Brother of St Mark’s Basilica Set For Curragh Bow

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations features a brother to five-time Group 1 winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

 

14.00 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, 7fT
Bob Scarborough's prolific mare Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has excelled in the paddocks with her nine foals headed by MG1SW sire Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and five-time Group 1-winning phenomenon St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Next in line is the Jessica Harrington-trained PARIS LIGHTS (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}), a full-brother to the latter and a 650,000gns vendor buy-back at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1, who gets the assistance of Conor Hoban in this debut for a yard firing on all cylinders. He encounters three from Ballydoyle, and more, in an intriguing 17-runner affair. Coolmore and Westerberg's China Seas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full-brother to elite-level winners Hermosa (Ire), Hydrangea (Ire) and The United States (Ire) and also hails from the family of Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. heroine Tenebrism (Caravaggio). Set to be partnered by Emmet McNamara, the bay is accompanied by Aidan O'Brien stablemates Cougar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), an unraced son of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Criterium International placegetter Promise To Be True (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and Temple of Artemis (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is a full-brother to three stakes performers headed by G1 Irish Derby and G1 Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher (Ire). Elsewhere on the cast list, Joseph O'Brien has nominated another debutant of note and introduces Alvaro Odriozola Arzallus' Sir Antonino (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is a 300,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 son of G3 Sceptre S. third and G1 Cheveley Park S. fourth Terror (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

14.20 Epsom, Nov, £19,000, 2yo, 8f 113yT
Godolphin's GOLDSPUR (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is a homebred son of G1 Prix Vermeille second Pomology (Arch), dished out a 6 1/2-length shellacking to Wolsey (Kitten's Joy), himself kin to last year's GI American Oaks heroine Duopoly (Animal Kingdom), when earning 'TDN Rising Stardom' in a Sept. 15 one-mile test at Sandown last time. Upped in trip and taking an early sighter of Tattenham Corner here, he is confronted by a field of four prior winners, headed by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's similarly unbeaten Merlin's Lady (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who is a 320,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 full-sister to MGSW GI Belmont Derby Invitational third Hunting Horn (Ire) and comes back off a seven-furlong Ayr debut score for the Kevin Ryan stable last month.

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Snowfall Dominant In The Yorkshire Oaks

Another group 1, another wide-margin success for the rampant Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) who emulated User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), Ramruma (Diesis {GB}), Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in adding Thursday's Darley Yorkshire Oaks to her Epsom and Irish Oaks victories. Anchored with only Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) behind as her stable's La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) set an honest tempo, the 8-15 favourite tracked Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) into the straight but was left in front as her chief rival paid for her free-running tendency. On her own for the last 2 1/2 furlongs, Ballydoyle's sixth winner of this prestige event hit the line with four lengths to spare over Albaflora, with La Joconde sticking on for third, 2 3/4 lengths away. Wonderful Tonight was ultimately disappointing in fourth, beaten 8 1/2 lengths in total. “It felt like a truly-run race and as soon as I moved on her she was there very quickly,” jockey Ryan Moore commented. “The race was as good as over from the four to be honest, she felt exceptional today. I thought Wonderful Tonight was a genuine top-level performer and maybe we didn't see the best of her today for whatever reason, but she keeps winning her races well and you can't ask her for anymore than that. The last two furlongs, there was no real serious question asked and she's very, very good.”

Snowfall's underwhelming juvenile campaign has been well-documented by now, with seven outings beginning over an extended five furlongs at Navan in June and culminating in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October, where she was the subject of a case of mistaken identity with the stable's other Classic heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Those runs yielded just one maiden win over seven furlongs at The Curragh and one placing, which was on that aforementioned racecourse bow, but it was in this track's G3 Musidora S. that the watershed came at a now-laughable starting price of 14-1 on her 3-year-old re-introduction May 12. Ryan Moore thought best to leave her to Frankie for the Oaks June 4 and he was made to suffer on Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) as she bounded clear to set a record-winning distance in the easy ground.

Her subsequent Irish Oaks romp at The Curragh July 17 was enough to convince any remaining doubters as to her merit, but this served as a new examination taking on the likes of the proven Wonderful Tonight. While David Menuisier was happy to let that G1 Prix de Royallieu and G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine run on this ever-quickening surface, she over-raced for William Buick even allowing for having an ideal target in the 150-1 outsider La Joconde. Hollie Doyle enjoyed a real tune from that freewheeling runner as she had when also riding for this stable in the Dante here in May and she managed to see off all bar the rearguard, with the winner in a class of her own and Albaflora providing Kirsten Rausing with another highlight in a stellar 2021 and a second consecutive runner-up placing in this after Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) followed home Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 12 months ago. With Wonderful Tonight running well below-par, the clock remained the only true guide to Snowfall's performance and three impressive sub 12-second splits in the straight saw her set the fastest time in this race since Catchascatchcan (GB) (Pursuit of Love {GB}) in 1998.

“She'd been doing everything well and was thriving at home and putting on weight,” Aidan O'Brien said. “She is very relaxed and has got very professional. Ryan said he ended up being there way too early, but that's what she does–she quickens very well. I was a little bit taken aback by her in the parade ring and how well she had done–she looked like a filly that was going to come on for the run and she's matured from a baby 3-year-old into a very mature one. The lads will decide whether she takes another run before the [Oct. 3] Arc, either at Longchamp or Leopardstown and it doesn't matter about the ground with her. If St Mark's Basilica comes back for Leopardstown, she could go to Longchamp. She gets a mile and a half very well, has everything going for her and has a beautiful mind. She had a few blips last year, but it might have worked to her advantage as she learnt a lot before she ran in anything big. That experience of travelling to England is really showing now and it's very interesting the way it's happening for her. She is a filly that travels very well and is behaving like a filly older than she is, so it's very exciting.”

Ralph Beckett said of Albaflora, “There was a great deal of discussion whether we were even going to run, but she was really well and thriving at home. When the ball is at your feet you have to kick it. We didn't win, I'm not sure we ever thought we were going to but I was pretty sure she'd run well if things went our way. She enjoys being ridden like that. To go and do that today when she's really a soft-ground filly as well is great.”

Wonderful Tonight's trainer David Menuisier was far from downbeat as he retained laser-focus on the Arc. “William [Buick]'s report was that she's not the same filly on good ground as she is on soft,” he explained. “I told him before the race if he felt she wasn't going on it to look after her. The plan today was to give her a good blow before the next step with the Arc as the target and that's what we did. I'm really happy with the run, considering the conditions were not in her favour so I think there was no harm done. Last year when she ran in the Vermeille on good-to-firm ground she ran a similar race to today, we know when the ground gets softer she can easily improve by 10 lengths or more. She's basically the same filly she was last year on this sort of ground and that is why I'm not disappointed. We had to give it a go as I wanted her to have two races before the Arc, as we saw at Goodwood that when she gets fresh she is keen. Her next race will be at Longchamp, but it could be the [Sept. 12 G2] Prix Foy rather than the [G1] Prix Vermeille, because the fillies are better than the colts this year!”

Snowfall is the first foal out of the G3 Give Thanks S. and Listed Staffordstown Stud S. winner and G2 Blandford S. runner-up Best In the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is a full-sister to three other Galileos headed by the stable's prior G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Found (Ire) successful also in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. The others are the G3 C. L. Weld Park S. winner Magical Dream (Ire) and last year's G3 Flame of Tara S. winner Divinely (Ire), who is usually in attendance when Snowfall appears and followed her home in second in the Irish Oaks and third at Epsom before trailing in sixth here. Found is also the dam of last year's G2 Vintage S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Battleground (War Front), while they are out of the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab). Best In the World's unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Snowfall is in training at Ballydoyle and named Newfoundland (Ire), while she also has a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire).

Thursday, York, Britain
DARLEY YORKSHIRE OAKS-G1, £400,000, York, 8-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 11f 188yT, 2:26.61, gd.
1–SNOWFALL (JPN), 124, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
    1st Dam: Best In the World (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $141,246), by Galileo (Ire)
    2nd Dam: Red Evie (Ire), by Intikhab
    3rd Dam: Malafemmena (Ire), by Nordico
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Roncon, Chelston Ire, Wynatt (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £226,840. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire, 11-5-0-1, $974,271. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Albaflora (GB), 133, f, 4, Muhaarar (GB)–Almiranta (GB), by Galileo (Ire). O/B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £86,000.
3–La Joconde (Ire), 124, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Wadyhatta (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). (850,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Westerberg; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £43,040.
Margins: 4, 2 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.53, 16.00, 150.00.
Also Ran: Wonderful Tonight (Fr), Loving Dream (GB), Divinely (Ire), Eshaada (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Deep Impact’s Snowfall Routs The Irish Oaks Field

It was a mere 8 1/2-length margin on Saturday as Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) read the script to become the 15th filly to follow up her G1 Epsom Oaks success in The Curragh's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. Always travelling comfortably in fourth under Ryan Moore, the 2-7 favourite coasted to the lead two out and powered clear in now-customary fashion to put safe distance between her and stablemate Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with Nicest (Ire) (American Pharoah) half a length back in third. While there was no repeat of her astounding 16-length victory in the June 4 Classic, this still represented another impressive marker laid down to the rest of Europe's middle-distance leaders by Ballydoyle's latest sensation. “She's a high-class filly, is straightforward and she has done what she was entitled to do,” commented Ryan Moore, who after a barren spell was bringing up a fourth group 1 or grade I win for the stable in five in the space of two weeks. “We went a good honest pace and we had to fight for a little bit of room off the bend, but she has plenty of class. She has done nothing wrong this year and is very exciting. I wouldn't say anything is too much of a problem for this filly.”

Breaking her maiden in the seven-furlong maiden at this meeting 12 months ago, having almost been brought down when clipping heels on her second start over the same course and distance, Snowfall gradually slipped down the pecking order with four efforts hardly screaming dual Classic winner at three. Fourth in Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. and fifth in the G2 Debutante S. here in August, she was ninth in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. in September prior to running eighth when mistaken for Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October. Amazingly, she was 14-1 when dismissing the much-vaunted pair of Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}) and Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Musidora S. over an extended 10 furlongs at York May 12 and passed over by Moore in favour of Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Oaks and it was Frankie Dettori who enjoyed the long-to-be-remembered cruise through the Epsom feature as a result.

Anything other than an emphatic win here would have been questioned and Snowfall did not disappoint to provide Aidan O'Brien with a sixth renewal to take him level with Sir Michael Stoute for the record. “She's very smart and she has a lot of quality,” he said. “We purposely let her down a little bit from Epsom, because the season is going to roll on and it was soft ground there. The plan was to come here, go on to the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks [at York Aug. 19] and then she'd be ready for the autumn. I'm delighted with her and she's done very well from Epsom physically, she's got very big and strong. Ryan said she has a lot of speed. She goes very strong and she finishes out very well.”

Reflecting on last term, the master of Rosegreen added, “She's a filly that always had a lot of natural ability and we had to get her to relax a little bit, so we didn't worry too much about it as we were always concentrating on switching her off. Things went against her. Her first run was over five-and-a-half furlongs in Navan and Mother Earth was second. Then she came back here to a maiden and Seamus nearly fell off her. That's why it took a few runs to win a maiden and it might have been a blessing in disguise, as she became very mature and grown up from it mentally. Because she was busy early in the season it might have took it's toll at the end of the season, even though she was perfect mentally. She and Mother Earth ran in the Fillies' Mile and we were nearly siding with her over Mother Earth. That's what we always thought of her. We always thought fast ground was her thing and I was very worried in Epsom about her with that ground.”

Bred in the purple she carries, Snowfall is the first foal out of Best In the World (Ire) by the much-missed Galileo (Ire) whose two successes came in the G3 Give Thanks S. and the Listed Silken Glider S. and who was also runner-up in the G2 Blandford S. She is a full-sister to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Found (Ire), who the winner could stand comparison with in time, as well as the G3 Weld Park S. winner Magical Dream (Ire) and the G3 Flame of Tara S. scorer Divinely (Ire) who was third in the Epsom Oaks and runner-up here. Found is in turn the dam of last year's G2 Vintage S. and Listed Chesham S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and G1 St James's Palace S.-placed Battleground (War Front). The second dam is the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab). Best In the World has the unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Snowfall named Newfoundland (Ire) and a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire).

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS-G1, €448,000, Curragh, 7-17, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:34.36, gd.
1–SNOWFALL (JPN), 128, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Best In The World (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $141,246), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Red Evie (Ire), by Intikhab
3rd Dam: Malafemmena (Ire), by Nordico
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Roncon, Chelston Ire, Wynatt (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €232,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 10-4-0-1, $667,020. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Divinely (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Red Evie (Ire). by Intikhab. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €80,000.
3–Nicest (Ire), 128, f, 3, American Pharoah–Chicquita (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €40,000.
Margins: 8HF, HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.29, 11.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Willow (Ire), Party House (Ire), La Joconde (Ire), Ahandfulofsummers (Ire), Mariesque (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Deep Impact’s Danon Kingly Salutes in Yasuda Kinen

Danox Inc.'s Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) dethroned MG1SW Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in her bid to win back-to-back G1 Yasuda Kinens, with a narrow victory at Tokyo on Sunday. It was the 5-year-old entire's first win at the highest level after he had been placed in a pair of Classics in 2019 and the race is a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile this fall.

Sent off at 47-1, Danon Kingly perched three deep in midfield as Daiwa Cagney (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) rattled off fractions of :23.30 for the opening quarter and :46.40 for the half-mile over the firm turf. Winding up for his bid on the far turn, the bay fanned widest of all bar two at the 400-metre mark. He was soon in touch with the leaders, but inside the final furlong, anyone of four were in with a shot.

Favoured at 50 cents on the dollar, Gran Alegria, who had arrived on the scene from farther back than Danon Kingly, thrust her head in front in the shadow of the wire towards the inside, but the winner was flashing home even more strongly and got his head down first at the line. It was only a half-length back to Group 1 winner Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in third to the inside of Danon Kingly, while only a neck separated him from fourth-place Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who'd won this affair in 2019, and was sandwiched between the second and third home.

“He felt a bit tense first entering the track but he had good rhythm during the trip and had plenty of horse left,” said jockey Yuga Kawada. “He responded just as I hoped turning the last corner and ran well after that. Although he hasn't been

able to put in the best results in the past, he has definitely demonstrated his true strength today and I'm happy to have been a part of it in my first time in the saddle.”

Unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile and in his 3-year-old bow, the 2019 G3 Kyodo News Hai, Danon Kingly ran third in the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas and went one better in the G1 Japanese Derby in May of that year. Given some time off, he returned with a win in the G2 Mainichi Okan that October and, after an unplaced run in the G1 Mile Championship, returned at four to take the G2 Nakayama Kinen first up over 1800 metres last March. Third in the G1 Osaka Hai last April, he ran unplaced in both the 2020 Yasuda Kinen and in the Nov. 1 G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn). This was his first start at five.

Pedigree Notes

Danon Kingly is the 51st Group 1 winner for his late sire, who celebrated another Classic winner in the past few days with record 16-length G1 Cazoo Oaks heroine Snowfall (Jpn). Of the former Shadai stallion's 175 black-type winners and 142 group winners, 16 are out of Storm Cat mares. Group 1 winners A Shin Hikari (Jpn), Loves Only You (Jpn), Kizuna (Jpn), Satono Aladdin (Jpn), Real Steel (Jpn), Study Of Man (Ire), Lachesis (Jpn) and Ayusan (Jpn) are bred on this cross. Of these nine, four won Classics in Japan and France.

A winner at three, My Goodness's first foal is G3 Capella S. victor Danon Legend (Macho Uno), who was purchased for $385,000 out of the Barretts March sale in 2012 and sent to Japan. Her 2012 produce was the Japanese listed winner Danon Good (Jpn) (Elusive Quality). Danon Kingly is the most decorated of her nine offspring, while he is also a half-brother to the 3-year-old colt Danon Velocity (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), a 2-year-old full-brother to Danon Velocity and a yearling filly by Heart's Cry (Jpn) yet to come. My Goodness, a half-sister to American Champion 3-Year-Old Colt West Coast (Flatter), a winner of the GI Travers S. and GI Pennsylvania Derby, visited the court of Epiphaneia (Jpn) last spring.

The duo are out of U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Caressing (Honour and Glory), whose biggest claim to fame was a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but who also struck twice at Grade III level Stateside. She, in turn, was a half-sister to Listed Natalma S. heroine Platinum Blonde (Silver Hawk). This is the extended family of GI Donn H., GI Meadowlands Cup H. and GI Gulfstream Park H. hero Sea Cadet (Bolger), as well as GII Del Mar Futurity victor and GI Champagne S. third On Target (Forty Niner), both later sires.

 

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
YASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥252,260,000, Tokyo, 6-6, 3yo & up, 1600mT, 1:31.70, firm
1–DANON KINGLY (JPN), 128, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: My Goodness, by Storm Cat
                2nd Dam: Caressing, by Honour and Glory
                3rd Dam: Lovin Touch, by Majestic Prince
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Danox Inc.; B-Mishima Bokujo (Jpn);
T-Kiyoshi Hagiwara; J-Yuga Kawada. ¥132,982,000. Lifetime
Record: 12-6-1-2. *1/2 to Danon Legend (Macho Uno), GSW
-Jpn, $3,324,208; and Danon Good (Jpn) (Elusive Quality), SW-J
pn, $1,161,123. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gran Alegria (Jpn), 123, m, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Tapitsfly, by
Tapit. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥52,876,000.
3–Schnell Meister (Ger), 119, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Serienholde
(Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern
Farm (Ger); ¥33,438,000.
Margins: HD, HF, NK. Odds: 46.60, 0.50, 9.20.
Also Ran: Indy Champ (Jpn), Taurus Gemini (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), Danon Premium (Jpn), Salios (Jpn), Gibeon (Jpn), Cadens Call (Jpn), Daiwa Cagney (Jpn), Catedral (Jpn), Karate (Jpn), Lauda Sion (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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