Thursday’s Insights: Daughter of Uncle Mo Debuts at Big A

1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6 1/2f, 12:20pm
Godolphin's SPLIT SCREEN (Uncle Mo) gets her start for trainer Brad Cox, who strikes with 26% of his firsters. Having been working along the Kentucky circuit of late, she posted her latest trial at Turfway Dec. 2, covering five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 (34/62) over that oval's synthetic surface. The homebred is out of SW Divided Attention (A.P. Indy), a half-sister to Grade I winner Folklore.   TJCIS PPS

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Never Offline: Lucky Vega Team Take Home Another Top Lot At Tatts

Who is Lucky Vega? From Monday to Friday, he bases himself at the Irish National Stud, having retired there off the back of a successful career on the track where he won a Group 1 for trainer Jessica Harrington.

A quick scan through the results at any of the big sales either side of the Irish Sea recently and you will see that Lucky Vega (Ire) has been keeping himself busy upon his retirement, with his name featuring alongside some of the more select lots. 

Lucky Vega, of course, is in fact one of the entities in which Yulong Investments have been supporting the stock by the stallion and, in cases like Wednesday, mares to visit him in the future. 

One of the market leaders to make a booming start with his first two-year-olds next year, Lucky Vega appears to have the continued support of his owner Zhang Yuesheng, with the Chinese businessman signing for the 160,000gns top lot at Park Paddocks on Wednesday.

While the Wednesday trade couldn't match the unblinking excitement the Sceptre Sessions offered 24 hours previously, business remained satisfactory, with the Lucky Vega team once again bidding online to land the unraced daughter of No Nay Never from Godolphin.

Mufeeda (Ire) (lot 2027) never managed to reach the track but the good-looking No Nay Never filly boasts a strong pedigree, being a daughter of listed winner Zoowraa (GB) (Azamour {Ire}), and a sister to two black-type performers. 

She came out on top on a day where the aggregate dropped off by 14% to 3,650,500 gns. The clearance rate dipped 11% to 78% while there was a further slide in the median and average. The median was down 7% to 14,000gns and the average by 9% to 19,418gns.

Japanese Buyers To The Fore Once More

The Japanese buyers need less of an introduction at Tattersalls and, off the back of Northern Farms snapping up Group 1 winners Prosperous Voyage (Ire) and Cachet (Ire) at the Sceptre Sessions, the Shadai Corporation landed Candle of Hope (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) from the Royal Studs for 100,000gns. 

Trained by Richard Hughes, Candle Of Hope carried the Queen's colours to victory on her opening two starts at two last year before placing third in the listed Denford S. at Newbury. She also managed to place at listed level on a second occasion.

Naohiro Hosoda of the Shadai Corporation commented of lot 1920, “She has black-type and a good race record. She had lots of speed and is good-looking. I am a big fan of Green Desert, who is in the pedigree. We have not decided on her immediate plans.”

JS Company Edges Close To 1 Million Spend

Fellow Japanese buyers JS company have been busy this week, notably when going to 560,000gns for Nazanin (Declaration Of War) in the Sceptre Sessions, and the overall haul stood at eight mares at close of play on Wednesday. 

JS Company paid 70,000gns for Lady's Slipper (Fr) (lot 2020), a daughter of Frankel (GB), from Godolphin on Wednesday to bring the overall spend to almost 1 million gns.

Keisuke Onishi commented, “She [Lady's Slipper] will be shipped back to Japan and visit a stallion there. The Sunday Silence line could be very suitable for this filly.”

He added on Espionne (GB) (lot 2022), a Dubawi filly purchased from Godolphin for 37,000gns earlier in the day, “There is a lot of selection for her because Dubawi mares are very popular and suitable to Japanese stallions.”

JS Company spent  959,000gns on the eight mares all told with Onishi describing trade this week at Tattersalls as competitive.

He said, “The Sceptre Sessions were quite fantastic but also difficult to purchase. We succeeded to buy one and my client was so happy. The other part is, it was very reasonable for us. I had been afraid of the currency situation–Japanese Yen is not so strong against the British pound but there were reasonably-priced horses here which meant we could participate.”

Rampal Ramps Up Support For Chindit 

Gaurav Rampal is a familiar face on the Tattersalls sale ground and was as busy as ever this week signing for seven lots under his own name and others more for outside clients. 

Included in the outside spend were three mares on behalf of Poonawalla Stud, who is now the home of Chindit (Ire), a dual Group 2 winner for Richard Hannon. 

Rampal said, “I have bought for five different clients and have a new client who is new to Tattersalls as well. They are a mix of racing and breeding prospects. It's been a happy buying but tough buying.”

He added, “We're very excited about Chindit. He's a strong, solid horse for Dr Poonawalla who had a bit of fun racing him as well. Some of these mares will go to Chindit. He's already in India and has travelled well.”

Malka Makes 95k To Stroud

Malka (Ire), a winning daughter of Nathaniel (Ire), was sold on behalf of Normandie Stud by Newsells Park Stud to Anthony Stroud for 95,000gns. 

Stroud commented, “She has been bought for Craig Mather and will be trained in France. I am very pleased to have bought from the breeder. Malka comes from a good farm and is by a good stallion.”

Buy of the Day

Credit to press bench's Nancy Sexton who, with a mischievous tone, nominated Two In The Pink (Clodovil {Ire}) as being the best buy of the day at Park Paddocks. 

While Two In The Pink (lot 1876) may not be winning the best-named racehorse stakes any time soon, few can argue that she wasn't well-bought at just 4,500gns. 

A sister to Alben Star (Ire), a rock-solid eight-time winner and all-weather specialist for Richard Fahey, Two In The Pink has already proved herself as a producer. 

She's the dam of black-type performer You Are Beautiful (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) while Lambert (GB) (Due Diligence) is a triple winner. 

In fact, a brother to Lambert sold particularly well here last week at 52,000gns, as did a Sergei Prokofiev yearling at Book 3 in October for 46,000gns. 

That all bodes well for Jerry Horan, who bought Two In The Pink to visit young stallion El Caballo (GB), the G2-winning son of Havana Gold (Ire), set to stand at Culworth Grounds Farm for £6,000 in 2024. 

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2.8-Million Guineas Book 1 Sensation Set For Kempton 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 Kalidasa, a 2.8 million gns Tattersalls October purchase.

 

18.00 Kempton, £6,800, Nov, 2yo, 8f (AWT)
Charlie Appleby representative KALIDASA (GB) (Frankel {GB}) hit the heights at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 fixture when knocked down to Godolphin for 2.8-million guineas. The March-foaled bay is out of dual stakes-winning G1 Prix de l'Opera third So Mi Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), herself a full-sister to MG1SW sire Too Darn Hot (GB) and multiple Group 1-placed distaffer Lah Ti Dar (GB). His 10 rivals include Lordship Stud's John and Thady Gosden trainee Fighter Command (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is out of a stakes-winning full-sister to G1 Derby hero Serpentine (Ire).

 

17.30 Kempton, £6,800, Nov, 2yo, 8f (AWT)
Godolphin newcomer EL CORDOBES (IRE) (Frankel {GB}), who fetched a whopping 2-million guineas at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 sale, is out of a half-sister to G1 Haydock Sprint Cup heroine Tante Rose (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}). Opposition to the Charlie Appleby-conditioned debutant includes Marc Chan's Sardinian Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who is a son of G1 Phoenix S. and G1 Matron S. heroine La Collina (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB}), from the John and Thady Gosden stable.

 

13.00 Lingfield, £6,600, Nov, 2yo, f, 8f 1y (AWT)
George Strawbridge's homebred FRIENDLY SOUL (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a John and Thady Gosden trainee, is kin to six black-type perfomers headed by elite-level winners We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Opponents include her once-raced stablemate Twin Peaks (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is a full-sister to G1 Oaks and G1 Prix de Royallieu heroine Anapurna (GB).

12.30 Lingfield, £6,600, Nov, 2yo, f, 8f 1y (AWT)
Qatar Racing's hitherto unraced KALEIDOSCOPE (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a half-sister to G3 Athasi S. winner Lightening Quick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) out of G1 Cheveley Park S. victrix Lightening Pearl (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). The John and Thady Gosden representative encounters nine contenders in this unveiling.

 

HOW THEY FARED
18.30 Wolverhampton, £9,950, Mdn, 2yo, 7f 36y (AWT)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum's Robeena (GB) (Calyx {GB}), a Roger Varian-trained half-sister to last year's GI Belmont Oaks Invitational heroine McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), ran on well from off the pace to finish 5 3/4 lengths behind the winner in third.

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Lemon Pop Defies Doubters, History In Champions Cup

In the G1 Champions Cup, one of two elite-level races on dirt on the JRA circuit, wide barriers are almost always the kiss of death.

Drawn 15 of 15 for Sunday's 1800-metre event, Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) not only had that to overcome, but also lingering questions as to his ability to stay a trip this far. After all, his trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka needed some convincing by the Godolphin braintrust to try him in the G1 February S., a 1600-metre affair, which he duly won with something in the locker.

A trip to Dubai was ultimately decided upon, the G1 Golden Shaheen (1200m) versus the G2 Godolphin Mile. Lemon Pop was ultimately no factor, but even as many as eight months ago, Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney mentioned the Champions Cup as a potential target in a Q&A with this reporter ahead of World Cup night. That brand of outside-the-box thinking paid off handsomely Sunday afternoon at Chukyo Racecourse, as Lemon Pop became the fourth horse to win both JRA Group 1 dirt races in the same calendar year.

Favoured–albeit midly so at $3.80 (14-5)–Lemon Pop broke a bit to his right, but very alertly, and managed to show enough speed to come across the entire field and lead out from this year's G2 UAE Derby runner-up Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) with 2021 winner T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) enjoying the gun run from third.

Lemon Pop had done some work to get there, having clocked :23.5 for the opening 400 metres, but he came back to Ryusei Sakai and got the opening 800m in :48.8, with Dura Erede keeping him honest. Traveling nicely within himself with his jockey sitting against him–similar to his win in the February–Lemon Pop was clear into the straight, pinched what appeared to be a winning break and was home comfortably first as Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) jumped out of the ground for second at rough odds. Dura Erede settled for a creditable third. Multiple international group winner Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) was disappointing in 11th with a bit of a wide trip, while the previously unbeaten Seraphic Call (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) finished 10th.

“Christmas has come early for us in Japan! And indeed if Santa Claus doesn't turn up in three weeks' time, we won't be too upset,” Sweeney said on the Godolphin website. “Lemon Pop was awesome today–there can be no denying that. No horse drawn in the outside three stalls has even made the frame in the last decade, so Lemon Pop needed to overcome the obstacle of the widest draw of all. Also, doing it from the front is probably not the easiest way to win a Group 1, but he had little alternative because of the draw and it was another excellent ride for Ryusei Sakai. In truth, he looked all over the winner when turning in–he was still traveling very well while everyone else was hard at work.”

In the aforementioned Q&A, Sweeney spoke of the honour of bringing a Godolphin-owned Japanese-based runner to Dubai to race before His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. A similar plan was in the works in 2021, when Lemon Pop was an intended runner in the UAE Derby, having won the 2020 Cattleya Sho on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. But the injury bug bit, dashing those plans. His victory Sunday opens a few more doors as the calendar turns to 2024.

“Though five years old, he is relatively lightly raced and over four seasons has only run a total of 14 times,” Sweeney said. “As he is in great form, we are hoping to keep him in training for another year and will be considering the G1 Saudi Cup before hopefully going back to Dubai in March.”

A horse that has passed every test that's been set for him, Lemon Drop would have to be considered a major player in Riyadh and/or at Meydan.

 

Pedigree Notes:

On behalf of former Darley executive Olly Tait and his wife, Blandford Bloodstock went to 165,000gns for Unreachable from the Juddmonte draft at the 2012 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Unreachable is a daughter of Harpia, a full-sister to the highly influential Danehill as well as Eagle Eyed and Shibboleth, etc., and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed First Word (Chester House) and Redesdale (Speightstown). This is also the family of Dundonnell (First Defence), a Group 3 winner in England, a listed winner in Hong Kong and Group 3-placed in Dubai.

Unreachable was offered in foal to Good Magic at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale and was led out unsold on a bid of $55,000, but Chad Schumer acquired the mare privately for $50,000 on behalf of Jay and Christine Hayden's Saintsbury Farms. Schumer also purchased Redesdale for $18,000 at the 2016 January Sale and he now stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in the state of New York. The colt Unreachable was carrying at the time of her acquisition–an Ontario-bred 3-year-old now named Equivoque–would go on to fetch $325,000 from China Horse Club/Gandharvi at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and CHC bought out the partnership for $240,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale. Equivoque, an impressive debut winner at Keeneland this past April and an allowance second at Churchill on Derby Day May 6, has recently returned to training at Todd Pletcher's South Florida base at Palm Beach Downs after spending some time at WinStar Farm .

Unreachable is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt Magic Rush (Good Magic) and a yearling colt by Maclean's Music that sold for $310,000 to Powerstown Stud at this year's Keeneland September sale. Unreachable, now 14 years of age, did not produce a foal this year and was bred back to Curlin.

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
CHAMPIONS CUP-G1, ¥232,740,000, Chukyo, 12-3, 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:50.60, ft.
1–LEMON POP, 128, h, 5, by Lemon Drop Kid
1st Dam: Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Harpia, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Razyana, by His Majesty
($70,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Godolphin; B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (KY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥123,318,000. Lifetime Record: 14-10-3-0, ¥481,756,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wilson Tesoro (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Chesutoke Rose, by Uncle Mo. O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings; B-Ryoken Farm; ¥48,948,000.
3–Dura Erede (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Duramente (Jpn)–Marchesa (Jpn), by Orfevre (Jpn). (¥100,000,000 Ylg '21 JRHAJUL). O-Three H Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥30,474,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, NK. Odds: 2.80, 91.00, 30.20.
Also Ran: T O Keynes (Jpn), Meisho Hario (Jpn), Hagino Alegrias (Jpn), Make a Leap (Jpn), Notturno (Jpn), Ater Astrea (Jpn), Seraphic Call (Jpn), Crown Pride (Jpn), Keiai Shelby (Jpn), Gloria Mundi (Jpn), Icon Tailor (Jpn), Geoglyph (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart and VIDEO.

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