Tag: Frankie Dettori

‘It’s Been A Hard Time But We’ll Get Through It – The Horses Give Everyone A Lift’

At first there are tears and then the words come tumbling out. 

“We got a bit of bad news before the Curragh,” Con Marnane explains. “Theresa's cancer is back again. That's why the whole thing was so emotional.”

Theresa is Con's wife and it is her yellow and black silks, made famous by Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) winning the Albany, that were carried to that stirring victory in the G3 Marble Hill S. by Givemethebeatboys (Ire) at Irish racing's HQ.

He is one of two Royal Ascot-bound Bungle Inthejungle (GB) colts that the family have in training with Jessica Harrington, the other being the speedy Supersonic Man (GB), and never has there been more significance behind a Marnane runner at the meeting they adore.

“It's still very raw,” Con starts. “Theresa had cancer 10 years ago but unfortunately it's back again. We only got the news the day before the Goresbridge Sale and then we had to go and face into that at Fairyhouse. 

“That's why Givemethebeatboys winning at the Curragh was so amazing because we had only found out that week. It was very emotional, especially with what Jessie is going through as well. “For some of us, it's been a very, very hard time. But I'll tell you something, those animals are amazing, those horses are just so special. They give everyone a lift.”

It's not just the horses that Con can count on to lift spirits. Similarly to when the industry rallied around Harrington after she shared the news of her breast cancer battle, the outpouring of well wishes and support to the Marnanes has been overwhelming. 

“I have so many top-class friends in this business. It's special. There are some great people in this game and it's a massive help. But we'll get through it. Theresa is very tough and she works as hard as anyone else does here in the yard. We'll get through it.”

Con may be the face of Bansha House Stables, and you won't find many better or more enthusiastic about what he does, but make no mistake, this is a family-run operation and daughters Amy and Olivia are no bit-part players. 

“It touches at the heartstrings and it's great to have the family unit involved. Amy does the buying and Olivia does the riding out in Jessie's. It was Amy who picked out Givemethebeatboys at the sales. 

“She absolutely loved him as a yearling and he was actually our pick of the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale at Doncaster. Unfortunately the horse had a foot abscess at the sales and the Brickley brothers [Tom and David of Ard Erin Stud] had to withdraw the horse. 

“We tried to do a deal there and then but it didn't happen. But then the horse turned up at the Autumn Yearling Sale at Goffs and we bought him there for €11,000.”

Marnane added, “Olivia started working at Jessie's last year. She's in college in Dublin and wanted somewhere to ride out in the mornings. I said to her, 'why don't you try Jessie?' She fell in love with the place when she went in there and the Harringtons have been so good to her. I said we'd send them up a couple of horses as a result and one of those turned out to be Funny Money Honey (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). She was a revelation. She won a listed race and was third in another listed race up at the Curragh. We sold her very well to America and did the same again this year by sending up a few two-year-olds for Jessie to train for us.”

Funny Money Honey cost just €11,500 as a yearling and fetched 165,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year. Givemethebeatboys and Supersonic Man are also now worth many multiples of what the Marnanes handed over for the colts and the excitement is building for their appearance at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of the royal meeting. 

“The Goffs London Sale is effectively a shop window for us,” Marnane explains. “Henry [Beeby] and his team do a great job in making it all happen. They move mountains in order to let horses run in their new owner's colours at Royal Ascot and it's a sale that has been lucky for us in the past. We sold Forever In Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) there [for £430,000] in 2019 and she came out and finished second in the Commonwealth Cup just a few days later. There will be a lot of emotion at Ascot next week and a lot of people will be very interested in these two horses at the sales because they are so special. They are going there with serious chances.”

Givemethebeatboys and Supersonic Man will be joined at the Goffs London Sale by Bansha House graduates Rush Queen (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) and Tiger Belle (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), both of whom have won maidens for trainer Ado McGuinness after their purchase at the breeze-up sales by Stephen Thorne on behalf of the Shamrock Thoroughbred Syndicate. 

Rush Queen cost 50,000gns at the Craven while Tiger Belle fetched £70,000 at Doncaster. In the grand scheme of things, it's not what you'd call breaking the bank for two Royal Ascot contenders, and in many ways their sale prices illustrate an up-and-down year for Marnane at the breeze-ups. 

Fleeting Spirit (Ire), Prince Of Lir (Ire), Rio De La Plata and Sands Of Mali (Fr) are just a handful of recognisible names that have graduated through Marnane's system but the leading source of talent says that he is paying a penalty for the fact that his horses don't break the clock in their breeze. 

He explained, “The breeze-ups have gone very difficult. Our horses are not drilled to do two furlongs. I'm sorry, they're not. But it's amazing, their last two furlongs are usually their best! 

“There's too much emphasis on times. It's not my way of doing it. Call me old-fashioned. Maybe I'm an old-fashioned horseman or something like that, but that's the way we do it and I'm not changing. I want our horses to be racehorses. I want them to go into their new trainers and new owners and to be lovely and relaxed. And when they are asked to go, they go. 

“But fair play to Ado and Stephen, they stood up and they bought those horses. There was a big shortage of trainers at the sales but look what can happen when they do turn up. If you want to go to Royal Ascot, and there's only one Royal Ascot, you need to turn up at the sales.”

Givemethebeatboys has shortened into a general 8-1 chance for the Coventry with the news Frankie Dettori has been booked to take the ride. Supersonic Man will take his chance in the Windsor Castle rather than the Norfolk and, if either colt was to enter the winner's enclosure, chaos is guaranteed. 

“There is just no feeling like Royal Ascot,” Marnane says. “It's a pure adrenaline rush to have a runner over there and it would be so exciting for everybody involved if the horses were to run well. 

“It's not just for me, it's for my team here. There's a core group of people who have been with us for 30 years, the likes of Mike O'Brien, John Crosse, who breaks in all the horses, Danny and Emma in the office. 

“Then we have our operation in France and the guys in France come over here for the spring to get the horses ready so it's a big team effort. And for Jessica and Kate and the whole Harrington team, there will be a lot of emotion at Ascot next week. It would be just out of this world if it were to happen. Hopefully we can give everyone something to shout about.”

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Dettori To Ride Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys In Coventry Stakes

Share prices in Jessica Harrington's Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), a leading G2 Coventry S. contender, took a spike on Thursday with the news that legendary jockey Frankie Dettori would take the ride on the colt at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Givemethebeatboys, a gritty winner of the G3 Marble Hill S. at the Curragh when last seen, will be offered up for sale by his owner Con Marnane at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of the race.

He is not the only horse that Marnane and Harrington will offer at the sale–Supersonic Man (Ire), another Bungle Inthejungle colt, who will be aimed at the Norfolk or Windsor Castle, will also go under the hammer. 

Both colts would have been ridden by Harrington's stable jockey Shane Foley had he not suffered a broken collarbone at Gowran Park earlier this month. 

Foley described himself as “gutted” when revealing that he was facing a six-week layoff due to the injury last week and, when relaying that Dettori had been booked to ride Givemethebeatboys on Thursday morning, Harrington acknowledged that missing one of the biggest meetings of the year would be a tough pill for her regular rider to swallow. 

Harrington said, “We've got Frankie to ride Givemethebeatboys. It's great. Listen, if he thinks the horse is good enough for him to ride in a race like the Coventry, that's absolutely fantastic news for us.”

She added, “It's going to be very tough for Shane. He's missed winners already and, you know, the first thing he said to me when he broke his collarbone was, 'there's my championship gone.' That was the first thing. 

“But look, it could have been a lot worse. He's doing well and he comes to see the horse work. I know that it must be very hard on him but he is great and is a key cog in the wheel. He's coming over for the sale on Monday.”

Marnane couldn't hide his delight about securing Dettori for the colt he sourced for just €11,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. Speaking ahead of a feature interview with TDN Europe that will be published in Saturday's edition, Marnane labelled Givemethebeatboys as “a very special horse” and one who “has a serious chance” in the Coventry before echoing Harrington's sentiments about Foley.

He said, “We're delighted to have been able to secure Frankie–he knows a thing or two about Ascot, doesn't he? It's very tough on Shane, though, as he's been brilliant on the horse in his two starts to date. Let's hope we can provide everyone with something to shout about next week.”

Givemethebeatboys came through his final piece of work on Thursday morning with flying colours, according to Harrington, who revealed that she has a team of 10 or 12 horses to run next week. 

She said, “Givemethebeatboys worked this morning and he worked great. Couldn't be better. Everyone seems to be very happy with him. I think we've got 10 to 12 runners for Royal Ascot depending on who gets into what. That's a very big team for me.”

Asked to nominate what horses she was most looking forward to running along with Givemethebeatboys, Harrington, who will be in attendance, replied, “Well I'm looking forward to running Irish Lullaby if she gets into the Copper Horse Handicap. Then I've got Sounds Of Heaven and Village Voice at the end of the week, not to mention Ocean Quest. It's a nice team.

“I'm feeling great at the moment. Hopefully everything goes well and I will be there for the sale on Monday and for the racing on Tuesday. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. It all depends on how I am. It would be something else if the horse was to run a big race on Tuesday.”

 

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Dettori Booked for Desert Crown at Royal Ascot

Heading into his final Royal Ascot, Frankie Dettori has landed the plum ride on last year's Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. 

Richard Kingscote has ridden the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt in all four of his starts to date, including his seasonal resumption when second to Hukum (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. Kingscote is unlikely to be without a big-name partner in the race, however, as he is the intended rider for Bay Bridge (GB) on whom he won the G1 QIPCO Champion S.

Breaking the news on the Nick Luck Daily podcast, Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Desert Crown's owner Saeed Suhail, said, “For [the owner], Desert Crown winning this race is all important and while Frankie is around, because he's not going to be around next year, he wants to give the horse every chance. He believes that Frankie is unbeatable around Ascot. It's no disgrace for Richard at all. It happens, it's not the end of the world, and obviously Richard is hoping he can beat him on the other horse.”

Asked by Nick Luck is Kingscote will regain the ride if Dettori is unavailable for future targets, Raymond added, “I'm sure he'll be riding him. Obviously Ryan Moore is Michael Stoute's number one jockey, but it is hard to get him for these big races, and it's better to have the jockey that you know riding the horse than anybody else. I'm sure he'll be back on the horse should Frankie not be able to ride.”

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Frankie’s Fillies Light Up Ladies’ Day

EPSOM DOWNS, UK–It was a chill wind, rather than an ill wind, that blew across the Downs as the early birds arrived at Epsom. The drive to Surrey had been peppered by racing popping up on the Radio 4 news, and that's rarely a good sign. Animal Rising may be chaotic in its reasoning but, with its threats of disruption, the protest group has done a good job of grabbing attention in the run-up to the Derby. Sure enough, there it was again, on repeat on the hourly bulletins.

The racecourse always comes as a bit of a surprise as suburbia gives way to the wide open space which, for almost 250 years, has held tightly its most prized asset. Those cambered bends of one of the world's most extraordinary racecourses are accompanied by a shining white grandstand resembling a cruise liner marooned on the turf. It's a startling sight on any day and by Friday morning it was encased by barricades: Fortress Epsom standing ready to repel those whose sole intent wasn't simply to enjoy a bloody good day at the races.

On cue, the sun emerged mid-morning to aid tens of thousands of racegoers in that pursuit. Eve Johnson Houghton and Anthony Bromley know how to unearth a value buy at the yearling sales and, after Chipotle (GB) and Streets Of Gold (Ire), the stable has another precocious youngster to take them and the members of the Woodway 20 syndicate to more big days out. Bobsleigh (Ire) (Elzaaam {Aus}) shot down the straight to win the Woodcote like he was on the Cresta Run. After tackling the weirdness of Brighton then Epsom with aplomb, Ascot will seem like a doddle.

This was Ladies' Day. In fact, it was Lady Bamford's day, and the only moment the smile slipped from the face of the diminutive owner-breeder of the Oaks winner Soul Sister (GB) was when Frankie Dettori tried to lift her off her feet and spin her round in the winner's circle. 

For Lady Bamford it was a second Oaks success after Sariska (GB), for Dettori a seventh, the first of which came almost 30 years ago with Balanchine. Will he retire to bed tonight thinking 'what the hell was I doing announcing my retirement?' He won't be the only one questioning that decision, if indeed he is. 

The indefatigable jockey had already given one masterclass aboard Emily Upjohn (GB) to win the G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup, setting up the first half of a memorable Group 1 double for John and Thady Gosden. The runners-up of last year's Derby and Oaks went toe to toe down the hill for home, with the only certainty being that one of them would once again have to settle for second. Westover (GB) gave way, perhaps not graciously, to the powerhouse that is Emily Upjohn, now resplendent in the huge frame that once made her a backward-looking yearling deemed worth a bid that was half the price of her illustrious sire's covering fee. She's showing them now. 

Last summer, an early morning July Course gallop for Emily Upjohn, and the sudden appearance of Dettori to ride her, was the first sign of a rapprochement between the jockey and John Gosden, a temporary parting of ways having ensued in the wake of a few irksome results at Royal Ascot. Whether it was that public chiding or merely his wish to go out on top that first prompted Dettori's thoughts of retirement, he will certainly be granted the latter. He already has two British Classics under his belt this season and, as his twin triumphs on those glorious fillies at Epsom show, he remains very much in his pomp as a rider.

He is still the public's darling, too, and boy does racing need a figure of such recognisable vibrance right now.  “I'll have a few quid on Frankie,” said the lady on the paddock rail to her friend before the Coronation Cup. She wasn't the only one with thoughts of backing Frankie blind. By late afternoon on Friday, the plunge on Dettori's Gosden-trained Derby runner Arrest (Ire) had gathered pace to push him to the head of the market past Auguste Rodin (Ire). A Frankie-Frankel Oaks-Derby double would certainly help to propel racing to the front pages for all the right reasons, providing that's the only prominent Arrest at Epsom on Saturday. 

There's a saying that goes 'show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser'. But when you own a share in a stallion who has contributed in a homebred filly running third in the Oaks, then you are entitled to feel pretty cock-a-hoop, as Steven Smith and Andy Lloyd of Hunscote Stud did by late afternoon. Their battler of a filly, Caernarfon (GB), had already belied her odds to run fourth in the 1,000 Guineas and now here she was again, challenging the favourite Savethelastdance (Ire) for second on the line in the biggest fillies' Classic of them all.

“Her sister was bulletproof, and she's bulletproof,” said Smith of Caernarfon and her Group 3-winning sibling Dan's Dream (GB), both daughters of Cityscape (GB).

“She's small, she's agile, she doesn't appear to need much work. She just didn't quite get the trip,” he added, before turning to the subject of a potential run in the marginally shorter Prix de Diane.

“A physical specimen she is not but, like all Cityscapes, she has a good mind and she tries. And if you have those two things in a racehorse you have a chance.”

A major share-holder in Cityscape, a former resident of Overbury Stud who is currently in Argentina, Smith is already musing the return of the Juddmonte-bred son of Selkirk.

“We found out today that she is a 10-furlong horse and we can crack on,” he said. “She goes on soft as well, so there are plenty of options. She floats. I have a video of her galloping and I draw a line and look at her eye and her eye doesn't move. Whatever is happening down below is very smooth and economical. She's like Seb Coe. Why did he win? Because of his action. She has an amazing action.”

The beaming owner-breeder then brought the conversation to a close with, “Right, I'm off to get hammered.” And with the uplifting thought that last year's Oaks third Nashwa (GB) went on to win the Prix de Diane, he has no need to drown any sorrows.

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