Appleby Aiming To Outstrip Last Year’s Breeders’ Cup Hat-Trick

NEWMARKET, UK–The Breeders' Cup has special resonance for Charlie Appleby, who trained his first Grade I winner at the championships not four months into his tenure as trainer for Godolphin back in 2013.

That important first milestone was provided by Darley homebred Outstrip (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in the Juvenile Turf, and if the American race fans didn't pay much attention to Appleby that day, they do now, for it was a win which set the tone for the years to follow, not just at the Breeders' Cup, but in top-level races in North America generally. Rarely does an Appleby runner under-perform when sent stateside, and more often than not they will return with another trophy to add to the overflowing sideboards in the trainer's office at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket. 

Behind his desk, neatly spaced, are three matching trophies from Del Mar last year, when Appleby and his newly-crowned champion jockey for 2022, William Buick, took Del Mar by storm. As important as those victories were for the racing stable, the icing on the cake for Sheikh Mohammed's vast breeding operation was the fact that Yibir (GB), Space Blues (Ire) and Modern Games (Ire) are all homebred sons of Darley's flagship stallion, Dubawi (Ire).

“It was a big win,” says Appleby casting his mind back to Outstrip while catching up with some Australian racing on TV before heading out to oversee his first lot. “And it was one of those very surreal moments. To stand at Santa Anita with that backdrop and watching your first Grade 1 winner go by the line…”

He tails off, momentarily reliving a significant moment in his own career, which has gone from strength to strength in subsequent seasons to see him crowned champion trainer in Britain last year for the first time. It is a title he is odds-on to retain as 2022 draws to a close.

“Look, I'd been in the operation for a long time before that, so you always know what these moments mean, but when you're holding that trophy, and my name was next to it, that does really give you an amazing feeling, and a feeling that you want more,” he adds.

“So the Breeders' Cup always been a meeting that we've campaigned. I'm not saying we've campaigned hard, but I feel that we've always tried to find the right horses to be the most competitive anyway. And thankfully, it's so far been a lucky hunting ground.”

In 2017 came the turn of Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Filly & Mare Turf, while Line Of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gave Appleby his second strike in the Juvenile Turf the following year. That race has now gone the trainer's way three times, though last year's success was not without drama. One of his two intended starters in the race, Albahr (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), became fractious in the stalls, forcing him and his stablemate Modern Games to be removed from the gates. In a tumultuous few moments ahead of the start, it initially appeared as if both horses had been scratched from the race, but eventually Modern Games and Buick were reinstated and went on to win, with chaos ensuing for punters. 

“Last year was an amazing year. I felt that we added plenty of drama to the meeting as well,” says Appleby with no little understatement.

“Walking away with three homebred winners and all three of them by Dubawi, I did say to the team there, as much as we say 'well, that was great', we must try harder next year to better that. That might take a little bit of surpassing though, because it was a huge achievement by everybody and we were very proud to walk off the racetrack with what we'd achieved.”

Indeed, it will be hard to top those results at Keeneland this year, but the Appleby team—and the trainer consistently refers to the stable's success as 'we' rather than 'I'—certainly plans to give it a good old rattle.

The one thing I'm confident of with Naval Crown is that he's got gate speed in abundance

The seven runners bound for Kentucky all came through their last piece of fast work on Wednesday in good heart, and will continue with routine canters until shipping on Saturday. With Space Blues now at Kildangan Stud in Ireland and Yibir not travelling, it falls to Modern Games to lead the raiders as he bids to add the Breeders' Cup Mile to his victory last year. In the interim, he became Appleby's third Guineas winner of 2022 when landing the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, following the victory of the late Coreoebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the 2000 Guineas and Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Modern Games has already made another trip back across the Atlantic this year to win the GI Woodbine Mile. 

“When unfortunately Coroebus didn't turn up for the Sussex Stakes, it was felt that Modern Games was the substitute. But he posted one of the closest finishes to Baaeed when finishing second in the Sussex. He then went to Canada and won very well there,” says Appleby. 

“Then with the QEII on Champions Day, as the rain came down again on the day, I thought 'should we really be running this horse?'. But he was in great order, and as always, he went out on his shield, finishing second in ground that William said he hated from start to finish. 

“It won't be too soft at Keeneland. I imagine Kinross will start favourite, but he's up there and in great order.”

The statuesque Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of two Godolphin runners, along with Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), being aimed at the Breeders' Cup Turf, claimed last year by Yibir. The four-year-old has had quite the season, with four straight wins culminating in back-to-back Group 1s in Germany over 1m4f.

Appleby says of Rebel's Romance, “He's a past UAE Derby winner and he went out to America on the back end of that winter in Dubai to potentially participate in the Kentucky Derby, but he met with setbacks out there so that didn't materialise. We went back out to Dubai to try and continue his dirt career, which again didn't materialise last winter, but he's been a revelation since we switched him to the turf.

“He stays well, he's got the experience, he's well travelled. I think he's a big player on the night. He'll be joined by Nation's Pride, who's a three-year-old coming into it with a similar profile to Yibir. Obviously they both won the Jockey Club Derby Invitational en route to the Breeders' Cup. But prior to that, Nation's Pride does bring a bit more American experience to the table as well.”

That experience  was provided by the son of Teofilo heading straight from his eighth-place finish at Epsom in the Derby to take second in the GI Belmont Derby before winning the GI Saratoga Derby.

Appleby adds, “Nations Pride will probably go off favourite on the day. William [Buick] will ride him and James [Doyle] will ride Rebel's Romance; they're two live players.”

If he gets a good draw, [Silver Knott] is probably the horse they've all got to beat realistically

The trainer is also double-handed in the Turf Sprint with the Dubawi duo of Naval Crown (GB) and Creative Force (Ire), who finished first and second, a neck separating them, in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot.

“They are both rock solid little horses,” states Appleby. “Creative Force had a break after the summer and we were delighted with his reappearance run on Champions Day, finishing third. He's definitely come forward for that run.

“Naval Crown has got quicker, dare I say it, as the season's gone on. But it hasn't quite gone right for him since the Platinum Jubilee. He ran a good race in the July Cup [when second to Alcohol Free] but was disappointing on very quick ground [at Haydock] and then obviously disappointed on the soft ground on Champions Day. “But the one thing I'm confident of with Naval Crown is that he's got gate speed in abundance. That's what's needed over there, so that's a tick for him. He's got experience and I think he'll enjoy being back on a turning track.”

Appleby also takes aim once more at the Juvenile Turf, this time with the smart Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who already has a pair of Group 3 wins to his credit, and whose yearling half-brother by Dubawi was recently recruited to the Godolphin team for next year to the tune of 1,500,000gns at Tattersalls. 

“His form has worked out quite well and, dare I say it, he has a profile similar to Outstrip,” notes the trainer. “He's competed at a nice level and a sounder surface will suit him, so hopefully we will get that. If he gets a good draw, he's probably the horse they've all got to beat realistically.”

Completing the septet is the G3 Sirenia S. winner Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who was subsequently fourth to Blackbeard (Ire) in the G1 Middle Park S. and will line up in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. 

“He's got plenty of natural pace and he's definitely a player,” Appleby adds.

“As we all know, you've got to have a lot of luck around there. You've got to travel well, you've got to acclimatise well. And in the shorter-distance events, you have to have a draw. So there's still a few more hurdles to get over, but it's an exciting team to be taking out there.”

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Godolphin Wins 14th Owner Title

With Britain's flat season championships coming to a close on Saturday, Godolphin earned its 14th champion owner title with more than £5-million in win and place prizemoney accumulated since May 1.

Adayar (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Hurricane Lane (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have been Godolphin's leading lights this season, while Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) sealed divisional honours last weekend with a win in the G1 Dewhurst S. Godolphin closed the season on a high with a win by Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 British Champions Sprint S. on Saturday.

Godolphin Managing Director Hugh Anderson said, “2021 has been a great year for British racing and Godolphin is proud to have played a part in many of the epic races that have framed the season. It is a huge honour to win the Owners Championship in such a competitive and high-quality year and testament to the fantastic work of all the Godolphin trainers and their teams. Charlie Appleby, Saeed bin Suroor and John Gosden have all played big parts in helping us win this Championship and I want to thank our jockeys, particularly William Buick and James Doyle, as well as everyone who works in our racing yards. Equally as important are our stud farms and support staff who are so essential to this operation; we are a team and we celebrate together.

“I could name over a dozen horses that have made this season for us–many are names that will go down in history–but I will just focus on the quality of the wins, the Classic successes and the overall consistency of Godolphin's performances and make the assertion that these are the best we have seen for over 20 years. Our greatest supporter is of course His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and we are delighted that we can repay his loyalty to us by achieving this title of Champion Owner. As we see Covid recede in the collective memory, I think that British racing should be very proud of how it has emerged from this pandemic and shown unequivocally that racing is an absolute jewel in the crown of British sport. Long may it continue.”

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Choice Offerings From Owenstown Stud

John Tuthill wouldn't be the type to shout from the rooftops about the racetrack successes of the graduates of his Owenstown Stud. But, then again, he doesn't have to–the horses have done the talking themselves.

From a band of about 15 broodmares of his own, Tuthill bred two winners of the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in the space of five years: Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the Derrick Smith silks in 2012 and the filly Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for Cheveley Park Stud in 2017. He also bred G2 Futurity S. winner and sire Dragon Pulse (Ire), and Dark Angel's Group 3-winning sprinter Art Power (Ire). Tuthill raised and sold last year's G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) for breeder Kangyu International Racing, and evergreen Group 2 winner Safe Voyage (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) for breeder Adolf Schneider.

Tuthill brings a boutique draft of three under the Owenstown Stud banner for the Sept. 28 and 29 Goffs Orby yearling sale, all from families he has nurtured for the better part of 15 years.

Lot 408, a daughter of Dark Angel, is a February-foaled full-sister to Persuasive and a half to the listed-winning and multiple Group 3-placed Tisbutadream (Ire) (Dream Ahead) and Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of this year's G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot for Godolphin.

“She's typical of the family,” Tuthill said. “She has an absolutely sweet nature; I've had quite a lot of the family and it's something about that family, they have a fantastic nature. They give everything they can and yet they're very easy and pleasant to work with. She's an absolute joy to have around.

“It's not a family of great big specimens. When you think of Creative Force, he isn't very big. She's a little bigger than him, but it's the attitude that they have. And she's nicely proportioned and correct.”

All of Choose Me's seven prior foals have sold as yearlings, and five of those were at Orby. Creative Force's €400,000 pricetag when Godolphin bought out a foal share agreement was the most expensive. Persuasive cost €180,000 at Kildare Paddocks, and Tisbutadream €100,000. Choose Me's current 2-year-old, the as-yet unraced Mr Zero (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), was bought by SackvilleDonald for 100,000gns, and that firm has been great supporters of the mare: they purchased Choose Me's 2016 son of Slade Power (Ire), Songkran (Ire), for €100,000 from Orby and he won six times. They also purchased Tisbutadream from the 2017 Goffs London Sale for £400,000 for King Power Racing off a third-place finish in the G3 Princess Elizabeth S.

It is hard to deny that Choose Me has been an excellent producer; all six of her foals to race have won at least once, with two having none short of six wins on their CVs.

Choose Me was bred by Owenstown out of the Juddmonte-bred mare Hecuba (GB) (Hector Protector). Put through the Tattersalls December sale after winning once for trainer Barry Hills, Hecuba was picked up by McKeever St Lawrence for 27,000gns. Put in foal to Vettori (Ire), Hecuba was returned to Park Paddocks a year later and scooped up by Tuthill and his aunt, the late Averil Whitehead, for 48,000gns from the Kildaragh Stud consignment.

“She has been fantastic,” Tuthill said. “She's produced stakes horses–Choose Me is her best one so far-and she's still producing.”

Choose Me was Hecuba's second foal, and Tuthill explained how she came to stay under Owenstown's care.

“Choose Me was in the Fairyhouse sale and was injured and had to be withdrawn,” he said. “My aunt, Mrs. Whitehead, said she would race her with a 'for sale' sign around her neck. She was named Choose Me-she's by Choisir, which means to choose, but also if somebody came into Kevin Prendergast's yard looking to buy a horse, the name on the door would say, 'Choose Me.'”

Choose Me soon proved herself valuable enough to Owenstown that the 'for sale' sign was removed from her neck. She broke her maiden at two, won the Listed Fairy Bridge S. at three and won four times from 28 starts.

“She went up through the grades and proved herself to be very good indeed, and so we kept her and were happy to do so,” Tuthill said. “She's been great, she's produced Tisbutadream, Creative Force, Persuasive; they've all been good horses. Creative Force is running in Group 1s and just needs to get his head in front. He's not big in stature but no one has told him he's a small horse. When he has the tack on he's every bit as big as anybody else. He has a great attitude.”

The Dark Angel yearling filly is, sadly, the last foal out of Choose Me, who died last year. Tuthill is clearly reluctant to let her go, but such is business, especially in the wake of a difficult 2020 on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I'd love to keep her, but last year's yearling sales were not great, to put it mildly,” he said. “So I'm not in the position of being able to hold on to her. So unfortunately, sadly, I have to sell her even though she's the last of the Choose Me progeny.”

Owenstown still retains a few links to the family, however, with Choose Me's sisters Aphrodite's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Spirit of Cuba (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the broodmare band. Hecuba has a colt foal by Starspangledbanner (Aus) and is back in foal to Mehmas.

Aphrodite's Angel's first foal, a grey colt by Kodiac, is in the Orby as lot 355, while Spirit of Cuba's sixth foal, an Iffraaj (GB) colt, is part of Owenstown's three-horse draft for Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

“Aphrodite's Angel has a very nice Kodiac colt,” Tuthill said. “He's a grey, he's strong, he's a good mover and straightforward. He's another one you'd like to be associated with.”

Owenstown's Orby consignment is completed by lot 169, a colt by Roaring Lion who is the third foal out of Owenstown's homebred G3 Ballyogan S. winner Penny Pepper (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who is a half-sister to Art Power. Like Choose Me, Penny Pepper descends from a Juddmonte family, her second dam Shadow Casting (GB) (Warning {GB}) having been a winner for Khalid Abdullah and Barry Hills. Tuthill bred Evening Time (Ire) (Keltos {Fr}) from Shadow Casting, and running under the ownership of Whitehead she won the 2006 Listed Flame Of Tara S. and the 2007 Listed Sweet Mimosa S. for Kevin Prendergast. That was just a year before Choose Me came onto the scene.

“Between Evening Time and Choose Me, those two fillies kept Mrs. Whitehead alive for another few years,” Tuthill said. “She was in the final years of her life and they gave her such excitement and such reason to keep going. It was great that even as she was becoming more frail she still had something to shout for. I can remember her being cautioned in hospital for making too much noise shouting at the television. She had a lot of fun with them and they've both been great producers.”

Penny Pepper and Art Power are two of Evening Time's three stakes winners; she is also responsible for the Listed Prix Ronde de Nuit winner Morning Frost (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) and the American listed-placed Shaan (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). Penny Pepper's first two foals, a 3-year-old filly by Dragon Pulse (Ire) named Penny Pulse (Ire) and a 2-year-old colt by Dark Angel (Ire) named The Grey Wolf (Ire), are as-yet unraced, but Tuthill said the Roaring Lion colt shows all the signs of being something good.

“He's got great presence–there's plenty of horse there,” he said. “He's very nice; a big, powerful colt. He's everything you'd hope to produce. He really has a look that says, 'come and look at me, I'm going to be something special.' It was such a shame that Roaring Lion himself had such a short life, because if the rest of his progeny are anything like my lad, he would have made such a mark on the pedigrees.”

Mares like Choose Me and Evening Time are key to shaping the modern history of Owenstown, which was established by Englishman Major Dickson in Maynooth, Co. Kildare shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Owenstown and Dickson's neighboring Moygaddy Stud were managed by Tuthill's grandfather Frank Tuthill. When Major Dickson opted to return to England in the midst of the political unrest in Ireland, he offered Frank Tuthill the opportunity to buy his studs. Tuthill could only afford one and chose Owenstown, and he soon embarked on a highly successful run as a breeder in his own right. The most famous Thoroughbred produced at Owenstown under Frank Tuthill's tutelage was the Oaks and 1000 Guineas winner Musidora, while other Classic winners reared there during that time period included Indiana, Humble Duty and Cavan. Frank Tuthill later handed Owenstown off to his niece, Averil Whitehead, who bred the likes of Indian Ridge-a dual Royal Ascot winner and influential sire-and G3 Rockfel S. winner Negligent in the early days of her Owenstown reign. Whitehead remained keenly involved in the running of the stud until her death in 2010.

“Mrs. Whitehead handed it over to me 25 years ago and I ran it very much with her until she died and I've continued on myself,” Tuthill said. “My core business is breeding and selling yearlings, but I also board mares, either long term, permanent boarders or some short term ones through the breeding season. We would foal about 50 mares and we'd have some mares that would come in to visit Irish stallions.”

In addition to his Orby and Tattersalls Book 2 drafts, Tuthill has yearlings to sell at this week's Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale as well as the Goffs Sportsman's Sale and Tattersalls October Book 3. He said he is hoping to go some way toward healing the damage done during last year's pandemic-ravaged season.

“I'm expecting the market to be stronger than last year,” he said. “My perception is that people want to shake off the horrors of Covid and I think there is an appetite to buy some horses and get racing again and try to get the normality and the enjoyment out of the sport. I hope that positivity is reflected in good yearling prices and certainly I'm hoping I have a good year to in some way make up for last year.”

With a select group of yearlings by commercial sires from current top-class female families, there is every reason to believe the shrewdest buyers should be shopping at Owenstown Stud.

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Godolphin, Appleby Go 1-2 In Jersey Stakes At Royal Ascot

Trainer Charlie Appleby and Godolphin enjoyed a 1-2 in the G3 Jersey Stakes, with Creative Force just getting the better of Naval Crown.

The James Doyle-ridden Creative Force was making it four wins from four starts this season in the seven-furlong contest, beating Naval Crown and William Buick by a length and a quarter. Buick would likely have had the difficult choice between the stablemates, and the betting market couldn't split them either, with both starting as 5-1 joint-favorites.

Vadream outran her odds of 28-1 by taking the third spot, beaten a further three-quarters of a length by the front two.

Appleby was enjoying his second Royal Ascot winner of the week and his 11th in total. He said: “Both horses turned up in great order and full credit to the team. I worked them together probably about 10 days ago and said to Marie [Murphy] and Alex [Merriam], the assistants, 'we don't want to be doing that again' as they are both very genuine horses and it was a stronger piece of work than I ideally wanted. But it just showed their wellness.

“From William's point of view, he knew when he chose Naval Crown… he said to me 'Charlie, it is such a hard choice – I'm going to do what I'm going to do and it could tee up quite nicely for Creative Force'. Full credit to everybody, full credit to the lads, they've given both of them a great ride and it's obviously nice to come here and have a 1-2.

“We were hopeful on Creative Force's pedigree and what he has shown us at home in his attitude – and the way he is finishing out in his gallops and his races – that stepping up to seven furlongs would be within his realm, and he's gone and duly obliged today.

“James has given him a lovely ride. He knew he had to sit a bit patient on him stepping up over this trip and on this ground, and as James said on his way in, he is a very brave horse. I'm delighted first and foremost for the team – it's great to get a second winner on the board this week.

“I think we'll probably look at something like the Prix Maurice de Gheest; drop back half a furlong to six and a half. He's got bags of pace there, travels well, and picks up well, so I think that'll be a nice race there to suit his profile. Potentially, the likelihood is the same for Naval Crown – they might just have to take each other on again, and see if we can reverse the form.”

Doyle, registering his 17th Royal Ascot victory, said: “We have hit the crossbar a couple of times this week, but I was quietly confident with this horse. I just loved Creative Force at Newbury. You go back through his form and he has beaten two subsequent Royal Ascot winners. It was difficult for William as Creative Force and Naval Crown were priced up as joint-favorites earlier this week. It was a big choice and it worked out for me today.

“Creative Force went through the ground, no problem. The draw was the only slight worry, especially with the lack of pace around us. I was hoping Richard Kingscote would lead our group, but he wanted to take a lead, so I thought we could be in trouble. But he's a brave horse, he did it all by himself from two and a half furlongs, with no targets to follow, so full credit to him.

“I just could have done with more targets really, but obviously the field split into two groups. I kind of was trying to keep an eye on what the guys were doing on the stands' side, but it's not easy because it can muck things up a little bit. We just had to be a bit brave and mindful of the trip, obviously, but his dam stayed alright.

“Full credit to Charlie, I can't thank him enough. All his team have done a fantastic job and it's nice for us to have winners at these meetings.”

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