‘Like A Lioness’: Defending Turf Champion Tarnawa Ready For ‘Bigger Challenge’ At Del Mar

Last year's Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa has long been penciled in for this year's edition of the 1 1/2-mile race at Del Mar, veteran Irish trainer Dermot Weld revealed during an NTRA media teleconference on Wednesday, shortly after pre-entries for this year's world championships were released. Weld believes the Aga Khan's 5-year-old daughter of Shamardal is up to the challenge, despite questions about how she might handle the firm ground “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.”

“I think this is what makes a really true champion, if they can go and defend their crown over different surfaces a year apart,” Weld said. “This will be a bigger challenge than last year for her, due to the firmer ground. Equally, she is a really, really good racemare who responds to each challenge she gets.”

Tarnawa is pre-entered in both the Turf and the Filly & Mare Turf, but Weld said she would most likely run against males to defend her title in the Turf.

In order to facilitate her return trip to the United States, Tarnawa had a later-than-normal start to her 2021 campaign. She commenced with a win in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown on Aug. 5, and was subsequently beaten just three-quarters of a length by St. Mark's Basilica in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes on Sept. 11. In her third start this year, the mare put in a valiant effort to fall just shy of a win in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

“She fought like a lioness, and unfortunately we just came up short and the ground was extremely testing,” said Weld. “She's a very brave filly, very tough, very genuine. She gives 110 percent every time she runs. When she came back from Paris she was tired for about a week, so we just took it easy with her… I've been very happy with her work for the past week.”

Weld, the 21-time champion trainer in Ireland, knows what it takes to win races internationally. A qualified veterinarian, Weld took over his father's yard (Charlie Weld) at the age of 24 after gaining early experience on the backstretch of Belmont Park. He has since trained top-level winners on four continents, and he remains the only European trainer to win a leg of the American Triple Crown: the 1990 Belmont Stakes with the aptly-named Go And Go.

A year later, Weld sent raiders to Hong Kong and saddled Additional Risk to win the International Hong Kong Mile. In 1993, Weld became the first European trainer to send out a winner in Australia's Melbourne Cup when Vintage Crop captured the “race that stops a nation.” He won a second Melbourne Cup with Media Puzzle in 2002, and has won a total of 10 stakes races in the United States.

Now 73, Weld is excited to travel to Del Mar for this year's Breeders' Cup. Due to pandemic restrictions he was unable to attend the races at Keeneland in 2020, so Weld had to celebrate the first Breeders' Cup win of his career from afar. This year, Weld hopes to see Tarnawa rise to the challenge at Del Mar in person.

I appreciate that she handled what we would call good to firm ground in Kentucky, whereas I am well aware that what we face is going to be a lot quicker and is a concern,” Weld said. “I actually think she could be a slightly better mare this year. She's developed every year, and she's actually training a couple of kilos heavier than last year… She's a very professional racehorse, with such a great constitution.”

Tarnawa will be ridden by Colin Keane in the Turf, reuniting her with the jockey who piloted her to victory at Keeneland. Keane rode Tarnawa for her first two starts this year, but Christophe Soumillon was up for the Arc. Weld explained that Soumillon is the Aga Khan's retained rider in France, whereas Keane rides most of the horses in Ireland.

“(Keane) did win on her last year, and he gave her a perfect ride in the Irish Champion Stakes,” Weld said.

Weld also revealed that 2021 will be Tarnawa's final season of racing. The mare is pre-entered in the Hong Kong International Races on Dec. 12, but whether or not she makes that trip will be dependent on how she runs in the Breeders' Cup.

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Tarnawa Pleases Weld Ahead of Breeders’ Cup

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), who was a close second in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when last seen, is in good order ahead of the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Trainer Dermot Weld is pleased with High Highness The Aga Khan's homebred's preparation and she leaves for California on Oct. 29 in a bid to defend her Turf title.

“The Arc took a fair bit out of her, but she's an amazing animal with a wonderful constitution and huge determination,” Weld said. “After a week when she was tired, she has bounced right back, and I was pleased with a bit of work she did the other morning.

“She flies out with the other Irish and English contingent, about 35 horses altogether, next Friday. The track is going to be my biggest concern. It's where the surf meets the turf, and it's very firm.”

A winner of the G3 Ballyroan S. when making her 2021 debut on Aug. 5, the chestnut ran second in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 11 prior to completing the exacta in the ParisLongchamp showpiece on Oct. 3.

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Lope De Vega’s Duke De Sessa Takes The Eyrefield

After Saturday's exhilarating juvenile action at Doncaster and Saint-Cloud, Leopardstown pitched in late afternoon to offer up its own 2022 Classic hopeful in TDN Rising Star Duke de Sessa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the nine-furlong G3 Eyrefield S. Impressive over a mile at The Curragh when breaking his maiden Aug. 21, Newtown Anner Stud Farm's homebred had disappointed when sixth of seven over the same track dropping a furlong for the Sept. 12 G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and had a point to prove in a deep renewal of this prize. Waited with in rear early as Colin Keane watched the action unfold, the 11-2 shot was still at the tail of the field two out but got motoring down the outer to reel in Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) in the last 50 yards. At the line, he had prevailed by half a length, with 1 1/4 lengths back to Anchorage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in third in a race that is likely to be a source of big names from next year onwards.

“He's a lovely colt, still immature, and he'll make a lovely colt next year,” trainer Dermot Weld said. “Hopefully he'll come back for a Guineas trial and I see him potentially as an Irish 2000 Guineas horse. He just had to wait there to get him out and get him balanced and he came home exceptionally well. He has a lot of pace this horse and the lovely thing about him is that he has stamina as well. He'll be a lovely mile or mile-and-a-quarter horse for next year, please God.”

Duke de Sessa is a son of the G3 Give Thanks S. runner-up Dark Crusader (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who is a half to the Listed Yeats S. winner and G3 Stanerra S.-placed Naughty Or Nice (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The third dam Mosaique Bleue (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), who produced the GI Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup H. hero Subtle Power (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), is a half-sister to the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Muncie (Ire) also by Sadler's Wells, and the G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Mersey (GB) (Crystal Palace {Fr}). Dark Crusader's yearling and foal are full-brothers to Duke de Sessa.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
EYREFIELD S.-G3, €50,000, Leopardstown, 10-23, 2yo, 9fT, 1:56.74, gd.
1–DUKE DE SESSA (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
     1st Dam: Dark Crusader (Ire) (GSP-Ire, SP-Eng, $141,387), by Cape Cross (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Monty's Girl (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Mosaique Bleue (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (£60,000 RNA Ylg '20 GOFOR). O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Colin Keane. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $52,305. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Piz Badile (Ire), 131, c, 2, Ulysses (Ire)–That Which Is Not, by Elusive Quality. O/B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €10,000.
3–Anchorage (Ire), 131, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Vanzara (Fr), by Redoute's Choice (Aus). O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €5,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 5.50, 10.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: French Claim (Fr), Boundless Ocean (Ire), Voice of Angels (GB), Grenoble (GB), Good Heavens (Ire), Lullaby (Ire), Warren Beach (Ire), Glory Daze (Ire), Caroline Herschel (Ire), Allihies (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Search For A Song Bound For Royal-Oak

Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a two-time winner of the G1 Irish St Leger, will travel to France and contest the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 24. The 5-year-old Moyglare Stud homebred has been lightly raced this term, and ran sixth defending her Irish St Leger crown at The Curragh on Sept. 12, after winning that race in 2019/2020. She dominated the G3 Loughbrown S. at that course by 9 1/2-lengths on Sept. 26 when last seen.

Trainer Dermot Weld said, “Search For A Song will go for the Prix Royal Oak next Sunday at Longchamp. She's won two Irish St Legers so let's see if she can win a French St Leger. We did it before with Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}) who won four Irish St Legers.

“She's in great form. She was very good the last day in The Curragh and we just hope they don't get too much more rain in France.”

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