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Dubawi’s Yibir Takes The Voltigeur

Further evidence that Charlie Appleby holds all the aces in the 3-year-old middle-distance colt department was in plain view on Wednesday as Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had his turn on the Moulton Paddocks carrousel of success in York's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. Backed into 6-1 before the off, the July 8 G3 Bahrain Trophy winner who was last seen finishing sixth in the G3 Gordon S. over this 12-furlong trip at Goodwood July 29 was dropped out in rear early by James Doyle as Ballydoyle's outsider The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) set a searching pace. Making up the margin with ease to take command approaching the furlong pole, the chestnut stayed on to secure a 1 1/4-length success from the long-time leader, with Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) half a length behind in third. “When Yibir is like he was today and in the Bahrain Trophy, he is pretty straightforward,” Doyle said. “He drops his head and relaxes really well. We wanted to get the first part of the race right and then build away from there. It couldn't have worked out much better, really. He has won the Bahrain Trophy and stays very well, but he has got quite a potent kick.”

Yibir came back from a juvenile campaign which culminated in success in Newbury's prestigious Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions S. to run third behind Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in one of the strongest renewals of the G3 Sandown Classic Trial of recent times Apr. 23. Dropping his level when fourth in Chester's Listed Dee S. May 6 and when four-lengths second to the subsequent G1 Irish Derby runner-up Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Goodwood's Listed Cocked Hat S. May 21, the imposing homebred was gelded and showed instant benefit by dominating the 13-furlong Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket's July festival before flopping again in the Gordon.

With William Buick on the G2 Queen's Vase winner Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), James Doyle was able to extend his tally to three-for-three on Yibir as that stablemate and another notable contender in High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) failed to fire. With the G1 Grand Prix de Paris fourth The Mediterranean and the Juddmonte International runner-up Alenquer upholding the form of the current hot favourite for that Doncaster Classic in Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), it may be this edition diverts from its usual guise as a font of St Leger candidates. Yibir, who is unable to line up in the final Classic, came from the back in a first-time hood here along with the Gordon runner-up Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Youth Spirit and the race was ultimately run perfectly to suit.

Appleby is looking at a tilt at Belmont's GI Jockey Club Derby Sept. 18 with Yibir. “We've always held him in high regard, because he is such a powerful galloper in the mornings and I have to give a lot of credit to Shane Fetherstonhaugh, who rides him and all the team at home who have handled him,” he said. “The plan was always to leave the hood on today, bury him and get him racing the right way round. He is gelded, so we plan to have him around hopefully for the next few years and I thought it was important to get him racing back in the right manner. He is in the [Sept. 12] G1 Irish St Leger [at The Curragh], but one of our potential plans was to go to North America with him for the Jockey Club Derby. I think he would take a lot of experience there–he hasn't missed a beat this year and is a horse with some constitution. Hopefully, he can become one of those fun international campaigners. I'm disappointed with Kemari, as the drop in trip was not a concern beforehand and he didn't gallop out. We'll see if anything comes out in the wash.”

Yibir is the third black-type winner for the Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial S. scorer Rumh (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) alongside his G1 Nassau S., G1 Prix de l'Opera and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac-winning full-sister Wild Illusion (GB) and the Listed Montrose Fillies' S. scorer Really Special (GB) (Shamardal). Also a half to the G3 Prix d'Aumale runner-up Ceratonia (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), he is a grandson of the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin winner Royal Dubai (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}) connected to the GI Beverly D. heroine Royal Highness (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Also from the family of the G1 Dubai World Cup and G1 Juddmonte International hero Electrocutionist (Red Ransom), Rumh's 2-year-old colt Wild Crusade (GB) is a full-brother to the winner and Wild Illusion while her yearling colt is by Golden Horn (GB).

Wednesday, York, Britain
SKY BET GREAT VOLTIGEUR S.-G2, £150,000, York, 8-18, 3yo, c/g, 11f 188yT, 2:28.27, gd.
1–YIBIR (GB), 126, g, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Rumh (Ger) (SW-Eng), by Monsun (Ger)
2nd Dam: Royal Dubai (Ger), by Dashing Blade (GB)
3rd Dam: Reem Dubai (Ire), by Nashwan
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-James Doyle. £85,065. Lifetime Record: 10-4-1-2, $280,580. *1/2 to Really Special (GB) (Shamardal), SW-Eng, SP-UAE, $108,180; Full to Wild Illusion (GB), G1SW-Eng, MG1SW-Fr, GISP-US, $1,590,217. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–The Mediterranean (Ire), 126, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Flashy Wings (GB), by Zafonic. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £32,250.
3–Youth Spirit (Ire), 126, c, 3, Camelot (GB)–Rocana (GB), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). (€60,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV; €100,000 RNA Ylg '19 ARAUG). O-Ahmad Al Shaikh; B-Ringfort Stud & Paul Hancock (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £16,140.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NO. Odds: 6.00, 16.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Sir Lucan (Ire), Scope (Ire), High Definition (Ire), Third Realm (GB), Kemari (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Ribchester Filly Earns Rising Star Tag at Deauville

Al Shaqab Racing's Shaikha (Fr) (Ribchester {Ire}) was one of three supplementary nominations for Thursday's Prix Equidia at Deauville and justified the additional expenditure with a taking performance in the six-furlong debutantes' heat to earn 'TDN Rising Stardom'. She was sharply into stride and tracked the pace in second through the early fractions. Looming large on the bridle soon after passing the halfway mark, the 9-2 chance was not for catching once inching ahead approaching the final quarter mile and kept on powerfully under miminal urging in the latter stages to easily outclass Assyrian Queen (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) by an impressive three lengths.

Shaikha is the second foal and scorer produced by a winning half-sister to four black-type performers headed by G3 Prix du Bois victrix Keratiya (Fr) (Iron Mask) and Listed Prix Hampton winner Kerasona (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The €240,000 Arqana September yearling is a half-sister to Listed Criterium de Lyon victor and G3 Prix La Force placegetter Darkness (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). The March-foaled dark bay's second dam Kerasha (Fr) (Daylami {Ire}), herself a daughter of G3 Anglesey S. winner Keraka (Storm Bird), is a half-sister to Listed Brownstown S. victrix Kermiyana (Ire) (Green Desert) and G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot third Keramani (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}).

2nd-Deauville, €27,000, Mdn, 8-5, unraced 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:08.64, gd.
SHAIKHA (FR), f, 2, by Ribchester (Ire)
1st Dam: Kerila (Fr), by Makfi (GB)
2nd Dam: Kerasha (Fr), by Daylami (Ire)
3rd Dam: Keraka, by Storm Bird
1ST-TIME STARTER. Sales history: €240,000 Ylg '20 ARQSEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,500. O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Ecurie Haras du Cadran & Ecurie Melanie (FR); T-Andre Fabre. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Night of Thunder’s Suesa Storms to King George Glory

Unbeaten bar a latest blip in testing ground in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, George Strawbridge's Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) bounced back to her brilliant best in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood. Sent off at 7-1, the Apr. 20 G3 Prix Sigy and May 17 G3 Prix Texanita winner chased the frantic early pace which saw the four-times winner Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sitting off it throughout the early stages. Coming alive for William Buick at halfway, the Francois Rohaut-trained bay powered by Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole en route to a three-length dismissal of that fellow 3-year-old, with Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) the best of the older sprinters 1 1/2 lengths away in third. Battaash, the 2-1 favourite, found little when the crunch came and trailed in seventh. “It was an amazing performance,” the in-form Buick said after steering his sixth winner of the meeting after his success in the other “King George” at Ascot on Saturday. “She travelled through the race very strongly and had that kick at the finish off a fast pace. It was bad ground in the Commonwealth Cup and she couldn't get any cover early over six furlongs, so she ended up running her race the wrong way round there. Everyone had put a line through that and I wanted to let her travel where she was comfortable here, so it was just about getting a run. She has a great attitude and is very calm–she's just a very good filly.”

Racing for owner Georgina Cabrero and trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias initially, Suesa scored in a debutantes contest over six furlongs at Chantilly in October before following up over 5 1/2 furlongs back at that venue in the Listed Prix Yacowlef the next month. Doing enough to draw attention from George Strawbridge as a result, she provided an instant return on his investment when taking the Sigy over the Yacowlef course and distance before winning with just as much authority over six on her fourth start at Chantilly in the Texanita. Sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Commonwealth, she was beaten two out and faded to eighth after racing prominently and it was a case of back to the drawing board for connections.

Entering this aggressive test of pace something of a forgotten filly as a result, it turned out to be tailor-made for her racing style and the true Suesa was in evidence as she brushed aside some leading sprinters including Shadwell's lord of the manor in a watershed moment for this prize. Always travelling within herself following Dragon Symbol and Arecibo (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) as the race regular Ornate (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) blazed the trail, she was off the bridle and working as Battaash was still hard on the steel for Jim Crowley out wide with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. While his effort petered out remarkably quickly, Suesa's surge was relentless to make the speedy Dragon Symbol and Glass Slippers appear relatively pedestrian late on.

James Wigan, racing manager for George Strawbridge, said, “We thought she was very good before Ascot and then the rain came and the ground was bottomless. She just couldn't act on it, luckily we took her home and she was okay. Her form in France before was very impressive, but we didn't know what she'd be like over here. There aren't really many deep sprint group races in France in the summer, so this was the obvious place to come. As for a run at York [in the Aug. 20 G1 Nunthorpe S.], it depends what she is like when she gets back. She'll have had quite a lot of travelling, coming here and then going back, then coming again having already done Ascot. The [Oct. 3 G1] Abbaye will be the obvious target. There is a very good chance she will stay in training next year, as the owner is very much a sportsman.”

Oisin Murphy was left feeling deflated by another runner-up finish for Dragon Symbol. “He is better than that. It's a shame the good ones weren't drawn beside him, we followed the wrong ones,” he said. Glass Slippers' trainer Kevin Ryan was pleased with the effort of the mare on her seasonal bow. “We would like to have got a racecourse gallop into her, but the ground has been so firm everywhere. We didn't want to risk doing that,” he said. “We knew coming here she was going to need the run. We can look forward to the rest of the year now. We will have a chat over the weekend, but we will generally take the same sort of route, the race in Ireland [the Sept. 12 G1 Flying Five] I would imagine will be on the agenda. It will be a nice chat to have on Sunday morning.”

Charlie Hills was inclined to blacme the ground for the uncharacteristically tame effort of the favourite. “He had a good trip and although there was a lot of pace on the other side of the track he came into it nice and strong,” he said. “l was a little bit concerned about the going here today and he didn't handle it as well as he could have done. We were happy that he was doing everything he's done in the past few years and there was no difference really. We'll see how he comes out of this and speak to the management and Sheikha Hissa and see where we go.”

Jim Crowley added, “The ground was probably slow enough for him. He travelled well early and showed plenty of enthusiasm. Even cantering down, I thought the going was slow enough.” Shadwell's Angus Gold refused to give a kneejerk reaction, but seemed to be suggesting that retirement could beckon now. “He had an injury last year and it took him a long time to come right. He's had issues all his life and I think it's remarkable that he's back with us at all,” he commented. “I'll speak to Sheikha Hissa. He is her horse and the last thing we want to do is abuse him. After all the problems he's had and him being seven, why would we go on now? Ascot I thought was a good run given how long he had been back in the yard. Today was not so good. Obviously, Charlie and the team would like to keep him in the yard, but there comes a time for all of us.”

Suesa is out of an unraced half-sister to the Listed Radley S.-placed Sheboygan (Ire) (Grand Lodge) and daughter of the Listed Tyros S. third White Satin (Ire) (Fairy King). The latter is kin to the stakes-winning and GII Honeymoon H.-placed Chenille (Ire) (Tenby {GB}) and the group 3-placed Sweet Treat (Ire) (Orpen) connected to the dual listed-winning and dual group-placed sprinter Nights Cross (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). This is the family of the Sadler's Wells duo of luminaries Barathea (Ire) and Gossamer (GB) and the multiple group-winning sire Desert Style (Ire) (Green Desert). Sally Is the Boss, whose previous best was the Spanish champion juvenile colt Valle Inclan (Ire) (Elusive Pimpernel), also has the unraced 2-year-old filly Celebrate In Style (Ire) (Estidhkaar (Ire) and a yearling colt by The Last Lion (Ire).

Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
KING GEORGE QATAR S.-G2, £300,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 3yo/up, 5fT, :59.35, g/s.
1–SUESA (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Sally Is the Boss (Ire), by Orpen
2nd Dam: White Satin (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Canton Lightning (Ire), by Rheingold (GB)
1st GROUP 1 WIN. (€17,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-George Strawbridge; B-Thomastown Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Francois Rohaut; J-William Buick. £170,130. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Fr, 6-5-0-0, $376,852. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dragon Symbol (GB), 124, c, 3, Cable Bay (Ire)–Arcamist (GB), by Arcano (Ire). (67,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Archie Watson. £64,500.
3–Glass Slippers (GB), 125, m, 5, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O/B-Bearstone Stud Limited (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. £32,280.
Margins: 3, 1HF, 2. Odds: 7.00, 2.50, 22.00.
Also Ran: Arecibo (Fr), Keep Busy (Ire), Stone of Destiny (GB), Battaash (Ire), Art Power (Ire), Good Effort (Ire), Liberty Beach (GB), Zargun (Ger), Ornate (GB), Ubettabelieveit (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Preakness Stakes Winner Bernardini Dies Of Laminitis At Age 18

Preakness winner and Eclipse champion Bernardini has been euthanized at Jonabell Farm due to complications from laminitis.

Homebred by Sheikh Mohammed in the early days of Darley's ownership of Jonabell Farm, Bernardini won six races in a row during a dazzling 2006 sophomore campaign, earning Eclipse champion 3-year-old honors and being rated world champion 3-year-old.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the son of A.P. Indy broke his maiden in his second start at Gulfstream Park in March by almost eight lengths before capturing the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct in April. He then won in the Preakness, giving Sheikh Mohammed his first victory in an American Triple Crown race.

Later that summer, he easily won the G2 Jim Dandy and G1 Travers Stakes by nine and seven lengths at Saratoga, before a dominant six-and-three-quarter length victory in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup against older horses at Belmont Park, earning a career-best 117 Beyer. He finished his career with a runner-up finish to Invasor in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. Bernardini was piloted in all of his stakes wins by jockey Javier Castellano.

Bernardini retired to stud at Jonabell Farm for the 2007 breeding season as one of the most highly anticipated stallion prospects in recent memory. He did not disappoint. He sired no fewer than four G1 winners in his first crop: Travers and Cigar Mile winner Stay Thirsty, Woodward and Cigar Mile winner To Honor and Serve, Frizette winner A Z Warrior, plus Italian Gran Criterium winner Biondetti.

In his ensuing northern hemisphere crops, his top performers included Godolphin's homebred G1 Travers and G1 Woodward winner Alpha, Bobby Flay's G1 Humana Distaff winner Dame Dorothy, Shadwell's homebred G1 Vosburgh winner Takaful, and Stonestreet's G1 winners Cavorting and Rachel's Valentina, the latter a homebred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro's great daughter Rachel Alexandra.

Bernardini also shuttled to Australia for eight seasons between 2008 and 2015, siring G1 winners Boban, Ruud Awakening, and Go Indy Go. In total, he has sired 80 Black Type winners, 48 Graded Stakes winners, and 15 G1 winners worldwide.

In recent years, Bernardini has been making a name for himself as one of the best broodmare sires in the history of the breed. In May 2021, he became the youngest stallion ever to reach 50 Black Type winners as a broodmare sire. Bernardini currently has 54 black type winners, 32 graded stakes winners, and 11 G1 winners as a maternal grandsire, including Maxfield, Catholic Boy, Serengeti Empress, Dunbar Road, Colonel Liam and Paris Lights.

Bernardini was cared for during his 15-year tenure at Jonabell by his longtime groom, Philip Hampton.

Michael Banahan, director of farm operations for Godolphin USA, said, “Bernardini was one of a kind. From the day he was born, he exuded class. He was that crop's best foal, best yearling and best racehorse. His brilliance was only surpassed by his wonderful character. He will be sorely missed by all on the farm but especially by his handler for the past 15 years, Philip Hampton. It was an honor to be a custodian of this classic winning stallion whose legacy will live long as a broodmare sire.”

Tom Albertrani, Bernardini's trainer, said, “Bernardini was such a majestic animal. He was very talented, one of the best horses I've ever been around. I just feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to train him. He was a star.”

Jimmy Bell, President of Godolphin USA, said, “Bernardini was Sheikh Mohammed's first winner of a Triple Crown race – and a homebred one, too – and then a leading sire. We have been blessed to have him. A beautiful horse, and a lovely character, we are lucky to have so many of his daughters on the farm to continue his legacy.”

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