Hurricane Lane | Horse Racing Free Tips

Appleby Has ‘A Lot Of Faith’ In Arc Contender Hurricane Lane

The question of Hurricane Lane's participation in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe had already arisen after his tour de force in the Grand Prix de Paris at Paris-Longchamp on July 14. It's now a certainty, as Godolphin's 3-year-old colt will indeed be in the line-up of the Oct. 3 feature. The Arc offers the winner an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar in November.

Third in the Epsom Derby, the colt is coming off a convincing win in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster. He has now won six of his last seven career outings, which includes three Group 1 successes.

Hurricane Lane will endeavor to become the first horse to win the Doncaster classic and ParisLongchamp's flagship race in the same season.

His trainer, Charlie Appleby, seeking his first Arc win, remains confident.

“He will attempt to do what has never been done before, but I have a lot of faith in the colt,” Appleby said. “Just because no one has ever done this – doesn't mean no one will.”

This veritable steamroller rates a 6-1 chance with British bookmakers, and is one of the leading fancies for a race in which his stablemate Adayar is being quoted at 4-1. Tarnawa, the representative of His Highness the Aga Khan, continues to head the market at 5-2.

The colors of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum boast three wins in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), namely Marienbard (2002), Sakhee (2001) and Carnegie (1994).

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Omens Stronger Than Ever As Tattersalls October Approaches

Best horse in the world. Check. Top-rated miler. Check. The only two horses to win three Group 1 races in three different countries in 2021. Check. Highest-rated turf horse in America. Check. Most exciting juvenile in Europe. Check.

When a sale can boast all of these as its graduates in a single season then it's not doing badly at all, but then the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale–and Book 1 in particular–has long been a world leader, both for its results and for its pull of potential buyers from across the globe. But even by the sale's own lofty standards, the results of the yearlings to have passed under the watchful eye of the Tattersalls fox during the first week of October have reached another level in this first year of semi-normality following the pandemic.

Make no mistake, what happens on the racecourse is far more important than any blockbuster results in the sales ring. Performance is the driver for that investment, and while the sport continues to attract fresh investors even as we lose some old, beloved patrons, it makes sense that those with the means to attempt to gather nascent Thoroughbred excellence will turn to the source of such current luminaries as St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

“Every now and then even we're surprised by the extraordinary quality and success that comes out of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and 2021 really has been fairly incredible. Not a weekend goes by without something new to shout about, something new to focus on,” says Tattersalls's marketing director Jimmy George as he and his team in Newmarket draw breath between a lively first edition of the Somerville Yearling Sale and the start of two weeks of frenetic activity for the October Sale from Oct. 5.

He continues, “St Mark's Basilica is the most amazing flagship for the October Yearling Sale. He hasn't been beaten since he won the Dewhurst. I mean this is a very serious horse with a huge pedigree, and I think he sums up what Book 1 is about. It's where the owners come to find the best horses with the best pedigrees and he is the epitome of that, as is Hurricane Lane.”

St Mark's Basilica is not exactly an everyman horse. In his yearling class of 2019, the son of French champion sire Siyouni was one of 10 Book 1 horses to sell for a seven-figure sum, though his price of 1.3 million gns was a little over a third of that paid for the top lot that year. Hurricane Lane looks a bargain now for Godolphin, who bought him from his breeder Philippa Cooper at 200,000gns, while fellow Group 1-winning graduates of that same sale include Pretty Gorgeous (Ire), Aunt Pearl (Ire), Campanelle (Ire) and Teona (GB). The year before Palace Pier had commanded a 600,000gns price tag. Again, he was expensive, but not when one considers his immense value now as one of the most enticing stallion prospects of 2022.

International Appeal

It is at this level of the market more than any other that yearlings are not merely future racehorses but foundation mares and stallions in the making. At least that's the hope. And the array of top-level pedigrees on offer is all the draw needed to lure an international buying bench.

“A recurring feature for Book 1 that has become even more pronounced in the last five to 10 years is the particular success in Australia and North America,” notes George. “I think in both cases, we've got something that isn't readily available in their home countries. So for Australians, it is being able to buy yearlings that are capable of actually staying further than a mile. And that's not a criticism, it's an observation of the way the breed has evolved in Australia, and the emphasis on speed, and the make and shape of most of the stallions. But a lot of their middle-distance races are the most valuable races in their calendar by a wide margin. So it was a logical extension to buy those horses in training, and then to move to the next step and focus on buying them as yearlings. And the guys doing it have done incredibly well.”

Russian Camelot (Ire) became one of the poster boys for the sale, and of the Group 1 winners to have emerged from Book 1 during the 2020 season, he was also the least expensively bought at 120,000gns by Jeremy Brummitt for a syndicate with trainer Danny O'Brien. Having made history as the first northern hemisphere-bred horse to win a Derby in Australia, the son of Camelot (GB) is now at Widden Stud and has covered around 140 mares this year.

“Russian Camelot was the best possible advertisement for the October Yearling Sale in Australia,” George adds. “That sort of success can't fail to spread the word and catch the attention of buyers, and that success breeds success.”

Australia doesn't have the monopoly, however, and anyone who followed the turf racing at Saratoga this summer will have spotted an undeniably familiar ring to some of the pedigrees. As Bill Finley outlined in these pages recently, Tattersalls graduates have dominated the grass fixtures at the Spa, and there has been notable success at the Breeders' Cup, too.

“I think there's two strands to that in some ways,” says George, who has recently returned from Saratoga. “One, again, it reflects the quality of the stock that the buyers will find at Book 1, but also it's a tribute to these guys who've come over from America with a game plan. We're really fortunate with the stallions that we have at the moment in Europe. The current top 10 sires in Britain and Ireland, some of them are game changers in any era, but they're all in there together at the moment, the likes of Frankel (GB), Galileo (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire), Lope De Vega (Ire), Dark Angel (Ire), Kingman (GB). They're real superstars.”

He continues, “And these guys came over, they focused on the quality, they focused on a sector of the market that they felt provided them with a good chance of being competitive and getting value for money, and their results have been phenomenal. In particular, it's the Mike Ryan, Chad Brown, Seth Klarman, Peter Brant axis. They were the pioneers in the recent wave of American interest and you can only applaud them. And obviously, their success has caught the attention of other folk in America. Last year, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf was won by Aunt Pearl (Ire), who was the second Book 1 filly to win that particular race in three years [after Newspaperofrecord (Ire)]. Liz Crow and Bradley Weisbord were I think inspired by the success of the others.”

While the big prices make the headlines at sale time, the Tattersalls team has long been at pains to emphasise the range of fare on offer, even at Book 1.The launch of the Book 1 Bonus connected to the sale's graduates has resulted in around £6.5 million being paid out on top of prize-money, while a recent notable double Tattersalls graduate picked up an extra £125,000 bonus for being a Group 1-winning graduate of the Craven Breeze-up Sale. The horse in question is Godolphin's unbeaten Native Trail, who was bought last October for 67,000gns by breeze-up pinhooker Norman Williamson and Mags O'Toole. He tops the list of 2-year-olds in training this year with the next five colts directly beneath him at the time of writing–Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}), Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire})–all having been bought at either Book 1 or 2.

“That is another key message for the sale now,” George says. “It isn't just about beauty parades and extraordinary prices, these top-class horses are coming out at every level of the market. So Native Trail, at 67,000gns, is the highest-rated 2-year-old in Europe by a very wide margin.”

He adds, “For some, the Book 1 Bonus is a game-changer. There's a number of trainers out there who've won more than 10 Book 1 bonuses, with the highest number being 20, which is Mark Johnston. Kevin Ryan and Ger Lyons have also won a huge number. These are trainers that really now focus on the sale who may not previously have done so. There are four 2-year-olds this year that won Book 1 bonuses winning their maiden and have since gone on to win Group 2 or 3 races as 2-year-olds that cost less than 100,000gns, including Atomic Jones (Fr) last weekend.”

Also on that list are the G2 Coventry S. winner Berkshire Shadow (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a 40,000gns purchase, as well as G3 Acomb S. winner Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was bought for 62,000gns, and G2 Richmond S. winner Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), a 65,000gns yearling.

“People are buying these top-class horses in all sectors of the market, so this is a sale that has become all things to all people, and is rewarding people with prize-money and quality,” George adds.

This Time Around

What then can we expect to see at Park Paddocks this October? The abbreviated answer is plenty. For a start there are the full- or half-siblings to the young stallions Golden Horde (GB) (lot 10), Advertise (GB) (lot 39), Shalaa (Ire) (lot 46), Arizona (Ire) (lot 110), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) (lot 130), Blue Point (Ire) (lot 257), Aclaim (Ire) (lot 386), and Havana Grey (GB) (lot 420). Also in this category is the Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who is likely to get the final day of Book 1 off to a rousing start when she appears as lot 336 from the Newsells Park Stud draft as the first in the ring on the Thursday.

Then there are the close relations to some of this year's stars. Highclere Stud's 23-strong draft includes plenty of gems, not least lot 405, the Almanzor (Fr) half-brother to Palace Pier, and lot 274, a colt by Kingman (GB) out of the 1000 Guineas winner Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}) and a half-brother to the G1 Falmouth S. winner Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Croom House Stud, whose previous graduates of the sale include the late Zoffany (Ire), offers a Lope De Vega (Ire) half-sister to the Australia (GB) brothers Broome (Ire) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) as lot 305.

One of the stand-out breeders of the year, Tally-Ho Stud, consigns lot 279, a filly by their champion first-season sire Mehmas (Ire) who is a half-sister to the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}).

Early in the sale, Ballylinch Stud will offer an Australia (GB) half-sister to 1000 Guineas runner-up Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) as lot 15, and she will be swiftly followed by a Lope De Vega (Ire) half-brother to the Classic winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) (lot 16).

Kirsten Rausing has been enjoying a record-breaking season on the track, both with runners in her own colours and with graduates of her Lanwades and Staffordstown studs. In Book 1, Staffordstown's select draft consists of two of the nine colts in the catalogue by the late champion sire Galileo (Ire), with lot 57 being a half-brother to the Group 1 winners Time Warp (GB) and Glorious Forever (GB), both sons of Archipenko. That same stallion also features as the broodmare sire of lot 134, the Galileo colt out of Rausing's G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. winner Madame Chiang (GB).

Kildaragh Stud brings a colt with broad international appeal in lot 128, a colt from the second crop of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) who is a three-parts brother to Japanese Derby winner Deep Brillante (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Among the 24 yearlings by Dark Angel (Ire) in Book 1 is Ballyphilip Stud's full-brother to the recently retired star sprinter Battaash (Ire) (lot 379), while Kingman has a huge entry of 43 youngsters in the sale, including a colt out of Meon Valley Stud's dual Group 1 winner Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal) (lot 288).

Frankel's dominance in the sire ranks this year is backed up by his emerging presence as a broodmare sire and he features in this role through his G2 Lowther S.-winning daughter Queen Kindly (GB), whose filly by Dubawi (Ire) is offered by Kilfrush Stud as lot 223. Meanwhile, the Frankel colt out of G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. winner Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) could be one of the stars of the Cheveley Park Stud draft as lot 201.

This is the sole year that buyers will have a chance to pick up a yearling by the late Roaring Lion, and his 10 youngsters consigned to Book 1 include lot 231, a half-brother to the high-class stayers Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}). Also featured is lot 343, from Woodcote Stud, the Roaring Lion half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Poet's Word (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}).

Caution Still Advised

While the British government's rules currently allow for bloodstock sales to be conducted in a far less restrictive manner than those held this time last year, Jimmy George still sounds a note of caution when it comes to the unavoidable subject of Covid.

He says, “We've staged two sales, the first one being the August Sale and then the Somerville Yearling Sale, with the gates thrown open to allcomers and restrictions lifted. We're still very conscious that we need to be sensible, there will still obviously be multiple stations where people can sanitise hands, etc., and we, like most walks of life, have gone down the route of personal choice when it comes to people wearing masks.”

He adds, “When the world caved in, metaphorically, last March, it was really troubling for everybody, so to find ourselves 18 months later still talking about the wretched Covid but still standing is a relief. Everybody involved in the Thoroughbred business can certainly look back with a degree of pride in how they coped with everything that was being thrown at them and how they carried on. And we focused on that at Tattersalls, as far as we possibly could, to stage sales in as normal a manner as we could. The key thing globally about the bloodstock business is that the wheels did keep turning, and we were all very fortunate, and we have to extend real gratitude to everybody who made that happen.”

He continues, “We're lucky enough to conduct an awful lot of what we do outdoors, which is a big bonus for the sort of business model that bloodstock sales have. And it's been great actually to see people back at Park Paddocks without restrictions and to feel a real vibrance around the place. There has been a feel of optimism and enthusiasm, and just a happiness to be back. It's pretty well business as usual, whilst we remain conscious that we still all have to be very sensible.”

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The Weekly Wrap: Like A Hurricane

It's a childish game but I've long amused myself by seeing how many song titles can be weaved into headlines and this weekend's results provided an open goal for a Neil Young classic, not once but twice.

Two hurricanes blew across Town Moor on Saturday at the opposite ends of the distance spectrum. Hurricane Ivor (Ire) (Ivawood {GB}) is an admirable sprinter who has bounced back from a blistering debut for Fabrice Chappet and subsequent illness that ruled him out of much of his juvenile season. He has been creeping up the ratings this year on the back of some consistent performances for William Haggas, culminating in his gutsy Portland H. win under top weight. Like his sire Ivawood, Hurricane Lane races in the purple and green-starred silks of Fiona Carmichael, and he surely deserves another shot at some black type.

Of far greater significance at this stage, however, is the hugely impressive winner of the Cazoo St Leger, Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Within the space of an hour, he and St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) became the 24th and 25th horses to have won Group 1 races in Britain, Ireland and France in the same year since the Pattern was devised 50 years ago.

Already proven to be highly effective over a mile and a half, Hurricane Lane's hoped-for next start in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe should see him try to reverse the Derby form with his stable-mate Adayar (Ire). Debate will rage about which son of Frankel is better, but these two Godolphin colts have lit up the middle-distance division for the Classic generation with their consistency at the highest level.

Adayar's defection from the G2 Qatar Prix Niel was a disappointment, as was the late scratching on a vaccination error of Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and while the latter has claimed the GI Belmont Derby this season, he still has something to prove on European turf.

One thing is for sure, the Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old Colt title will be one of the hottest contests of the year, with Adayar and Hurricane Lane facing stiff competition from the outstanding St Mark's Basilica, who is surely the odds-on favourite for this honour, as well as the boldly campaigned Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}). In another year, any one of the quartet would be a worthy winner.

The Ger and Jessie Show

Aidan O'Brien may have this year's star package in the Irish Champion S. winner St Mark's Basilica but the Group 1 honours on Irish Champions Weekend were shared around pretty fairly, with five different stables winning the six top-level races.

Jessica Harrington was queen of both Leopardstown and the Curragh, winning the G1 Coolmore America Matron S. with No Speak Alexander (Ire), who delivered an important first Group 1 winner for Shalaa (Ire), as well as for Dandy Man (Ire) as a broodmare sire.

Bred by Mount Armstrong Stud and raced by Noel, Charles and Paul O'Callaghan, No Speak Alexander is the first foal of their listed winner Rapacity Alexander (Ire), who is a full-sister to Dandy Man's Hong Kong Group 1 winner Peniaphobia (Ire).

Another first was notched for the Harrington team in the following race, the G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile when Real Appeal (Ger) became the first European group winner for the former shuttler Sidestep (Aus), a son of Exceed And Excel (Aus) who spent three years at Haras du Logis.

Bought as a €9,000 foal by Con and Theresa Marnane, Real Appeal won three races in France as a juvenile, including the listed Prix La Fleche, and was subsequently sold for £265,000 to Zhang Yuesheng at the Goffs London Sale.

Sidestep stood his first three seasons in Australia for Darley but is now leased to Telemon Thoroughbreds in Queensland. He made an eye-catching start in the southern hemisphere where his first crop included the 2019 G1 Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi (Aus).

Perhaps the most satisfying of four wins over Irish Champions Weekend for Harrington was that of the Niarchos family's Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. This is a family which has really helped to raise the profile of her stable on the Flat, with full-sister and erstwhile stable star Alpha Centauri (Ire) and half-sister Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) having each landed Group 1 races for Harrington in recent seasons.

Huge interest will doubtless be paid to the full-brother of Discoveries and Alpha Centauri who is consigned to the Goffs Orby Sale as lot 347 by Camas Park Stud. His was a page which hardly needed an update–only two dams fit as it is, leaving off his mighty great grandam Miesque–but it has been given another dose of proper black type nonetheless.

Harrington's quartet of wins on Irish Champions Weekend was matched by Ger Lyons, who was a welcome sight back at the races for the first time since the pandemic struck. He timed his run well as he was present to enjoy the success of Atomic Jones (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who remained unbeaten when winning the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. The same ownership trio Sean Jones, David Spratt and the trainer's wife Lynne Lyons, was celebrating again later in the afternoon when Camorra (Ire) (Zoffany {GB}) led home a one-two for the stable in the G3 Paddy Power S.

Breeders Behind The Stars

The breeding plaudits for the weekend must be split equally between Bob Scarborough and Philippa Cooper, who were each responsible for two group winners at Leopardstown and Doncaster respectively.

When Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won the 2000 Guineas, Melbourne-based Scarborough could have been forgiven for thinking that he'd hit the heights as a breeder, but little did he know that the best was yet to come from his Galileo mare Cabaret (Ire). Two years after foaling Magna Grecia, she produced St Mark's Basilica, who is now the winner of five consecutive Group 1 races in three countries. But he was not the sole highlight on Saturday for Scarbrorough's northern hemisphere breeding operation, which is based at Norelands Stud in Co Kilkenny. No sooner had the dust settled on a dramatic Champion S., than Camorra bounced out to give the breeder another boost in the following race, the G3 Paddy Power S. The 4-year-old is the top-rated runner of Mauralakana (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}), who won the G1 Beverly D S. in Scarborough's colours in 2008.

Cooper also enjoyed a group double in consecutive races, with Hurricane Lane's St Leger victory following yet another win for the admirable Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The 6-year-old has now won eight races, six of them at group level, the latest coming on Saturday in the G2 Park S.

Lynams Pinpointing Success

'Fast Eddie' Lynam will be paying close attention to the notes in the foal sales catalogues of his wife Aileen and daughter Amy this season after Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven's Pass) became the second group winner for the stable to have been pinhooked by the duo. The first was Soffia (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), who won two group races at the Curragh for Lady O'Reilly.

Winner of the listed Dubai Duty Free Dash in June and also twice group-placed this season, Romantic Proposal beat a strong field in the G1 Flying Five S. to give Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics a memorable weekend and another valuable future broodmare prospect for his Yorkshire-based Branton Court Stud.

Originally bought as a foal from breeder Julie Lynch of Fastnet Stud for €25,000, Romantic Proposal returned to Goffs for the Orby Sale, where she was bought by Parkin's bloodstock advisor Joe Foley for €55,000.

The Breeders' Cup Classic winner Raven's Pass now boasts a strike-rate of 8.4 stakes winners to runners and has never had a foal crop larger than 80, which was the tally from his first year at stud in 2010. He has now had a Group 1 winner in Japan, Dubai, France and Ireland and is also having some success as a broodmare sire, notably through Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and the G2 Mill Reef S. winner Kessaar (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), whose first yearlings are now at the sales.

There is much to recommend Romantic Proposal beyond her sire, however, as her dam Playwithmyheart (GB) (Diktat {GB}) is a winning half-sister to the G1 Prix de la Foret winner Toyslome (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Some stouter influences are also found in the presence of Ascot Gold Cup and St Leger winner Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), whose grandam River Jig (Irish River {Fr}) is Romantic Proposal's third dam.

Blazing A Trail

There was a disappointing lack of British runners in the Irish Champion S. but Charlie Appleby ensured that Champions Weekend was not an entirely domestic affair when sending out Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) to land an upset in defeating Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S.

It was a notable first Group 1 success for breeder Jose Delmotte of Haras d'Haspel, who bought Native Trail's dam Needleleaf (GB) (Observatory {GB}), a full-sister to G1 Sprint Cup winner African Rose (GB), from Juddmonte for 60,000gns through his friend and advisor Marc-Antoine Berghgracht.

Native Trail has already been through the sale ring three times, initially when sold by his breeder for €50,000 to Sam Sangster as a foal and most recently when consigned by Norman Williamson at the Craven Breeze-up Sale. There he was sold to Godolphin for 210,000gns, having been bought at Tattersalls as a yearling for 67,000gns.

His two previous victories, including the G2 Superlative S., gave an important boost to his Kingman half-sister when she went through the Arqana August Sale the following month. Unsurprisingly, it was Anthony Stroud who signed for the filly, as he had done for Native Trail, but this time at €950,000.

Varian The Party-Pooper

Charlie Appleby wasn't the only British trainer responsible for spoiling the fun for Ballydoyle over the weekend as the Roger Varian-trained Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) sprang quite a surprise when getting the better of odds-on favourite Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille.

There's something rather satisfying about seeing Derby winners feature as sire and broodmare sire of top-class horses, and Teona's dam Ambivalent (Ire), also trained by Varian, is one of six Group 1 winners for the somewhat overlooked Authorized (Ire). Both mother and daughter have carried the colours of Ali Saeed.

Varian may also have caused a bit of consternation in the palace on Saturday when his Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) halted the upwardly mobile progression of the Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) by winning the G2 Champagne S. by a head.

Bred by Ballylinch Stud, Bayside Boy had previously been runner-up in the listed Denford S. to Masekela (Ire) (El Kabeir), who in turn was beaten a short-head by Native Trail in the Superlative S.

David Egan was on board Bayside Boy and notched a double at Doncaster for his boss when also winning on Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Title (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Not far away at Chester the same day, we were reminded of a different type of sire power when John Egan, David's 53-year-old father, rode a double of his own, including in the day's feature race, the listed Tote+ Stand Cup. There's life in the old dog yet.

Double Bubble

The first of the Arc Trials at ParisLongchamp went the way of Bubble Gift (Fr) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who completed a notable double within eight days for owner Zak Bloodstock and trainer Mikel Delzangles. The previous Sunday his three-parts-sister Bubble Smart (GB) (Intello {Ger}) had won the G3 Prix Gladiateur.

Both horses were bred and are raced by the Hakam family under a breeding operation established by the Moroccan-born Zakaria Hakam, who died 10 years ago. His children Ali and Amina and their mother Mouna Bengeloun have carried on the tradition, now racing their homebreds, which are raised at Haras de Maulepaire, under the name of Zak Bloodstock.

It has been a successful season for the family, with 4-year-old Bubble Smart having notched a hat-trick of wins, and the year-younger Bubble Gift adding the Niel to his victory in the G2 Prix Hocquart in the spring. He was just over nine lengths behind Hurricane Lane when sixth in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris.

Their dam Bubble Back (Fr) (Grand Lodge) remained winless in her five-start racing career but she has proved a worthy broodmare, with her earlier offspring including Bubble Chic (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}), who was runner-up to Reliable Man (GB) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and won the G3 Darley S. at Newmarket before being sold to race on in Hong Kong, where he won two listed contests.

It is pleasing to see the talented Mikel Delzangles back in the limelight this season, and his group-race success continued on Sunday when the Aga Khan's Sagamiyra (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) landed the G3 Qatar Prix du Pin. The 4-year-old filly was beaten just a head by Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) on her previous start in the G1 Prix Rothschild in August.

Raiders Of The Lost Arc

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has long represented something of a holy grail for Japanese owners and trainers and the latest of their raiders to put his name in the reckoning for Europe's richest race is Deep Bond (Jpn). The 4-year-old is a member of the first crop of Japanese Derby winner Kizuna (Jpn), the champion freshman sire in Japan in 2019 and a son of the late Deep Impact (Jpn).

Both Deep Bond's sire and grandsire staked their own claim to the Arc, with Deep Impact finishing third in 2006 and subsequently being disqualified when a banned substance was detected in his post-race sample. Kizuna beat Derby winner Ruler Of The World (Ire) to win the G2 Qatar Prix Niel of 2013 before finishing fourth in the Arc behind Treve (Fr), with his fellow Japanese-trained runner Orfevre (Jpn) taking second that day.

Deep Bond, who is inbred 4×4 to Halo, may not be the only Japanese contender for this year's Arc as the highly regarded treble Grade 1 winner Chrono Genesis (Jpn), a 5-year-old daughter of the 2004 Arc winner, Bago (Fr), is also an intended runner. The presence of Japanese runners in any race internationally always adds some spice and they are usually accompanied by a large throng of supporters, though that will sadly be scuppered this year by ongoing travel restrictions.

Pat Smullen Remembered

Wednesday, Sept. 15 marks the first anniversary of the passing of Pat Smullen. We were fortunate to have had Ireland's multiple champion jockey as a TDN columnist throughout the 2019 season and one thing that stood out in his weekly missives was how pleased he was to see his fellow jockeys do well, even though he had been forced to curtail his own brilliant riding career through illness.

It is doubtless this generosity of spirit that made Smullen so popular along his peers and so revered by the young jockeys on their way up, many of whom would ring him regularly for advice and feedback on their own burgeoning careers.

It was hard not to have a lump in the throat watching and listening to his weigh-room colleagues pay tribute by singing Stand By Me with the Newbridge Gospel Choir during Sunday's broadcast from the Curragh. Two years earlier the racecourse had been the scene of an equally emotional occasion when Smullen raised €2.5 million for Cancer Trials Ireland, predominantly through the Pat Smullen Champions Race.

One of the nine retired champions in that race was his former arch-rival Johnny Murtagh, who won the last of eight Group 1 races over the weekend, the Irish St Leger, with the Ebor winner Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}).

Reflecting on their competitiveness in the saddle back in April 2019, Smullen said, “I think our relationship is a lot better since both of us have not been riding. I genuinely feel that his ability to train horses is unquestionable.”

On this and many other things he was unquestionably right.

The post The Weekly Wrap: Like A Hurricane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Hurricane Force On Sensational Saturday

Many open questions surrounding some of Europe's best will be answered in the space of less than an hour on Saturday, with Leopardstown's G1 Irish Champion S. and Doncaster's G1 Cazoo St Leger condensed in the middle of an absorbing spell of action. There will barely be time to reflect on the promise of the winner of the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. that forms part of Irish Champions weekend before the focus is switched to Town Moor for its own glimpse of futurity in the G2 Champagne S. In between is the G1 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron S. and G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile back at Foxrock and the seven-furlong G2 Cazoo Park S. which is the penultimate pattern race of Doncaster's St Leger festival. Within 145 minutes, eight group races will be run across the two venues featuring five individual 2021 Classics winners and a plethora of galacticos from all the right places.

Despite the allure of Godolphin's Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the Leger, it is hard to be drawn away from the Irish Champion itself as the feature event of the day with a trio of the highest order engaged in the ultimate cat-and-mouse antics around Leopardstown's demanding circuit. Will Kevin Manning have to carry the fight to the hold-up merchants St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) on the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire})? Unbeaten in two starts here, albeit in lesser company, the Bolger homebred was positively ridden when taking the G3 Killavullan S. in October and on his return in the Apr. 11 Listed 2000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs, but this is further than he has gone so far.

Ryan Moore's tactic will be to sit and wait on his star colt, who has displayed stunning acceleration on more than one occasion, most notably in the G1 Eclipse at Sandown July 3. Yet he is unproven in a fast-run mile-and-a-quarter contest on fast ground, so St Mark's Basilica will have to be at his dynamic best to put Poetic Flare to the sword and evade the onslaught of Tarnawa. Moore was weighing up the contest on Friday. “I have lots of respect for Tarnawa. She looked a super filly at the back end of last season,” he said. “Poetic Flare has been great all season, but the 2000 Guineas winner is stepping up in trip here and that could be difficult against the top two. My lad has gears though and I'm expecting a very big run in a quality race.”

Aidan O'Brien is ponderinng the opportunity for a 10th renewal with the horse he has been so effusive about this year. “He's very offhanded and very straightforward. He has a great mind, he relaxes, he has a great stride and is very genuine–he has all the things that you would love in a horse,” he commented. “The Irish Champion S. is a great race every year. For older horses having an autumn campaign, it's the tops really.”

Colin Keane has already felt the power of The Aga Khan's 5-year-old in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf and in the 12-furlong G3 Ballyroan S. on her return here Aug. 5. Her ability to quicken off a moderate pace over this trip was proven in the G1 Prix de l'Opera at ParisLongchamp in October, so any holes in her have yet to be found and she will relish this stiff uphill finish. “She was good in the Ballyroan. I think they left her off for longer by design, very much thinking of a backend campaign with her,” her rider said. “She came back much stronger physically this year. We thought going to Leopardstown she was about 70% and there was plenty to work on, so to put up the performance she did I thought was very impressive. We're dropping back two furlongs at the weekend, but she's proven herself over that trip as well. It's a very good renewal of the race–you're taking on two of the best 3-year-olds in Ireland, if not Europe. It's not going to be easy, but I don't think I'd swap her for anything.”

Hurricane To The Test

If the St Leger turns out to be tactical, it will be a surprise with Aidan O'Brien fully loaded with strong stayers including The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who responded so well to forcing the pace in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York Aug. 18. 'TDN Rising Star' High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looks to need a severe test of stamina, while Interpretation (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the only runner in the line-up who has won over the trip in the Listed Vinnie Roe S. at Leopardstown Aug. 12. All that said, Hurricane Lane is certain to stay this extended 14-furlong trip on pedigree and looks a class above based on his emphatic win in the July 14 G1 Grand Prix de Paris which proceeded his impressive surge to take the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh June 26.

Charlie Appleby is not looking at the distance as a problem. “Obviously, it is the big question for all of them. Will they stay the extra two furlongs? In his case, I think he will,” he said. “He goes into the Leger with rock-solid form. He's only been beaten once–he finished third in the Derby and he lost two shoes. We feel there is enough evidence there to say he will stay. He is the class horse in the field.”

“After travelling to Ireland and France, he is a mentally sharper horse,” Appleby added. “When he went to Epsom in June, he was unbeaten in three starts and relatively inexperienced. That was his undoing on the day. But what we have seen since is a much sharper model. He is mentally stronger and more mature and he is ready for this. William [Buick] rode him in a good piece of work 10 days out from the Leger and he was delighted. He looked great, he moved well. He's been doing routine work since then, and he continues to please.”

Aidan O'Brien said of his team, “High Definition had a little slip in the Irish Derby when he stumbled and he just lost his confidence a bit. York was his first run back after that and we were happy with his run there and we thought he would come on mentally for it. He's a horse we've always thought could get further than a mile and a half. The Mediterranean is in good form and he ran very well at York the last day. We've been happy with him and it looks like he might stay a bit further. Sir Lucan is well–he ran well at Goodwood and wasn't beaten far at York as well. Frankie just thought a little bit more cover might have suited him, but he still ran a nice race. Interpretation has been gradually progressive and he looks like he stays very well–he's a very relaxed horse.”

Ahead of Hurricane Lane in the June 5 G1 Epsom Derby was Amo Racing's Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was only fifth in the Irish equivalent before belatedly breaking his maiden at Newbury Aug. 14. Trainer Richard Hannon said he believes the trip will bring out the best in him and said, “The flat, galloping track will suit. He was probably soundly beaten at The Curragh, but we almost got knocked over and it took him a long time to get going. The extra two furlongs will suit him much more. He'll get the trip–the harder they go, the more it will be to his liking. He ran a very good race in the Derby. He's not the one to beat, but he's been underrated and deserves to take his chance.”

O T I Racing's improving Ottoman Emperor (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}) beat the subsequent Voltigeur fourth Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in Goodwood's G3 Gordon S. July 29 and heads into uncharted territory trip-wise, but trainer Johnny Murtagh is making waves in his second career and is expecting a bold show. “He came out of the Gordon S. at Goodwood really well and we've freshened him up–it's been a while since he ran, but that was the plan as had been busy through the early part of the season,” he said. “A mile and six is a bit of an unknown, but he races lazily so he'll give himself every chance.”

“It's a long way down that straight at Doncaster if they get racing early, but he's very well and I'm very happy going over there,” Murtagh added. “He's in good shape and Ben [Coen] is very happy with him. He never gives you 100%, so he's never really tired after his races. He's always hanging on to a little bit. I'm hoping that, when he does dig deep on Saturday, there is a bit more. We haven't got to the bottom of him yet and, although it's a big ask, we could not be happier with him.”

Matron Down To Earth

The third of the Group 1 races on the afternoon is the Matron at Leopardstown, with Ballydoyle's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Prix Rothschild winner Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) taking on last year's winner Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) and Haras de Saint Pair's improving July 11 G3 Brownstown S. and Aug. 26 G3 Fairy Bridge S. winner Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Also in the mix is the May 22 G2 Lanwades Stud S. winner Epona Plays (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a wide-open affair should Mother Earth fail to give her customary best.

Ryan Moore has abundant faith in Mother Earth and said, “She has only been out of the first three in one of her 13 races and the last day, in the Prix Rothschild, she showed the tenacity and will to win that has been on display all season. Empress Josephine is an Irish 1000 Guineas winner on heavy ground, so any rain that falls will be in her favour. It's very competitive, but I wouldn't swap Mother Earth for anything in here.”

Champers Elysees has taken time to come to herself this term, but there were indications last time when second attempting to give Acanella (GB) (Dansili {GB}) seven pounds in The Curragh's nine-furlong G3 Snow Fairy Fillies S. Aug. 27 that she is again nearing a peak. “She's coming along nicely and is in great form,” trainer Johnny Murtagh said. “She had a few little hiccups earlier in the year and we thought she ran well at Ascot. We then went over again for the Falmouth where she didn't get a great run and got a bit smashed. She came out of the Curragh race really, really well. She's fit, she's ready to go and I think she's as good as she has been all year. She has to step up again, but maybe she's a filly that comes good at this time of year. She doesn't mind any ground and it's good, fast ground, the same as last year, and a similar race.”

Future Stars

Next year's Classic stars could be on show in England and Ireland, with The Queen's Aug. 21 G3 Solario S. winner Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) tackling Al Shaqab Racing's July 8 G2 July S. and Aug. 20 G2 Gimcrack S. scorer Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the Champagne. In receipt of three pounds, the John and Thady Gosden trainee is heavily favoured to make that count, with the leader of Richard Hannon's juveniles certain to have his stamina tested moving back up to seven furlongs from the six over which he took those prestigious Newmarket and York contests. There is also Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's Aug. 14 Listed Washington Singer S. runner-up Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) to consider in a fascinating affair, but Frankie Dettori is happy to be in the hotseat.

“In the last two races he hardly saw a horse, so this is the first big test,” he said of The Queen's most high-profile 2-year-old in decades. “We're building him up, he's getting more experience and he's done nothing wrong so far. This horse is a work in progress at the moment. We're keeping him busy. We feel the more experience he gets, the better he gets. Saturday will be another key point. I've got plenty of confidence in him. He's exciting, and Her Majesty is our biggest asset in racing.”

“Everybody is thinking about next year–I'm thinking one race at a time,” Dettori added. “Let's get Saturday out of the way and then progress. All the boxes are ticked and everything is going in the right direction. After the Solario, myself and John felt the experience of racing is doing him good and that is why we are getting him out. To have a colt of this calibre for The Queen is exciting.”

Hannon said of Lusail, “It looks a very good race and it always is. I'm very happy with my horse. He's won a Gimcrack, won a July S.–you don't do that unless you're a very good horse. It would obviously be easier without a penalty, but he carried a penalty in the Gimcrack and dealt with that no problem. He's a big, strong horse and he will carry a big weight. He's not just a 2-year-old. I've always known he'd get seven furlongs and maybe further. He's a Guineas horse for next year and you might even see some improvement at seven. Reach For the Moon looked a very good horse when he won the Solario. He probably is the one to beat, but it's a good race and very competitive.” Roger Varian said of Bayside Boy, “It's a strong race, but we're keen to give it a go. He's in good order and should run very well. I think there's more improvement to come from him.”

At Leopardstown, the Champions Juvenile over a mile sees Coolmore and Westerberg's Absolute Ruler (War Front) look to build on his debut success at Dundalk Aug. 15, with Sean Jones, David Spratt and Lynne Lyons's June 27 Curragh maiden winner Atomic Jones (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) another unexposed type there to test Team Valor's standard-bearer Maritime Wings (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Second to Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in both the G3 Tyros S. here July 22 and in The Curragh's G2 Futurity S. Aug. 21, the latter will be unfortunate to run into a peer of that calibre in this affair.

Joseph O'Brien saddles Maritime Wings and Qatar Racing's Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who beat Ballydoyle's re-opposing Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in an extended mile maiden at Galway at the end of July. “Maritime Wings has had a very good campaign already, making a winning debut in a maiden over this course and distance prior to twice finishing second to Point Lonsdale in group company,” he said. “He doesn't have that colt to deal with here and those runs make him the form pick in this. There are a few unexposed ones in against him that look very promising, but he sets the bar good and high for them. He shouldn't have any issue with this longer trip and he looks to have a very good chance.”

“Buckaroo is a big colt that has always showed plenty at home. He made a really promising debut in a strong maiden at Killarney, having missed the kick badly and he built on that to win a maiden at the Galway Festival last time. This track should suit him well and we feel he has improved well since that win. He's a horse we like a lot and he shouldn't be underestimated.”

Mac Is Back

Also at Leopardstown, the Boomerang Mile–which is registered as the Solonaway S.–plays host to the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who drops down in trip and class having proven a touch disappointing on each of his last three starts over further. They include a fifth in the G1 Juddmonte International at York Aug. 18, but he should be more in his comfort zone here tackling the likes of Newtown Anner Stud Farm's May 9 G3 Amethyst S. scorer and July 15 G3 Meld S. runner-up Maker of Kings (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's 'TDN Rising Star' Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who captured the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. in scintillating style on this weekend 12 months ago, looked to be back on track when second in the G1 Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs at Deauville July 11, but it was back to the drawing board after he beat only one of his 11 rivals in that venue's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over half a furlong shorter Aug. 8.

“Thunder Moon was another one of our star 2-year-olds last season that hasn't had the smoothest of campaigns this season, but he showed that he still retains a lot of his ability when a close second in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in July,” Joseph O'Brien said. “He shouldn't be judged too harshly on his latest run in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, as he got isolated in the middle of the track following the wrong horse. His low draw is ideal and the firmer the ground, the better his chance.”

The G3 Paddy Power S., or Kilternan as it is better known, rounds off the pattern-race action on the card with the Aug. 13 G3 Royal Whip S. winner Earlswood (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) renewing rivalry with Ballydoyle's Innisfree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was fifth after a long lay-off in that Curragh contest. Johnny Murtagh said of Earlswood, “He came out of the Curragh really well and it was a nice, smooth win. It's always a very, very competitive race but we think he's in good shape and he needs a bit of rain to come. We have big targets for him now until the end of the season. I thought he might be a Leger horse one day because his brother won the Chester Cup over two miles two [furlongs], but he seems to be getting a bit sharper with racing.”

Ryan Moore retains faith in the 2019 G2 Beresford S. winner Innisfree and said, “He was a very high-class 2-year-old, but he missed his 3-year-old campaign and Aidan started him back after a 651-day absence in the Royal Whip at the Curragh last month, where he ran very well to finish fifth. The vibes seem positive about him and this looks like a good opportunity to get him back on track, but he has to turn that from around with Earlswood.”

Doncaster's Park S. lacks an obvious star turn, but in Shadwell's 3-year-old Laneqash (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) surprised when runner-up on his seasonal bow in Newbury's G2 Hungerford S. over this seven-furlong trip Aug. 14 and is open to abundant progression meeting the operation's July 24 International H. winner Danyah (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). “Dane O'Neill gave him a lovely ride that day after his absence and hopefully he can build on that now he's reunited with Jim Crowley on Town Moor,” Laneqash's trainer Roger Varian said on Friday. “The trip, ground and track will be in his favour and we can hope for a strong showing tomorrow.”

Sunday's feature races took their final shape on Friday, with ParisLongchamp's day of Arc trials featuring the outstanding Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) meeting six rivals in the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille, while at The Curragh the aforementioned 'TDN Rising Star' Point Lonsdale tackles some intriguing rivals including Al Shaqab's Aug. 8 G1 Phoenix S. hero Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. Moyglare Stud's Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looks to make it three consecutive wins in the G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger, which has attracted a field of 14.

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