Australia’s Point Lonsdale In Command In The Futurity

Keeping it very simple, Ryan Moore took Saturday's G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. by the scruff of the neck on the 1-6 favourite Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and yet again the TDN Rising Star was able to gallop his rivals into the ground from the front. Returning to The Curragh at which he had made his impressive debut June 2, the 1-6 favourite was kept honest by his chief market rival Maritime Wings (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who had chased him home in the G3 Tyros S. at Leopardstown July 22. Again stretching that rival beyond his comfort zone with his relentless gallop, the bay hit the line with 4 1/4 lengths to spare as fellow Ballydoyle runner The Acropolis (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) ended up 2 1/4 lengths back in third. On a day when Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) advertised the form of his Listed Chesham S. success at Royal Ascot June 19, the full-brother to Broome (Ire) was further enhancing his reputation as he provided Aidan O'Brien with a 14th winner of this seven-furlong staging post. “He's been slowly progressing with every run and, while he always gets a lead at home in his work, there's no point if it's going to become a slow-run race,” he said. “He's a lovely straightforward horse and the plan coming here was the [G1 Dr Vincent O'Brien] National Stakes [over this course and distance Sept. 12]. He's never finished going to the line and gets seven really well. He's very like his dad, who was just beaten in the Guineas and went on to win the Derby and he's probably slicker than his brother, a lower mover who is very genuine and relaxed in every way. He takes everything in his stride and has plenty of class.”

Point Lonsdale's dam Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), whose daughter of Lope de Vega (Ire) is due to sell at the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, was successful in the Listed National S. and Bedanken S., runner-up in the GIII Appalachian S. an third in the G3 Princess Margaret S. In the year of the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud success of her 5-year-old son Broome, she looks to have unearthed another leading light in this untested colt by Galileo's Australia. Galileo's influence in this family is felt in the triple group-winning stayer Ernest Hemingway (Ire), while his son Frankel (GB) was responsible for the past Futurity winner and G1 Irish Derby runner-up Rostropovich (Ire) and the G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Toulifaut (Ire). This is also the dynasty of the stable's G1 Phoenix S. hero and proven sire Zoffany (Ire) and last year's G1 St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}). It is not entirely fanciful that the Triple Crown hero Coolmore have waited over 50 years for could spring forth from this family's mix of speed and stamina.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GALILEO IRISH EBF FUTURITY S.-G2, €100,000, Curragh, 8-21, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.75, sf.
1–POINT LONSDALE (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng & US, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(575,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €60,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 4-4-0-0, $169,990. *Full to Broome (Ire), G1SW-Fr, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSP-Eng, $978,825. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Maritime Wings (Ire), 131, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Celeste de La Mer (Ire), by Zoffany (Ire). (€82,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £58,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Jer Hickey & Aaron Langan (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €20,000.
3–The Acropolis (Ire), 131, c, 2, Churchill (Ire)–Hairy Rocket (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (€140,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Frank Dunne (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €10,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.16, 8.50, 14.00.
Also Ran: Manu Et Corde (Ire), Point Gellibrand (Ire), The Entertainer (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Kodiac’s Straight Answer Another Rising Star at The Curragh

Colin Keane had already steered Eclat de Lumiere to TDN Rising Stardom in The Curragh card's opening contest and repeated the dose to bring up a quickfire double aboard Juddmonte's 2-year-old colt Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the DMG Media Irish EBF Maiden over six furlongs at the County Kildare venue. Breaking smartly and racing under a firm grip in a prominent third initially, the 15-8 favourite slipped to sixth when angled to the centre of the track at halfway and soon had matters in hand when swooping for control at the quarter-mile marker, keeping on powerfully under late urging to easily hold Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Ire}) by 1 1/4 lengths in another TDN Rising Star performance.

“We always liked him, he's a big horse and it's all about next year with him so this is a bonus,” said assistant trainer Shane Lyons, who was saddling the third 'TDN Rising Star' for Kodiac (GB). “When we got him we were thinking the back end of the year, but he's always shown us something. He has a big stride on him and he'll prefer better ground than that [soft going]. He did that on his own, it was a genuine performance and he'll improve from it. He was doing what we've seen at home, he was very relaxed today and took it all in. We'll get him home and make a plan now.”

Straight Answer becomes the second winner from four foals and three runners for G3 Prix du Calvados, G3 Prix d'Aumale and G3 Prix de la Grotte placegetter Straight Thinking (Mizzen Mast). His dam is kin to G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Announce (GB) (Selkirk) and G3 Prix de la Grotte victrix and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro). His Listed Prix de la Calonne-winning third dam Choice Spirit (Danzig) is a half-sister to the brillant G1 Dewhurst S. victor and record-breaking G1 2000 Guineas hero Zafonic (Mr. Prospector) and his G3 Prix de Cabourg-winning full-brother Zamindar. Straight Thinking has a yearling colt by Oasis Dream (GB) to come.

2nd-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 8-21, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.44, sf.
STRAIGHT ANSWER (IRE), c, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Straight Thinking (MGSP-Fr), by Mizzen Mast
2nd Dam: Hachita, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Choice Spirit, by Danzig
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,584. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Caravaggio’s Agartha Makes All In The Debutante

Acquired by Scott Heider after her success in Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. July 22, Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) led her rivals a merry dance in the next seven-furlong stepping stone for the leading juvenile fillies in Saturday's G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S. at The Curragh. Sent off the 4-1 co-favourite, the bay who was belatedly breaking her maiden last time was sent straight to the front by Declan McDonogh and never looked like being pegged back en route to a two-length defeat of the outsider Sunset Shiraz (Ire) (Time Test {GB}). One of the other co-favourites Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), the full-sister to Alpha Centauri (Ire), was 2 1/2 lengths behind in third as most of the big names cracked under the pressure. “She's unreal, she's tough and Declan said she seems to go on any ground,” trainer Joseph O'Brien's assistant Brendan Powell said. “Last time out he made plenty of use of her and he's done the same today. You could see them trying to come at her one by one. She seems to stay well, she gallops well and puts her head down. Most of all she's an absolute trier. It's only onwards and upwards with her. She's tough and hardy.”

Agartha, whose maiden defeats over shorter trips came behind the smart types Prettiest (Dubawi {Ire}) and Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), was second to TDN Rising Star Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) stepping up to this trip for the first time at Leopardstown July 8 prior to her dynamic Silver Flash display. Bred by the O'Briens, the dam Arya Tara (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who started at Ballydoyle before joining this stable took the 14-furlong Listed Stanerra S. and was third in the G3 Irish St Leger Trial over that trip. Blended with the speed influence Caravaggio, Agartha is the result of that experiment and a notable first foal to be followed by a yearling son of Churchill (Ire). This is an Aga Khan family featuring the G1 Prix Ganay hero Astarabad (Alleged), the high-class Azamour (Ire) (Night Shift) and the six-times group 1-winning The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
ALPHA CENTAURI DEBUTANTE S.-G2, €100,000, Curragh, 8-21, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.49, sf.
1–AGARTHA (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Arya Tara (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire)
2nd Dam: Anadiyla (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Anaza (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
O-Scott C Heider; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Declan McDonogh. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-2, $115,832. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sunset Shiraz (Ire), 128, f, 2, Time Test (GB)–Sunny Again (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (£100,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Lindsay Laroche; B-Mount Coote Estates (IRE); T-Gavin Cromwell. €20,000.
3–Discoveries (Ire), 128, f, 2, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy. O/B-Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €10,000.
Margins: 2, 2HF, HD. Odds: 4.00, 25.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Seisai (Ire), Mise Le Meas (Ire), Twinkle (Ire), Concert Hall (Ire), Hapipi Go Lucky (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Sea The Stars Filly Earns Rising Star Tag at The Curragh

She may have been a shade slowly into stride for Saturday's Irish Stallions Farms EBF Maiden at The Curragh, but Moyglare Stud Farm's 2-year-old filly Eclat de Lumiere (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was motoring at the business end of the seven-furlong contest to earn TDN Rising Star status with a degree of panache and become the 12th 'TDN Rising Star' for her sire. Overcoming a dawdling getaway and an unfavourable outside draw to track the leaders in sixth after the initial strides, the 7-2 chance made smooth headway into contention approaching the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly once launching her challenge passing the furlong marker to deny the promising effort of Benitoite (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) by a half length.

“She's a lovely filly and she had been working nicely, but she's still a very big immature filly so whether I run her again this year or not is debatable,” said trainer Dermot Weld. “The ground was probably a shade softer than ideal for her and Colin [Keane] just thought she has plenty of pace. If I run her once more again it will be in a stakes race and that will be it. I'll discuss it with her owner Eva Maria Haefner. There is the [G3] CL Weld Park S., but I wouldn't the ground too soft as she's a very good actioned filly. She's a lovely filly for next year. She had the race won from a fair bit out today and is a lovely filly in the making.”

Eclat de Lumiere becomes the seventh scorer produced by a winning daughter of stakes-winning G3 Prix Penelope third Bellona (Ire) (Bering {GB}), herself a half-sister to three black-type performers headed by G3 Prix de Flore-winning matriarch In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}). The April-foaled homebred chestnut, the latest foal for her dam, is a full-sister to G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris victrix Listen In (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and a half to G1SW Hong Kong champion Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}), G2 Lennox S.-winning sire Es Que Love (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) and Listed Midsummer S. winner Zhui Feng (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

1st-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 8-21, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.70, sf.
ECLAT DE LUMIERE (IRE), f, 2, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Es Que (GB), by Inchinor (GB)
2nd Dam: Bellona (Ire), by Bering (GB)
3rd Dam: Bellarida (Fr), by Bellypha (Ire)
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,584. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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