TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow Takes Aim at the Futurity Stakes

In a season when even by their exalted standards Ballydoyle seem to be boasting more than the average amount of highly talented juveniles, Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity S. at The Curragh on Saturday. Earning TDN Rising Star status when beating the subsequent Galway maiden winner and G3 Prix Francois Boutin runner-up Mythology (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) hollow on debut over this course and seven-furlong distance last month, the son of  Minding (Ire) (Galileo {GB}) is as exciting as it gets at this time of year.

Ryan Moore has an idea where his mount stands, but admits this will tell connections a lot more. “This is clearly up another grade or two but we have an excellent record in this race, winning it with some top-class future Classic winners and hopefully Henry Longfellow can stamp himself as a candidate for future group 1 honours too,” he said in his betfair blog. “But let's not get ahead of ourselves, as his bare form to date means this is a tough enough task in its own right, even with just four rivals.”

Among them is Vincent Gaul's Spanish Flame (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), who took Tipperary's Glenvale Stud Race over nearly 7 1/2 furlongs last month and who is held in high regard by Ger Lyons.

Chesham Rematch In The Debutante…
In the seven-furlong G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S., Lindsay Laroche's unbeaten Snellen (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) renews rivalry with Ballydoyle's Pearls And Rubies (No Nay Never) who she narrowly edged out when last seen in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S. Dropping back to an extended six furlongs in this track's G3 Anglesey S. last month only confirmed that the latter needs at least this trip.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell said of Snellen, “We gave her a short break after Ascot and she's done well since and we're looking forward to Saturday. She's going to have to come forward, but we're hopeful she has done. Everything has been straightforward with her since Ascot.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Pearls And Rubies, “She's in good form and she won't mind an ease in the ground either. We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but Ryan [Moore] said to maybe go a bit further, he said she was coming home well but the line just came too quick for her.”

Hungerford Test For Mostabshir…
   Newbury sees the G2 Hungerford S. over seven furlongs, where Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Mostabshir (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) drop back in trip following his sixth in the G1 St James's Palace S. and fourth in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. The half-brother to Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) most likely has his best days ahead of him but this is a tough call for 3-year-olds taking on hardened older horses and specialists at the trip like Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) and last year's winner Jumby (Ire) (New Bay {GB}).

“He's an interesting horse and a horse who works very well at home and shows plenty of ability there,” racing manager Angus Gold said. “I'm not quite sure he has fulfilled his potential so far on the racecourse. He won very well at York obviously earlier in the year and on his day he's capable of putting up a good performance, but he really needs to step up to the plate now. He's been a bit immature, but like everything out of his mare, hopefully he is only going to get better as he gets older.”

Calvados Heads Deauville Action…
Deauville's August Festival continues apace, with the seven-furlong G2 Prix du Calvados for 2-year-old fillies featuring Gerard Augustin-Normand's course-and-distance G3 Prix Six Perfections winner Laulne (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles-winning TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never). Adding intrigue is Amo Racing Limited's Qatar Goodwood Festival winner Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), while the card's other group 2 is the 12 1/2-furlong Prix de Pomone, where Juddmonte's G3 Prix de Royaumont scorer Ottery (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) could have more to offer.

Morny Humdinger In Store For Sunday…
Friday saw the draw made for Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny and it did not disappoint as the 2-year-old race of the season attracted the G2 Coventry S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin-winning TDN Rising Stars River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Ramatuelle (Justify) respectively. Also in the line-up are the G2 July S. winner Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), the G2 Norfolk S. scorer Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), G2 Richmond S. scorer Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and the G3 Prix de Cabourg winner Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), as well as the G3 Princess Margaret S. winner Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). A field of eight will contest the same card's G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet, where the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is set to encounter the G1 Prix Rothschild winner Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

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Dark Angel’s Mostabshir A New TDN Rising Star

Shadwell already knew they had a special broodmare in Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) before Friday, but the dam of Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is looking like a genuine goldmine after her 3-year-old colt Mostabshir (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) seized his TDN Rising Star badge at York. Pitched tellingly by John and Thady Gosden into the G3 Craven S. off the back of an impressive debut win at Kempton in November, the grey had finished failed to light any fires when fifth in Newmarket's leading Guineas trial.

Duly sent back to novice company for this latest of Darley's boosted series, the homebred had a penalty and that may have been why he was abandoned by Jim Crowley in favour of the William Haggas-trained Kathab (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), runner-up in Newmarket's Wood Ditton that had gained extra gravitas after Thursday's Dante. Soon in front as William Buick revived his old Gosden link, the 3-1 second favourite was gradually worked over to the rail and kicked into the clear two out. At the line, there was a yawning five-length gap to the fellow Gosden runner Ziryab (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who denied Kathab the runner's-up spot by a short head.

“I'm impressed–he has a lovely nature and had pricked ears in front,” Buick said. “I loved the way he quickened and he hit the line strong. He probably needs decent ground–at the Craven meeting it was sticky.”

Given the failure to shape like a pattern-race performer in the Craven, John Gosden had contemplated the handicap route at Royal Ascot but could be in for a change of direction now. “He's like a lot of ours–the grass gallops were closed in Newmarket, so they had to train on the all-weather and then when they went to the races they ran in a bog and didn't like it,” he explained. “This was the first summer ground we've had this year and it's a different result. What was nice was that William said he quickened twice, and when they do that you've got to take note.”

“He was giving six pounds to the opposition, so it was a decent performance but we're in a complete muddle now as we don't know if we'll go to the Britannia or the handicapper will make it impossible–the other option is to go in at the deep end,” Gosden Sr added. “What he's shown today is that on genuine summer ground he's a decent horse.”

Shadwell's racing manager Angus Gold added, “I'm delighted to see him quicken like that, I didn't expect it. He looked a galloper when he won at Kempton and it didn't work out for him in the Craven for whatever reason–course, ground, needed the run, whatever. You'd love to run him in a listed race somewhere and if that went well then go St James's Palace, but there isn't the time to do it. We ran in the Craven to see if he was a Guineas horse, it fell in a hole so we thought we'd come back down to bring him back up. To do that with a penalty in that style–I was surprised to see the speed.”

 

Pedigree Note

Handassa, who proved a bargain 100,000gns purchase by Shadwell from Red House Stud at the 2009 Book 1 Sale, went on to be successful in the Listed Garnet S. over a mile having been tried in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Nazeef was her third foal and second runner, and while the homebred took a little while to build into a top-level performer, when she did so it came in style as she racked up a trio of big-race successes in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S., G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. Handassa's fifth foal was Mostahdaf, who stayed further and has so far brought up a sequence of wins in the G3 September S., G3 Gordon Richards S. and G3 Darley S. in his native Britain and this year's G3 Altanfeethi Neom Turf Cup.

A half-sister to the GII San Gabriel S. winner and GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile-placed Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Handassa is a granddaughter of Star (GB) (Most Welcome {GB}) who gained the rare distinction of producing a pair of group 1-winning sprinters in Pastoral Pursuits (GB) and Goodricke (GB) from matings with Bahamian Bounty (GB). Handassa's next offering is the 2-year-old colt Mutaawid (GB), a full-brother to Mostahdaf, while she also has a yearling colt by Kingman (GB).

 

5th-York, £40,000, Novice, 5-19, 3yo/up, 7f 192yT, 1:40.33, g/f.
MOSTABSHIR (GB), c, 3, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Handassa (GB) (SW-Ire), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Starstone (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Star (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $34,603. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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