17.30 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 7f 27yT BUTTONS (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore of the Ballydoyle trio in this always-intriguing maiden, won by the stable's September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) in recent times and in which Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was fourth behind Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in an above-average race in 2019. Out of the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner and Oaks runner-up Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo) and descended from Urban Sea (Miswaki), the half-sister to the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-placed So Wonderful (War Front) is joined by Opera Singer (Justify), a half-sister to War Front's top-level scorers Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna, and by Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of the G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Jockey Tom Marquand has renewed his sponsorship contract with the Bahrain Turf Club for a further year, the organisation announced Wednesday.
Ed Veale, Director of Racing and International Relations at the Bahrain Turf Club, said: “Tom's profile makes him a perfect fit for the Bahrain Turf Club, particularly on account of his growing international reputation. He is an excellent role model for the sport and someone that young people look up to and admire.
Marquand added: “I am delighted and grateful to extend my sponsorship with Bahrain. After finishing joint second in the Flat Jockeys Championship in 2022, my goal is to continue to improve and ride more winners around the world.”
Marquand, who is due to visit Bahrain to race ride in the coming season, will be working in tandem with the Bahrain Turf Club on their social media platforms and is expected to be in action on day one of the Boodles July Festival at Newmarket, a day on which all three group races are sponsored by the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Turf Club High Committee Representative, International Racing, added: “Our sponsorship on the first day of the July Festival provides a great opportunity to showcase the Kingdom of Bahrain and it is an honour to be associated with the three group races run that afternoon, the Bahrain Trophy, the July S. and the Princess of Wales's S. We will be working with Tom to promote the day and Bahrain's support for British racing.”
New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), the 40-1 runner-up behind Native Trail (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the 2022 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, will be gelded and will ultimately continue his career under the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in Australia after being acquired by Jamie Lovett's Australian Bloodstock following a lengthy courtship.
Trained in England by Sheila Lavery for her brother John, the £65,000 Tattersalls Goresbridge breezer won his maiden at first asking in June 2021, his lone victory to date, but he has run with credit at group level, as he was eighth and not beaten far in last year's G1 St James's Palace S. while also finishing runner-up to Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 Park S. at Doncaster last September. Fourth as the 5-4 favourite on his seasonal return in the May 7 G3 Amethyst S. at Leopardstown, he was a latest third in the Listed Owenstown Stud S. at the Curragh May 21.
New Energy will be transferred to Harry Eustace and pre-trained in Newmarket before heading to Melbourne, where he will be trained towards a start in the G1 Cox Plate in the Australian springtime.
“He's probably the best performed horse we have ever bought,” Lovett told racenet.com.au.
“I think when we bought [G1 Melbourne Cup winner] Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), he'd had 11 starts and run fourth in an Arc, this bloke has had 11 starts but run second in an Irish Group 1 classic, the 2000 Guineas, his form card is exceptional and we think with gelding and Maher/Eustace, we can find some improvement.
“He has been on everyone's radar. We couldn't get near him last year as the stable [Sheila Lavery] had stallion aspirations for him, but he's a 4-year-old now and we kept chasing him and finalised a deal last week, he was paid for on Tuesday.”
Lovett is comfortable that New Energy will pass the stringent veterinary examinations in Victoria.
“He was A1 on X-rays, scans and scopes, so we would have to be pretty confident he will pass all the tests that are required,” he told racenet.
Sheila Lavery told PA Sport: “They've been trying to buy him for over a year and in the end it just made economical sense for the owner to sell him.
“They've some very deep pockets and I was at a bit of a crossroads with him. It makes economical sense for the owner for him to go to Australia, so I'm delighted for John but heartbroken to see him go.
“I'm gutted. I didn't think I'd be as upset as I am, but it's the right thing and it's the right business decision. I've been very privileged and proud to train him.”
Ballylinch Stud's New Bay is the sire of three winners from as many to race in Australia, including the Chris Waller-trained New Mandate (Ire), winner of the G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup this past April. New Bay's three top-level scorers include 3.6-million gns Tattersalls November seller Saffron Beach (Ire).
A deluge of some 270 ml of rain–that's better than 10 inches for those of us less acquainted with the metric system–fell over the Tokyo Racecourse Friday and into early Saturday, leaving the turf course officially soft for the first of the two days of weekend racing.
Sunday dawned with perfect weather and by the time the field entered the gates for the G1 Yasuda Kinen, the course had been upgraded to good-to-firm, and that played right into the hands of Sunday Racing's Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who came storming home down the centre to successfully defend her title in the spring mile feature. She joins Yamanin Zephyr (Jpn) (1992-93) and the great Vodka (Jpn) (2008, 2009) in putting wins back-to-back and is the third winner of the Yasuda Kinen in the last four years to carry the Sunday Racing black-and-red colours.
Sent off the fourth betting pick at 32-5, largely owing to her widest draw in 18, Songline was alertly away and settled just ahead of midfield and wide as Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) set a predicatbly furious tempo in advance of G1 Osaka Hai hero Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) and the white mare Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune). Four off the rail and without cover for a time down the back of the course, Songline was eased back a spot or two by Keita Tosaki and critically managed to draft in behind recent G1 NHK Mile Cup winner Champagne Color (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) racing down the side.
Win Carnelian led narrowly into the long straight, but was soon besieged by Jack d'Or, who nosed in front with just shy of 400 metres to race. The chestnut, trying the mile for the first time, battled on bravely despite the demanding pace and took them deep into the final furlong, but Songline, switched off heels once heads were turned for home, was rallying strongly and raced over the top for the victory. Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), a forward factor throughout, bid one off the fence in the late stages and was just home for second ahead of favoured Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), who finished his final 600 metres in a race-fastest :32.8. It was the latter's third straight Yasuda Kinen placing, having finished third in 2021 after beating Songline in the NHK Mile Cup and second last year.
Songline has been sparingly raced since her win last year, and was only 10th in defence of her title in the G3 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh in February before besting Sodashi last time in the May 14 G1 Victoria Mile.
“I was able to gallop her last week and felt that her form had improved, so I had every confidence in her today,” said Tosaki, who took the 2011 Yasuda Kinen aboard Real Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and was winning his 11th JRA Group 1. “The position we found was ideal, she responded beautifully and demonstrated her strong turn of foot and speed today. To score two Group 1 wins in a row is just incredible and I feel she is still steadily progressing.”
The Yasuda Kinen serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. Songline, who also earned a berth in the Filly & Mare Turf via the Victoria Mile success, was an intended runner in last year's Mile, but plans were scuppered due to inflammation in her epiglottis. Connections confirmed she will be pointed towards this year's Mile, to be held at Santa Anita Nov. 4.
Pedigree Notes:
Songline is the most accomplished runner by Kizuna, easily the best sire son of the late Deep Impact (Jpn) to date. The homebred is one of 22 black-type and 12 group winners for the 2013 G1 Tokyo Yushun hero, whose other elite-level scorer is G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) victress Akai Ito (Jpn). Himself victorious in the 2013 G2 Prix Niel and fourth to Treve (Fr) in that year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Kizuna has also made an impression on foreign soil as a sire, as his son Deep Bond (Jpn) took out the G2 Qatar Prix Foy ahead of an Arc appearance in 2021, while Bathrat Leon (Jpn) posted surprise victories in the 2022 G2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai and in this year's 1351 Turf Sprint.
Songline's second dam was kin to three Japanese stakes winners, while her great-granddam not only bred a trio of black-type winners, but is also responsible for Reizend (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}). She serves as the dam of the globetrotting Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who won the 2019 G1 Qatar Nassau S. while placing in the G1 Hong Kong Cup and G1 Dubai Turf.
Luminous Parade is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt Sonic Line (Jpn) (Real Impact {Jpn}), a yearling full-brother to Songline and foaled a colt by Satono Diamond (Jpn) Apr. 21.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan YASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥347,400,000, Tokyo, 6-4, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:31.40, gd/fm.
1–SONGLINE (JPN), 123, m, 5, by Kizuna (Jpn) 1st Dam: Luminous Parade (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S 2nd Dam: Luminous Point (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn) 3rd Dam: Soninke (GB), by Machiavellian
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Toru Hayashi; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥183,780,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-KSA, 15-7-2-1, $6,030,499. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Serifos (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Sea Front (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire). O-G1 Racing; B-Oiwake Farm; ¥73,080,000.
3–Schnell Meister (Ger), 128, h, 5, Kingman (GB)–Serienholde (Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥45,540,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, NK. Odds: 6.40, 4.80, 3.20.
Also Ran: Gaia Force (Jpn), Jack d'Or (Jpn), Red Mon Reve (Jpn), Sodashi (Jpn), Win Carnelian (Jpn), Soul Rush (Jpn), Elusive Panther (Jpn), Matenro Orion (Jpn), Cafe Pharoah, Danon Scorpion (Jpn), Champagne Color (Jpn), Meikei Yell (Jpn), Namur (Jpn), Naran Huleg (Jpn), Dolce More (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
