Book 1 Millionaire Diego Velazquez A New TDN Rising Star In Ireland

Saturday's Bord Na Mona Recycling Irish EBF Maiden at the Curragh has been a springboard to success in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. for Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who annexed two of the last three editions. This year's renewal witnessed the emergence of another potential candidate after Aidan O'Brien trainee Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) romped to 'TDN Rising Stardom' in the seven-furlong contest.

He had already caused a stir at Newmarket last October, when knocked down for 2.4-million guineas at Tattersalls' Book 1 sale, but was unable to fulfil a June engagement over this strip after suffering an allergic reaction. There was a buzz in the air for this belated debut and the April-foaled bay was hammered down to odds-on favouritism. The eventual winner was slightly askew leaving the gates and soon recovered to stalk the tempo in a prominent second. Asked to stretch soon after passing halfway, the 2-5 pick quickened stylishly to seize control approaching the final furlong and powered clear in impressive fashion to easily outclass Guildenstern (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) by 4 3/4 lengths.

Frankel, a 'TDN Rising Star' himself, now has 37 on a roster which also features multiple Group 1 winner Nashwa (GB), Sunday's G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois contender Onesto (Ire) and leading juvenile filly and stablemate Ylang Ylang (GB).

“We had him ready to run about a month ago, but he'd a little setback so we had to stop and start again,” O'Brien explained. “We wanted to get him out and he was ready to come racing today. Ryan [Moore] said he was very babyish, but he obviously has a massive engine. He doesn't even know what he's at yet, he only came on the bridle with 50 yards to go and only realised he was racing then. We felt he could go anywhere, but looking at today you'd like to give him another run somewhere before he goes for a big one. He was absolutely half-speeding with horses [at home], but didn't take hold of the bridle today. That can happen first time as it did with Paddington first time in Ascot last year. He's probably going to come on and learn a lot from it.”

Diego Velazquez, immediately identifiable due to his four white socks, has the option of Leopardstown's G2 Golden Fleece S. on Irish Champions Weekend next month, according to the trainer.

Diego Velazquez, the latest of 11 foals, becomes the seventh for Listed National S. victrix Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), whose own dam Dust Flicker (GB) (Suave Dancer) is a full-sister to G3 Prix de la Nonette victrix Dust Dancer (GB). Dust Dancer, in turn, is the second dam of G1 Phoenix S.-winning sire Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and G3 Bengough S. winner Projection (GB) (Acclamation {GB}). Dust Flicker is also kin to G3 Fred Darling S. heroine Bulaxie (GB) (Bustino {GB}), herself the dam of G2 Premio Lydia Tesio victrix Claxon (GB) (Caerleon). Claxon is responsible for GIII Hillsborough S. victrix Cassydora (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), whose three stakes scorers include multiple Group 3 winner Ernest Hemingway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Prix d'Aumale victrix Toulifaut (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The winner's siblings include G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud victor Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and MGSW G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Coronation Cup placegetter Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

 

1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 8-12, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.22, gd.
DIEGO VELAZQUEZ (IRE), c, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng & US, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(2,400,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €11,800. *1/2 to Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), G1SW-Fr, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng & UAE, GISP-US, $2,756,270; and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $413,216. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg & Brant; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore.

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Kingman’s Epictetus Upsets Fellow TDN Rising Star Nostrum At Goodwood

George Strawbridge's homebred 'TDN Rising Star' Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}–Thistle Bird {GB}, by Selkirk) had finished of the board in his three latest starts and returned to form with a bang to deny fellow Rising Star Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood.

Last term's G1 Futurity Trophy second, who annexed Epsom's Listed Blue Riband Trial on sophomore return, was swiftly into stride from the inside gate and raced under a firm hold in third through the early fractions as Nostrum set the tone up front. Nudged along soon after passing halfway, the 6-1 chance was ridden to go second approaching the final furlong and swept by that rival inside the final 100 yards to prevail by a length from the odds-on favourite in ultimately snug fashion. Charles Hills trainee and G1 2000 Guineas fourth and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas fifth Galeron (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) was best of the remainder and finished 1 1/2 lengths further adrift in third.

“Epictetus showed plenty of speed over a mile at two and we thought he was a horse who would progress to 10 furlongs this year, but that did not pan out,” explained Thady Gosden. “He has run good races, but not what we thought that he was capable of. It was a perfect ride from Frankie. He broke well, sat him on the fence and followed Ryan [Moore]. Nostrum is a very smart horse, but Frankie gave our horse a brilliant ride. Epictetus ran a very good race last year [in the Futurity Trophy] at Doncaster when second to a future Derby winner on soft ground. He rolls his knee a little bit and is bred to like a little bit of give in the ground. It is slightly less tacky today and a bit more good to soft.” Looking ahead, Gosden continued, “There is a mile race back here, the [G2] Celebration Mile, which fits in well.”

Dettori, who extended his winningmost record in the race to seven, added, “We tried Epictetus three times over 10 furlongs and we always had an excuse. John and Thady found this race over a mile and the favourite looked very hard to beat. I had a good passage and, once I got the gap [inside the final quarter-mile], it was up to me to do the rest. Ryan wasn't stopping and my horse showed a turn of foot. Now we've got the distance right, we can concentrate on mile races. He is ready to go up in grade and the Celebration Mile in three weeks springs to mind. There are lots of races in the autumn at Newmarket, and maybe over Arc weekend. He has beat a decent field today in style and we can make big plans.”

Reflecting on the performance of Nostrum, Sir Michael Stoute's assistant James Savage commented, “Ryan thought that he had the race in the perfect place four out, picked up the pace to the two and he thought the race was for us. He said that the last 100 yards felt like he had a puncture and the horse didn't get home. We have always thought that he would handle ease in the ground, but I think maybe that dead ground has just probably caught him out in the last stages. It is very different ground to the [Newmarket] July meeting. We just felt he didn't hit the line today, so we will give him a good check over and re-group. He is a very, very good horse and we are not going to lose any faith in him. He will have all the best entries and we will just have to get it right next time. He will be an even better horse next year.”

Pedigree Notes
Epictetus, the fifth foal of seven foals, is one of five winners produced by G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk), herself a half-sister to dual Group 3-winning G1 Cantala S. second McCreery (GB) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) out of the dual stakes-winning G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest third Dolma (Fr) (Marchand De Sable). Thistle Bird was a 750,000gns purchase, carrying Epictetus, at Tattersalls' 2019 December Mares fixture and has also produced last term's G3 Valiant S. victrix Jumbly (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Burrito (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and a weanling colt by Frankel (GB). The May-foaled bay's stakes-placed third dam Young Manila (Manila) is kin to a trio of stakes performers headed by MGSW G2 Prix de Royallieu victrix Fabulous Hostess (Fabulous Dancer).

 

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
BONHAMS THOROUGHBRED S.-G3, £100,000, Goodwood, 8-4, 3yo, 8fT, 1:41.04, sf.
1–EPICTETUS (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Thistle Bird (GB) (G1SW-Ire, MGSW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $577,634), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Dolma (Fr), by Marchand De Sable
3rd Dam: Young Manila, by Manila
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-George Strawbridge (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 8-3-2-0, $234,588. *1/2 to Jumbly (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), GSW-Eng & GSP-Ire, $164,451; and Bullfinch (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), SP-Aus, $214,235. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nostrum (GB), 129, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Mirror Lake (GB), by Dubai Destination. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £21,500.
3–Galeron (Ire), 129, c, 3, Camacho (GB)–Society Gal (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€45,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Teme Valley & Aura Racing; B-Gigginstown House Stud (IRE); T-Charles Hills. £10,760.
Margins: 1, 1HF, NK. Odds: 6.00, 0.67, 14.00.
Also Ran: Knight (Ire), Bold Discovery, Docklands (GB), Montesilvano (Ire).

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Yorkshire Oaks An Option For Classic-Placed Bluestocking

G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) is likely for the G1 Yorkshire Oaks on Aug. 24, Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owner/breeder Juddmonte, confirmed on Wednesday.

Trained by Ralph Beckett, the daughter of 2011 G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) has never been off the board in four starts. After breaking her maiden at Salisbury in September, she ran second in a listed at Newbury behind Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) making her 3-year-old bow, and was third behind that filly in the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot in June.

Mahon said, “Whilst we thought the world of her, her form before the Irish Oaks wouldn't have suggested she was going to put in a run like that, but we sort of always felt she had that in her.

“We'll look towards York for her. It will more than likely be the Yorkshire Oaks, but because she hasn't won yet this year she has the option of the race we won with Haskoy (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) last year [Listed Galtres S.].”

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Kinross Denies Isaac Shelby To Register A Second Triumph In The Lennox

The field for Tuesday's G2 World Pool Lennox S. at Goodwood was reduced by a third after three of the nine original nominees were withdrawn, but nonetheless produced a thrilling finish in which Marc Chan's 2021 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}–Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) defeated G1 Poule d'Essai de Poulains runner-up Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to become the third dual winner of the seven-furlong contest.

Last term's G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 British Champions Sprint hero was swiftly into stride from the inside stall and raced along the rail in third before slipping to fourth at halfway. Shaken up at the cutaway with a quarter-mile remaining, the 10-11 favourite was ridden along to launch his bid entering the final furlong and kept on well under continued urging to withstand the persistent challenge of Isaac Shelby by a neck. The pair drew three lengths clear of the remainder headed by last term's G2 Vintage S. winner and 28-1 outsider Marbaan (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

“Kinross has spent a good chunk of the last 48 hours with his left fore in a bucket because he trod on a stone,” trainer Ralph Beckett said of last year's runner-up and GI Breeders' Cup Mile third. “He's got very, very thin soles and he feels every pinprick, but when he gets here he loves it. He should have won it last year, he got trapped in and got there too late, but what a horse to own and what a horse to train. He likes soft ground because he is out of a Selkirk mare, but over a mile he handles it quick and we'll take the same route [as last year] again. He'll go to York, he might go to Doncaster for the [G2] Park S. and I hope he'll go to Longchamp for the [G1 Prix de la] Foret, the [G1 British Champions] Sprint at Ascot, and Santa Anita [for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile]. He is a gelding, that's what he's there for and he's got to dance every dance. He could go to Hong Kong, particularly with his owner being Hong Kong-based, and there is an idea that that might happen as well. We might have to duck one of the races here to ensure he gets there at the end of the year, but it's a good problem to have.”

Frankie Dettori, who also annexed the 2006 renewal aboard Iffraaj (GB) (Zafonic), added, “Kinross is my ATM machine and he keeps bringing in the money every year. He is super consistent, he's versatile and seven furlongs is his favourite trip. All the credit goes to the Beckett team and this horse. He is a star. He's good for Marc [Chan], who is not here today, but I'm sure he is watching on World Pool. I think Marc wants to run him in Hong Kong at the end of the season, so fingers crossed for that. There are plenty of other targets, including the race he won last year at Ascot, and he loves the soft ground although he ran a great race in the Breeders' Cup on firm.”

Reflecting on the performance of Isaac Shelby, Brian Meehan said, “I am disappointed, obviously, but I'm very pleased with my horse and he ran all the way to the line. I don't know what the official distance is, but he's that close to a genuine Group 1 horse. Sean [Levey] was very happy and said it was a solid run. I guess the cutaway helped Kinross a little bit, but he's a wonderful Group 1 horse and we were not far away. My horse is a 3-year-old and relatively lightly raced. He is very good and only going to get better. We space his runs out, so I've got to talk to the owners and see what they'd like to do. I think the Foret is an obvious target, but we'll see.”

Charlie Fellowes was thrilled with the effort of Marbaan and commented, “We have been beaten by two proper Group 1 horses and I am delighted with that. I think Jamie [Spencer] felt, had the ground been just a bit quicker, we might have been able to get a little bit closer to them, but he's run a cracker. I have always felt that he is one of those horses who is better ridden with a little bit of confidence and a little bit of patience. He has plenty of entries and I need to have a look at the calendar.”

Pedigree Notes

Kinross, third in last month's G1 July Cup when last seen, is the fifth of six foals and one of four scorers produced by Listed Gillies Fillies' S. victress Ceilidh House (GB) (Selkirk), herself kin to the dam of G3 Solario S. winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up First Selection (Spa) (Diktat {GB}). His dual stakes-winning second dam Villa Carlotta (GB) (Rainbow Quest), herself a daughter of multiple stakes-winning G3 Rockfel S. second Subya (GB) (Night Shift) from the family of G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Law Society (Alleged), is a half-sister to GI Hollywood Derby second Battle of Hastings (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and to the stakes-placed dam of South African Grade 1 performers Mljet (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}) and Felix The Cat (SAf) (Black Minnaloushe).

 

Tuesday, Goodwood, Britain
WORLD POOL LENNOX S.-G2, £180,000, Goodwood, 8-1, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:28.75, g/s.
1–KINROSS (GB), 131, g, 6, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Ceilidh House (GB) (SW-Eng), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Villa Carlotta (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Subya (GB), by Night Shift
O-Marc Chan; B-Lawn Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £102,078. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & Fr, GISP-US, 25-9-1-3, $1,600,479. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Isaac Shelby (GB), 125, c, 3, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Kentucky Belle (Ire), by Heliostatic (Ire). (£92,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Elaine Chivers (GB); T-Brian Meehan. £38,700.
3–Marbaan (GB), 125, c, 3, Oasis Dream (GB)–Zahoo (Ire), by Nayef. O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-Charlie Fellowes. £19,368.
Margins: NK, 3, 3/4. Odds: 0.91, 2.50, 28.00.
Also Ran: Holguin (GB), Indestructible (Ire), Audience (GB). Scratched: Al Suhail (GB), Jumby (Ire), Pogo (Ire).

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