Mac Swiney | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mac Swiney On Track For 4-Year-Old Campaign

Last year's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) has been turned out since running in the G1 Hong Kong Cup in December and will return to training next week, trainer, owner and breeder Jim Bolger told the TDN.

The 4-year-old, who also won the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy and G2 Futurity S. at two, trailed in last of 12 at Sha Tin.

“He didn't run well in Hong Kong and we don't know the reason for it,” Bolger said. Mac Swiney's four career wins have come over ground listed as yielding or worse, however Bolger said he is “still not convinced that he doesn't go on fast ground.”

“I hope he'll be a busy 4-year-old,” the trainer added. “We might also find the key to why he doesn't run well so often. We still don't know the reason for it. He's a very genuine horse and his work is always good at home, and yet he throws in some bad runs from time to time.”

Mac Swiney has won from seven furlongs to a mile, but also ran with credit going longer when fourth in the G1 Derby and third in the G1 Champion S.

“He'll be versatile from a mile up to a mile-and-a-half,” Bolger said. “He has a nice turn of foot and he got the mile-and-a- quarter well in the Champion S.”

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Loves Only You Finishes Career With Hong Kong Cup Victory

Loves Only You set the perfect seal on one of international racing's most colorful careers with a spellbinding success in the HK$30 million Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) on Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.

Yoshito Yahagi's globetrotting mare has flown the Hinomaru flag from Dubai to Hong Kong and on to the USA then back to Sha Tin again in 2021, leading home a Japanese 1-2-3-4 in the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) in April and then creating history by becoming the first horse from her nation to score at the Breeders' Cup.

Hong Kong's richest race had been nominated as the final race of the Deep Impact mare's career soon after she crossed the line in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2200m) at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on November 6.

Her fifth long flight of the year took her annual distance covered to over 20,000 miles but Loves Only You was produced in perfect condition and completed the final leg of her global odyssey with a last-gasp success under the coolest of rides from Yuga Kawada.

The 36-year-old rider, who was extremely fortunate not to be brought down when previous winner Danon Smash was badly hampered in a dramatic G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) earlier in the day, was understandably thrilled to record his first HKIR success. “Thank you very much, I'm very proud,” he said.

“She jumped well. The pace was a bit slow but then she relaxed and I was able to find a good position. She's given me two big presents and is the best female horse I've ever ridden. I hope she will be a good mother.”

Sent off the 2.6 market leader, Loves Only You jumped alertly from stall four and was soon traveling keenly just behind a steady early pace set by Mac Swiney, Ka Ying Star, and the wide-running Bolshoi Ballet.

Russian Emperor made a bold move to hit the front as a packing field jostled for position early in the home straight but last season's BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) runner-up edged right with his tongue lolling out as he did so, placing Loves Only You in a pocket on the inner at a crucial point.

Hishi Iguazu produced a storming run from the rear on the outside soon after under Joao Moreira to draw level briefly well inside the final furlong.

However, Kawada had Loves Only You in full stride by this stage and the five-year-old repeated her Del Mar heroics, quickening valiantly between horses under pressure to lead close home and beat her fellow Japanese raider by a short head.

Russian Emperor ran the race of his life for Douglas Whyte and Blake Shinn to finish a length away in third, while British raider Dubai Honour never looked like becoming the first European runner to win the Cup since Snow Fairy in 2010 but stayed on powerfully for fourth once in the clear for William Haggas and Tom Marquand.

Three years on from seeing his star filly Lys Gracieux beaten narrowly by Exultant in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m), winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi was completing an incredible end to 2021 which has also produced a 50-1 Breeders' Cup Distaff success for Marche Lorraine and a commanding Japan Cup success for his superstar colt Contrail.

The colorful 60-year-old was unable to accompany Loves Only You on the final leg of her journey but his stable representative Yusaku Oka was on hand to savor a perfect finale.

“I'm so glad to win this race for our trainer, who is watching on in Japan,” he said.

“She won the Breeders' Cup very well and in the spring she came over here and had a good result, so we were always confident she would run well.

“She's got a good pedigree – so we are looking forward to the next stage of her career – and as we have quite a lot of good horses in the stable we hope we will be back in Hong Kong with them in the future.”

Dusk was gathering over Sha Tin as an elated Kawada left the racecourse on a day that illustrated every aspect of the joy and pain that defines racing at the highest level.

The sun is also setting on Loves Only You's racing career but, if the 2021 edition of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races confirmed one thing, it is that the Land of the Rising Sun is now a true powerhouse on the global racing stage.

Following in the footsteps of A Shin Hikari, Maurice, Win Bright, and Normcore, this success for Loves Only You means Japan has now won five of the last seven Hong Kong Cups and four of the eight HKIR races run in the last two years.

HKJC racecaller Mark McNamara summed up the latest thrilling finish to Hong Kong's most cherished prize by saying: “It's Japan 1-2, Loves Only You says sayonara with the Cup!”

Leave them wanting more is never a bad motto. But, who knows, maybe Japan's latest Cup queen will have a son or daughter to represent her on the LONGINES HKIR stage in years to come.

The post Loves Only You Finishes Career With Hong Kong Cup Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sealiway, Baaeed Win on Champions Day At Ascot, Earn Guaranteed Spots In BC Turf, Mile

Le Haras De La Gousserie's Sealiway (FR) struck for France to win a thrilling renewal of the Group 1 QIPCO Champion Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse in England. With this victory, Sealiway gained an automatic place in the $4 million Longines Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 86 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

Sealiway was last seen only 13 days ago when finishing fifth in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Trained by Cedric Rossi, the 3-year-old colt came from off the pace to lead in the straight and dug deep to hold off a late challenge from Dubai Honour (IRE). The eventual winner was three-quarters of a length clear under jockey Mickael Barzalona in a pulsating finish. The Irish-trained Mac Swiney (IRE) kept on for third, with favorite Mishriff (IRE) back in fourth.

Following his success, Barzalona said: “It is great to be part of this big event and I have been lucky with this horse. It is the beginning and he deserved to prove his talent like he did today. The team were very confident – it was tough race, but he did it well.”

Off at 12/1, Sealiway, a chestnut son of Galiway (GB) out of the Kendargent (FR) mare Kensea (FR), finished the 1 ¼ miles in 2:08:31 over a course listed as good to soft, and soft in places.

Baaeed dominates Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Shadwell Estate Company's Baaeed (GB) retained his unbeaten record by winning the one-mile Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO). The victory secured the son of Frankel (GB) an automatic starting position and fees paid into this year's $2 million Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

Baaeed (2/1), trained by William Haggas and ridden by Jim Crowley, traveled strongly throughout the race and showed a sparkling turn of foot in an exciting finish. The 3-year-old held off favorite Palace Pier (GB) by a neck, with Lady Bowthorpe (GB) running another big race in third.

Crowley, speaking after the race, said: “He's just a beast, he just keeps on getting better. The ground is a bit slow for him. I think [if there was] quicker ground, he would have probably picked up a bit better, but he's come a long way in a short space of time. He's a proper champion.”

Baaeed, a bay son of Sea The Stars (IRE) out of the Kingmambo mare Aghareed, finished the 1-mile in 1:42:57.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Sealiway to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf and Baaeed to start in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, which will both be run on the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winners must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

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Mojo Ready For Second Derby Test

Europe's most famous maiden Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) will face 10 rivals in Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh after Thursday's confirmation stage. Amo Racing's G1 Epsom Derby runner-up was supplemented at a cost of €75,000 by Richard Hannon this week and is the foremost representative of the June 5 blue riband, with the third Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and fourth Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) set to re-oppose for Charlie Appleby and Jim Bolger, respectively. Hurricane Lane is in three, while the May 22 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Mac Swiney has stall seven. There will be no issues with the draw in four for Mojo Star, who is due to be ridden by the owners' retained jockey Rossa Ryan after he completed his recovery from injury. Aidan O'Brien is responsible for a quartet headed by 'TDN Rising Star' High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who is drawn in 10, while Seamie Heffernan is on Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase runner-up Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) drawn widest of all and Colin Keane comes in for the ride on Van Gogh (American Pharoah) who starts from stall six.

Hannon said he is confident that Mojo Star will prove his Derby run to be no fluke and said, “He was always a very laid-back horse. I thought he was a nice horse, but didn't know he was a very good horse. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he was beaten at Newbury earlier this season. I managed to get both him and Snow Lantern beaten on the same day and I thought 'this is going to be a long year'. In hindsight, he's a very big horse and he's grown. It was a bit of a leap of faith putting him in the Derby, but as soon as he pulled up at Newbury I thought he was a Derby horse if I'd ever seen one.”

“We got a bit held up on Tattenham Corner–we were travelling very well and the ground he was making at the line was very pleasing,” Hannon added. “I think this track will suit him a lot more. I was delighted with second and he was a running-on second. We're hardly synonymous with Derby horses. I remember one year at school my dad had the favourite and second-favourite and they were last and second-last. I used to go to the Irish Derby with a few mates from Ireland as a kid. We took Alriffa one year and he wasn't good enough, but to have one with a chance is great.”

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