Lightning Spear (GB) | Horse Racing Free Tips

What’s in a Name? Capulet, Vaux Le Vicomte

The name of brilliant 2yo Dundalk winner (and later G2-second) Capulet (Justify) gets one thinking, with the obvious connection to the famous tale of Romeo and Juliet. It also makes perfect sense that the dam is called Wedding Vow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}): Shakespeare's play is very much about the tragic conflict between two different matrimonial projects–the arranged marriage of Juliet with older man Count Paris versus the young girl's unlikely and passionate love for her “only hate” Romeo Montague. The play could very well be re-titled “Two Weddings and Five Funerals” (Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris also die). Now Juliet was a Capulet, and this equine Capulet is a colt, which may seem a bit counterintuitive, but “Capulet” is the exact character's name for Juliet's father in Shakespeare's text. In any case, this column has a soft spot for the time-defying story of the two “star-crossed lovers” of Verona, owing its very title “What's In A Name” to it. We will always cheer for this “big, beautiful horse with a good temperament”, so described by rider Seamus Hefferman.

4th-Dundalk, €15,000, Mdn, 8-15, 2yo, 8fT, 1:41.46, st.
CAPULET (c, 2, Justify–Wedding Vow {Ire} {GSW-Ire & G1SP-Eng, $316,572}, by Galileo {Ire}). O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Wynatt & Chelston (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.

There are fascinating stories of grand palaces and chateaux hidden in the name of multiple-winning filly Vaux Le Vicomte (GB) (Lightning Spear {GB}). The Clairefontaine winner is out of Tuileries (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), namesake in real life to what is now known mostly as a wonderful public garden in the center of Paris, but that once was a royal palace with more historical memorable moments than any architectural wonder of the world –destroyed during the Paris Commune revolt of 1871. Vaux-Le-Vicomte, southeast of Paris, on the other hand, is still standing, but only just. This property was the manor marvel that provoked the jealousy of the Sun King Louis XIV towards the owner (and his Minister of Finances) Marquis Nicolas Fouquet (1615-1680), with the building of the magnificent Palace of Versailles being the ultimate consequence of it–according to legend and Alexandre Dumas, who placed the masterful climax of his Man In The Iron Mask narrative in the middle of a grand fete at the castle on 17 August 1661 in the novel “The Vicomte De Bragelonne” (1850) (a worthy sequel to “the Three Musketeers”, with aging D'Artagnan at his very best). Quite a lot to live up to for this brave young filly.

3rd-Clairefontaine, €28,000, Cond, 8-14, 3yo, 8fT, 1:37.70, g/s.
VAUX LE VICOMTE (GB) (f, 3, Lightning Spear {GB}–Tuileries {GB}, by Cape Cross {Ire}). O-Rangio Farm SRL; B-Grundy Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Maurizio Guarnieri.

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Zoustar Tops 2023 Roster At Tweenhills At 30k

Zoustar (Aus), the sire of the Cartier 2-Year-Old Filly and G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Lezoo (GB), will stand for £30,000 at Tweenhills Stud in 2023. One of the leading sires in Australia, the reverse shuttler stood for £25,000 in 2022.

He leads a four-strong roster for Qatar Racing that also includes G1 2000 Guineas hero Kameko at £15,000, down from £20,000 this year. His first foals will be yearlings in 2023. Havana Gold (Ire) has been trimmed to £10,000 from £12,500. His five 2022 stakes winners are led by G2 Sandy Lane S. winner El Caballo (GB), while his Group 1-winning son Havana Grey (GB) leads all British-based first-crop sires to date. Group 1 winner Lightning Spear (GB)'s fee is unchanged at £5,000, and five of his eight runners have won.

Tweenhills owner David Redvers said, “We are extremely excited to welcome Zoustar back to Tweenhills for his fifth Northern Hemisphere covering season. He has got off to a fantastic start with his first runners here and, standing at a fraction of his Australian stud fee of AU$198,000, he is a real coup for European breeders.

“We have been so excited by Kameko's first crop of foals, some of whom will sell at the sales later this month. A record-breaking miler at two and three, he offers outstanding value at £15,000.

“Havana Gold is a proven value sire. His first son to stud, Group 1 winner Havana Grey, has already been crowned GB Champion First-Season Sire and Havana Gold still has his best-quality crops to run.

“Lightning Spear's first runners have done very well. With his improved fertility, a fee of £5,000 offers exceptional value for an extremely talented, tough and durable son of Pivotal.”

Kameko, Havana Gold and Lightning Spear will be paraded for breeders at Longholes Stud in Newmarket during this year's Tattersalls December Sales from Sunday, Nov. 27 to Wednesday, Nov. 30.

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First Winner For Lightning Spear At Chepstow

Tweenhills Farm and Stud's Lightning Spear (GB) (by Pivotal {GB}) became the latest first-season sire to get off the mark in 2022 when the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Greased Lightning (GB) scored on debut at Chepstow. Sent to post as a 6-1 shot, Anthony Pye-Jeary and David Ian's chestnut quickly recovered from a tardy start to occupy the perfect stalking position on the rail in the card's seven-furlong maiden. Having to go around the front trio inside the last two furlongs, he gained the advantage 50 yards from the line en route to a neck verdict over Evolicatt (GB) (Massaat {Ire}). The unraced dam is a half to three black-type winners including the G3 Prix de Conde and G3 Prix La Force winner High Rock (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and the G3 Prix Andre Baboin scorer Homeland (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}). Also connected to the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-winning sire Silver Frost (Ire) and the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly winner Spiritjim (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), her yearling colt is by City Light (Fr).

2nd-Chepstow, £7,300, Mdn, 6-28, 2yo, 7f 16yT, 1:24.01, gd.
GREASED LIGHTNING (GB) (c, 2, Lightning Spear {GB}–How High The Sky {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) Sales history: 26,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,835.
O-Anthony Pye-Jeary and David Ian; B-Whatton Manor Stud & Robert Cornelius (GB); T-Eve Johnson Houghton.

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Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up and HIT Catalogues Released

The catalogues for the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up and Horses-in-Training Sale were released on Wednesday. There are currently 206 2-year-olds and 120 horses-in-training ready to go under the hammer on Apr. 28. Beginning at 9 a.m. local time on Apr. 26, the breezes will take place over Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse. They will be shown live on the Tattersalls website and on the Tattersalls Facebook page.

Graduates of the sale won group races in Britain, France, Germany and the U.S. in 2021, led by top-level winners Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}). There have been 46 group or listed performers since 2017, with a quintet at that level already from last year's edition led by Hierarchy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who was second by a head in the G2 Mill Reef S.

There are 46 stallions with juveniles catalogued that have already sired Classic or Group/Grade 1 winners, Including Acclamation (GB), Australia (GB), Exceed and Excel (Aus), Iffraaj (GB), Invincible Spirit (Ire), Kodiac (GB), Make Believe (GB), Mehmas (Ire), New Bay (GB), Night of Thunder (Ire), No Nay Never, Oasis Dream (GB), Sea the Moon (Ger), Showcasing (GB), Starspangledbanner (Aus), Wootton Bassett (GB), Zoffany (Ire) and Zoustar (Aus). Also represented in the catalogue are the international sires Galiway (GB) and Zelzal (Fr) from France, and American stallions Astern (Aus), Caravaggio, First Samurai, Stormy Atlantic and triple German Champion Sire Soldier Hollow (GB).

A total of 32 lots are by second-season sires, and some of those sires are Ardad (Ire), Churchill (Ire), Cotai Glory (GB), Galileo Gold (GB), Profitable (Ire), Time Test (GB) and Zarak (Fr).

First-season sires also have a few juveniles in the sale, among them the offspring of Group 1 winners Cracksman (GB), Expert Eye (GB), Harry Angel (Ire), Havana Grey (Ire), Hawkbill, Lightning Spear (GB), Roaring Lion, Saxon Warrior (Jpn), U S Navy Flag, and Sioux Nation, as well as American freshman sires Accelerate and Bolt d'Oro.

Eighteen fillies are registered for the Great British Bonus Scheme and 14 2-year-olds qualified for French Owners' Premiums. Three juveniles are entered in the 2022 Swedish Derby and Oaks Series and another trio are entered in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction S., with one lot additionally entered in the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction S.

There is also a high-quality horses-in-training portion, with some lots of note including: lot 96, the winning My Little Tip (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), who is rated 95 from George Boughey's Saffron House Stables; Kaboo (More Than Ready) (lot 108), who is listed placed and rated 101 from Karl Burke's Spigot Lodge Stables; the 96-rated John The Baptist (Ire) (Caravaggio) (lot 91) from the Castlebridge Consignment; and five from the Juddmonte, among them the once-raced Fraction (GB) (War Front) (lot 82) out of Group 1 winner Proportional (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}); and the unraced colts Winterscape (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (lot 85), who is a full-brother to G1 Nassau S. heroine Winsili (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and lot 84, Polemon (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a brother to the Group 1-placed Weekender (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “The Guineas Breeze Up enjoyed yet another outstanding year on the racecourse led by the champion stayer Trueshan and USA Grade I winner Shantisara, both of whom illustrate the quality, diversity and value for money that buyers have come to expect from the sale. This year's Guineas Breeze Up has been very well-supported by consignors and we are confident the selection of 2-year-olds will appeal to domestic and international buyers in all sectors of the market, alongside the second largest horses in training section in the sale's history.”

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