Wootton Bassett’s Gala Real Powers to TDN Rising Stardom at Saint-Cloud

Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti trainee Gala Real (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) notched an 11-length tally when shedding maiden status at Lyon-Parilly last November and continued on the upgrade with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in Friday's Prix Durban at Saint-Cloud.

The 73-10 chance, who had previously finished last of seven runners in her July 16 debut over seven furlongs at Chantilly, employed patient tactics from flagfall in this 10 1/2-furlong distaffers' test and settled off the tempo in sixth for the most part. Inching closer on the home turn, the daughter of Cala Violina (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) cruised to the front on the bridle passing the quarter-mile marker and was not for catching thereafter, lengthening clear under minimal urging inside the final 300 metres to easily outclass Wootton Zi (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths. Gala Real becomes the sixth Rising Star for Wootton Bassett, whose existing quintet of inductees is headed by last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere runner-up Unquestionable (Fr).

“I was devastated when she lost first time out, but she won very well on her second start and I am not surprised she won so easily today,” admitted trainer Alessandro Botti. “She enjoyed a good winter, she worked with [Christophe] Soumillon and he said she sent him great vibes. The idea, and it was already the case before she ran today, is to have her at her best for the [June 16 G1] Prix de Diane [at Chantilly] and we will try to find a race for her between now and then.”

Gala Real is the first of three foals produced by a winning half-sister to multiple stakes-winning G2 Grand Prix de Deauville third Fenelon (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Her dual Grade III-winning second dam Aigue Marine (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of G3 Prix Fille de l'Air victrix Aiglonne (Silver Hawk), is a half-sister to four black-type performers headed by G1 Prix d'Ispahan-winning sire Mekhtaal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), G2 Prix Hocquart winner Democrate (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and G3 Prix Thomas Bryon victor and G1 Criterium International runner-up Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). The February-foaled bay is kin to the unraced 2-year-old colt Ipso Facto (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and a yearling filly by Camelot (GB).

2nd-Saint-Cloud, €28,000, Cond, 4-12, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:30.89, hy.
GALA REAL (GB), f, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Cala Violina (Fr), by Lope De Vega (Ire)
2nd Dam: Aigue Marine (GB), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Aiglonne, by Silver Hawk
Sales history: €270,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €25,500. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Scuderia Dei Duepi, Ballylinch Stud, Ecurie des Charmes & Hisham Abdulwahed; B-Noir et Or Elevage SA & Ecurie Skymarc Farm (FR); T-Alessandro & Giuseppe Botti; J-Christophe Soumillon.

 

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Kingman Filly A New Rising Star At Chantilly

Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud's hitherto unraced Gran Sabana (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) went largely unconsidered as a 20-1 chance for Friday's Prix de Toutevoie, a one-mile newcomers' test for juvenile fillies, at Chantilly and made a mockery of her long odds with a devastating burst to attain 'TDN Rising Stardom' on debut. The eventual winner was patiently ridden through halfway and raced off the tempo in rear until turning for home. Rowed along to close approaching the quarter-mile marker, she displayed an impressive turn of foot to move into contention out wide passing the eighth pole and kept on powerfully in the closing stages to deny Andromede (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) by a length in the dying strides. Dark Luck (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the first foal out of a GSW half-sister to Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), was never a factor and finished 10th.

“Everything she was doing at exercise in the morning, she was doing very easily,” revealed trainer Pia Brandt. “We never really ask them to show us the truth at home, but we really hoped she would show us some good things today and she did so very nicely. We'll see how she comes out of the race and hope she takes it well. She's a Kingman so I don't imagine she'll stay much further than a mile. We will take our time with her, but we really hope she will be a nice prospect.”

Gran Sabana is the third of five foals and second scorer out of Listed Chalice S. third Cascading (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), herself half to G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-winning sire National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the dual stakes-placed Nordic Defense (Fr) (Makfi {GB}). Cascading was herself purchased by Meridian International's Ghislain Bozo on behalf of Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud for 525,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2016. Gran Sabana is kin to a yearling colt by Roaring Lion, who is slated to sell as Lot 396 at next week's Goffs Orby sale, and a weanling colt by Advertise (GB). Her G3 Prix d'Aumale-winning third dam Anna Palariva (Ire) (Caerleon), herself a daughter of G3 Park Hill S. victrix Anna of Saxony (GB) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}), produced three black-type winners of her own headed by G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third Anna Salai (Dubawi {Ire}), the dam of this term's G1 Epsom Derby and G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

 1st-Chantilly, €27,000, Mdn, 9-24, unraced 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:42.31, g/s.
GRAN SABANA (IRE), f, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Cascading (GB) (SP-Eng), by Teofilo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Angel Falls (GB), by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Anna Palariva (Ire), by Caerleon
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €13,500. O/B-Ecuries des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Pia & Joakim Brandt. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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ITBA Awards Honour Todd Watt Among Top Breeders

Dolphins swimming in the Venetian canals may have been pandemic fake news, but that the world will have benefited environmentally is one of the few upsides to the coronavirus crisis. What is not fake news is that many heads and livers will have been feeling better on Sunday morning than would otherwise be the case following the annual ITBA Awards, but that is the only benefit to missing out on what is always one of the social highlights of the racing year.

Attendance at this event is not for the faint-hearted or the early-to-bedders. Traditionally, gongs are still being handed out past midnight and then the celebrating begins, on the dance floor, in the residents' bar and often through to the breakfast table. Like pretty much every other event of the past year, the ITBA Awards, celebrating the best performances by Irish-bred horses on the Flat and over jumps, was forced into a virtual format, but that didn't stop it being a memorably emotional evening.

Ireland's reputation as a country of Thoroughbred breeders of the highest calibre has long been a cause for celebration but before we toast the best in show for 2020, the award which will have lightened the lockdown gloom the most among the tight-knit breeding community was the Rathbarry Stud-sponsored ITBA Special Recognition Award for Todd Watt. The masterful Tattersalls auctioneer has been absent from the sales for the last few years since suffering a stroke but, with the awards presentations posted in individual video segments across social media channels throughout the evening, viewers and followers were able to see Todd receive his award from Niamh Woods. That he is missed as much as he is loved was clear from the many deserving tributes from his friends and colleagues, both in the moving film and subsequently on Twitter.

“All through his career in Tatts, he was our go-to guy, not just for me but for all the Irish,” said Eddie O'Leary of Lynn Lodge Stud, summing up the regard in which Watt is held by many vendors at the sales.

Fellow Tattersalls auctioneer John O'Kelly added, “Todd Watt is the great ambassador. A lovable character; everybody in the industry has huge respect for him. He sold horses with a smile on his face, he made people feel good, and no stone was unturned to ever get somebody an extra bid for a horse.”

Horseracing and breeding are not immune to the financial concerns generated by the Covid pandemic but in Ireland some comfort must be taken in the close links between the industry and government, which is doubtless the envy of other racing nations. This was evident in the fact that the Taoiseach Micheal Martin gave a video address at the start of awards evening, recognising the  major contribution of the bloodstock world to Ireland's economy.

“The tumultuous events of 2020 and the continuing pandemic have had a significant impact on your industry,” he said. “An important pillar of government policy is to ensure that the horseracing and Thoroughbred industry achieves its maximum potential and, in so doing, continues to contribute to economic and social development across a wide geographic swathe of the country. It is estimated that the Thoroughbred industry has an annual economic impact of €1.9 billion, with direct and indirect employment of up to 29,000 people. Additionally the industry brings a high level of international investment into Ireland. The Irish racing and breeding industry is extremely competitive at a global level. We are the third-biggest producer of Thoroughbred foals in the world and estimates place Ireland behind only the United States as the biggest public seller of bloodstock globally.”

Three of those foals produced in 2018 led to Derek and Gay Veitch's Ringfort Stud being named Breeder of the Year. The Co Offaly-based farm had a year to remember with its 2-year-olds in particular, with Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) winning the G2 Gimcrack S. and G2 Lowther S. at York's Ebor meeting, followed by the G2 Flying Childers S. win of Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). The latter and Miss Amulet both went on to be placed at the Breeders' Cup, and Minzaal was the second consecutive Ringfort-bred winner of the Gimcrack following Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}).

“The best 2-year-olds that we had in 2020 were all by stallions out of Tally-Ho. I love it because they were cheap horses to produce, just farm costs and running costs, and they've ended up great racehorses which has helped us immensely with the mares,” said Derek Veitch. “The couple of days in York was amazing. To have the Lowther winner and then the Gimcrack winner for the second year in a row was just incredible and very satisfying for us.”

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was the toast of the Longines World's Best Racehorse ceremony last week and he was recognised again in the award to his breeder Dermot Weld's Springbank Way Stud in the Older Horse of the Year category. Ghaiyyath's former stable-mate Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) earned the Three-Year-Old Colt of the Year award for his breeder Godolphin, while the Two-Year-Colt of the Year was the G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), bred by The Hon. Kenneth Lau of Kangyu International Racing at John Tuthill's Owenstown Stud. 

“It is very exciting to have bred Supremacy from one of the first mares I have owned,” said Lau. “Thank you to Owenstown Stud for raising Supremacy and to Ed Sackville for buying [his dam] Triggers Broom (Ire). We sold her very good Cotai Glory (GB) colt at Book 1 to King Power and we have a lovely Cotai Glory filly to race. Tiggers Broom now visits Frankel (GB).”

It is overseas that the best Irish-bred fillies excelled in 2020. Trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O'Brien, the Coolmore-bred Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was unbeaten in her three starts, all in England, in the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Farther afield, the 2-year-old Aunt Pearl (Ire) was also unbeaten in three races in America, culminating in her becoming the second daughter of Lope De Vega (Ire) to win the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf after Newspaperofrecord (Ire). Aunt Pearl was bred in partnership by Ballylinch Stud and the French-based Ecurie Des Charmes.

A highlight of Saturday's afternoon's racing was the success of Shishkin (Ire) (Sholokhov {Ire}) in the G2 ITM Lightning Novices' Chase but it was his victory in last March's G1 Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival which sealed his Best Novice Hurdler award for breeder Clive Bennett. 

Philip and Jane Myerscough received the award for the Best Novice Chaser, another Cheltenham winner in Champ (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}), while Hurdler of the Year was Paisley Park (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}), who won the title for the second year for breeder Michael Conaghan. The Chaser of the Year was another multiple winner, the great Altior (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), bred by Paddy Behan who has now won five consecutive ITBA awards. 

One of the most popular prizes given at this event is the annual Wild Geese Award which recognises the success of Irish men and women overseas. Recent recipients include bloodstock agent Mags O'Toole, Keeneland's Geoffrey Russell and the late Gerry Dilger of Dromoland Farm. 

As awards host Leo Powell said, this year's winner has ventured just about as far from home as it is possible to be: New Zealand. Gordon Cunningham may have settled a long way away but his Irish roots are not forgotten, as the name of his successful Curraghmore Farm in Waikato suggests.

The Waterford native is a grandson of legendary Irish trainer Michael Collins, and thus cousin to current trainer Tracey Collins, who succeeded her father Con at Conyngham Lodge on the Curragh.

“We were always excited to go to the Curragh for the summer and of course Uncle Con was an icon for our family and we were inwardly very proud of just being in his presence or being able to visit Conynhgam Lodge, where mum was raised,” said Cunningham in a video made at last week's Karaka yearling sale.

He added, “I know there are many people around the world who are worthy of this award and I feel very privileged to be considered worthy of it. I'm very grateful to the ITBA and would like to congratulate all the other recipients of awards thought the evening. I would like to acknowledge my late Uncle Dick Collins and my Aunt Bernie, who took my younger brother and I under their wing when our father passed away when I was pretty young. They brought us up to the Curragh every summer. From my first summer at Lisieux [Stud] I knew horses were going to be my life.” 

Among the notable graduates of Curraghmore Farm are Melbourne Cup winner Efficient (NZ), Australian champion 3-year-old Fairway (NZ) and Hong Kong champion stayer Liberator (NZ).

Andrew Seabrook of New Zealand Bloodstock said, “Gordon takes it to another level. He's more focused on breeding quality and good horses than getting the top price in the sale ring. He's so focused on just getting the very best out of a horse and he reads the market so well.”

The wide world of bloodstock boasts many graduates of the Irish National Stud breeding course, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. Further celebration is due in that the government-owned stud itself has now become the first organisation to be inducted to the ITBA Hall of Fame.

“The Thoroughbred industry in Ireland is something which we are justifiably proud of as world leaders, and having an organisation like the Irish National Stud that essentially belongs to the people is very important,” said Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby. 

In accepting the award, the Irish Minister of Agriculture John McConalogue acknowledged the stud's “continued determination for excellence” and said, “I am delighted to be accepting the 2020 Hall of Fame award on behalf of the National Stud. This is in recognition of the stud's invaluable contribution to the Irish Thoroughbred industry over many decades, from the stallions it stands to the world-renowned breeding course and the impact it has as a national tourist attraction. This award sees the Irish National Stud join an august group which includes JP McManus, David and Diane Nagle, Jim Bolger, Sadler's Wells and Michael Osborne.”

While Ireland and Britain remain under strict lockdown, with racing continuing behind closed doors and sales online, there are currently few opportunities for the industry's participants to meet in person. What the ITBA successfully pulled off on Saturday night was bringing people together, albeit virtually, in recognition and celebration of one of Ireland's best attributes: its deserved reputation as a centre for equine excellence. Congratulations to the ITBA team and to all the award winners.

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Pearl Another Breeders’ Cup Gem

LEXINGTON, KY–The European-trained runners may have been shut out on opening day of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, but there would have been plenty of smiling faces in Ireland, France and England on Friday evening as ‘TDN Rising Star’ Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) kept her perfect record intact with a powerful front-running score in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf under Frenchman Florent Geroux for trainer Brad Cox. Aidan O’Brien’s Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) made up significant ground late to grab second, mowing down the Ringfort Stud-bred Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire})-herself a revelation this season in winning two stakes races after being purchased for £7,500 as a yearling-who checked in third. Stonestreet Stables’ G1 Prix Morny and G2 Queen Mary S. winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) faded to fourth after chasing Aunt Pearl’s five-length lead early.

Bred by the partnership of John Malone’s Ballylinch Stud and Frenchman Lucien Urano’s Ecurie des Charmes, Aunt Pearl was presented in the ring during Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year. At 280,000gns, she was the most expensive of nine fillies bought between Books 1 and 2 by Liz Crow and Brad Weisbord of BSW Bloodstock, who were shopping at the sale for the first time for a new venture headed by prominent American owners Sol Kumin and Michael Dubb to target European-bred fillies to run on the turf in the U.S.

“We put a group together and Mike and I were the first two who were apart of it, and then we filled it in with a few others,” Kumin explained. “They [Weisbord and Crow] went over there and did all the hard work and it was obviously a terrific job by the team scouting this horse out. From the beginning she was one of the better ones of the group and she’s probably turned out to be the best one.”

If all this sounds familiar, it should: two years previously, agent Mike Ryan had shopped Book 1 for Klaravich Stables and unearthed another daughter of Lope De Vega, Newspaperofrecord (Ire). Like Aunt Pearl, Newspaperofrecord won her first two starts by open lengths before wiring this race at Churchill Downs. For Kumin in particular, the Juvenile Fillies Turf is a race he is building an enviable record in; he won it for the first time in 2014 at Santa Anita with Lady Eli (Divine Park).

Aunt Pearl isn’t the only Grade I star for American connections to have graduated from Book 1 last year; agent Ben McElroy picked out Campanelle for 190,000gns on behalf of Stonestreet, one of three he signed for. To add further clout, the seventh-place finisher in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Editor At Large (Ire), is also by Lope De Vega and was purchased from Book 1 for 260,000gns by Mike Ryan for Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm.

Coronavirus understandably put somewhat of a damper on American invaders at Park Paddocks this October, but Irishmen Ryan and McElroy were both on the buyers’ list and Aunt Pearl’s win all but guarantees that the already formidable American participation will continue to rise at Tattersalls.

Aunt Pearl is the latest feather in the cap for Ballylinch Stud’s Lope De Vega, whose star has only continued to ascend over the years. He has had four Group 1 winners on three continents this year, with Newspaperofrecord adding the G1 Just a Game S. to her already illustrious record and Gytrash (Aus) and the 2-year-old Lucky Vega (Ire) becoming new top-level winners in Australia and Ireland, respectively. Lope De Vega’s G2 Champions Juvenile S. scorer Cadillac (Ire) was a respectable fourth in Friday’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for Alpha Racing and Jessica Harrington, while Godolphin’s G3 Tattersalls S. winner La Barrosa (Ire) is one to look forward to next year.

While European-trained runners failed to get a win on the board at the Breeders’ Cup on Friday, a few others in addition to Cadillac made favourable impressions. Battleground (War Front) made up ground late to be second in the Juvenile Turf under Ryan Moore, just missing emulating his dam Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who won the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf the last time the championships were at Keeneland in 2015.

Owners Martin and Lisa Webb and trainer Nigel Tinkler kept the faith in jockey Rowan Scott, who rode out his claim this summer, bringing him over to ride G2 Flying Childers S. winner Ubettabelieveit (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in the GII Juvenile Turf Sprint, and Scott gave the colt a beautiful ride to be third. Acting like a rider with plenty more experience under his belt, Scott kept a cool head when his mount blew the break, guiding him to the rail and letting him gradually pick off runners while taking the shortest route around the course. It is likely this is not the last we’ve heard from Scott, as well as Ubettabelieveit’s owners the Webbs, who were adamant on Thursday that a top four finish would spark big celebrations.

With a hugely formidable European contingent lined up for Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Turf as well as two Guineas winners in the GI Mile, the second day of the Breeders’ Cup holds plenty of chances for trophies to be taken back across the Atlantic.

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