Tag: G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S.

Invincible Spirit’s Ghostwriter Shows His Class In The Royal Lodge

Unbeaten entering Saturday's G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket but untried in black-type company, Jeff Smith's Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) came through the test with flying colours to count himself among the 2024 Classic contenders. Always travelling easily in the wake of Ballydoyle's front-running G2 Champions Juvenile S. runner-up Capulet (Justify), the 100-30 second favourite who hails from the Juddmonte family of a former giant to master this Rowley Mile in Zafonic took the measure of that 7-4 favourite when sweeping to the fore two out.

Pushed out by Richard Kingscote from there, the Clive Cox-trained 100,000gns Tatts December Foal purchase had 1 1/4 lengths to spare over the Listed Ascendant S. scorer Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) at the line, with half a length back to Capulet who looked every inch a Derby type as he rallied after being swamped entering the dip.

This is a “Win and You're In” to the $1 million GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, but Cox was not committing in the immediate aftermath. “He has been improving with every run and that was a big step to take,” he said. “I couldn't be more pleased with the way he has carried it out and he looks full of promise going forward. The dam won over a mile and a half and I think he has a very good middle-distance plan to go forward with. He might get and a half, it is possible.”

“He was very much in his comfort zone and Richard was able to play him exactly as he felt and he quickened nicely when he met the rising ground there and I couldn't be more pleased,” he added. “He has always been a nice horse, but he has always been maturing and having a frame to fill while keeping his strength moving forwards. This cements what we thought so far and the dream is very much alive for next year. We are normally known for our sprinters, but it is such a joy to have a horse like this on our hands as it does set the pulse racing. I'd say the way he is physically developing all the time means I'd probably be thinking about next year.”

Pedigree Notes

Ghostwriter is the second foal out of the aforementioned Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Moorside, a granddaughter of Zaizafon (The Minstrel) who produced the brilliant Zafonic and his G3 Prix de Cabourg-winning full-brother and fellow sire Zamindar. This is also the family of the G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Announce (GB) (Selkirk), the triple group-winning Zarinsk (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches place-getters Irish Rookie (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro). Moorside, who was a 90,000gns purchase by BBA Ireland at the 2017 Tatts December Mares Sale, also has a yearling colt by New Bay (GB) who sold for 150,000gns to Joe Foley at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and a filly foal by Australia (GB).

Saturday, Newmaket, Britain
JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE S.-G2, £125,000, Newmarket, 9-30, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:37.06, g/f.
1–GHOSTWRITER (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
      1st Dam: Moorside (GB) (SP-Eng), by Champs Elysees (GB)
      2nd Dam: Marching West, by Gone West
      3rd Dam: Zaizafon, by The Minstrel
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (100,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE). O-J C Smith; B-Norelands Bloodstock & Irish National Stud (IRE); T-Clive Cox; J-Richard Kingscote. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $112,176. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Al Musmak (Ire), 128, c, 2, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Parton (GB), by Kitten's Joy. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (95,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £26,875.
3–Capulet, 128, c, 2, Justify–Wedding Vow (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-Orpendale, Wynatt & Chelston (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £13,450.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, HD. Odds: 3.33, 7.00, 1.75.
Also Ran: Macduff (GB), Son (GB), Defiance (Ire), At Vimeiro (Ger), Aablan (Ire), Caviar Heights (Ire).

The post Invincible Spirit’s Ghostwriter Shows His Class In The Royal Lodge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Churchill’s The Foxes Wins The Royal Lodge

Just minutes after the fellow Listed Chesham S. flop Crypto Force (GB) (Time Test {GB}) had caused an upset in the G2 Beresford S., King Power's The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) did the same in Newmarket's G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. , a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in November. Only ninth in that June 18 Royal Ascot contest, the Andrew Balding-trained 440,000gns Book 1 graduate had come back to break his maiden in a Goodwood maiden also over seven furlongs July 30 and raised his game upped to a mile here. Comfortable sitting last of the quartet despite the moderate pace set by Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion), the 17-2 shot was delivered against the far rail by David Probert to gain the edge inside the final furlong and beat the long-time leader by half a length, with the disappointing 2-7 favourite Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) only third, a short head away.

 

“He's matured really well this horse–both mentally and physically. He got into a lovely rhythm and handled the undulations quite well today,” Probert said of the winner who gets his title from the nickname of the Srivaddhanaprabha family's Premier League club Leicester City. “This name was always saved for a special one and they have got one. He's got a lovely temperament and the way he has galloped out today, it won't be a problem going up in trip. He's just a professional.”

Andrew Balding added, “We thought they would go a stronger gallop than that, so he has done very well to come from that position and get the job done. For King Power, we are trying to get them as many chances at Royal Ascot as we could, so we slightly rushed his programme but we always thought highly of him and had to re-group. He has an entry in the Futurity Trophy, but I think he is a horse that will go on and I'd prefer to wait until next year. Where Epsom is concerned, his brother was better over a mile and a quarter than a mile and a half, but that is something we will find out over time.”

Charlie Johnston revealed that Dubai Mile could run again in 2022. “He is still very green. He has won two novices convincingly, but he has not been in the heat of the battle. It was only when the horses came to him that he engaged into top gear. I'm sure people will pick holes in the form, but I think time will tell it was a good race. He is in the Vertem Futurity Trophy and I wouldn't rule that. He could go to the mile-and-a-quarter group one in France and I'd expect we will roll the dice in one or the other.”

The Foxes (Ire) becomes the fifth group winner for his sire and the sixth black-type winner for the stellar producer Tanaghum (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), whose previous best are the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 winner Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven's Pass), this stable's G2 York S. scorer Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the G3 Curragh Cup winner Tactic (GB) (Sadler's Wells). Also responsible for Churchill's Listed Her Majesty's Plate-winning 3-year-old Ballydoyle resident Perotan (Ire), she is the second dam of the four-times group 1-winning star miler and sire Ribchester (Ire) and this year's G2 Vintage S. winner Marbaan (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

The second dam Mehthaaf (Nureyev), who landed the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, is kin to the G1 July Cup hero Elnadim (Danzig) and to Only Seule (Lyphard), who produced the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Occupandiste (Ire) (Kaldoun {Fr}). She is in turn the dam of the GI Arlington Million hero Mondialiste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and is the second dam of Galileo's G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Intello (Ger). Tanaghum's filly foal is a full-sister to The Foxes.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE S.-G2, £125,000, Newmarket, 9-24, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:43.66, gd.
1–THE FOXES (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Churchill (Ire)
     1st Dam: Tanaghum (GB) (SP-Eng), by Darshaan (GB)
     2nd Dam: Mehthaaf, by Nureyev
     3rd Dam: Elle Seule, by Exclusive Native
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (440,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-David Probert. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $96,445. *1/2 to Tactic (GB) (Sadler's Wells), GSW-Ire, SW & GSP-Eng, $142,213; to Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}), MGSW-Eng, SP-Qa, $926,107; to Yaazy (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Fr; & to Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven's Pass), G1SW-UAE, SW & MGSP-Eng, GSP-Ire, $780,089. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Dubai Mile (Ire), 128, c, 2, Roaring Lion–Beach Bunny (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€20,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Ahmad Al Shaikh; B-Skymarc Farm (IRE); T-Charlie & Mark Johnston. £26,875.
3–Flying Honours (GB), 128, c, 2, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Powder Snow, by Dubawi (Ire).
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £13,450.
Margins: HF, SHD, 3/4. Odds: 8.50, 16.00, 0.29.
Also Ran: Greenland (Ire).

The post Churchill’s The Foxes Wins The Royal Lodge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights