Tag: Galileo (Ire)

Galileo’s Savethelastdance Leaves It Late In The Irish Oaks

It was a case of save it until the last minute as Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Daddys Lil Darling, by Scat Daddy) left hearts in mouths en route to delivering Aidan O'Brien a record seventh G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at a rain-soaked Curragh on Saturday. Failing to match her 22-length Listed Cheshire Oaks success when second in the G1 Oaks in June, the 10-11 favourite enjoyed the perfect trip until the straight and looked flat-footed and beaten as the sponsors' TDN Rising Star Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) swooped on the Ballydoyle pace-setter Library (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole.

Rescuing a seemingly hopeless cause with Ryan Moore conjuring the surge that had taken her into clear daylight at Chester, she reeled in that pair inside the last 50 metres for an ultimately cosy half-length success. Bluestocking forged 1 3/4 lengths clear of the 80-1 outsider Library, who showed again what an advantage it is to be on the front end at this track.

“It's been a long time since she ran and we were treating this as her first run back for an autumn campaign,” O'Brien said. “Ryan gave her a brilliant ride. When she was in a little bit of trouble, he kept her coming forward without panicking and got her out then re-motivated her. She's a big relaxed mare and obviously the ground was way different than what she ran on the last time. It's a very difficult thing to motivate a horse on that type of ground, but she did answer for him.”

 

Savethelastdance had offered only a slight glimpse of her inherent piledriver finish when fifth over a mile at Thurles in October, but must have shown the right stuff at home to suggest she should be lining up for the 10-furlong Leopardstown maiden in early April that the stable have used for their Oaks aspirants in recent years. Belying odds of 20-1 there, she saw off all threats from the front to book her place in the Cheshire Oaks and with the perfect easy ground and race set-up there killed substandard opposition to become one of the shortest-priced favourites at Epsom in recent years.

On this evidence, her subsequent defeat by Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) on a surface riding on the fast side there makes sense as she clearly needs a distance of ground and is one of the stouter winners of this for some time. After tracking the front duo looking comfortable, she was under the pump turning for home and had received three smacks with Moore's whip by the time she reached the two pole.

Bluestocking got at least two lengths on her there and it looked all over bar the shouting, but then came the rampant closing sectionals which had so astounded at Chester but which, for whatever reason, are still not available in 2023 from Irish racing. That is a shame, as even visually it was clear that Savethelastdance had stormed through the final furlong in impressive fashion to not only catch the Juddmonte filly but beat her all ends up at the line.

“Obviously we know she stays very well and I'd say she's going to sharpen up a good bit from today,” O'Brien added. “You can bounce her out as forward as you want and I'd say she will find plenty and save plenty. She's a massive big masculine filly, she's unusual as she's a filly but she has a pair of horns on her head which is very unusual for a filly. She has a big, strong backside on her and a typical Galileo–when all the others are down on their knees that's when they kick in. She could go on to York for the fillies' race [the G1 Yorkshire Oaks], she could go to the Leger and the Arc on soft or heavy ground–all those races are open to her. It's very possible she will stay in training next year.”

Of Library, he added, “She ran over a mile-and-six last time and ran better than anyone thought, she was just getting into gear off the bend when her rhythm got broken and was probably better than her run. She's a very well-bred filly as well and another Galileo. Gavin [Ryan] gave her a lovely ride. Seamie [Heffernan] said Warm Heart wasn't acting on the ground from the time he jumped off and ground is probably the key to her.”

Pedigree Notes

Savethelastdance is the first foal out of the GI American Oaks and GII Pocahontas S. heroine Daddys Lil Darling, a $3.5million purchase by M V Magnier at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale. Also runner-up in the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Ashland S., GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and GI Alcibiades S. as well as bolting to the start of the 2017 Oaks as Olivier Peslier ejected, she is a half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and GIII Woodford S. winner Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday), to the Luther Burbank H. scorer Victoryasecret (Victory Gallop) and to the dam of the GII Saratoga Special S.-placed Momos (Distorted Humor). A daughter of the stakes winner and GII San Clemente H. runner-up Miss Hot Salsa (Houston), Daddys Lil Darling's 2-year-old full-brother to Savethelastdance named Mr Hampstead was bought by Robson Aguiar for Amo Racing for $575,000 at the Keeneland September Sale. She also has a filly foal by Into Mischief and has been bred to Gun Runner.

Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS-G1, €500,000, Curragh, 7-22, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:43.11, sf.
1–SAVETHELASTDANCE (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
     1st Dam: Daddys Lil Darling (GISW, $1,335,305), by Scat Daddy
     2nd Dam: Miss Hot Salsa, by Houston
     3rd Dam: Miss High Blade, by Highland Blade
1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Daddys Lil Darling Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €290,000. Lifetime Record: SW & G1SP-Eng, 5-3-1-0, $551,098. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bluestocking (GB), 128, f, 3, Camelot (GB)–Emulous (GB), by Dansili (GB).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. €100,000.
3–Library (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Words (Ire), by Dansili (GB).
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €50,000.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.91, 4.00, 80.00.
Also Ran: Lumiere Rock (Ire), Warm Heart (Ire), Be Happy (Ire), Azazat (Ire), Comhra (Ire).

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Thursday’s Observations: Peaceful’s Sister Debuts at Leopardstown

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. Thursday's Observations features a full-sister to Classic winner Peaceful.

18.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
ANDROMEDA (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of two Ballydoyle juveniles engaged, with Seamie Heffernan taking the ride on the debutante full-sister to his 2020 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-winning mount Peaceful (Ire). Ryan Moore has opted for Opera Singer (Justify), the half-sister to War Front's top-level winners Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna who was eighth behind stablemate and TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at The Curragh last month.

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‘Thirty-odd years ago we’d have a pint and dream about something happening one day’: Martin Hughes on Shaquille

It may have started more by necessity than by desire, but Martin Hughes has now hit the heights that most small breeders can only dream of with his sprinting sensation, Shaquille (GB).

A year ago this week, the son of the treble Group 1-winning miler Charm Spirit (Ire) made a winning debut at York. In the ensuing 12 months, he has taken Hughes, who bred Shaquille with Michael Kerr-Dineen, and his friends in the partnership on quite a ride, often with heart in mouth, but on all bar two occasions one which ends in the winner's enclosure.

Putting a flop in the G3 Acomb S. on his second start behind him, Shaquille has remained unbeaten since last August but he did give his connections one fraught outing on Good Friday when refusing to load on All-Weather Finals day at Newcastle. His progression since then, through victories in a Newmarket handicap on Guineas weekend, Listed success at Newbury and two Group 1 strikes in the Commonwealth Cup and July Cup, is testament to the hands-on management of this tearaway talent by trainer Julie Camacho and her husband Steve Brown.

In fact, various members of the Camacho family have played their part, with Julie's father, former trainer Maurice, boarding Shaquille's dam and offspring, and her brother Matthew acting as bloodstock advisor for Hughes, a long-term owner who became a Group 1 breeder almost by accident. 

“I wasn't really setting out to be a breeder,” Hughes admits. “Michael and myself bought two Galileo fillies and they went into training with John Gosden, and both were absolute rubbish. Magic was unraced and Tinted raced once but probably shouldn't have done. So we looked at it and thought rather than give up and give them away, let's see what they can do. So they went up to Maurice and we started having them covered.”

Both Magic (Ire) and Tinted (Ire) are out of Danehill mares, bred by Glenvale Stud on a cross which has yielded plenty of success elsewhere but not for these two. Not initially anyway. In the case of Magic, a daughter of Cheveley Park Stud's prolific sprinter Danehurst (GB), talent appears to have skipped a generation. Danehurst won exactly half of her 20 starts for Sir Mark Prescott including the G2 Flying Five (which has subsequently been promoted to Group 1 status) among her eight stakes victories, and was runner-up in the G1 Golden Jubilee S. as well as being third in the July Cup, won 21 years later by her grandson.

Hughes continues, “Tinted has produced nothing of merit. Shaquille is Magic's third foal and the first two weren't very good. They say wait until the third to see what the mare is producing. The first one was by Showcasing and the second was by Oasis Dream, and he was just too large. Magic was out of Danehurst and she didn't actually produce too much. Maybe we should have paid more attention to that before we bought her for racing.”

In hindsight, it's a good job they didn't. Admittedly, Magic's first foal, Sleight (GB), remains winless in 19 starts. Her second, the giant Helpful (GB), made his debut in a Warwick bumper in May and finished tailed off, with his in-running notes reading, as his younger brother Shaquille's often do, 'Took keen hold'.

The difference is, however, that Shaquille, the sole Group 1 winner for his Haras du Logis St Germain-based sire, has such abundant speed that it is not undone by his ebullience, nor, so far, by his habit of dwelling for a split second as the gates fly open.

“You could never imagine this happening,” says Hughes as he reflects on the second Group 1 win for the three-year-old in less than a month. “Thirty-odd years ago when I started getting involved with racehorses with Michael, we'd sit down and have a pint and dream about something happening one day.”

Hughes, who also has horses with Richard Hannon among other trainers, has extended his broodmare band to three following the retirement of the dual winner Separate (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), who was also placed in the G3 Oh So Sharp S.

He says, “Michael retired so I bought out his half interest in everything. I had a sturdy black-type sprinter with Richard Hannon called Separate. She ran for four years and never had an injury and gave me some good times. I thought that rather than send her to the horses-in-training sale I'd see what she could do and she now has an Ardad foal.”

'The breeding operation was created out of necessity really. We've gone with relatively low-cost covers and have had a bit of luck.'

Magic, who has produced five colts to date, has a yearling by Cable Bay and a foal by Iffraaj (GB). Tinted, who is also out of a Cheveley Park Stud-bred daughter of Danehill in the Group 1 winner Regal Rose (GB), could yet have her day. Her runners by Showcasing (GB) and Zoustar (Aus) have shown little to date, but she has youngsters by Cable Bay and Kodi Bear (Ire) in the pipeline. 

“The breeding operation was created out of necessity really,” Hughes adds. “We've gone with relatively low-cost covers and have had a bit of luck. Magic had a year off and now she has a strong-looking Cable Bay yearling at Maurice's yard.”

Hughes, who lives in London, ended up having horses in trained in Yorkshire after a fortuitous meeting with Matthew Camacho, the former bloodstock director of the Racing Post.

“Matthew introduced me to his family. He gives me good guidance, good stats and good suggestions. I've been following his suggestions on the stallions we go to,” Hughes notes. 

“Matthew's project is to try to find us something that isn't a sprinter. We're trying to get something that can go a mile and a quarter-plus, but that isn't happening so far.”

In the meantime, Hughes and his friends who were gifted a no-cost share of Shaquille as a Christmas present, can plan for more days in the fast lane.

“It will be Haydock next, definitely Haydock,” says Hughes of his star colt's intended appearance in the Sprint Cup on September 9.

“Julie, Steve and their team have such a fantastic job with him. They work so hard and it's a pleasant environment [at the yard] and that feeds into how the horses react.

“We're going to carry on running through the year and then make a decision, but the way it looks to me, and I said so to Steve, is that we should just carry on.”

The sprinter, who takes his name from the basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, inspired not only by O'Neal's former team Orlando Magic but by fellow player Magic Johnson, has already jumped higher than anyone around him could have expected. Here's hoping the magic continues. 

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Never Ending Story’s Brother Debuts at Killarney

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. Monday's Insights feature a full-brother to high-class racehorse Never Ending Story (Ire), going two furlongs farther than that sibling did on debut last term.

17.20 Killarney, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, 8f 20yT
NAVY SEAL (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is introduced by Aidan O'Brien over the longest trip for a maiden in Britain and Ireland so far in 2023, going two furlongs further than his high-class full-sister Never Ending Story (Ire) did as she debuted last term. That first foal out of the GI Belmont Oaks heroine Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) turned into a dual group 3 winner and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up, so this February-foaled bay has a hard act to follow. Descended from Urban Sea (Miswaki) and also connected to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), his mettle will be tested against fellow Derrick Smith colour-bearer Bremen (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Donnacha O'Brien-trained son of the triple Australian group 1 heroine Sea Siren (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and full-brother to last month's G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Warm Heart (Ire) who created such a strong impression when narrowly failing on debut at Tipperary earlier this month.

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