Leopardstown Racecourse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Galileo’s Bolshoi Ballet Earns Rising Star Tag at Leopardstown

Coolmore’s Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who hit the board going one mile in his Oct. 3 debut at Newmarket last time, was sharply into stride and led from the outset of Friday’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden at Leopardstown. Holding sway throughout the one-mile test, the even-money favourite was shaken up when threatened in early straight and powered clear under continued urging inside the final furlong to prevail by an impressive four lengths from O’Reilly (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), adding ‘TDN Rising Star’ status into the bargain.

“I fancied him in Newmarket, but he was too green that day,” explained winning rider Seamus Heffernan. “Ryan [Moore] said he liked him and that he’d be very hard to beat next time he ran. He was whinnying going to the start and, as I was going to make the running, I thought [racing with] company is a bit better. When I had company it worked and when I let him go he quickened really well. He’s from a good family and he’s a good mover. He has a big future.”

Full to MG1SP G2 Sandown Classic victor Southern France (Ire), Bolshoi Ballet is out of an unraced half-sister to MGSP Listed Prix Rose de Mai victress Aubergade (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and GSW G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Abbatiale (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}), whose own black-type descendants include last month’s G1 Moyglare Stud S. third Oodnadatta (Ire) (Australia {GB}). The April-foaled bay is also full to the dam of GII Miss Grillo S, third Editor At Large (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and his dam Alta Anna (Fr) (Anabaa) has a weanling filly by No Nay Never to come.

2nd-Leopardstown, €16,500, Mdn, 10-16, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:48.22, yl.
BOLSHOI BALLET (IRE), c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Alta Anna (Fr), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Anna Edes (Fr), by Fabulous Dancer
3rd Dam: Abbey (Fr), by Jim French
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $12,586. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Galileo’s Bolshoi Ballet Earns Rising Star Tag at Leopardstown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Galileo’s Tiger Moth Dominates the Kilternan

The way that Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was backed ahead of Saturday’s G3 Paddy Power ‘Is It 2021 Yet?’ S. was a reflection of the regard in which the Ballydoyle representative is held and he did not disappoint with a stirring display in the Leopardstown contest. Last seen finishing runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh June 27, the bay was 5-6 for this race registered as the Kilternan S. and stayed ahead of the main group with Ryan Moore sitting several lengths off the three early pace-setters. Delivered on the lead with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, the bay stayed on strongly to score by four lengths from the classy Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), with Up Helly Aa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) a neck away in third. “He felt tremendous and I was delighted with the way he did everything,” Moore said. “He was strong at every stage of the race and never felt like he was going to get beaten. I think he has a really bright future.”

While stablemate Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) was running fourth in the G1 St Leger, Tiger Moth was also upholding the form of that Curragh Classic which was his third start having broken his maiden at the expense of the eventual Irish Derby third Dawn Patrol (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) over 10 furlongs here June 9. Aidan O’Brien said, “He’s a lovely horse. Obviously his last run was in the Irish Derby. We gave him a break, said we’d come back here and maybe have a look at the Melbourne Cup, but he probably won’t get in where he is. He’s eight pounds below Santiago. I wasn’t sure a mile and a half was his thing and we would have been very happy going back to a mile and a quarter. It was a strong-run mile and a half and we were going to find out today whether he stayed or not.”

The dam is the G3 Ballyogan S. winner and G1 Golden Jubilee and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest-placed Lesson In Humility (Ire) (Mujadil), who was purchased for 675,000gns at the 2010 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She is also the dam of the Listed Marble Hill S. winner and G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Coach House (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who stands at Chapel Stud, and Tiger Moth’s full-sister Butterscotch (Ire) who was runner-up in the G3 Grangecon Stud S. Lesson In Humility is kin to the G3 Oh So Sharp S. heroine Poet’s Vanity (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}), while this is also the family of the G3 Solonaway S. winner Border Patrol (GB) (Selkirk) and the G3 Prix de Meautry winner Eisteddfod (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Lesson In Humility also has a 2-year-old full-sister to Tiger Moth.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
PADDY POWER ‘IS IT 2021 YET?’ S. (KILTERNAN S.)-G3, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-12, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:33.54, gd.
1–TIGER MOTH (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Lesson In Humility (Ire) (Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 5-6.5f, GSW-Ire, MSW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $418,862), by Mujadil
2nd Dam: Vanity (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
3rd Dam: Penny Fan (GB), by Nomination (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €60,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 4-2-1-1, $242,714. *Full to Butterscotch (Ire), GSP-Ire; and 1/2 to Coach House (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), SW & GSP-Ire, GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Silence Please (Ire), 126, f, 3, Gleneagles (Ire)–Crazy Volume (Ire), by Machiavellian. (27,000gns Ylg ’18 TAOCT). O-Gary Barber & Team Valor International LLC; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €20,000.
3–Up Helly Aa (Ire), 137, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Fiesolana (Ire), by Aussie Rules. O/B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Willie McCreery. €10,000.
Margins: 4, NK, HD. Odds: 0.83, 12.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Cormorant (Ire), Buckhurst (Ire), Red Kelly (Fr), Patrick Sarsfield (Fr), Broad Street (GB), Rakan (GB), Fresnel (GB), Geometrical (Ire), Mr Mooj (Ire). Scratched: Bolivar (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Galileo’s Tiger Moth Dominates the Kilternan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Galileo’s Magical Denies Ghaiyyath In the Irish Champion

There was a seventh group 1 success for Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and a second renewal of Leopardstown’s G1 Irish Champion S. on Saturday as the remarkable mare downed Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a sensational renewal of the 10-furlong contest. Intent on keeping close tabs on that 8-13 favourite from the outset, Seamie Heffernan placed Ballydoyle’s relentless mare at his flanks and the closer they got to the straight the more it appeared that Godolphin’s colossus would struggle to divert her attentions. Ranging alongside the visitor and locking on passing the two pole, she put her G1 Juddmonte International conqueror in the red soon after as William Buick drew the whip. Ahead with a furlong to race, the 9-2 second favourite may even have been idling thereafter as she earned a momentous 3/4-of-a-length success, with the fellow Ballydoyle outsider Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) upping his game markedly to be only 1 1/4 lengths behind in third. “We were delighted that Ghaiyyath was coming over, as we wanted another go at him after York, where maybe we felt it didn’t work 100% for us,” Aidan O’Brien commented after greeting his ninth winner of this prestige affair. “We were going to go with him today and sit 3/4 [of a length] off him for a solid even match. She eyeballed him all the way and when you do that, there’s always a chance that the ones coming from behind will get you but we took a chance and let him and her match up all the way. There are no excuses here at this track and she’s incredibly tough and genuine with speed and determination–she has everything and Seamie gave her a brilliant ride.”

In reality, for all of Ghaiyyath’s many accomplishments, this was no surprise as Magical is part of a new era of the supermares which is due to go on and on. Her exhilarating display when winning the G1 Pretty Polly S. on her 5-year-old bow at The Curragh June 28 was up there with any of her previous efforts and showed why connections had opted not to cover her by No Nay Never until at least 2021. Coming to the fore last term with wins in the G1 Champion S. as well as this and also the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, she is a heavyweight wherever she goes around the world but is rock-solid on home soil and it was always going to take a monumental performance from Ghaiyyath to withstand her. This was her 13th start in Ireland and 10th success, with her reversals coming as a fledgling act at two and when fourth in the 2018 G1 Matron S. over an inadequate mile. Having won back-to-back renewals of the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh July 26, she was three-lengths second at York Aug. 19 with Aidan O’Brien publicly wondering why the extra that he believed she possessed in the locker was not coming forward on the track.

Remarkably, Heffernan was riding Magical for the first time in the Pretty Polly and this was only his second opportunity to sit on the mare as Ryan Moore stuck with Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). That extra that her trainer talked of may have been eked out in some part by the Ballydoyle stalwart in the saddle and by an opponent of the merit of Ghaiyyath, but the way she operated in the run to the line suggests she was still keeping something back. “I felt that the favourite knew we were there at the start and we were with him every step of the way today–he knew we meant business,” Heffernan explained after steering his third winner of this after the masterfully-ridden Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2010 and So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) a year later. “Some horses can disappoint you when they seem like champions in the morning, but she has probably never given everything and still won seven group 1s. She’s very sound and up for it every day. She’s a big and honest mare and to win a third one is massive for me–I work for a great team.”

Magical is likely to head back to ParisLongchamp on the first Sunday in October, having been a well-beaten fifth in the Arc last year. “I suppose we are learning about her all the time,” Aidan O’Brien added. “If you get away from her she gets a bit lazy, but if you get into a fight with her very few will eyeball her. Of all the European races, prestige-wise, this is one of the top, if not the top and every year all the high-rated horses turn up here. It has a perfect place in the calendar, perfect ground, perfect distance and Armory ran an unbelievable race as well. Magical has the choice of the Arc or the fillies’ race [the G1 Prix de l’Opera] on the same day. It will depend on what the lads want to do with Love. The Breeders’ Cup could also suit her really well. We think she gets a mile and a quarter real strong and at a mile and a half you probably have to ride more of a race on her. She can dish it out to anyone stride-for-stride at a mile and a quarter. Fair dues to Sheikh Mohammed and to Charlie for bringing Ghaiyyath–that’s what makes these races. You win some and lose some–we get beaten all the time, but you have to compete and you can’t expect to win everything. Ghaiyyath is a great horse.”

Connections of the runner-up could bypass the Arc, with Charlie Appleby saying, “I talked with William Buick afterwards, who said that it rode like a decent race and they have gone a good gallop. Turning in, Ghaiyyath was there with every chance but full credit to Magical, who is a multiple group 1 winner. They have produced another good duel up the straight, but she has come out on top this time. Ghaiyyath will have a short break now before we decide on our next target. We will make a call over the coming weeks and discuss everything before confirming where to go next with him.” Ryan Moore said of Japan, who ended up fifth having briefly threatened in early straight, “I thought off the bend he was going to run well, but he hasn’t found the line today and it’s disappointing. I was hoping he would run up to his 3-year-old form, but unfortunately he hasn’t.”

Magical’s dam Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) was successful in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. before being solely mated with Galileo to dramatic effect. Her triple group 1-winning daughter Rhododendron (Ire) owned the bragging rights prior to the arrival of this phenomenon, while she also threw the G3 International S. winner Flying the Flag (Ire). She is out of the triple group-winning sprinter Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), who went close to a group 1 victory herself and whose other black-type winners include Theann (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire) whose daughter Photo Call (Ire) also by Galileo captured the GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo S. Theann also produced the G2 Richmond S. scorer Land Force (Ire) by Magical’s future husband No Nay Never, while Cassandra Go is kin to the G3 Coventry S. winner and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Verglas (Ire) who excelled at stud. Also connected to the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Cross Counter (GB) by Galileo’s son Teofilo (Ire), Halfway To Heaven also has a yearling colt to come.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
IRISH CHAMPION S.-G1, €750,000, Leopardstown, 9-12, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:05.08, gd.
1–MAGICAL (IRE), 132, m, 5, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Broodmare Of The Year-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire, G1SP-Fr, $941,139), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €435,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9.5-11f, Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 11-14f, MG1SW-Eng & GISP-US, 25-12-7-0, $5,219,464. *Full to Rhododendron (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-USA, $1,786,763; Flying the Flag (IRE), GSW-Ire & GSP-SAf, $195,702. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ghaiyyath (Ire), 135, h, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Nightime (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (€1,100,000 Wlg ’15 GOFNOV). O-Godolphin; B-Springbank Way Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. €150,000.
3–Armory (Ire), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–After (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €75,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 4.50, 0.62, 66.00.
Also Ran: Sottsass (Fr), Japan (GB), Leo de Fury (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Galileo’s Magical Denies Ghaiyyath In the Irish Champion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lope de Vega’s Cadillac Best In the Champions Juvenile

Irish Champions Weekend is as much about the juveniles as the proven older horses and Alpha Racing 2020’s Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) presented himself as one of the premier members of the 2-year-old brigade when surging to an impressive success in Saturday’s G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S., a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race. Having caused a stir at Leopardstown with a nine-length debut win over seven furlongs July 1, the bay had been second in The Curragh’s G2 Futurity S. last time Aug. 22 but showed this step up to a mile held no fears. Forced wide with no cover throughout, the 11-8 favourite moved to Ballydoyle’s Van Gogh (American Pharoah) at the furlong pole en route to a commanding 3 1/2-length success, with Reve de Vol (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) 2 3/4 lengths away in third. “I was a bit disappointed that he was beaten the last day, but he was raw and inexperienced as he didn’t learn much on his debut,” jockey Shane Foley said. “He had a dogfight there and it stood to him. He was more of a man today–he was stuck on the wing, but is a good laid-back horse who only goes through the motions and you know there is something under the tank. He works just okay in the mornings, he wouldn’t knock the house down but he obviously keeps his best for the track.”

Cadillac, an inspired €40,000 Goffs Orby purchase who came up a half-length short behind Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the Futurity, is Keeneland-bound now according to Kate Harrington, who said, “You’d have to be delighted with him. You saw the real Cadillac there today and he’s a lovely horse. He’s a horse that just goes through the motions at home, you don’t really know how big an engine is in there but it’s fairly big. He didn’t really learn much the first day, but learned a lot the last day and he did it right there today. It’s great for the syndicate, which we started two years ago and this is the second running of it. We’re going to go forward with it next year and it’s great to have a high-profile horse like this. I’d say, all being well, his next start will probably be in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.”

The dam Seas of Wells (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) is a daughter of Kyra Wells (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), who is a half-sister to the G3 Prestige S. winner Geminiani (Ire) by Sadler’s Wells’ son King of Kings (Ire) and to the G1 Phoenix S. heroine Damson (Ire) by another of the great Coolmore monarch’s progeny in Entrepreneur (GB). Damson in turn produced the G2 Flying Childers S.-winning sire Requinto (Ire) from a mating with Seas of Wells’ sire Dansili, and is the second dam of Last Kingdom (Frankel {GB}) who took the G3 Prix Daphnis. Also from the family of the G1 Sun Met-winning South African champion Whisky Baron (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}), Seas of Wells has a yearling filly by Sea the Stars (Ire).

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
KPMG CHAMPIONS JUVENILE S. (GOLDEN FLEECE S.)-G2, €147,500, Leopardstown, 9-12, 2yo, 8fT, 1:40.93, gd.
1–CADILLAC (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Seas of Wells (Ire), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Kiyra Wells (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Tadkiyra (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€40,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Alpha Racing 2020; B-Sunderland Holdings Inc (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €75,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $126,702. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Van Gogh, 131, c, 2, American Pharoah–Imagine (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Mrs David Nagle; B-Barronstown Stud (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien. €25,000.
3–Reve de Vol (Ire), 131, c, 2, Siyouni (Fr)–Joailliere (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €12,500.
Margins: 3HF, 2 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.38, 3.50, 40.00.
Also Ran: Fernando Vichi (Ire), Ides of August, Snapraeterea (Ire), Liffey River (Fr), Fourhometwo (GB), Jack Duggan. Scratched: Blue For You (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Lope de Vega’s Cadillac Best In the Champions Juvenile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post