Tag: Longines Irish Champions Weekend

Boomerang Rivals Fail To Catch Front-Runner Jadoomi

There are few forces more unstoppable than a trainer on a roll and, in the case of Simon and Ed Crisford, the father and son combination maintained their irresistible run of form on Longines Irish Champions Weekend when Jadoomi (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) burned his rivals off from the front in the G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile.

Boomerangs are designed to come back but there was no catching Jadoomi under Christophe Soumillon. The 4-year-old was stretching his unbeaten run this season to three and, after recording back-to-back Group 2 successes, connections are contemplating a tilt at the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on Champions Day.

Ed Crisford said, “He didn't have a penalty for winning at Goodwood and, when the rain came, I was so delighted as he likes to get his toe in. I think Christophe [Soumillon] made it very simple as we wanted to go forward.”

He added, “The Queen Elizabeth II S. could be an option. He's not in the race but we may have to consider supplementing him.”

And on that Leopardstown triumph, the Crisfords can dare to be bold with Jadoomi. He was good in winning the Celebration Mile at Goodwood, but Saturday's Leopardstown triumph represented a career best by some way as he pulled four lengths clear of Glounthaune (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who led home a bunched finish for the minor money.

The win produced one of the loudest cheers of the afternoon, with Jadoomi sent to post a rock-solid 9-4 joint-favourite, and Crisford put the 4-year-old's improved form this season down to him being gelded.

“He's improving. We gelded him in the summer and I think it has made a huge difference to him. He's a very good horse and there should be more to come. He's won a lot of prize-money there so perhaps we could entertain supplementing for the Ascot. We'll have to have a sit down and chat about it with the owner.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Out of the winning South Sister (GB) (Sakhee), Jadoomi is the best of three to race for the 11-year-old. Her latest foals are the juvenile Track Of Time (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}), a yearling filly by Shalaa (Ire) and a weanling colt by Invincible Spirit (Ire). The last-named stallion also enjoyed success at Leopardstown on Saturday with Pearls Galore (Fr) in the G1 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron S.

G3 Prix d'Aumale heroine Joyeuse Entree (GB) (Kendor {Fr}) is the second dam of Saturday's star, and is proving a reliable source of black type, having left the G1 French 2000 Guineas-winning Tin Horse (Ire) (Sakhee), the stakes winner Becomes You (GB) (Lomitas {GB}) and is the granddam of five more stakes winners, counting Jadoomi.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
CLIPPER LOGISTICS BOOMERANG MILE-G2, €200,000, Leopardstown, 9-10, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:45.38, sf.
1–JADOOMI (FR), 136, g, 4, by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
1st Dam: South Sister (GB), by Sakhee
2nd Dam: Joyeuse Entree (GB), by Kendor (Fr)
3rd Dam: Cape Of Good Hope (Fr), by Crystal Glitters
(€75,000 Ylg '19 AROYRG). O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Elevage de Moratalla, Alban Chevalier du Fau & Pierre Hugues Henry (FR); T-Simon & Ed Crisford; J-Christophe Soumillon. €120,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, SW & G1SP-Fr, 9-5-0-4, $432,342. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Glounthaune (Ire), 131, c, 3, Kodiac (GB)–Khaimah (GB), by Nayef. (350,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Mrs E M Stockwell, Coolmore & Westerberg; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,000.
3–Boundless Ocean (Ire), 131, c, 3, Teofilo (Ire)–Novel Approach (Ire), by New Approach (Ire). (€22,000 RNA Ylg '20 GOFOCT). O-Sheik Abdululelah Abdulaziz A Almousa; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €20,000.
Margins: 4, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.25, 40.00, 3.00.
Also Ran: Real Appeal (Ger), Raadobarg (Ire), Georgeville (GB), Statement (Ire), Just Beautiful (GB).

 

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Duke De Sessa Snares Important Win For Weld

He may have bagged Classic glory earlier in the season but, by his own high standards, Dermot Weld will admit that 2022 is not a year that he will look back on with great pleasure.

Bar Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) romping to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas glory, it has been a trying year for Weld, who is at least ending the campaign with his usual pomp and vigour, highlighted by the tenacious victory of Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the G3 Paddy Power S.

Homeless Songs would later go on to finish fourth in the G1 Matron S. on her first start since that memorable Curragh romp, but it was stablemate Duke De Sessa who thrust the Weld team back into the spotlight and what style the win was achieved in.

Ridden with supreme confidence by Chris Hayes, who delivered a well-timed run from the rear to snare fellow Newtown Anner Stud Farm-owned Thunder Kiss (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in a pulsating finish, Duke De Sessa plonked his nose in front on the line to win by just a short head.

The Paddy Twomey-trained Beamish (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}) played his part in the three-way epic but, after a nervous wait for the Weld team, the 'TDN Rising Star' was judged the narrow winner by a short head.

Weld, who was winning the race for the fifth time this past decade, said, “He's had a break and he loves that ground and this track. He'd been working exceptionally well and the only question I had was whether he would get the mile and a half.

“We contemplated running him in the Irish Champion S. but we said we'd go for the easier option and that, if he stayed the trip, he'd be very hard to beat.”

A step up in class could be on the cards for Saturday's 6-1 shot, with Weld convinced that the best has yet to come from the 3-year-old colt.

He said, “There is a Group 1 in Germany next month and we could have a look at that. He's a progressive colt. Today was the day but I think he's only just beginning. The best could be seen from him as a 4-year-old.”

Pedigree Notes

Duke De Sessa was doubling down on his previous Group 3 victory in the Eyrefield S. on Saturday, and continues to fly the flag for his four-time winning dam, the Cape Cross (Ire) mare Dark Crusader (Ire). Third in the 2014 edition of the G3 Give Thanks S. in her native land, Dark Crusader, from the family of GI Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup H. scorer Subtle Power (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), has a juvenile full-brother to the winner named Walsingham (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), yet another yearling full-brother waiting in the wings, and a filly of 2022 by Camelot (GB), whose Luxembourg (Ire) powered to victory in the G1 Irish Champion S. one race later on the card.

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
PADDY POWER S.-G3, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-10, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:41.29, sf.
1–DUKE DE SESSA (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Lope De Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Dark Crusader (Ire) (GSP-Ire & SP-Eng, $141,387), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Monty's Girl (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
3rd Dam: Mosaique Bleue (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
(£60,000 RNA Ylg '20 GOFOR). O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Chris Hayes. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-1-2, $149,067. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thunder Kiss (Ire), 132, m, 5, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Desert Snow (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €20,000.
3–Beamish (Fr), 135, c, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Bearlita (Ger), by Lomitas (GB). (€33,000 Wlg '18 ARQDE; 21,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-John Joseph Flynn; B-Alexander Rom (FR); T-Paddy Twomey. €10,000.
Margins: SHD, HD, 1HF. Odds: 6.00, 4.00, 3.60.
Also Ran: Perotan (Ire), Kiss You Later (Ire), Earl Of Tyrone (Ire), Layfayette (Ire), Bluegrass (Ire), Point King (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Is V For Victory, As Longines Irish Champions Weekend Begins?

  With The Queen in everyone's thoughts on Saturday, her greatest pastime is celebrated at Leopardstown with the G1 Irish Champion S. offering a blend of some of Europe's finest families that she knew and appreciated so well. Chief among them is a pearl from the depths of The Aga Khan's ocean of breeding talent the UK's longest-serving monarch was able to fish from in her later years. It was Astrakhan, a wedding present from the late Aga Khan III, who provided her with her first flat winner at Hurst Park in 1950 while her cherished Gold Cup heroine Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) was also gifted to her by his son and successor.

It would therefore in some small way be fitting if Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) could strike in the showcase event of Irish Champions weekend and the way the homebred has swaggered through the tests of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse points to him doing so. Of course, there are the uncertainties of the prevalent soft ground and tactics at a track that has a habit of catching out horses and jockeys, not to mention the formidable opposition, but there is something about the colt that has already marked the Stud's centenary year that hints at something special.

More in the mold of the “V” dynasty's speedier types Valixir (Ire) (Trempolino) and Val Royal (Fr) (Royal Academy) than the stouter members, the bay has zip as he demonstrated in a renewal of the Eclipse that put a much greater emphasis on mid-race speed than is usually the case. Many have pointed to the troubled passage of Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) making Prince Faisal's high-class stalwart an unlucky loser, but heading past the line at Sandown it was Vadeni who was taking off up the hill looking as if he had just joined in. “The pace wasn't crazy and that's why we all finished together,” Christophe Soumillon said, reflecting on that July 2 feature.  It was a little bit tactical, but he is quite easy to ride and very straightforward. It was a surprising win in the French Derby, because it is not very often that you see a horse winning a Group 1 with that kind of keenness.”

 

To The Left

Whereas it would be no surprise to see Vadeni win a top mile race as Valixir and Val Royal did before him, Mishriff is a true middle-distance powerhouse who will be out to draw the sting from his French foe this time. While the Gosdens' 5-year-old has developed slow-starting tendencies of late, his alert break in the G1 Juddmonte International suggests that compromising habit is behind him and he is back on a left-handed track which seems to play to his strengths. Of his last dozen outings, only three have been going in this direction on turf and they resulted in wins in last year's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and Juddmonte International and a gallant second to the world's unrivalled best on grass in Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Connections have been savvy enough to book the Irish master Colin Keane and Ted Voute is sounding hopeful that the operation's flagship performer can register a Group 1 win for the third consecutive year. “I expect Vadeni to prove hard to beat, but I think a few people felt we were unlucky in the Eclipse so let's see what happens on Saturday,” he said. “I suspect this will be the end of his season in Europe, so let's hope he can go out on a high.”

 

A True Test

If the comeback performance of Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in The Curragh's G3 Royal Whip Aug. 13 failed to set the pulse racing, it did at least show that here is a colt with a will-to-win from a stable renowned for its indomitability in the elite domestic contests. There have been several brilliant overseas challengers who have come up against a wall here and defeat for the likes of Falbrav (Ire) (Fairy King), Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) testify that if you want this, you first have to wrest it off Ballydoyle. Not enough is as yet known about Luxembourg to make any steadfast claims as to his level of ability or stamina, but he has two aides in this and therefore possibly a tactical edge. Ryan Moore will have worked it all through his unparalleled racing brain many times. “That narrow victory last time didn't please everyone, but it did us and that's the main thing,” he confirmed on his betfair blog.

 

The Heffernan Factor

Helping Luxembourg's cause is the Peter Brant colourbearer Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who for a few days in early May looked poised to fill the Derby void left by the stable's number one blue riband hope's setback as he overwhelmed his peers in the G3 Derby Trial over this course and distance. One of the yard's brightest 3-year-olds in the spring, it is easy to forgive his recent efforts and the fact that he has Seamie Heffernan on board is a huge plus. Few jockeys ride this circuit with as much skill as the man who dominated the 2010 renewal on Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and who pressured Ghaiyyath into submission on Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) two years ago. Of the riders in the saddle this time, he is the joint-winningmost alongside Ryan Moore so on this testing surface his rivals will be well-served to remember not to give him too much rope. With the underrated and undervalued G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup hero Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in attendance on his favoured slow ground, this has the potential to turn into a war of attrition.

 

Making Hayes

With Dermot Weld's stable finally hitting top stride in the past few days after a largely uninspiring 2022 season, the way is paved for Moyglare's priceless 'TDN Rising Star' Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to burst back onto the scene in the G1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron S. For the purists, there has been a lingering frustration that the clash of the two Frankel superfillies has yet to take place but Ascot's QEII is already calling for Inspiral (GB) and her Irish counterpart first needs to fulfil this obligation. That will be no easy task, with the increasingly unassailable Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) to subdue, but the edge has to be with the scintillating G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine here. “The [Weld] horses have been frustrating during the summer and it was frustrating times with Homeless Songs as we had to keep backing off, but we have no excuses now as the rain has come,” jockey Chris Hayes said. “She is mad well and we are raring to go.”

 

When Two Rising Stars Meet

The first of the weekend's plentiful juvenile Classic pointers takes place on the Leopardstown card, with Ballydoyle's pair of TDN Rising Stars Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) lined up against each other in the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. Ryan Moore has opted for the former, a son of Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who when at her best was a tour de force. “I'd be hopeful you will see a very good colt here,” the rider said of his pick. Tower Of London, a full-brother to Capri, looked more of a precocious sort than his sibling when winning over course and distance July 21 and it would be no surprise were he to assume the stable bragging rights here.

In the opening Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle S. for unexposed fillies, there is a fascinating contrast between Team Valor International and Gary Barber's five-furlong Cork maiden winner Easy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and The Aga Khan's stamina-laden Limerick maiden scorer Kayhana (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}) as Paddy Twomey and Dermot Weld open their select but potentially potent assault on the weekend.

 

Kyprios Heads Sunday Cast

With Doncaster's enhanced St Leger card shifted to Sunday, the afternoon looks a beast with quickfire assaults on the senses on Town Moor, at ParisLongchamp and The Curragh. The latter venue's equally powerful second half of the Irish Champions weekend was set out on Friday, with Ballydoyle's G1 Gold Cup and G1 Goodwood Cup hero Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) taking on 10 rivals in the G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger including his full-sister Search For A Song (Ire) who captured it in 2019 and 2020. More than at Leopardstown, Rosegreen seem to have a firm grip on Sunday's fixture as they supply the favourites for the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Moyglare Stud S. in the G2 Futurity S.-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) and G2 Debutante S. scorer Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) respectively. Of the dozen that take the Moyglare test, The Aga Khan's 'TDN Rising Star' Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) looks to have Classic potential following her impressive debut at Galway July 26. There are 18 rivals lined up for the G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five S. despite the foreboding presence of the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), while the G2 Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford S. boasts Team Valor's G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) as she takes on a dozen under a penalty.

 

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Sealiway Will Skip Irish Champions Weekend In Favour Of French Start

Dual Group 1 winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) will miss the G1 Irish Champion S. on Longines Irish Champions Weekend and instead contest the G3 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte at ParisLongchamp on Sept. 4, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed on Thursday.

A winner of the G1 Champion S. when trained by Cedric Rossi, the chestnut has yet to find the winner's circle this term in four starts, but after an unplaced run in the G1 Saudi Cup over the winter, ran second in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt in April and dropped to third in the G1 Prix Ganay a month later. He was most recently fifth for owners Le Haras de la Gousserie & Guy Pariente in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at the end of May. His long-term goals include the Oct. 2 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and an Oct. 15 Champion S. defence.

“He's not going to Ireland, he's running on Sunday in a Group 3 over 10 furlongs,” said Graffard. “He is in very good form and it will be a good starting point for an autumn campaign of the Arc and Ascot.”

A multiple Group 1 winner who is lining up in the Irish Champion S. is the globetrotting Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}). Last of 14 in the Saudi Cup, the John and Thady Gosden trainee has since run second in the G1 Coral Eclipse S. to Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) in July, third in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. later that month, and was second last out in the Aug. 17 G1 Juddmonte International S.

Prince Faisal's racing manager Ted Voute confirmed the decision to run the 5-year-old on Thursday and said,  “That's the plan.”

Mishriff will face Vadeni, among others.

 

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