Group Winner Lone Eagle Returns at Sandown

Group 3 winner Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will aim to enhance his G1 Cazoo Derby chances with a start in the G3 bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown Park on Apr. 23. Second at first asking at Sandown in August, he got off the mark later that month at Goodwood over a mile. He quickly added a Sept. 12 Doncaster handicap and the G3 Zetland S. over 10 furlongs at Newmarket in his juvenile swansong on Oct. 10.

Trainer Martyn Meade said, “The plan is to go to Sandown on Friday with Lone Eagle. He improved all the time last year and he did everything we asked of him. He is totally laidback at home. He is a horse that never shows anything at home but just gives his all on the racecourse.

“He coped with Sandown well first time out there when he was a bit unlucky, so hopefully he can go one better there this time.

“After the race on Friday it will tell us where we are and whether we need to work him on our Derby gallop at home but so far he is going the right way.

“I think he is pretty versatile ground-wise and I don't think he is ground dependent as far as I can ascertain, both from what we have seen at home or on the race track.”

Meade remained noncommittal on sending Statement (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) to the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas after her second-place run in the G3 Dubai Duty Free S. on Sunday.

“Statement showed she is good enough for that level on Sunday and Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) just got the first run on us a bit,” Meade said.

“I'm not sure about the 1000 Guineas yet as she had a hard race at Newbury. The 1000 Guineas is in just under a fortnight and I'm just going to see how she is over the next two or three days.

“She is in the race and if she is firing on all cylinders then we would go, but it might just come too quick and we might then go to the French Guineas instead as she does take a bit of minding.

“I do think she is top class but I don't want to back her up quick and end up leaving her season behind.”

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Galileo’s Lone Eagle Best In the Zetland

Stepping out of nursery company having won a competitive affair at Doncaster Sept. 12, Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm’s Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made most of the running to land Saturday’s 10-furlong G3 Godolphin Flying Start Zetland S. at Newmarket. Ridden from the break by Silvestre de Sousa to race on the front end, the 16-5 shot was joined by Fabilis (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and shared the lead with that rival throughout the early stages. Seeing him off before coping with Recovery Run (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) on the run to the line, the bay registered a 1 3/4-length success as the runner-up pulled seven lengths clear of Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). “It was a nice performance, as it is not easy for a two-year-old on that kind of ground,” de Sousa said. “He is really tough, he’s not very big but he gallops his heart out.”

Runner-up to Recovery Run on debut over a mile at Sandown Aug. 7, Lone Eagle was off the mark over that trip at Goodwood next time Aug. 28 prior to his Doncaster success and despite being steadily progressive had not made any dramatic improvement in that period. Blessed with the rail here over a trip extreme for juveniles which obviously holds no fears, the Ballylinch homebred kept finding as his old rival pressed in the closing stages in a performance that said more St Leger than Epsom Derby where 2021 is concerned. Freddie Meade said, “He’s got a progressive profile and we thought he’d be crying out this trip and would relish it. We were happy about the ground, as he went on it at Goodwood and is a horse that doesn’t over-race and needs stoking up. He’s a horse that would suit Epsom and the Derby is a great thing to think about. He showed he can handle a quirky track like Goodwood and ran on quick ground first time and on good at Doncaster, so is versatile.”

Lone Eagle is the first foal out of the staying dam Modernstone (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), who was successful in the Fasig-Tipton Ladies Marathon S. and was third in the GIII Dowager S. for the Christophe Clement stable before being purchased for 1million gns by Ballylinch Stud at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She is a granddaughter of the unraced Modena (Roberto), an influential producer for Juddmonte responsible for the high-class pair of Elmaamul (Diesis {GB}) and Reams of Verse (Nureyev), with the latter the winner of the G1 Epsom Oaks, as well as the G2 Yorkshire Cup winner Manifest (GB) (Rainbow Quest). Another of Modena’s progeny Midsummer (GB) (Kingmambo) in turn produced the multiple group and grade I heroine Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), whose son Midterm (GB) by Galileo captured the G3 Sandown Classic Trial and whose half-sister Sun Maiden (GB) by Galileo’s son Frankel (GB) took the G3 Hoppings S. and was placed in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. Modernstone’s second foal is a yearling colt by Lope de Vega (Ire).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
GODOLPHIN FLYING START ZETLAND S.-G3, £47,000, Newmarket, 10-10, 2yo, 10fT, 2:05.45, sf.
1–LONE EAGLE (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Modernstone (GB) (SW & GSP-US, MSP-Eng, $183,400), by Duke of Marmalade (Ire)
2nd Dam: Post Modern, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Modena, by Roberto
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (500,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Ballylinch Stud & Aquis Farm; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Martyn Meade; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £26,654. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $59,152. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Recovery Run (GB), 128, c, 2, Nathaniel (Ire)–Regal Splendour (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (20,000gns Wlg ’18 TATFOA; €38,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Another Bottle Racing 2; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £10,105.
3–Mystery Angel (Ire), 125, f, 2, Kodi Bear (Ire)–Angel Grace (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). (£13,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR; 22,000gns 2yo ’20 TATBRE). O-Nick Bradley Racing 27 & Partner; B-Mrs Noelle Walsh (IRE); T-George Boughey. £5,057.
Margins: 1 3/4, 7, 2 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 3.50, 10.00.
Also Ran: Fabilis (GB), Roseabad (Ire), Kyprios (Ire), Mere Green (Ire), Babindi (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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