G3 Longines Sagaro S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jukebox Jury’s Princess Zoe Prevails in Sagaro Thriller

Winless in seven starts since capturing ParisLongchamp's 2020 G1 Prix du Cadran, last term's G1 Gold Cup runner-up Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) bounced back in style on seasonal return to claim a thrilling victory in Wednesday's two-mile G3 Longines Sagaro S. at Ascot. The 7-year-old mare claimed a rail position after the early strides and raced third passing the judge first time. Biding her time throughout, the 17-2 chance was bustled along to find an open lane off the home turn and stayed on relentlessly under a drive inside the final quarter mile to hit the line with a head advantage from Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) with Queen's Cup winner Enemy (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) a further neck adrift in third. Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bidding to provide his sire with a world record 348th stakes winner, went off as the 2-1 favourite and finished another neck away in fourth.

“I think she likes to come into her races, she is just a warrior and loves a battle and I will never have the like of her again,” commented trainer Tony Mullins of his stable star. “When you have trained ordinary horses for 25 or 30 years and then you have one like this it is special. She is just part of the family. I was anxious about the ground and was a little surprised they didn't water last night as it would still have left it good-to-firm, but not quite as quick as that. Everyone believes she is a heavy-ground mare and I'm bringing her here on good-to-firm. I know if she was well beaten that everyone would say I was wrong and made a big mistake. We came here today to win, she was fit enough to win and she is going to improve for Royal Ascot. The extra half-mile [of the G1 Gold Cup] is going to make a difference and I feel there is more in the tank. Hopefully, she will be fine in the morning and then the whole build-up to the Gold Cup begins.”

Princess Zoe is one of five winners, from six foals, produced by a multiple-winning half-sister to MGSW sire Peppercorn (Ger) (Big Shuffle), G2 Oettingen-Rennen victor Pepperstorm (Ger) (Big Shuffle), G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Peppershot (Ger) (Big Shuffle) and the dual stakes-placed Pepperjuice (Ger) (Big Shuffle). The March-foaled grey is a half-sister to MGSW G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up Palace Prince (Ger) (Areion {Ger}). Her second dam Pasca (Ger) (Lagunas {GB), broodmare of the year in 2003, is a half-sister to G2 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Padang (Ger) (Ile de Bourbon).

Wednesday, Ascot, Britain
LONGINES SAGARO S.-G3, £80,000, Ascot, 4-27, 4yo/up, 15f 209yT, 3:26.41, g/f.
1–PRINCESS ZOE (GER), 125, m, 7, by Jukebox Jury (Ire)
1st Dam: Palace Princess (Ger), by Tiger Hill (Ire)
2nd Dam: Pasca (Ger), by Lagunas (GB)
3rd Dam: Palmas (Ger), by Neckar (Ger)
O-Patrick F Kehoe & Mrs P Crampton; B-Gestut Hony-Hof (GER); T-Tony Mullins; J-Joey Sheridan. £45,368. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Mare-Eng & Fr at 14f+, G1SW-Fr, SW & GSP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, 29-8-8-3, $516,352. *1/2 to Palace Prince (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), Hwt. Older Horse-Ger at 7-9.5f, MGSW & G1SP-Ger, SW-Fr, $462,429. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Quickthorn (GB), 128, g, 5, Nathaniel (Ire)–Daffydowndilly (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Lady Blyth; B-Lemington Grange Stud (GB); T-Hugh Morrison. £17,200.
3–Enemy (GB), 128, g, 5, Muhaarar (GB)–Prudenzia (Ire), by Dansili (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€420,000 Ylg '18 ARAUG; €92,000 4yo '21 ARQAUT). O-Tracey Bell & Caroline Lyons; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm Inc (GB); T-Ian Williams. £8,608.
Margins: HD, NK, NK. Odds: 8.50, 3.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Wordsworth (Ire), Tashkhan (Ire), Nayef Road (Ire). Scratched: Calling The Wind (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Jukebox Jury’s Princess Zoe Prevails in Sagaro Thriller appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Wordsworth Tests Cup Credentials

One of Ballydoyle's most idle performers, the talented Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gets to go over two miles for the first time on Wednesday as he warms up for the Royal meeting in Ascot's G3 Longines Sagaro S. While the G1 Grand Prix de Paris runner-up and G1 Irish Derby third hardly quickens the pulse with his dour galloping style, the full-brother to Kew Gardens (Ire) could be a G1 Gold Cup horse through-and-through and we will know more after his encounter with the 2020 G1 Prix du Cadran heroine and 2021 Gold Cup runner-up Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) here. The card also features the G3 Merriebelle Stables Commonwealth Cup Trial, or Pavilion S. as it is registered, where the G2 Railway S. winner and GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) pits his wits against the G2 Mill Reef S. one-two Wings of War (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Hierarchy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and a dark one in Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Ehraz (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

The post Wordsworth Tests Cup Credentials appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Early Return For Stradivarius in Sagaro

Following the exploits of stablemate Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on Friday, the onus is on Clarehaven's longer-standing cult hero Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to maintain the momentum for John and Thady Gosden in Wednesday's G3 Longines Sagaro S. at Ascot. Out earlier this year with some excess weight to shed ahead of his bid for a dream fourth G1 Gold Cup at the Royal meeting, the 7-year-old will be a warm order back in his favoured arena despite his 2020 campaign tailing off with a disappointing 12th in the course-and-distance G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup in October. That uncharacteristic flop came on the back of two attempts at a mile and a half, with a narrow second to Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp in September preceding a failed Arc tilt when seventh in deep ground in that venue's showcase.

John Gosden is keen to stress that Bjorn Nielsen's beloved chestnut will strip fitter after this reintroduction. “He's a bigger, heavier horse this year so he may well need his first race,” he said. “If he needs another race, there's the [G2] Yorkshire Cup, but we'll see. He likes Ascot, obviously, and I feel the trip is right to start him off at two miles. He's a 7-year-old and he's weighing heavier, so to that extent he may need two races before the Gold Cup but we don't know yet. Age is becoming a bit of issue–maybe less so if he was a gelding, but he's a full horse. He seems happy in himself and is his usual vociferous self, so we're looking forward to running him.”

Of the two unplaced efforts that rounded off last season, he added, “Obviously the last two races were both run in exceptionally heavy ground. He wasn't in love with it. There was no pace in the Arc, then they sprinted. He ran very well in the Prix Foy and did nothing wrong before that.”

Successful in this last year when it was transferred to Newcastle's Tapeta, Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has a third tilt at Stradivarius having finished runner-up in the Gold Cup and the G1 Goodwood Cup. “If Stradivarius comes back in the same form as last year, then he'll be extremely difficult to beat,” commented trainer Mark Johnston, who arguably has three stayers with which to take on the Gosden flag-bearer this year. “We've run some very good horses against Stradivarius and come second. That said, we've got a much stronger team this year and it's going to be very interesting to see. He did have a setback at the end of last season, but he seems to have got over it well and he's ready to run.”

Also on the card which acts as a sighter for certain Royal Ascot races is the G3 QIPCO British Champions Series horseracinghof.com Pavilion S., in which the G1 Middle Park S. hero Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) flexes his muscle ahead of the G1 Commonwealth Cup. Trainer Clive Cox said, “I'm delighted that it's this year and not last, with the chance to have a prep and not go to Ascot first time out. He's done really well, but this is very much his first step back and he comes to himself when it gets a bit warmer. I'm very happy we've got a chance to run on some quick ground. This is his first step back with a penalty. He's a wonderful horse and he's got such an amazing temperament for a sprinter, which is why I'm really pleased we've got a chance to have a trial race in the build-up to Royal Ascot. That is where we're looking for him to come to the boil 100%.”

Click here for the group fields.

The post Early Return For Stradivarius in Sagaro appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post