Tag: Henry Longfellow (Ire)

City Of Troy Tops Derby Nominations at First Entry Stage

A total of 72 horses have been entered for the 2024 G1 Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 1, the richest race in Britain with total prize-money of £1.5 million.

Of the 72, 23 are trained in Ireland, including the outstanding juvenile of 2023, City Of Troy (Justify), last seen winning the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket by three and a half lengths in impressive fashion. He is one of 17 entries for Aidan O'Brien, the most successful trainer in the history of the Classic having saddled nine winners since the turn of the century. O'Brien's other notable entries include G1 National S. winner Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who emulated City Of Troy by winning each of his three starts as a two-year-old, plus G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and G2 Champions Juvenile S. winner Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), both of whom should be well suited by stepping up to a mile and a half on pedigree.

The Paddy Twomey-trained Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), who finished fourth behind Diego Velazquez at Leopardstown before winning the G2 Beresford S. at the Curragh, is another standout name among the Irish contingent, while Saint-Cloud maiden winner Roadshow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the sole entry from France. Trained by Andre Fabre, Roadshow is another potential runner for the various Coolmore partnerships, sporting the familiar purple and white silks of Derek Smith which have already been carried to success in the Derby on three occasions.

US-trained runners at Epsom are much less common, but there could be one in the 2024 renewal, namely Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}), last seen filling the runner-up spot in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park for Kenny McPeek. Further international interest could be provided by Justin Milano (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), potentially a first ever runner from Japan in the Derby. Trained by Yasuo Tomomichi–a three-time winner of the Japanese equivalent, the Tokyo Yushun–Justin Milano was successful in the G3 Kyodo News Hai at Tokyo on his most recent start.

The home team is headed by the Charlie Appleby-trained pair of Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi) and Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi), both of whom achieved a high level of form at two. Ancient Wisdom proved himself one of the best of his generation when landing the G1 Futurity Trophy S. at Doncaster, while Arabian Crown impressed when running out an emphatic winner of the G3 Zetland S. at Newmarket. Incidentally, Appleby is also responsible for 'TDN Rising Star' Endless Victory (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), a full-brother to the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (GB) who won by a wide margin on his debut at Wolverhampton earlier this month.

Clive Cox's Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is another to note having won each of his three starts as a juvenile, notably coming out on top in what looked a deep renewal of the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket, beating Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Capulet (Justify) and Macduff (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). The first four have all been given Derby entries, along with John and Thady Gosden's Futurity Trophy third God's Window (GB) (Dubawi).

The second entry stage is set for Wednesday, April 24.

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Justify’s City Of Troy Tops 2YO Classification

Aidan O'Brien hailed City Of Troy as the most exciting two-year-old he's trained as the son of Justify was named Europe's champion juvenile for 2023 when the classification was released on Tuesday. He becomes the 13th European champion two-year-old to have been trained by O'Brien, with only Johannesburg (126) achieving a higher rating among the previous 12.

A Coolmore homebred out of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), City Of Troy went unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old, culminating with a dominant display when winning the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket by three and a half lengths. It was that effort which earned him his rating of 125, five pounds clear of the next best juvenile, G1 Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

“We've probably never had a horse as exciting as City Of Troy as a two-year-old,” said O'Brien. “I suppose from the first time he ran he looked like he was something different. What makes him different is the tempo he's able to go in a race and then he just kicks into another gear at halfway.”

Noting the differences between City Of Troy and Johannesburg, O'Brien added, “Johannesburg was more of a two-year-old. He was a small horse, but City Of Troy is a bigger horse with a massive, long stride. He looks like he'll have no problem going up in distance and he's a horse who should go forward from two to three.”

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) handicapper Mark Bird said of the champion juvenile, “City Of Troy proved himself the cream of the two-year-old crop in Europe with three impressive performances between July and October. His rating of 125 places him alongside high-class horses such as Zafonic and Fasliyev at the same stage of their careers and behind only four-time Group 1-winning juvenile Johannesburg (126) among his own stable's illustrious roll call of European champion two-year-olds.”

Two of the top four colts were trained at Ballydoyle by O'Brien. Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was just behind Adrian Murray's Bucanero Fuerte with a rating of 119 having emulated City Of Troy by winning each of his three starts as a two-year-old, including an impressive five-length victory in the G1 National S. at the Curragh. He looks another leading Classic contender for his stable as a three-year-old, with a trip to France reportedly first on the agenda.

O'Brien said, “Obviously it can all change, but we're thinking of starting City Of Troy at Newmarket [in the G1 2000 Guineas] and we're thinking of maybe starting Henry Longfellow in France [in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains].”

G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) was ranked joint-third with Henry Longfellow. He also emerged as the best of the British-based two-year-olds ahead of three other top-level winners, namely Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who earned a rating of 117 for his victory in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp; Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), rated 116 after her win in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. at the Curragh; and Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was awarded a rating of 115 after his wins in the G3 Autumn S. at Newmarket and G1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.

Fallen Angel was rated highest of all juvenile fillies trained in Britain, but she had to settle for the runner-up spot in Europe behind the 118-rated Opera Singer (Justify), the emphatic winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on whom O'Brien also issued a positive bulletin ahead of her three-year-old campaign.

“Opera Singer was a filly who improved with every run as the year went on and she got better as she went up in trip,” said O'Brien. “We were very happy with her last two runs and we haven't seen the best of her at all. She's done well physically and we're thinking she'll probably start in the G1 1000 Guineas.”

The 114-rated Ramatuelle, another daughter of Justify, was the standout two-year-old of either sex in France having won three of her first four starts for Christopher Head, including the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly by four lengths, before being narrowly beaten by Vandeek when stepping up to the top level in the Prix Morny at Deauville. The 113-rated Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), runner-up to Fallen Angel in the Moyglare, and G1 Fillies' Mile winner Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}), rated 112, were the pick of the other juvenile fillies in Europe.

The Breeders' Cup was a happy hunting ground for the European raiders, with Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett) and Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point) both achieving notable ratings in winning the G1 Juvenile Turf and G1 Juvenile Turf Sprint respectively. With a rating of 114, Unquestionable shares joint-ninth with Dewhurst runner-up Alyanaabi (Ire) (Too Darn Hot) and Ramatuelle, while Big Evs sits just outside the top ten on 113, together with G2 Champagne S. winner Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), G1 Criterium International hero Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and Vespertilio.

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City Of Troy And Henry Longfellow To Likely Be Kept Separate During Classic Campaigns

City Of Troy (Justify), a winner of the G1 Dewhurst S. and the Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, will likely not have to contend with stablemate and fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Aidan O'Brien confirmed.

The former, all being well, would then head to the G1 Derby at Epsom, while the latter, a winner of the G1 National S., is possible for the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas before a crack at the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot in June or the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in France. Both Coolmore partners' colts received heavy praise from O'Brien during their juvenile seasons.

“I'd imagine that City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow will be kept apart for as long as the lads want to do that,” O'Brien told Sporting Life.

“We're obviously thinking that City of Troy will be trained for Newmarket and then Henry Longfellow might be trained for France.

“If everything went well with City Of Troy at Newmarket, he could go straight on to Epsom whereas the other horse could do the Curragh and Ascot or something like that. There's lots of scenarios that could happen I suppose.”

Out of Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), City Of Troy has yet to taste defeat in three starts, while also sporting a win in the G2 Superlative S. and has continued to draw attention and rave reviews from the master of Ballydoyle.

He added, “He's the first horse we've had come along to show such class and courage, without us feeling that we've got to the last gear yet.

“He always had lovely balance, a lovely shape and a lovely mind. He was a lovely size of a horse, not too big and not too small. He looked the ideal horse all the way along really.”

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4,000th Winner For O’Brien As Dubawi’s Henry Longfellow Makes Up For City Of Troy Absence In The National

As much as Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. was about the withdrawal of City Of Troy (Justify) and the impressive winning performance of fellow TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}–Minding {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), it was testament to Irish racing's totemic figure Aidan O'Brien who marked the occasion with a 4,000th training career success. Who else could pull a colt of the quality of the freakish G2 Superlative S. winner from such an important status event and still win it by five lengths, burying an impressive G1 Phoenix S. scorer in the process? The answer is why at just after 4pm on Sunday we were reflecting on such a remarkable landmark statistic.

City Of Troy's participation was decided as soon as the stable's Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) trailed in last in the preceding G1 Moyglare Stud S., in turn issuing her own damning verdict on the state of the rain-affected ground. Losing such an attractive proposition from a fixture of this nature would normally have been a dampening experience to say the least, but Henry Longfellow is some deputy having won the course-and-distance G2 Futurity S. last month and the money spoke as he upstaged Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the market as the 10-11 favourite for the race his sire won in 2004.

Cuban Thunder (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) was acting as pacemaker for Bucanero Fuerte, but instead lit up his stablemate by chasing him for a few precious moments after the break until getting to the front. While Gary Halpin made sure the pace was unforgiving, Ryan Moore always looked happier than Kevin Stott setting true seven-furlong fractions as the Phoenix hero revved too high. Even before the two-furlong marker, the writing was on the wall and Henry Longfellow came into his own from there to inflict a greater defeat on Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) than he had in the Futurity. Bucanero Fuerte was a spent force at the line, beaten another 7 1/2 lengths in third.

This was as fitting a race to mark O'Brien's achievement, being the country's premier juvenile contest named in honour of his illustrious predecessor at Ballydoyle and the scene of his first group 1 success via Desert King (Ire) in 1996. Thirty years on from his first runner and winner Wandering Thoughts (Ire) at Tralee, the trainer was typically keen to deflect praise to the team around him and happier to discuss his 12th winner of one of the races in which he still trails Vincent O'Brien, who had 15 of these throughout his esteemed career.

“It's pure teamwork all the way and hard to believe,” he said. “I'm so grateful to so many people–incredible. Great people, great horses and great teamwork. This horse's pedigree is second to none. Minding was the best mare we ever trained and this was the best out-cross that she could go to,” he said. “He travels and he quickens and that is very difficult for other horses to handle. His mam won over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half and handled the ground no problem and he's got a lot of her and his dad in him, so he looks a very special horse.”

“The plan was originally to run him in the Dewhurst, but Ryan said it was closer to soft than good-to-yielding and we promised ourselves we wouldn't run City Of Troy on soft ground,” he added. “City Of Troy hadn't run for a good while and was going to improve from the run. Sometimes in that ground they can have a hard time. He would die on his feet for you today and we didn't want to do that to him once the ground turned. Henry Longfellow ran last month with an ease and had no problem with it. He's fast and looks a miler and I don't know how much further he'll stay. We'll look at the Dewhurst for City Of Troy now.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Becoming the 55th group 1 winner for his sire, whose son Too Darn Hot (GB) sired his first on the card, Henry Longfellow is the second foal and first runner for the aforementioned seven-times group 1-winning phenomenon Minding whose successes included the Oaks, 1000 Guineas and Queen Elizabeth II S. Her dam Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who proved another big mover and shaker for this stable by winning the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Matron S., produced only Galileos for Coolmore and to great effect.

They included another Oaks winner in Tuesday (Ire), who went on to glory in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and a G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine in Empress Josephine (Ire), as well as the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial winner Kissed by Angels (Ire). From the family of the sires Great Commotion and Lead On Time, Minding also has a yearling full-sister to Henry Longfellow and a filly foal by Wootton Bassett (GB). She has been bred to Gun Runner for 2024.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
GOFFS VINCENT O'BRIEN NATIONAL S.-G1, €400,000, Curragh, 9-10, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.54, g/y.
1–HENRY LONGFELLOW (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
     1st Dam: Minding (Ire) (MG1SW-Eng, MG1SW-Ire, $3,213,340), by Galileo (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Lillie Langtry (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Hoity Toity (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. TDN Rising Star. O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €240,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $347,112. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Islandsinthestream (Ire), 131, c, 2, Wootton Bassett (GB)–A Mist Opportunity (Aus), by Foxwedge (Aus).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (€135,000 Ylg '22 ARQDOY). O-Islandsinthestream Partnership; B-Haras d'Etreham & Katelanis Bloodstock (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €80,000.
3–Bucanero Fuerte (GB), 131, c, 2, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Frida La Blonde (Fr), by Elusive City. (€165,000 Ylg '22 ARAUG). O-Amo Racing Limited & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Gestut Zur Kuste AG (GB); T-Adrian Murray. €40,000.
Margins: 5, 7HF, 22. Odds: 0.91, 12.00, Evens.
Also Ran: Cuban Thunder (Ire). Scratched: City Of Troy, Givemethebeatboys (Ire).

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