1000 Guineas Heroine Mother Earth Retired to Coolmore Stud 

Classic-winning filly Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) has been retired to Coolmore Stud with her trainer Aidan O'Brien describing last year's G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas heroine as “a top-class mare”.

As well as winning the 1000 Guineas under Frankie Dettori, Mother Earth stormed to G1 Prix Rothschild glory at Deauville for Ryan Moore last term but was retired after failing to fire in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot last week. 

O'Brien told TDN Europe, “Mother Earth was a very good filly. She ran a lot as a 2-year-old and also ran a lot at three. She was a top-class mare.”

He added, “She won the Guineas and the Prix Rothschild and was a filly with loads of speed. She had an unbelievable constitution and is an absolutely beautiful filly.”

Mother Earth won four of her 21 starts on a racecourse, twice at the highest level, and landed the G3 Park Express S.  at the Curragh on her return earlier this season. TDN Europe understands that Coolmore will wait until next year before mating her.

She is a half-sister to G2 Premio Dormello-winning Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and will take up residency as a broodmare at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.

 

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Point Lonsdale And Luxembourg On Course For Guineas

Aidan O'Brien has outlined plans for some of his Classic hopes for the 2022 season and indicated that the dual group winners Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) will head to Newmarket for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Apr. 30. Luxembourg will bid to emulate his treble Classic-winning sire by claiming the Newmarket feature on his seasonal debut after winning the G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster at two.

“Point Lonsdale worked in the same group as Luxembourg on Saturday and that was the first time they went together. I was very happy with Point Lonsdale, the two of them came up very well,” said O'Brien on Monday morning.

“At the moment, the plan is for the two of them to go for the Guineas. Point Lonsdale is a very brave horse. He's a great traveller, he has plenty of pace, but we think he'll stay as well. He'll love the nice ground, even though he did a lot of his racing last year on softer ground.”

O'Brien added, “It looks as though Luxembourg will go straight for the Guineas as well. He travelled well in his work and finished close to Point Lonsdale so it will be interesting to see how they get on.”

Both sons of Derby winners for Ballydoyle, the pair had near faultless records as juveniles. Point Londsale won on debut at The Curragh and went on to land the Chesham S. at Royal Ascot followed by the G3 Tyros S. and G2 Irish EBF Futuruity S. His final start of 2021 saw him finish second to the champion juvenile Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G1 National S. The unbeaten Luxembourg made just three starts, including the G2 Beresford S. ahead of his Group 1 strike. His full-brother subsequently topped the Goffs Orby Sale when bought by MV Magnier for €1.2 million.

Drawing a comparison between Luxembourg and his sire, O'Brien said, “Luxembourg is probably a little bit bigger than Camelot, he's rangier, but he has the pace. Camelot was the only Montjeu horse to win the Guineas and this fella travels along. He finds it easy to go fast, which is a good sign.”

Among the 3-year-olds with Classic engagements pencilled in is the Kodiac (GB) colt Glounthaune (Ire), who will be seen out this weekend in the 2000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown.

“He's a very big horse and we were playing catch-up with him all last season,” said O'Brien. “He could be a French Guineas horse.”

The ParisLongchamp Classic could also be the aim for Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a seven-furlong maiden winner on his sole start in October.

“He was away to The Curragh on Saturday,” the trainer added. “We wanted to see whether or not we will start him back over a mile or whether he wants a mile and a quarter. He went well at The Curragh. We took him to The Curragh to find out if he was a Derby horse or a Guineas horse. He has a lazy way of going but there's always plenty left in the tank. He could go for a French Guineas, and go on from there, he's that type of horse.”

Bluegrass (Ire), a son of Galileo (Ire) and the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), is a likely runner in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. “He won his maiden at The Curragh and is nice,” added the trainer.

Scriptwriter (Ire), from the first crop of Churchill (Ire), is also heading to a Derby trial, while River Thames (Ire), another by the dual Guineas winner, has met with a minor setback.

“River Thames was working very well and we were very happy with him but he picked up a stone bruise a couple of days ago,” said O'Brien. “We were going to go for the Ballysax but he just won't get to make that now.”

O'Brien has won the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot once in its seven-year existence with Caravaggio, and he could be represented this year by King Of Bavaria (Ire) (No Nay Never), a dual winner last year who could take in Navan's Committed S. on April 23.

He said, “King Of Bavaria is a five- or six-furlong horse. He worked with Cadamosto (Ire) (No Nay Never) at The Curragh on Saturday and we were happy with the two of them.”

One who will not fly under the radar when he makes his debut is Waterville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a 3-year-old half-brother to the Irish Oaks winner and Arc runner-up Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

“He could be a good bit better than a maiden and may even be a Derby horse,” noted the trainer. “He's a Derby-type horse and he goes very well. He's a very big horse and will run in maiden a before long.”

He added, “Snowfall's brother Newfoundland (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is another nice maiden.”

 

Distaff Division

Among what is undoubtedly a raft of smart fillies at Ballydoyle, the beautifully bred Tenebrism–a daughter of Caravaggio and crack miler Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})–is a standout on her exploits to date. She ran just twice last year, in March and September, but returned triumphant from both starts, the latter being the G1 Cheveley Park S. on Newmarket's Rowley Mile. She would have to go an extra two furlongs in the 1000 Guineas but her trainer offered encouragement in that regard.

“There's every chance Tenebrism will stay the Guineas trip,” he said. “She worked very well after racing at The Curragh on Saturday. We went a very good gallop in front of her for seven and a half furlongs and she picked up very well and ran home strongly. You'd have to be very impressed with what she has done so far.”

Contarelli Chapel, another daughter of Caravaggio who, like Tenebrism, races in the Westerberg colours, is on the comeback trail following knee surgery. The half-sister to G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) from the family of Derby winner High Chaparral (Ire) is heading for Sunday's 1000 Guineas Trail at Leopardstown.

“Contarelli Chapel is going very well,” O'Brien reported. “She had a chip taken out of her knee after she disappointed at Naas last season. She's a half-sister to Donnacha's good filly and she's classy. We've always thought the world of her.”

The trainer added that History (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) out of a full-sister to Group 1-winning miler Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), is likely to take her chance in the Irish 1000 Guineas after working well at The Curragh on Saturday.

Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to the brilliant Minding (Ire), got the turf season off to a positive start for the Ballydoyle team on Sunday when breaking her maiden over a mile.

“Tuesday was very good at Naas and she will come on a lot from that,” said O'Brien. “She's relaxed and laidback and she looks like she will stay well. I think the 1000 Guineas could come too soon for her and she could benefit with another run. She could run in an Irish 1000 Guineas on the way to an Oaks, or she may even run in a Guineas Trial at Leopardstown in May.”

He added of another blueblood, Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the sister to Classic winners Gleneagles (Ire), Marvellous (Ire) and Joan Of Arc (Ire) who was runner-up to the Joseph O'Brien-trained Perfect Thunder (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a maiden on Saturday, “I thought she'd win at The Curragh but Joseph had other ideas. We think Toy is a good filly. Whether we go on for a maiden or go on to a trial, I don't know, but the winner on Saturday looked good.”

The mouth-watering array of fillies stabled at Ballydoyle also includes Only (Jpn), the first foal of Classic heroine Winter from the penultimate crop of Deep Impact (Jpn), while O'Brien noted that Champagne (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to Arc winner Found (Ire), “goes nicely”.

 

Early Juveniles

Running through some of the stable's 2-year-olds who could be out in the earlier part of the season, and which include a brother to top sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), O'Brien said, “Little Big Bear (Ire) is a No Nay Never colt who goes well and Mediate (Ire) is a No Nay Never filly who will be out early as well.”

Coolmore's first-season sire Sioux Nation took an early lead in the freshman table when his daughter Ocean Quest (Ire) became his first runner and first winner at The Curragh on Saturday, and the young stallion is represented by a pair of juveniles at Ballydoyle.

“There's another colt who goes very well, Congo River, and he's by Mendelssohn,” O'Brien noted. “We also have a Sioux Nation colt called Tiger Paw (Ire). We only have two Sioux Nations–the other is on a little break–but they seem to be very fast horses. There's a Dark Angel colt out of Anna Law, so he's a brother to Battaash, and he looks smart, and there's another No Nay Never colt called Aesop's Fables (Ire) who goes nicely. They're all the early ones.”

 

Seasoned Campaigners

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) remains in training as a 5-year-old. He won last year's G2 Minstrel S. and finished third in a sensational running of the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois behind Palace Pier (GB) and Poetic Flare (Ire), as well as being runner-up to Baaeed (GB) in the G1 Prix du Moulin. Order Of Australia was found to have an issue after his most recent outing in the GI Keeneland Turf Mile.

“He might have a run or a racecourse gallop before the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. That will be his early-season target anyway,” said his trainer. “I don't know if we'll have him ready for a Lockinge. He got a fracture in America last season and we had to put a pin in it when he came back which is why he won't be out until Ascot.”

The trainer also provided an update on Point Lonsdale's 6-year-old full-brother Broome (Ire), who was runner-up to Yibir (Ire) in the Breeders' Cup Turf before running down the field in the Japan Cup.

He said, “Broome is only on his way back. When he was being untacked in Japan, a horse walked by him and kicked him. He fractured his shin and needed a long time off. It was a freak thing to happen and you'd be hoping that he'll be back in time for Ascot.”

Also returning from a fracture is the GI Belmont Derby winner Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “I don't think he'll be back for Ascot but we'll have him for the autumn and there are a lot of races for him. He'll be a better 4-year-old,” noted O'Brien.

Unusually for Ballydoyle, the 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is the only older filly in training this season. The stable suffered the tragic losses of last year's Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and dual Grade I victrix Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to pelvic injuries in September and January, respectively.

The post Point Lonsdale And Luxembourg On Course For Guineas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Golden Sixty Becomes Hong Kong’s Winningest Horse With HK Mile Victory

Golden Sixty stands alone as Hong Kong's most prolific winner in history after he successfully defended his Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) crown at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong Dec. 12.

Nailing yet another heart-stopping win under jockey Vincent Ho, Hong Kong's champion savored the 19th win of his career to set a new record in town, surpassing the previous mantle of 18 he shared with Silent Witness and Beauty Generation, dating back to when the professional era of Hong Kong racing commenced in 1971.

Smashing a fine field of 10 others from Japan, Ireland, and Hong Kong including this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) winner Danon Kingly, Golden Sixty enhanced his earnings to a mouth-watering HK$95.453 million with victory, just HK$10.78 million shy of the record mark in Hong Kong set by Beauty Generation (HK$106.233 million).

Racing in the silks of Stanley Chan Ka-Leung and trained by Francis Lui, Golden Sixty – 'The Pride of Hong Kong' – delivered a performance worthy of status as the world's best miler.

“I feel very happy, he's my champion, and I have to say thank you to my team and Vincent (Ho) and the owner – they support me,” Lui said.

Extending his winning sequence to 16, Ho dropped the Medaglia d'Oro gelding back to the second half of the field on the fence; in the straight, Ho weaved for an out, eventually taking a split at the 300m mark before his sparkling dash carried him to a one and three-quarter length victory in a time of 1:33.86.

“I knew he was at his best, gate two was a little bit tricky, I didn't want to be stuck on the inside but eventually the race panned out well and the pace was genuine,” Ho said.

More Than This filled the second spot while Salios and Mother Earth grabbed third and fourth, respectively.

“It was much better today because the pace was on, he actually relaxed very well, and as a 6-year-old, he's more mature, so it's even better,” Ho said.

The success is the second at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races for both Francis Lui and Vincent Ho, while today's performance sees Golden Sixty remain unbeaten since September 2019.

“It's all about teamwork as well, without anyone from the stable we couldn't do this,” Ho said.

A six-year-old – Golden Sixty – boasts eight wins over 1200m and 1400m, while twice he has stepped up to 2000m successfully, claiming the 2020 BMW Hong Kong Derby and 2021 G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup.

“He's such an aggressive horse so he doesn't mind going through horses,” Ho said of the gelding's tenacity.

Sunday, Ho savored the win in front of an adoring crowd, which throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been absent at times or in a smaller capacity.

“Last year, it wasn't like this, I got to enjoy it with the crowd and it's such a great atmosphere, I just hope the other guys are ok, it's hard to enjoy it completely,” Ho said, also reflecting on the mishap that occurred earlier in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).

Hong Kong racing continues this Wednesday, December 15, at Happy Valley.

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O’Brien-Trained Mogul Returns To Defend His Title In Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase

Last year's G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles) winner Mogul returns on Sunday (Dec. 12) to defend his title and leads a three-pronged attack on International Day at Sha Tin from the formidable Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore training and riding combination.

Mogul, a 4-year-old son of Galileo, has not won in four starts since last year's Hong Kong success. However, that victory was his third from as many runs right-handed at 2400 metres on good ground and jockey Moore believes his 2021 performances can be excused.

“He's had a quiet year,” Moore said. “He started in Dubai and ran respectably and (then) ran a good race in Paris in the Prix Ganay (G1, 2100m) before the ground was very soft at Epsom for the Coronation and he didn't like it and it was the same again when he went back to Deauville.

“A few things haven't gone quite right for him through the summer, so he's been lightly raced. His work's been good at home and he looks great. We know he likes Sha Tin and he likes quick ground. I believe Aidan's very happy with him, so we're hoping that he can step back in the right direction.

“He showed a couple of times last year he's very talented. He's a handsome horse with a great pedigree and I still have faith that he can get back on track. Aidan would like to have put a run in him but that didn't happen but we think he's in good shape. I suppose Mogul would look our best chance on paper.”

Moore and O'Brien, of course, combined with the most recent multiple Vase winner Highland Reel who scored in 2015, was second in 2016 and won again in 2017 immediately before his retirement to stud.

Zoffany filly Mother Earth, a dual Group 1 winner in 2021, represents the stable in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Moore says she can be forgiven a last-start Breeders' Cup Mile failure and be competitive in what he describes as a “very strong” edition of the Group 1.

“She's a wonderful filly. She's strong and she's been very busy, on the go all year and late on as a two-year-old as well,” Moore said. “The race in Del Mar (G1 Breeders' Cup Mile), she drew in the middle and didn't get away that quickly, the pace was steady and it was impossible to make up ground in that very short straight there.

“She's been consistent all year. The race on Sunday is very strong with Golden Sixty and a live Japanese contingent. It's going to be tough for her but she's got a nice draw, gets a nice weight pull and she usually runs a good race. I think Sha Tin will suit and she'll enjoy the quick ground.” Moore said.

Bolshoi Ballet returns to 2000 meters (1 1/4 miles), after two failures at 2400 metres, in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and the drop in trip may be key to his prospects, according to the jockey.

“He won a Grade 1 in America at ten (furlongs) and his two wins at the start of the year were over the ten furlongs (2000 metres). He's obviously very happy at that distance. I had high hopes for him and (while) he hasn't run bad races lately I would like to have seen a little bit more from him.

“The quick ground will be in his favor and I don't think Sha Tin will be any problem. The two Japanese fillies (Lei Papale and Loves Only You) bring a high level of form and will be tough to beat but he (Bolshoi Ballet) is a nice type of horse and I still believe there's a good horse in there. He's a Group 1 winner and hopefully can run a respectable race,” Moore said.

Recently crowned LONGINES World's Best Jockey, Moore also picks up the ride on Hot King Prawn for trainer John Size in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, six furlongs).

“He's very consistent horse and obviously a Group 1 winner around Sha Tin. He's got a nice draw. Pixie Knight might be a level above but I'm very much looking forward to riding him (Hot King Prawn). He's had his prep race and hopefully will come forward. He's in there with a definite chance,” Moore said.

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