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Thursday’s Observations: Peaceful’s Sister Debuts at Leopardstown

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a full-sister to Classic winner Peaceful.

18.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
ANDROMEDA (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of two Ballydoyle juveniles engaged, with Seamie Heffernan taking the ride on the debutante full-sister to his 2020 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-winning mount Peaceful (Ire). Ryan Moore has opted for Opera Singer (Justify), the half-sister to War Front's top-level winners Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna who was eighth behind stablemate and TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at The Curragh last month.

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Ireland’s Corinthian Challenge Back for 2023

The Corinthian Challenge Charity Race Series is back this year, the Irish Injured Jockeys (IIJ) announced on Friday. The six-race series offers riding enthusiasts the chance to experience what it's like to be a jockey riding over three of Ireland's best tracks while also raising awareness and much-needed funds for the IIJ.

This year's races will be held at Naas Racecourse on Aug. 27, The Curragh on Sept. 24 and Leopardstown Racecourse on Oct. 21.
Each rider is asked to raise €10,000 through sponsorship and/or fundraising, with all funds to go to Irish Injured Jockeys. Riders must also pass an interview and a training day to receive their licence from the Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) in Co. Kildare. This year's Corinthian Challengers are Eimear O'Gorman, Jansseen Hill, Michael O'Neill, Martina Dempsey, Niamh Ashe, Damien Moore, Aisling Fitzell, Vivienne Connolly, Darren Dunne, Aimee Murphy, Abigail Reilly, Hazel Smith, Anna Cropper and Katie Brown.

“Following on from the previous success of the series, we wanted to build on it to make it very attractive for the participants, racecourses, racegoers and for the media to really engage with again this year,” Michael Higgins, General Manager of Irish Injured Jockeys, said. “I would like to thank this year's challengers as it is a big commitment to take part and raise much-needed funds for IIJ, to date the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

For more information visit The Corinthian Challenge website.

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Leopardstown Launch ‘Dublin to Bahrain’ Race Series

Leopardstown and the Bahrain Turf Club have announced the 'Dublin to Bahrain' race series that will grant race winners automatic eligibility for the 2023-24 running of the Bahrain Turf Series.

The first leg of the 'Dublin to Bahrain' race series takes place at Leopardstown on Thursday July 20.

The series expands Bahrain's existing sponsorship portfolio in Ireland, which is headlined by the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. and includes the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond S., both of which are run at Leopardstown.

The five races added to the Kingdom's sponsorship portfolio are four handicaps, including the €40,000 October Handicap, and the Listed Knockaire S.

The winner of each of the four handicap races will automatically be eligible for the Bahrain Turf Series, a ten-race series spread across five fixtures staged in Bahrain's domestic season.

Last season each race in the Bahrain Turf Series was worth £60,000, a figure set to rise again in 2023-24.

Meanwhile, the winners of the Desmond S. and the Knockaire S. will receive an invitation to the Bahrain International Trophy, run in November.

Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Turf Club High Committee Representative, International Racing, said, “We are delighted to expand our involvement with Irish racing. The 'Dublin to Bahrain' race series is a great initiative that we have developed with our partners at Leopardstown. The aim is to increase awareness among Irish owners and trainers of our own Bahrain Turf Series, a valuable ten-race series that runs from December to February and caters for both sprint and middle distance horses.

“In addition, as well as sponsoring the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, our support for two other pattern races provides further opportunities to promote the Bahrain International Trophy, the Kingdom's most valuable race.”

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Sioux Nation’s Ocean Jewel Takes The Ballycorus

Underlining the strength of the speedier 3-year-olds this year, Al Shira'aa Farms' Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) passed a stern test against the older brigade on Thursday as she captured Leopardstown's G3 TRI Equestrian Ballycorus S. Stretching out to seven furlongs, having finished third behind The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in the G3 Lacken S. over six at Naas last month, the Willie McCreery-trained half-sister to the 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was able to use her sprinting prowess to stay close to the early pace in second. Committed by Billy Lee passing two out, the 16-5 shot saw out the finale strongly to score by 1 1/4 lengths from the veteran stalwart Real Appeal (Ger) (Sidestep {Aus}).

Also second to smart compatriot Beauty Crescent (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the Listed Blenheim S. at Fairyhouse in September, having won her Down Royal maiden with authority earlier that month, Ocean Jewel is unexposed and full of promise at this trip and possibly beyond according to McCreery. “She's improving the whole time and everything worked out perfectly tactically,” he said. “I did think about the Commonwealth [Cup], but I thought 'let's not take on the boys this year' and it that was her first time over seven and Billy [Lee] said she hit the line very well.”

“She's a very sharp filly and I loved the way she settled,” the winning trainer added. “The world is her oyster and we'll take our time with her. We have next year with her and we'll try a group 1 before the year is out. We'll stick to seven this year and might go a mile next year. It's a big weekend for Kieran [Lalor, Al Shira'aa's racing and bloodstock manager]. He bought this filly a couple of years ago and he bought the second favourite for the French Oaks, Jannah Rose.”

Pedigree Notes
Ocean Jewel's aforementioned half-sister Mother Earth, who was also successful in the G1 Prix Rothschild and placed in seven other top-level contests including the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, was Al Shira'aa Racing's first winner in Ireland last term and a perfect launchpad for the operation in the country. The listed-winning and group-placed dam Many Colours (GB) (Green Desert) is also responsible for the G2 Premio Dormello winner Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). From the family of the leading sprinter and sire Dandy Man (Ire) and the Royal Ascot group-placed pair Patience Alexander (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Cheerupsleepyjean (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), her full-brother to Mother Earth named Bamburgh (Ire) was a €80,000 purchase by Johnston Racing at the Goffs Orby.

Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland
BALLYCORUS S.-G3, €52,500, Leopardstown, 6-15, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:30.10, gd.
1–OCEAN JEWEL (IRE), 122, f, 3, by Sioux Nation
1st Dam: Many Colours (GB) (SW & GSP-Ire, MSP-UAE, $276,926), by Green Desert
2nd Dam: First Of Many (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Star Profile (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€230,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Al Shira'aa Farms; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Willie McCreery; J-Billy Lee. €31,500. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-1, $56,231. *1/2 to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), G1SW-Eng & Fr, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-US, $1,460,919; and Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), GSW-Ity, $139,607. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Real Appeal (Ger), 135, g, 6, Sidestep (Aus)–Runaway Sparkle (GB), by Green Desert. (€7,500 Wlg '17 ARQDEC; £265,000 2yo '19 GOFLON; 130,000gns 5yo '22 TATAHI). O-Shamrock Thoroughbreds, Dooley Thoroughbreds & J P Cleary; B-Gestut Kussaburg (GER); T-Adrian McGuinness. €10,500.
3–Carrytheone (GB), 135, g, 6, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Song Of Passion (Ire), by Orpen. (50,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-Any Excuse For A Holiday Syndicate; B-Pevens Racing (GB); T-Johnny Murtagh. €5,250.
Margins: 1 1/4, SHD, SHD. Odds: 3.20, 20.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Mutasarref (GB), Agartha (Ire), Spring Feeling (Fr). Scratched: Power Under Me (Ire), Coachello (Fr).

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