Tag: Frankel (GB)

Frankel’s L’Astronome Battles To Hocquart Success

He had to fight to extend his winning sequence on his black-type bow on Thursday, but Al Asayl France's L'Astronome (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Tymora, by Giant's Causeway) proved equal to the task when eking out a narrow verdict over Galaxie Gold (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) in a thriller for ParisLongchamp's G2 Prix Hocquart. Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 11-furlong test, having shown abundant promise so far and having scored over slightly shorter at this track last time Apr. 28, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained chestnut was unable to get a lead from the outset with Christophe Soumillon committed to going on before halfway. Tackled on both sides in what would have been a long last furlong for connections, he refused to allow Ecurie d'Haspel's rail-runner the glory and thrust his neck out to prevail by a head, with 3/4 of a length back to the G3 Bavarian Classic scorer Lavello (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) in third.

“I think it was a nice performance,” Graffard said. “Christophe feared he might be caught for speed with this horse and so took up his responsibilities. He said the horse is still green and immature and was asked to do something he had never done before, so this education will certainly help him in the future. The horse was courageous and brave and he is now three-for-three this season. The owners will enjoy this and we will now concentrate on our target, the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on July 14th. Hopefully the ground will be even faster and he will appreciate the extra furlong.”

Galaxie Gold is also unexposed and trainer Damien de Watrigant was considering a rematch in the Bastille Day feature. “We are delighted with the performance and frustrated to lose by so little,” he said. “Anyway, we were taking quite a few steps up in class there and the result is positive. The horse seemed quite impressed to run on such a big course and will learn from the experience. The owner now has a partner, so they will discuss his future and there are still some questions to be answered like will he stay a mile and a half and be back for the Grand Prix de Paris?”

L'Astronome, who becomes the 64th group winner for his sire, is a half-brother to the G2 Coventry S.-placed Eltezam (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), with the second dam being the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine Shiva (Jpn) (Hector Protector). She produced the Listed Prix Zarkava winner and G2 Prix Corrida runner-up That Which Is Not (Elusive Quality), whose G3 Ballysax S.-winning son Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) could be even bigger things for the pedigree in the upcoming Derby. Shiva is also the second dam of the G2 Gimcrack S. and G2 Champagne S. winner Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), as well as being a half-sister to the G1 Oaks heroine Light Shift (Kingmambo) who is responsible for Piz Badile's G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Eclipse S.-winning sire. This is also the family of the triple grade I-winning Main Sequence (Aldebaran) and the G1 Prix Ganay hero Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Tymora's colt foal is by Galiway (GB).

Thursday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX HOCQUART-G2, €130,000, ParisLongchamp, 5-26, 3yo, 11fT, 2:20.61, sf.
1–L'ASTRONOME (GB), 128, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
     1st Dam: Tymora, by Giant's Causeway
     2nd Dam: Shiva (Jpn), by Hector Protector
     3rd Dam: Lingerie (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Al Asayl France (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, €110,500. *1/2 to Eltezam (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Galaxie Gold (Fr), 128, c, 3, Dariyan (Fr)–Galaxie des Sables (Fr), by Marchand de Sable. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€28,000 RNA Ylg '20 AROCT; €47,000 RNA 2yo '21 ARQJUN). O-Ecurie d'Haspel; B-Haras d'Haspel (FR); T-Damien de Watrigant. €28,600.
3–Lavello (Ire), 128, c, 3, Zarak (Fr)–Laura (Ger), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (IRE); T-Markus Klug. €13,650.
Margins: HD, 1 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.70, 10.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Garachico (GB), Selwan (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Son of Moonlight Cloud Set For Beverley Debut

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. Wednesday's Observations features a son of Group 1 winner Moonlight Cloud (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

15.40 Beverley, Nov, £7,700, 3yo/up, 7f 96yT
George Strawbridge's homebred MOON WATCH (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a son of six-time elite-level distaffer and three-time G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest heroine Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The March-foaled bay is opposed by seven in this belated debut for John and Thady Gosden.

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Observations: Eldar Eldarov Returns At Newcastle

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. Tuesday's Insights features debuting Tabarin (Ire) (Frankel ({GB}) and 'Rising Star' Eldar Eldarov (Dubawi {Ire}).

2.25 Saint-Cloud, Debuntates, €27,000, 3yo, c/g, 12fT
TABARIN (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) debuts for the Niarchos Family and Francis-Henri Graffard and is a son of the G3 Prix Vanteaux winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up and G1 Prix Vermeille third Mare Nostrum (GB) (Caerleon). A half-brother to the operation's GI Canadian International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the March-foaled bay encounters a dozen rivals.

6.00 Newcastle, Novice, £7,300, 3yo/up, 10f 42y (AWT)
ELDAR ELDAROV (Dubawi {Ire}) makes his eagerly-awaited second start, having achieved TDN Rising Star status with his impressive debut win at Nottingham in October. KHK Racing's £480,000 Arqana Breeze Up sensation from the family of Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and many other Kirsten Rausing celebrities holds entries in the G2 King Edward VII S. and Irish Derby and Roger Varian will know more about how ambitious those targets are after this comeback.

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Frankel’s Homeless Songs Electric In The Guineas

Kept back from the 1000 Guineas and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Moyglare Stud's TDN Rising Star Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was finally let loose on unsuspecting victims lined up for what appeared to be a competitive edition of the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh on Sunday. Travelling like the best filly the whole way settled in rear of mid-division by Chris Hayes, the 11-2 shot who had offered tantalising insight into what was to come when taking the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown Apr. 2 produced explosive acceleration down the outside to chop down the 11-4 favourite Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) a furlong from home. At the line, the Dermot Weld-trained homebred had stretched the measurement of her superiority to 5 1/2 lengths from Ballydoyle's number one, with another from that operation Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) running an eye-catching Oaks trial half a length back in third.

“She is very talented and has a lot of pace, but she's not the easiest to keep right,” her master trainer announced in the aftermath of receiving a warm welcome from the appreciative crowd in the winner's enclosure following his 20th Curragh Classic victory. “I've always had the highest confidence in the filly, but I wasn't prepared to run her until she was right and conditions were right and it is beautiful ground today. Chris got her relaxed and gave her a beautiful ride–the only question was whether she would stay a mile, as she has pace to win a group 1 race over six furlongs, but this was the best place to find out.”

Stamped a TDN Rising Star with a debut defeat of Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) in what has turned out to be a prescient seven-furlong maiden at Leopardstown in July, Homeless Songs was returning to the scene of the first of two subsequent disappointments when fifth in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. in September. Only sixth in the G3 Killavullan S. back at Leopardstown the following month, the homebred had come back with a clean slate for the latter venue's 1000 Guineas Trial and swept aside Agartha on three-pound better terms to re-establish her reputation. This was much the same in terms of performance, if super-sized to fit the occasion.

Unsurprisingly, Agartha who was at levels this time was in the thick of it again heading to the furlong pole where Joseph O'Brien's solid yardstick was coming off slightly worse in her private argument with Tuesday. What happened in the next dozen seconds was as dramatic as it gets in a fiercely-contested Curragh Classic, as both high-class fillies were swamped and left for dead by the relentless winner. Homeless Songs covered the mile almost a second faster than the year-older Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) had carrying the same weight in the preceding G2 Lanwades Stud S. and when weight-for-age is taken into account, the cherry is on the cake where this magnificent display is concerned.

Chris Hayes said, “Where we were drawn is probably the best of the ground. When the draw came out the other day, I was nearly leaping up and down inside in Rosewell! She has an extraordinary turn of foot and the last thing I wanted to do was to be looking for gaps. She likes a little bit of room and you saw what she can do. There was talk that she would be better with a bend and this and that. My only concern coming into today was would I get a clean run of things. Staying a mile and the ground made no difference, as she is a special filly.”

For Weld, the occasion brought rise to many emotions as he pondered the loss of Pat Smullen. “Today would have been his birthday and I saw his picture on the racecard and recalled that he won at stakes level on her dam. He also won this on Nighttime for my late mother in 2006, so it's very poignant,” he said, before his attention was turned back to Homeless Songs' immediate and long-term future. “We'll see how she comes out of this and speak with Eva Maria [Bucher-Haefner], but obviously the Coronation at Royal Ascot has to be considered,” he added. “That is my 27th European Classic and my fifth time to win this race and every Classic is very special and difficult to win. She's a very special filly and she is likely to be around next year–there's every chance.”

Homeless Songs, bred on the same cross as Adayar (Ire), gives Frankel his 21st group 1 winner and hails from a high-achieving family that keeps delivering on the big stage. She is the second foal out of the talented Joailliere (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was denied the chance to show her true merit and ended up only ninth in this in 2015 on her second start after an emphatic debut win. Off until her 4-year-old campaign, she was placed in the G3 Concorde S., G3 Park Express S. and G3 Gladness S. before winning the Listed Frankfurt Sprint Trophy. Kin to the G3 Meld S. and G3 Dance Design Fillies' S. winner Carla Bianca (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and the G2 Beresford S. runner-up True Solitaire (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), her first foal was the Listed Orby S. winner Reve de Vol (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), who was also placed in the G2 Champions Juvenile S. and G3 Royal Whip S.

Joailliere is out of the Listed Finale S. winner Diamond Trim (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}), whose progeny list is headed by the triple group 3 winner and G1 Irish St Leger runner-up Profound Beauty (Ire) (Danehill) who in turn produced the Listed Platinum S. winner and G3 Athasi S. runner-up Rose de Pierre (Ire) to a mating with Dubawi. Diamond Trim is a granddaughter of the GI Acorn S. winner Aptostar (Fappiano), as well as being a half to the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Irresistible Jewel (Ire) (Danehill), in turn the dam of the Irish St Leger hero Royal Diamond (Ire) (King's Best), fellow Ribblesdale scorer Princess Highway (Street Cry {Ire}) and Mad about You (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who was second in this Classic. Joailliere's 2-year-old colt Time Tells All (Ire) is by Sea the Stars (Ire), while she also has a yearling full-brother to Homeless Songs.

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS IRISH 1000 GUINEAS-G1, €595,000, Curragh, 5-22, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:38.81, g/y.
1–HOMELESS SONGS (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
     1st Dam: Joailliere (Ire) (Hwt. Older Mare-Ger at 5-7f, SW-Ger, MGSP-Ire), by Dubawi (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Majestic Silver (Ire), by Linamix (Fr)
     3rd Dam: Diamond Trim (Ire), by Highest Honor (Fr)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Chris Hayes. €290,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $361,287. *1/2 to Reve de Vol (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), SW & MGSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tuesday (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Lillie Langtry (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Mrs.J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €100,000.
3–Concert Hall (Ire), 128, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Was (Ire) (G1SW-Eng, G1SP-Ire, $496,294), by Galileo (Ire).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Was Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €50,000.
Margins: 5HF, HF, NK. Odds: 5.50, 2.75, 7.50.
Also Ran: Star Girls Aalmal (Ire), Agartha (Ire), Purplepay (Fr), History (Ire), Villanova Queen (Ire), Lady of Inishfree (Ire), Panama Red (Ire), Mise En Scene (GB), Freedom of Speech (Ire), Hermana Estrella (Ire), Lullaby (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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