private purchase from Coolmore, is the fifth of six foals and one of four scorers from as many runners produced by G3 Ballyogan S. third Sparrow (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself out of G3 Middleton S. victrix and G1 Oaks second All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). All Too Beautiful,  a daughter of storied matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki), is the dam of G1 Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks placegetter Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo) and the stakes-winning sire Victory Song (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Her descendants include stakes-winning G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third So Wonderful (War Front) and stakes-winning G1 Epsom Oaks third Alluringly (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The March-foaled chestnut, who becomes the 32nd pattern-race winner for her sire, is a half-sister to G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred S. hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), dual stakes-winning G3 Gordon S. and G3 N E Manion Cup placegetter Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and a yearling colt by Camelot (GB).

 

Saturday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU CALVADOS-G2, €130,000, Deauville, 8-19, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.07, hy.
1–LES PAVOTS (IRE), 123, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Sparrow (Ire) (GSP-Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Craig Bernick & Haras d'Etreham; B-Coolmore Stud (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, €143,100. *1/2 to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), MG1SW-Aus, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $3,663,231; and Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW & GSP-Aus, SW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $192,495. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ornellaia (GB), 123, f, 2, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Namhroodah (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (260,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Dominic Ffrench Davis. €28,600.
3–Laulne (Fr), 123, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Lady Francesca (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Franklin Finance SA (FR); T-Yann Barberot. €13,650.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.40, 2.50, 2.90.
Also Ran: Les Bleus (GB), Classic Flower (GB), Eclaire La Vie (Fr), Tiffanyli (Fr), Quorate (GB). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Friday’s Graded Turf Stakes Get The Weekend Started Early

With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a bevy of graded stakes–marked by Saturday's GI Whitney S.–plus, the annual Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale which begins Monday, Upstate New York once again makes its case as the Thoroughbred fulcrum. To get the weekend started early, we have a pair of Friday graded turf stakes scheduled which will crown winners.

First, the $400,000 GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. for 3-year-old fillies serves as the middle sparkler in NYRA's Fasig-Tipton Turf Tiara series. Since Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) has elected to take on the boys in Saturday's GI Saratoga Derby, Papilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) will not have the opportunity to avenge her third-place finish when the pair faced one another in the GI Belmont Oaks July 8, a race which Aspen Grove won. Since arriving from Ireland, the Mark Casse trainee has continued to be a mark of consistency against graded company with her best finish coming with a victory in the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland back in April.

Opposing her bid to wear the tiara will be a number of European challengers, including Caroline Street (No Nay Never) and American Sonja (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) from Joseph O'Brien's yard. The former is a Group 3 winner in Ireland and she was well beaten last time out by Blue Rose Cen (Churchill {Ire}) June 18 in the G1 French Oaks at Chantilly. Also present here, from that same race, is Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}), who finished a respectable fifth. Trained by Jean-Phillippe Dubois, she was second in the G1 Prix Saint Alary at Longchamp May 14.

As for North American-based entries, Solo Album (Curlin), also from Casse's shedrow, won the GIII Selene S. July 1 at Woodbine, and Selenaia (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) from Jonathan Thomas's barn, who comes to New York after winning the GIII Honeymoon S. June 10 at Santa Anita, arrive in-form.

More Than Looks | Sarah Andrew

To mark the induction ceremony into horse racing's hallowed pantheon, the $500,000 GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. for 3-year-old colts going a mile on the Inner Turf brings together an interesting mix of American and European invaders.

Trainer Chad Brown saddles three entries with GISP Appraise (Ire) Kodiac {GB}), Mischievous Angel (Into Mischief) and Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Graham Motion sends GSW and GISP Nagirroc (Lea) to the post after the bay colt finished third in the GIII Manila S. July 7 at Belmont Park. The winner of that race, More Than Looks (More Than Ready) from the stable of Cherie DeVaux, is also present.

The European contingent includes Ocean Vision (Ire) (U S Navy Flag), who has competed in Ireland, France and Qatar and is trained by Godolphin Flying Start program grad Tim Donworth, and Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby, who will look to harness some of that late speed that he flashed the last time he was in North America when he won the GI Summer S. at Woodbine as a juvenile.

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No Nay Never’s TDN Rising Star Les Pavots Strikes At Vichy

Adding more gravitas, if any were needed, to her compatriot Ramatuelle (Justify) who had handed her a comprehensive beating in the G3 Prix du Bois, Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick's TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) found her level on Wednesday evening when winning Vichy's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles. Beaten 6 3/4 lengths by that hugely-talented Christopher Head trainee in the six-furlong test at Chantilly last month, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained half-sister to the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred S. hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) was up a furlong here and Mickael Barzalona was able to sit near the back and bide his time.

Still towards rear turning for home, the 19-10 favourite got rolling soon after to swoop on the front end passing the furlong pole. At the line, the filly who had been one of a trio of private purchases from Coolmore last year had half a length to spare over Juddmonte's Employ (Ire) (Caravaggio), with a neck back to Tulipa Chope (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}) in third.

Les Pavots, who had been handed the TDN Rising Star tag on her impressive debut over the Prix du Bois course and distance in early May, had found Balsam (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) 3/4 of a length too strong in this track's Listed Prix des Reves d'Or dropping to five later that month. That form was shown in a kind light when the winner went on to finish just over five lengths behind Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. next time and five furlongs was always going to be on the sharp side for a filly with this pedigree.

Les Pavots is the fifth of six foals out of Coolmore's G3 Ballyogan S.-placed Sparrow (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who also produced the dual stakes winner and G3 Gordon S. runner-up Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Her dam is the G3 Middleton S. winner and Oaks runner-up All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), a daughter of the legendary Urban Sea (Miswaki) and therefore a full-sister to the great Galileo (Ire). Sparrow's yearling colt is by Camelot (GB).

Wednesday, Vichy, France
PRIX DES JOUVENCEAUX ET DES JOUVENCELLES – BERNARD FERRAND-Listed, €60,000, Vichy, 7-19, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.09, g/s.
1–LES PAVOTS (IRE), 125, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Sparrow (Ire) (GSP-Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Craig Bernick & Haras d'Etreham; B-Coolmore Stud (IRE); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €30,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Fr, 4-2-1-1, €69,000. *1/2 to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), MG1SW-Aus, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $3,663,231; and Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW & GSP-Aus, SW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $192,495.
2–Employ (Ire), 125, f, 2, Caravaggio–Emergent (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Henri-Francois Devin. €12,000.
3–Tulipa Chope (Fr), 125, f, 2, Born To Sea (Ire)–Tulipe Rouge (Fr), by Panis. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€5,000 Ylg '22 OSASEP). O-Alain Jathiere; B-Alain Chopard & Cedric Boutin (FR); T-Stephane Wattel. €9,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 2HF. Odds: 1.90, 7.60, 3.90.
Also Ran: Lightning Leo (GB), Man With The Plan (Ire), Vive La Reine (Fr), Wootton Verni (Fr), Gee Whizzer (Fr), Rose Academy (Fr). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Fozzy Stack: ‘Aspen Grove Has Nothing To Lose In Belmont Oaks’

Fozzy Stack says that Aspen Grove (Ire) is something of a forgotten horse heading into the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and revealed that there were genuine excuses for her below-par effort in the Irish 1,000 Guineas when the Justify filly was found to be in season. 

Aspen Grove carried Craig Bernick's distinctive silks to victory in a Group 3 contest at the Curragh last term and, with that valuable black-type success already secured, Stack felt connections could afford to be brave in travelling her over for Saturday's Grade I assignment. 

Stack said of the filly who is co-owned by Mrs. John Magnier, “She was in season when she ran in the Irish 1,000 Guineas so there was very much a plausible excuse for that effort. There's only one Guineas, she couldn't run in it next year, so that's why we took our chance. 

“Listen, she's travelled over well and she seems to have settled in nicely. Mark Enright is over here with her and he is happy with her so we'll see what happens.”

He added, “She has good form. She ran very well on her reappearance at Leopardstown when third in a Group 3 despite being caught wide the whole way round. 

“You could run around in Group 3s at home in Ireland for forty grand or you can come over here for a lot of money. She's already a Group 3 winner so she's nothing to lose and it all to gain.”

Aspen Grove is a general 8-1 chance with most firms for the Belmont Oaks and will have the assistance of Oisin Murphy in the saddle. 

Murphy's primary reason for jetting out Stateside is to ride Andrew Balding's The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the Belmont Derby and Stack said that it would have been “silly” not to snap up a rider of his quality for Aspen Grove. 

He said, “It made a lot of sense to get Oisin to ride the filly. He's coming over to ride The Foxes for Andrew Balding anyway so it would have been silly not to use him while he's here.”

Stack has enjoyed a good start to his domestic campaign in Ireland and is operating at a 17 per cent strike-rate with 11 winners under his belt. 

Indeed, he has already tasted big-race success on American soil when Yesterdayoncemore (Ire) (No Nay Never) won a Grade II at Del Mar in 2019.

Like Yesterdayoncemore, Stack says that Aspen Grove could well continue her career in America for Bernick, who he describes as an important supporter of his famous County Tipperary stable.

Stack said, “We'll get this over with first, but we will probably run her at Saratoga or at Del Mar after this. I'm very lucky to have Craig as an owner. He's a very nice guy and has a great interest in the game. He actually bred Aspen Grove.”

On the race itself, he added, “Graham Motion's filly [Mission Of Joy (Kitten's Joy)] sets a good standard and Chad Brown has a couple of nice fillies [Aspray (Quality Road) and Prerequisite (Upstart)] in there as well. 

“There are no easy Group 1 races wherever you go but they are usually not as difficult to win on the grass in America than they are in Europe so hopefully she can go close.”

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