Curragh Group 1 Double For Dubawi As Eldar Eldarov Takes The Irish Leger

Connections of Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) can be satisfied that Sunday's G1 Irish St Leger went by without drama, but the glory was with KHK Racing's TDN Rising Star Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–All At Sea {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) as he returned to form to provide his sire with a group 1 double on the Curragh's star-studded card. Putting a largely underwhelming summer behind him, having been seventh in the G1 Gold Cup and fourth in the G1 Goodwood Cup, the 16-5 second favourite enjoyed a perfect tow from Yashin (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) until taking over approaching two out.

With the 4-6 favourite Kyprios in pursuit, the Roger Varian-trained G1 St Leger hero had to keep it up but he kept answering David Egan to beat the Ballydoyle star by 3 1/2 lengths, with Dawn Rising (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 2 3/4 lengths away in third. The field had been cut to four following the withdrawal of Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), but what this renewal lost in numbers it made up for in terms of quality with the market confidence in Kyprios notable.

For Egan, the win was especially important given his connection to the area. “I had my first Classic winner last year, but to do it where I grew up at Osborne Lodge, which is at the five-furlong pole, means a lot,” he said. “It's what dreams are made of and for all the team connected with the horse. My first main job was riding out for Willie McCreery, who I saw today, and he was a great man to learn from and gave me a lot of experience and taught me a lot. He has a tendency to miss the break, but the race went so smooth, he was a race-fit horse today and was as tough as nails.”

Eldar Eldarov, who had earned TDN Rising Star status on his debut at Nottingham in October 2021, also won the G2 Queen's Vase last June but with three of his four outings after the St Leger seeing him finish out of the frame there were the beginnings of doubts as to whether he was going the wrong way. Varian was relieved, but unwilling to accept that he had been disappointing this year. “He's run some great races in defeat this year and it's nice to win two Legers,” he said. “He's entered up in France on Arc weekend and there is the two-mile race at Ascot. He seems to be really best at a mile and six furlongs, but there aren't too many of those races around. He deserves to run one more time this year and it's most likely Ascot.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Kyprios, “A lot of people have done a lot of work to get him to here–all of the vets have done incredible work to get him back. We didn't think we would ever see this day, so to have him back and be happy and for Ryan to be happy is something. He's going to come on a lot and Ascot looks lovely for him. He will have a nice bit of time before now and then and will love going round there. It would be great to see him come back to what he was and this was a great comeback run.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Putting the icing on the cake for Dubawi on the afternoon, Eldar Eldarov hails from a family of Kirsten Rausing's finest performers. Out of the Listed Prix de Liancourt winner All At Sea, whose first foal was the listed-placed A La Voile (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and fourth is this year's G3 Gallinule S. third Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion). The second dam is the three-times group 1-winning Albanova (GB) (Alzao), responsible for the G3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup winner Algometer (GB) (Archipenko), the Listed Stand Cup S. scorer Alignak (GB) by the Sea The Stars's son Sea The Moon (Ger) and the listed winner Alwilda (GB) (Hernando {Fr}).

Alwilda has made her name by producing the six-times group 1-winning Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), while the listed-winning third dam Alouette (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) also produced Albanova's dual G1 Champion S.-winning full-sister Alborada (GB) whose descendants include the G2 City of York S. winner Shine So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}).

All At Sea is also connected to the G1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine Allegretto (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Alzao's G2 Nassau S. winner Last Second (Ire) who is in turn the dam of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulians-winning sire Aussie Rules, as well as the pair of Sadler's Wells group 1 winners Yesterday (Ire) and Quarter Moon (Ire). Her unraced 2-year-old filly by Study of Man (Ire) is named A La Belle Etoile (Ire), she has a yearling colt by Lope De Vega (Ire) bought as a foal for 300,000gns by Brooklyn Bloodstock at Tatts December who is due to sell at next month's Tatts Book 1 Sale, and a filly foal again by Study Of Man.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
COMER GROUP INTERNATIONAL IRISH ST LEGER-G1, €600,000, Curragh, 9-10, 3yo/up, 14fT, 3:01.72, g/y.
1–ELDAR ELDAROV (GB), 137, c, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
     1st Dam: All At Sea (GB) (MSW-Fr, $133,622), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Albanova (GB), by Alzao
     3rd Dam: Alouette (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
TDN Rising Star. (£110,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR; £480,000 2yo '21 ARQDEA). O-KHK Racing Ltd; B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Roger Varian; J-David Egan. €348,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 10-5-1-0, $1,202,836. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Kyprios (Ire), 137, h, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Polished Gem (Ire), by Danehill. O-Moyglare/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg; B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €120,000.
3–Dawn Rising (Ire), 137, g, 6, Galileo (Ire)–Devoted To You (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-J P McManus; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €60,000.
Margins: 3HF, 2 3/4, 5. Odds: 3.20, 0.67, 3.50.
Also Ran: Yashin (Ire). Scratched: Emily Dickinson (Ire).

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Lope De Vega’s Enfjaar A New TDN Rising Star

On another big day for Shadwell, the 3-year-old bow of Enfjaar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}–Tesoro {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) could easily have gone under the radar were it not for the deep impression the operation's latest TDN Rising Star created on Chelmsford's Polytrack. Having had the current Derby favourite Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) back in fourth when scoring on debut over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October, the Roger Varian-trained bay was the 4-7 favourite for the card's Racing Welfare Novice S. over a mile and broke smartly before being restrained.

A touch fresh tracking the leading pair throughout the early stages, the 240,000gns Tatts December Foal Sale graduate ranged alongside Lion Tamer (GB) (Roaring Lion) a furlong out and was soon in total command. Surging clear for David Egan, he had an impressive six lengths to spare over that Gosden representative at the line to become the sire's 13th TDN Rising Star. Among them are some big names such as Newspaperofrecord (Ire), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) and Aunt Pearl (Ire).

The dam, a full-sister to the GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo Drive S. heroine Photo Call (Ire), is also a half to the G2 Richmond S.-winning sire Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never). They are out of the G3 Summer S. winner Theann (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), one of three group winners produced by the electric G2 King's Stand S. and G2 Temple S.-winning sprinter Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) including the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. winner Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}).

Halfway To Heaven was in turn responsible for the seven-times group-1 winning Magical (Ire) and triple group 1-winning Rhododendron (Ire) from matings with Tesoro's sire Galileo, with the latter responsible for last year's G1 Futurity hero and possible imminent Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Cassandra Go's other pattern-race scorer is Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), whose career highs came in the G3 Abernant S. and G3 Sandown Sprint S. and who is now the dam of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). Tesoro's 2-year-old full-brother to Enfijaar named Nahy (Fr) caused a stir at the Book 1 Sale when going to Nawara Stud for 525,000gns, while her yearling colt by Almanzor (Fr) was a 72,000gns purchase by GHS Bloodstock at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

4th-Chelmsford City, £11,000, Novice, 5-25, 3yo/up, 8f (AWT), 1:35.79, st.
ENFJAAR (IRE), c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)
     1st Dam: Tesoro (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Theann (GB), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
(240,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $13,376. O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-James Wigan (IRE); T-Roger Varian. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Hearts Concerto Looms a Double-Digit Danger in Hopeful

Wednesday's Hopeful S. is the last of 24 Group 1 events on the JRA circuit for 2022 and the event has attracted a wide-open group of juveniles who will try to prove their mettle over the 2000-metres.

Hearts Concerto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) could offer value relative to what he's accomplished in his two racetrack appearances to date. The bay dismantled a group of newcomers by eight resounding lengths as the 9-10 chalk going this trip at Chukyo Sept. 18 and was the hot favourite for the nine-furlong G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S. at headquarters Nov. 19. It all went wrong when he walked out of the stalls, spotting his rivals several lengths, but he closed off in a race-best :33.8 to finish a good third to the re-opposing Gastrique (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}). He was trading at better than 10-1 on the JRA tote as of this writing.

“He missed the break [last time] and was left behind, and that really hurt,” said trainer Ryo Takei. “His preparation after that race has all gone smoothly. I think the extra distance is a plus and the conditions are better for him here.”

Mikki Cappuccino (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) is perfect in his two starts, each over 10 furlongs. A narrow debut winner, with future Group 3 winner Gruner Green (Jpn) (Lovely Day {Jpn}) third, at Tokyo Oct. 9, he jumped out of the ground in the final furlong and shot away to take a course-and-distance allowance by a widening 3 1/2 lengths when last seen Dec. 3. Keita Tosaki will have to work out a trip from barrier 18.

Since finishing third in an 1800-metre heat at Hakodate in July, King's Reign (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) has won back-to-back races, including a 1 1/2-length tally in a one-win class allowance over the 2000 metres at Tokyo in early November. Christophe Lemaire retains the ride.

J Palms (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) is a son of the American-bred mare Killer Graces (Congaree), making him a half-brother to last year's Hopeful hero Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). He got his career off on a popular and winning note in his lone career start, carrying Lemaire to a three-length victory at odds of 2-5 in a Tokyo newcomers' event Nov. 5. David Egan, who has ridden nine winners from 52 rides on his current short-term contract in Japan, takes the call for Noriyuki Hori.

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Full Brother To Aunt Pearl Impresses At Kempton

There was an exciting newcomer in action at Kempton on Monday as Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Icon (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) made light work of the seven-furlong British EBF Novice S. A full-brother to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and GII Jessamine S. winner and $3million Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale sensation Aunt Pearl (Ire), the Roger Varian-trained bay travelled strongly towards the rear with the anchor down throughout the early stages. Building a head of steam in early straight, the 4-1 shot struck the front passing the furlong pole and stayed on powerfully to score by 3 1/4 lengths from Elnajmm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

“I've not had many horses gallop out past the line the way he did there,” jockey David Egan said. “He is a raw horse that wouldn't have been 100 per-cent tuned up for this today, as it was an educational experience.” The dam, who proved a smart performer in Scandinavia, is also responsible for a yearling filly by Le Havre (Ire) who sold to Mike Ryan for 290,000gns at the recent Book 1 Sale, and a 2022 colt also by Lope De Vega. She is a full-sister to Wekeela (Fr) who captured the G3 Prix Chloe and GIII Matchmaker S. and was second in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary, GI Jenny Wiley S. and GI Gamely S. The family features the outstanding Monsun (Ger) and the G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Molly Malone (Fr) (Lomitas {GB}).

6th-Kempton, £14,000, Novice, 11-28, 2yo, 7f (AWT), 1:27.54, st/sl.
DRAGON ICON (IRE) (c, 2, Lope De Vega {Ire}–Matauri Pearl {Ire} {Champion 3-y-o Filly-Sca, MSP-Nor, SP-Swe, $128,209}, by Hurricane Run {Ire}) Sales history: 360,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,124. O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Ecurie des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian.

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