Magical Lagoon | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Good Horses Keep Us All Going’ – Jessica Harrington Stable Tour

Jessica Harrington is the most successful female trainer that Ireland has ever produced. The 76-year-old has sent out multiple Cheltenham Festival winners, including the legendary Champion Chaser Moscow Flyer (Ire), as well as Classic winners Alpha Centauri (Ire) and Magical Lagoon (Ire) from her Moone-based stables in County Kildare.

Plans are now afoot to take home more big-race riches this season and, despite the fact that Harrington is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, there is only one topic of conversation at the breakfast table at this time of year.

“We are very excited about the season ahead and, training horses as good as this, they keep us all going,” Harrington said in typically upbeat fashion.

She added, “We haven't pushed any buttons with our two-year-olds yet but, at this early stage, a filly called With Style (Ire) would have to be my pick.

“Overall, we have a very nice bunch. But even the two-year-olds we had last year, they were a quality bunch as well, so we have some very nice three-year-olds this season to go with the juveniles coming through. It's very exciting.”

Before the Flat season takes centre stage, there is the small matter of the Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals to navigate, and Harrington will be hoping to break her duck in the Grand National in Liverpool with the aptly-named Lifetime Ambition (Ire).

“He's very well-named, because it has been a lifetime ambition for me to win the race and of course we came very close to doing that when Magic Of Light (Ire) finished second to Tiger Roll in 2019.

“Lifetime Ambition is nicely-weighted and we're hoping the ground will dry out a bit for him. He's had experience over the fences and jumped them very well so we are hopeful.”

All told, the Harrington stable has 170 horses to look forward to on the level, of which, 65 are two-year-olds. Below, Harrington gives her verdict on some of the juveniles who have been showing up well on the gallops at home.

High Five: Harrington celebrates Magical Lagoon's Irish Oaks triumph with Shane Foley | Racingfotos.com

Two-Year-Olds
Fillies
Heavenly Being
Pedigree: Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly out of Rapacity Alexander (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €525,000 from Mountarmstrong Stud at Goffs Orby
Owner: Yuesheng Zhang
Comment: We like her a lot. She's a half-sister to No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), who won the G1 Matron S. for us a couple of seasons back. She looks as though she will make a two-year-old and we hope to get her out in May. We haven't had many Night Of Thunders but we think we have some good ones by him this year. She's very like No Speak Alexander in that she is a light-framed filly.

Glamourously
Mehmas (Ire) filly out of One For June (Ire) (Arcano {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland and the Glamour and Glory Syndicate for €33,000 from Mountarmstrong Stud at Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
Glamour And Glory Syndicate
We're delighted to have this filly for the new syndicate for the girls. She is a lovely Mehmas filly and has been away to the Curragh. She could run in two or three weeks' time.

What A Squeeze
Dark Angel (Ire) filly out of Fashionable (GB) (Nashwan)
Bought by BBA Ireland for €75,000 from Glacken View at Goffs Orby
Alpha Racing Syndicate
A half-sister to Jack Naylor (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), we are very happy with her. She is quite like Jack Naylor, is a little bit bigger than she was, but they have the same physique–strong and plenty of bone. She goes nicely. The Alpha Racing Syndicate has been quite successful, I think members have made a profit every year it has been running, so it is a good way for people to get involved in racehorse ownership.

Ally Pally
National Defense (GB) filly out of Myth Creation (More Than Ready)
Cormac O'Flynn
Bought by Cormac O'Flynn for 37,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale
She's a nice filly, is sharp, and actually has an entry to run at Dundalk next Tuesday. She could run in the Somerville Auction Sale race.

September Leaves
Night Of Thunder filly out of Antique Platinum (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})
Homebred
Moyglare Stud
She looks sharp and will be out in May. She is a nice Moyglare homebred and we're looking forward to her.

Matter Of Fact
No Nay Never filly out of Malicieuse (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Homebred
Niarchos Family
She's a very nice filly and looks like being a proper two-year-old. She has plenty of size but is compact. We've had plenty of No Nay Nevers down through the years but no superstars. We think that might change this year as we have a lovely bunch by him.

With Style
No Nay Never filly out of Inca Wood (UAE) (Timber Country)
Bought for €150,000 by BBA Ireland from Manister House Stud at Goffs Orby
Yuesheng Zhang
This is a lovely filly and will probably be ready to run in May. She is big and strong and everything she has been doing is really good. She's been showing us plenty and we're looking forward to her. Yulong are great supporters of our yard and have been increasing their numbers every year and now have 30 in training here. We have some lovely two-year-olds for them this year and this is one of them.

Ocean Bliss
El Kabeir filly out of Gold Zain (GB) (Aqlaam {GB})
John Kirkland and Jim Ryan
A half-sister to Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation), she's sharp and will want really nice ground because she has lovely action. We will be waiting for the ground to get a bit tighter for her.

Comic Book
Frenkel (GB) filly out of Vagabonde (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})
Bought by BBA Ireland fo €250,000 at BBAG September Yearling Sale
Yuesheng Zhang
This could be very smart. She won't run until June or July–she's a mid-season filly and you'd expect her to be that on pedigree. She has been doing everything very nicely and we're quite hopeful about her.

Annupuri
Too Darn Hot (GB) filly out of Mirror City (GB) (Street Cry)
Bought by Jamie McCalmont for 120,000gns from Jamie Railton at Tattersalls Book 2
Marc Chan and the Niarchos Family
She's a nice filly but she's not as sharp as we thought she was initially. She has started to grow and might need a bit more time. The Too Darn Hots we have are lovely-actioned horses and they look like they will want good ground.

Betula
Lope De Vega (Ire) filly out of Galileo Gal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Craig Bernick
She's beautiful and is typical of Lope De Vega. She'll be out in the middle of the season and is out of a half-sister to Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

Emerald Banner
Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly out of Green Castle (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire})
Homebred
Francis Jennings
She's a full-sister to Millisle (Ire) and is actually stronger than Millisle was at this stage of their careers. There's actually a little bit of a story behind this filly. Her dam, Green Castle was retired at Francis Jennings' stud but, when Millisle won her Group 1, she was whipped back in from the field and went straight in foal to Starspangledbanner and has even produced another filly, so now they have two full-sisters. I think she was 22 or 23 when she had this filly but she doesn't look like an old mare.

Earth
Galileo filly out of Alpha Centauri
Homebred
Niarchos Family
The second foal out of Alpha Centauri, she's a very big lady and is a lovely-mover. She will take a bit of time but she has an incredible pedigree and we are looking forward to seeing what she can do. She might be more of a three-year-old.

Unnamed
Kingman (GB) filly out of Starfish (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Homebred
Mrs Frank Barry & Mrs Luke Barry
A half-sister to Astadash, who won the Denny Cordell Lavarack S. at Gowran Park for us, she is very nice and will be out in the middle to back end of the season. Starfish has been an excellent producer for the Barry family and hopefully this filly can be another.

Lucky Melody
Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) filly out of Queen Of Carthage (Cape Cross {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €195,000 from Baroda Stud at Goffs November Foal Sale in 2021
Yuesheng Zhang
Very nice filly. She's a big girl but is also very sharp and is a half-sister to Lucky Vega (Ire), who did so well for us and obviously means a lot to the Yulong team. We hope to have her out in the middle of the season and she's nice.

Colts
Dundrum
Profitable (Ire) colt out of Rosy Morning (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})
Bought by BBA Ireland for 31,000 from Castlebridge at Goffs Sportsman's
John G Hennessy
We fancied him to run a big race on debut at Dundalk last week but he came back lame. He actually pulled muscles quite badly so there was a genuine excuse for him disappointing on the day. We hope to get him back to what he was showing us at home before that because he's a colt with an awful lot of speed.

Old Sea
Blue Point (Ire) colt out of Liver Nauticus (Ire) (Azamour {Ire})
Homebred
Moyglare Stud
He's a half-brother to Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}). He's very big and has good action. He does everything very easily and, while we thought he was early, he's started to grow a little and may need more time.

The Bear Trap
Kodi Bear (Ire) colt out of Dat Il Do (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB})
Bought by BBA Ireland for 60,000gns from Pier House Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Alpha Racing Syndicate
He's a gorgeous colt and we're hoping to start him off in a Curragh maiden before long. We think he could be nice.

Guest Star
Due Diligence colt out of Livella Fella (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €46,000 from Boherguy Stud at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
Hronis Racing
A sharp colt, he'll be out within the next month. He looks early and is training well.

Star Hunter
Lope De Vega colt out of She's Complete (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire})
Yuesheng Zhang
A lovely Lope De Vega colt who will be ready to run by the end of May. He's showing up well.

Imperial Magic
Showcasing (GB) colt out of Solfilia (GB) (Teofilo {Ire})
Yuesheng Zhang
Bought by BBA Ireland for €200,000 from Manister House Stud at Goffs Orby
He is sharp and will run in two or three weeks' time. His work has been good and he is very straightforward.

Highland Bling
Highland Reel (Ire) colt out of Padma (GB) (Three Valleys)
Bought by Hubie De Burgh for €22,000 from Vinegrove Stud at Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
OTI Racing and Brosnan Racing
A very nice Highland Reel colt, he will want a mile but does things nicely at home.

Instant Appeal
Advertise (GB) colt out of Moment Of Time (GB) (Rainbow Quest)
Bought by BBA Ireland for 78,000gns from Newsells Park Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Alpha Racing Syndicate
Another sharp colt, we'd expect him to be early and he's a very nice colt to do anything with. He's from the first crop of Advertise, who was a very fast horse himself, and we like what we see so far.

Kinesiology
Study Of Man (Ire) colt out of Kinaesthesia (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €65,000 from Staffordstown Stud at Goffs Orby
Alpha Racing Syndicate
On breeding, he will be a middle-distance horse in time and we won't be in any rush to get him out. It will probably be the middle of the season before we see him but he's quite a likeable colt and is doing everything we have asked of him.

The post ‘Good Horses Keep Us All Going’ – Jessica Harrington Stable Tour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Yuesheng Zhang Expands String: Karl Burke To Train 20 Horses For Owner

Prominent owner Yuesheng Zhang has placed more emphasis than ever on his runners trained in Britain ahead of the new Flat season, with Karl Burke set to be the main beneficiary after receiving 20 horses to train for the Chinese businessman.

Jessica Harrington, who has provided Zhang with the majority of his big-race success, including a breakthrough Classic victory in last year's Irish Oaks with Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), remains the number one trainer for the hugely-successful international ownership vehicle. Harrington also trained Zhang's Group 1-winning stallion Lucky Vega (Ire), who has been heavily supported by his owner since he joined the roster at the Irish National Stud, and those mating plans will be revealed in TDN Europe next week.

The remainder of this year's European crop of runners will be divided up between Joseph O'Brien and Michael O'Callaghan in Ireland while John and Thady Gosden, Archie Watson, Andrew Balding, Charlie Hills and William Haggas feature on the British roster.

Mick Donohoe | Tattersalls

“Jessie Harrington will train the majority of the horses this year but we're changing things a little in that we will be supporting a few other trainers as well,” explained BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, who manages the racing and breeding interests of the powerful owner.

The reason for the diversification, according to Donohoe, was borne through a desire expressed by Zhang not to have all of his horses housed in one stable.

Donohoe said, “We have a little over 40 2-year-olds in training this season and, while Jessica will be the main trainer, it's important not to have all of your eggs in the one basket.

“Mr. Zhang has been closely following the career of Karl Burke in England. Karl, Eamonn Reilly [of BBA Ireland] and myself have a long association together, so it looks a good fit for everyone.”

He added, “Karl will train 20 horses for us this year, the majority of which are 2-year-olds, and we're looking forward to that. We've also spread a few out between Joseph O'Brien and Michael O'Callaghan in Ireland and then Andrew Balding, Archie Watson, Charlie Hills, William Haggas and John Gosden in England.

“When you are dealing with the number of horses that Mr. Zhang now has in training, he is right not to be putting all of his eggs in the one basket. The big thing with racehorses is keeping them healthy and, no matter how much due diligence each yard applies, horses are bound to get sick sometimes. When you have your horses spread out between a few different yards, it's definitely a good thing.

“All of those trainers we are supporting, they are some of the best at their trade, and Karl is a multiple Group 1-winning trainer who has been operating consistently to a high level for a number of years now. We also bought Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) off Andrew Balding last year and Mr. Zhang had been taking notice of his achievements for a while now as well.”

Multiple Group 1 winner Alcohol Free and the Group 1-placed Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) were purchased at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale by Donohoe to join the powerful Yulong Investments racing string in Australia. Magical Lagoon charted a similar path down under after that famous Curragh triumph and made her seasonal return for trainer Chris Waller at Rosehill on Saturday.

Of the 30 or so horses in training with Harrington this season, Danvers Gold (Ire) (Galileo {Galileo {Ire}}) was put forward by Donohoe as being one of the most exciting. However, the leading bloodstock agent admitted that there are a host of talented 2-year-olds bobbing their heads above the parapet in time for the new campaign.

He said, “Jessica has a few nice Frankels (GB), Galileos and Dubawis (Ire) so it's a very exciting time. She also has Lucky Vega's sister by Phoenix Of Spain (Ire), who has been named Lucky Melody (Ire). The word on Phoenix Of Spain is very good and this particular filly is showing Jessie an awful lot already.

“There's a very nice No Nay Never filly called With Style (Ire) who we bought at Goffs there as well. She is showing a lot and there's an exciting filly, Danvers Gold, who was second in her only start last year at Naas. We've high hopes for this filly and she might even run in one of the fillies' Guineas trials early in the season. There's a nice Showcasing (GB) colt called Imperial Magic (GB) who should also be out early. He looks quite precocious and could be one for one of those early-season maidens.”

Donohoe added, “Karl has a lovely Dandy Man (Ire) colt. I actually bought his brother, Show Respect (Ire), who ran in Hong Kong today [Saturday]. He also has a very nice Dark Angel (Ire) homebred out of Black Gold Fairy–this horse is showing a lot.

“He has another homebred, Lady Hamana (Aus), who is an I Am Invincible filly out of Lake Hamana. She was bred on Northern Hemisphere time down in Australia. She was actually trialled in Australia and, when she started to show a bit, Mr. Zhang decided to send her to England. She wasn't beaten far in a listed race in France last season so we're hoping she's a stakes sprinter to look forward to this year.

“Karl also has an Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly out of I Am Beautiful (Ire) who was bred by Lucky Vega's breeder Pat O'Kelly. We've had a lot of luck buying off Pat. There's also a nice No Nay Never colt out of Lady Corsica (Ire) with Karl while Archie Watson has a nice Frankel colt. Archie is already talking about the Chesham for that horse, which is exciting. We're really looking forward to the new season.”

The post Yuesheng Zhang Expands String: Karl Burke To Train 20 Horses For Owner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Top Industry Judges Have Their Say On The First-Season Sires

It's early-February and already the Flat enthusiasts are getting excited about what stallion will end the season as champion first-season sire. A futile exercise, one would have thought? Not a bit of it.

Even the greatest handlers of young stock, Malcolm Bastard, Alan McCabe, Joseph O'Brien, Conor Hoban and Dick Brabazon, men who know better than most the folly that comes with predicting 2-year-old talent, are keen to have their say on which up-and-coming stallion can make the biggest splash this season.

O'Brien is sticking loyal to Ten Sovereigns (Ire) in his prediction for first-season sire championship honours while Bastard, who broke and pre-trained Too Darn Hot (GB), has reported striking similarities between the unbeaten champion 2-year-old and his stock.

Meanwhile, Dick Brabazon, one of the finest horsemen in Ireland who has had Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) and Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) through his Curragh base, has taken a swing on Study Of Man (Ire) to come up trumps with a top-notcher.

Welcome to this year's earliest predictions to what the next Mehmas (Ire), Cotai Glory (GB) or Havana Grey (GB) will be. Each opinion is right until proven otherwise and, for starters, Bastard, McCabe and Hoban are in agreement that the bookmakers have found the right favourite in Blue Point (Ire), priced up as a general 5-2 market leader by most firms.

McCabe, who pre-trains for Rabbah Bloodstock, Simon Crisford and Charlie Appleby among others, is particularly keen on Blue Point's stock and said, “I think he will make a big splash. I think that bookmarkers are barking up the same tree as I am with Blue Point as I think he will go well in the first-season sire championship. In fact, there was a very smart Blue Point colt I was dealing with, and he's gone into Simon Crisford's. He was the smartest Blue Point I had and, if he is not winning up at the July Course at Newmarket, I'd be very surprised.”

Bastard agrees.

Malcolm Bastard | Racingfotos.com

He said, “We have six or seven Blue Points and they are nice solid horses who are very good in their minds. They all have nice action about them. They are only just cantering away nicely at this time of year, so it is difficult to say, but the Too Darn Hots and the Blue Points stand out a little bit at the moment. The Blue Points are definitely not early horses, not ours anyway.”

But it's the Too Darn Hots who have set the temperature at Bastard's Wiltshire operation with the renowned handler of young stock particularly impressed by the progeny of the young sire.

“I have about a dozen Too Darn Hots and they are very similar to him. From day one, he cantered like an old pro–he was a beautiful-moving colt–and his progeny seem to be the very same. I think they will be late summer horses, if not autumn horses, like he was. They will be seven furlongs plus and they are not going to be sprinters so he's probably priced right [at 14-1]. You'd expect him to have a really good number of winners by the end of the season and quality horses out of that number as well.”

Hoban may be one of the newest names on the Irish scene but he has made a major impact already. The professional jockey has had two Classic winners, Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}), through his hands and has built up an impressive portfolio working with Barnane Stud, Yulong Investments, Johnny Murtagh, Eddie Lynam, Jessica Harrington and Paddy Twomey.

Along with the progeny of Blue Point, Hoban nominated Invincible Army (Ire) to throw down an early marker this spring, and said, “I have a very nice Invincible Army colt. He'll be going to one of the breeze-up sales and he seems to be doing everything well. He's the only Invincible Army I have but I'd be keen to recruit more of them at the sales as everything about him is promising. He just has a lovely way of going and nothing seems to phase him. I'm very interested in the sire.”

Hoban added, “I don't have a Ten Sovereigns but there seems to be a bit of chat about them, which is interesting, and the couple of Blue Points that I have are really nice. They are forward-going, are strong and seem to have good minds. I've had a couple of Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)s as well and, while they won't be that precocious, they are well-balanced horses who have great attitudes. They will be more for the second half of the year.”

One man who has his fair share of Ten Sovereigns to work with is O'Brien and he likes what he sees.

“It's early days, obviously, but we've been lucky enough to have accumulated quite a few by Ten Sovereigns and we really like what we are seeing from them,” the trainer said.

McCabe has the biggest sample size to choose from given he has broken in the best part of 100 yearlings to go into training for this year and, while he admits a certain amount of luck is needed for a stallion to break through, he identified a broad spectrum of young sires whose stock has impressed him.

Blue Point: favourite for the first-season sire championship | Racingfotos.com

He said, “I'd be very keen on the Masar (Ire)s and the Too Darn Hots as well. The Blue Points are a sharp bunch and they look as though they will be 2-year-old types and the Too Darn Hots are just beautiful horses. They are lovely to deal with and are all very good-looking horses. We like them a lot.

“The Masars are very similar to the first Night Of Thunder (Ire)s. They're very honest horses and I'd imagine he will be pretty successful. Masar won over seven furlongs as a 2-year-old and was no slouch. He'd a great constitution as a racehorse and, like Night Of Thunder, they come in all different shapes and sizes. They seem to have good minds and are easy to work with.

“I only had one Magna Grecia (Ire) colt but I liked him a lot. He looked like he would be a runner. I have a little filly by Intrinsic (GB) and she goes very well. Intrinsic won a Stewards Cup and his trainer Robert Cowell said that, if he didn't get injured, he'd definitely have been a group horse. He's only had a handful of runners and he's had winners, with one of them [Intrinsic Bond (GB)] achieving an RPR of 101 so he may not be a bad sire at all. I know he's not a first-season sire but we've a lovely Kodi Bear (Ire) as well and I'd be a fan of him as a sire.”

On the championship as a whole, he added, “I used to ride Kheleyf and nobody would have predicted he'd have done what he did at stud. You get horses who you think will do well at stud and they don't do it for whatever reason and then you get others who you think will be basement level and they come up with the goods. It's very hard to predict but, if I was a betting man, I'd be rowing in behind Blue Point to get rocking and rolling early. You need a lot of luck.”

One stallion who is a longer shot at ending the year as the champion first-season sire is Study Of Man but, for different reasons, the stock of the impeccably-bred French Derby winner has impressed Brabazon.

He explained, “We deal more with the owner-breeder type of horse, the one that will be slower to mature, but still, when I go through my list, we've got a nice filly by Magna Grecia and another by Phoenix Of Spain. But if I was to nominate one sire that I am particularly interested in the progeny of, it would have to be Study Of Man, as the two that we have by him are very athletic, hardy and tough types. He could be a very interesting sire and it would be great if Deep Impact (Jpn) had a major influence over here given what he achieved in Japan. He's a horse I will follow with great interest this year. His granddam is Miesque so it is one hell of a pedigree. Saxon Warrior (Jpn) has got going in Ireland so it will be really interesting to see how Study Of Man gets on. Now, it's only February, and I might be talking nonsense at this early stage in the year, but these two Study Of Man fillies have really caught our eye.

“We've only just started out on the Curragh gallops with our 2-year-olds now. I am beside the Old Vic gallop and we've only just started with the colts cantering up the Old Vic now. We'll get the fillies going now soon. It's all about education for me. I am not the trainer, so I let the trainer train them and I only educate them. I am always shouting at the riders to remember they are only babies. Sometimes they start scooting around on them if they start showing a bit but I always try to mind them and turn the horses into a career horse for their owners. I am not going to win any Brocklesbys, I am afraid! I have accepted that at this stage in my life. My aim is for the horse to last. I just lay the foundation for the trainers and then follow the horses' careers with great interest.”

He added, “The riders are so important. Tim Carroll is my main rider and he's just super. He just has a natural feel for a horse and can tell exactly how well each horse is going. If he says this is nice, I take note of what he says. He has picked a few already and he is a fan of the Study Of Mans. They don't all go on the right way but you'd have a fair idea at this stage.”

Similarly, Bastard has seen enough from the progeny of Land Force (Ire), Inns Of Court (Ire) and Ten Sovereigns to suggest that their 2-year-olds can achieve good things on the track this season.

He concluded, “We've had a few Land Forces and they've been quite nice to deal with as well. They've got a bit of size and scope about them and plenty of strength. They have good bone, are nice in their minds and are quite forward-going and they look okay. He might be a bit of a surprise package. He could do well. Inns Of Court is another worth mentioning. I must say, we only had one by Inns Of Court, but he was very nice and I expect him to do very well. We have a few by Ten Sovereigns, who go well but, again, the ones we have seem as though they will want a bit of time. There is nothing really early amongst them but they are nice horses. They are quite scopey.”

The post Top Industry Judges Have Their Say On The First-Season Sires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Immaculately Bred Geraldina Lands QE II, ‘Lagoon’ Struggles

Between them, Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) and Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) accounted for three Horse of the Year titles in Japan, 13 Group 1 races–including four overseas–and the better part of $28 million in prizemoney. There is no such thing as a sure thing in the business of breeding horses, but Geraldina (Jpn) went some ways in cementing the accomplishments of mom and dad in their second careers with a tough-trip victory in Sunday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hanshin Racecourse.

Drawn widest in the field of 18, Geraldina was away without incident, but Cristian Demuro was left with no real option but to attempt to slot his mount in towards the back of the pack, as 82-1 Rosa Noir (Jpn) (Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}) made the running in advance of G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks heroine Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Demuro had Geraldina positioned in the latter third of the field over a rain-affected course and raced as many as six paths off the inside, covering the well-bet G1 Shuka Sho runner-up Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) while racing with the benefit of cover on the back of longshot Terzetto (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Improving her position as they hit the final turn, Geraldina was pulled out six or seven deep nearing the straight and had dead aim on Win Marilyn (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), who overhauled Rosa Noir approaching the furlong pole. The two dueled for a stride or two, but Geraldina–a spitting image of her sire and dam–kicked on strongly despite the wide passage and proved a much-the-best winner. Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) was up on the wire to dead-heat for second, while defending champion Akai Ito (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) closed off well for fourth. Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) was only sixth as a somewhat suspect favourite. It was a third QE II win in four years for Sunday Racing, who were represented by Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in 2019 and 2020.

“I'm very happy I was able to win another Group 1 race,” said Demuro, whose brother Mirco was aboard Lilac. “The filly was traveling very well in the last corner, came out and gave a good turn of foot. The last time when she won [G2 Sankei Sho All Comers S. Sept. 25], it was a good race, so I was pretty confident with her. Gentildonna was a good filly and I think Geraldina can be like her dam.”

Demuro also carried the Sunday Racing colours aboard Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in this year's G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic.

Magical Lagoon, who was a bit uncooperative pre-start, raced handy to the pace, but began to struggle a half-mile from home and was effectively eased up in the final furlong with a clear alibi.

“We were able to race in a good position, but she likes quick ground and the rain, unfortunately, took her chance away,” said jockey Shane Foley. “I urged her to go from the third corner, but she didn't respond. I don't know why she didn't want to go into the gate because she's usually really good.”

Pedigree Notes:

Geraldina is the fourth Group 1 winner overall for Maurice and his second in Japan, joining Sprinters' S. hero Pixie Knight (Jpn). He has also been represented by Australian Derby hero Hitotsu (Aus) and Doomben 10,000 S. winner Mazu (Aus) from his shuttle missions to Arrowfield Stud.

Gentildonna is the second foal out of Donna Blini, who cost a mere £20,000 at the 2004 Doncaster St Leger yearling sale, but was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida just over two years later for 500,000gns ($1,014,038) owing to the filly's 12-1 upset in the G1 Cheveley Park S. for trainer Brian Meehan in 2005. Donna Blini was off to a flyer in the breeding shed, producing future MGSW & MG1SP Donau Blue (Jpn) to the cover of Deep Impact in 2008 and Gentildonna in 2009.

Winner of the Japanese Filly Triple Crown in 2012, Gentildonna defeated Orfevre in an epic renewal of the G1 Japan Cup that fall before successfully defending her title 12 months later. She carried Ryan Moore to a famous victory over Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic when kept in training at five and closed her career with 7-1 score in the 2014 G1 Arima Kinen.

Gentildonna is also the dam of three-time maiden Marina Donna (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and a yearling full-sister to Geraldina. She was barren to Epiphaneia (Jpn) for 2022.

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CUP-G1, ¥ 253,400,000, Hanshin, 11-13, 3yo/up, f/m, 2200mT, 2:13, yl.
1–GERALDINA (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Maurice (Jpn)
1st Dam: Gentildonna (Jpn) (2x Horse of the Year, 2x Ch. Older Mare, Ch. 3yo Filly & MG1SW-Jpn, Hwt. Older Mare at 11-14f & G1SW-UAE, $18,468,392), by Deep Impact (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Donna Blini (GB), by Bertolini
3rd Dam: Cal Norma's Lady (Ire), by Lyphard's Special
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Takashi Saito; J-Cristian Demuro; ¥133,780,000. Lifetime Record: 16-6-2-2, ¥298,967,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
(DH)-2–Win Marilyn (Jpn), 123, m, 5, Screen Hero (Jpn)–Cosmo Cielo (Aus), by Fusaichi Pegasus. O-Win Inc; B-Cosmo View Farm; ¥43,310,000.
(DH)-2–Lilac (Jpn), 119, f, 3, Gold Ship (Jpn)–Viva Bouquet (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Seiichi Serizawa; B-Kineusu Farm; ¥43,310,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, (DH), 2HF. Odds: 7.10, (9.10, 51.90).
Also Ran: Akai Ito (Jpn), Namur (Jpn), Daring Tact (Jpn), Ho O Emmy's (Jpn), Ruby Casablanca (Jpn), Pin High (Jpn), Izu Jo no Kiseki (Jpn), Kurino Premium (Jpn), Terzetto (Jpn), Rosa Noir (Jpn), Stunning Rose (Jpn), Win Kiitos (Jpn), Win Mighty (Jpn), Andvaranaut (Jpn), Magical Lagoon (Ire). Click for the JRA chart.

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