Celtic Art Tops Tattersalls Ascot December Sale

Celtic Art (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) (lot 36) topped the Tattersalls Ascot December Sale when purchased by Tom Malone and Jeremy Scott for £39,000. The winning 4-year-old has been placed at Group 3 level and listed level during his career and he was offered by Whatcombe Stables.

Second on the leaderboard was lot 38, the 2-year-old gelding Sen Ding (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Stuart Williams snapped up the Castledillon Stud-consigned grandson of stake winner Al Ihtithar (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) for £26,000.

Of the 89 lots catalogued and 68 offered, 50 sold (74%) for a gross of £277,100. The average was £5,542 and the median was £2,450.

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Alpha Centauri’s Sister Discoveries Wins The Moyglare

The Curragh's G2 Debutante S. is always a key pointer to the course-and-distance G1 Moyglare Stud S. and Sunday proved no exception as the one-two-three again filled those places headed by the Niarchos Family's Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Only third to Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) in that seven-furlong precedent Aug. 21, the Jessica Harrington trainee has abundant room for improvement within as a full-sister to Alpha Centauri (Ire) and half to Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and was able to turn that around on this slicker surface. Sent up to track Agartha closely from the outset, Shane Foley never allowed that leader more than 1 1/2 lengths margin and when the pressure was applied the 17-2 shot overhauled her passing the furlong pole en route to a 3/4-of-a-length success. There was a further two lengths back to the Debutante runner-up Sunset Shiraz (Ire) (Time Test {GB}) in third, with the well-supported 85-40 favourite Cairde Go Deo (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) dropping out to finish sixth. Harrington, whose No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) kicked off a Saturday Leopardstown treble for the stable in the G1 Matron S., was not surprised by the turnaround. “The ground was soft for the Debutante and we knew that like her sister she will only go on quick,” she explained. “This is lovely fast ground with lots of grass and that made the difference, plus maybe the three weeks in between which allowed her to strengthen up and come forward. We thought she'd improve with better ground and she'd done a good bit of work earlier in the week.”

Discoveries followed a debut fourth in a Leopardstown maiden over this trip June 3 with a short-head defeat of Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Ballydoyle's full-sister to the Classic heroines Minding (Ire) and Empress Josephine (Ire), at this venue June 25. Showing steady progression with each outing, she was in front of the country's leading fillies to have raced so far here and for now has the bragging rights having taken this “win-and-you're-in” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup. Her trainer admits she has no firm schedule for the remainder of 2021. “I don't know where we go, as today was the plan,” she said.

“She's a lovely, lovely filly and is completely different to Alpha Centauri, who was a big grey filly. This filly was not as big, but she has done a lot of growing,” Harrington added. “She has a lovely temperament and is not as feisty as Alpha. Alpine Star looked completely different again. She was long and low, not very big. This is what we work towards and to have two group 1 winners this weekend is amazing. She will definitely step up to a mile in time. We never got the chance to step Alpha Centauri beyond a mile, but we might have done had she not been injured.”

Discoveries is already ahead of Alpha Centauri at this juncture of their careers, with that G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S., G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine finishing only fifth in this four years ago. While Alpine Star took the Debutante as a 2-year-old, she missed this race with her next race after that being the G1 Coronation S. which she duly won before finishing second in the Jacques le Marois, the G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Prix de l'Opera. The dam Alpha Lupi (Ire) (Rahy), whose son Tenth Star (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) was the Listed Golden Fleece S. scorer who was also placed in the G2 Royal Lodge S. and G3 Tyros S., is a daughter of another Jacques le Marois heroine in East of the Moon (Private Account). She also completed the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-G1 Prix de Diane double and is a daughter of the Niarchos luminary Miesque (Nureyev). This is the esteemed family of Kingmambo, another Moyglare Stud S. heroine in Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill), Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein). Alpha Lupi's yearling is a full-brother to Discoveries and Alpha Centauri, while she also has a colt foal by Magna Grecia (Ire).

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE STUD S.-G1, €336,000, Curragh, 9-12, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:27.10, gd.
1–DISCOVERIES (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Mastercraftsman (Ire)
     1st Dam: Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy
     2nd Dam: East of the Moon, by Private Account
     3rd Dam: Miesque, by Nureyev
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-The Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €180,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $235,553. *Full to Alpha Centauri (Ire), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 7-9 1/2f, G1SW-Fr, G1SW-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, $1,639,990; 1/2 to Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}), G1SW-Eng, GSW-Ire, MG1SP-Fr, $734,558; 1/2 to Tenth Star (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), SW & GSP-Ire, GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Agartha (Ire), 128, f, 2, Caravaggio–Arya Tara (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire). O-Scott C Heider; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €60,000.
3–Sunset Shiraz (Ire), 128, f, 2, Time Test (GB)–Sunny Again (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (£100,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Lindsay Laroche; B-Mount Coote Estates (IRE); T-Gavin Cromwell. €30,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2, 1. Odds: 8.50, 3.30, 12.00.
Also Ran: Concert Hall (Ire), Homeless Songs (Ire), Cairde Go Deo (Fr), Prettiest, Missing Matron (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Sister to Alpha Centauri Debuts at Leopardstown

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a full-brother to Niarchos start Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

1.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 6f 171yT
DISCOVERIES (IRE) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is the latest progeny out of the Niarchos Family's remarkable Alpha Lupi (Ire) (Rahy), which makes her a full-sister to the accomplished Alpha Centauri (Ire) and a half to last year's G1 Coronation S. heroine Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}). Jessie Harrington also has charge of this April-foaled bay, who is up against it on debut in a hot contest against some experienced peers with smart form and also Ballydoyle's unraced Madonnadelrosario (Ire) (Caravaggio), a half-sister to the G1 Prix Morny and G2 Coventry S.-winning sire The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).
8.00 Chelmsford City, Novice, £9,050, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f (AWT)
SEA EMPRESS (IRE) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) takes a step down following her disappointing effort when sixth in last month's Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. trialling for Epsom. Long held in high regard by William Haggas, the Tsui family's relative of Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) beat the Oaks-bound Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on her only other start at Newcastle in October and needs to get back on track against some newcomers with boutique pedigrees. Two are from John and Thady Gosden's stable and they are Bjorn Nielsen's Flaunt (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a half-sister to Coolmore's celebrated Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and Qatar Racing's Future (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a 800,000gns Book 1 half-sister to the luminaries by Camelot (GB) Latrobe (Ire) and Pink Dogwood (Ire).

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The Curragh Honours Alpha Centauri

The Curragh announced that the Niarchos Family will sponsor the Aug. 22 G2 Debutante S. to acknowledge the racing career of Niarchos homebred Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was named Cartier champion 3-year-old filly and Irish Horse of the Year in 2018. During her racing career, she won six of 10 starts, including the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S., G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard.

“The Niarchos family are synonymous with racing at the Curragh with their name associated with numerous high-quality winners over many years,” Evan Arkwright, Racing and Sponsorship Manager, The Curragh commented. “We are delighted that they have agreed to honour Alpha Centauri by adding her name to a race that consistently attracts the very best juvenile fillies.”

In 2019, the Jessica Harrington-trained Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), a half-sister to Alpha Centauri, also owned and bred by the Niarchos family, won under Shane Foley before going on to a Group 1 success in the 2020 G1 Coronation S. She was the highest-rated 3yo filly in the Longines World Rankings over one mile in 2020.

Maria Niarchos-Gouazé said, “Racing in Ireland has been very good to my family and we are pleased to be able to support the Curragh through the sponsorship of such a prestigious race that has been won by many brilliant fillies, including Alpine Star.”

Alpha Centauri, who retired from racing in 2018, produced a colt by Galileo last season.

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