‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ – Kublers’ King Chasing Bahrain Trophy Riches 

Daniel and Claire Kubler have described running stable star Astro King in Friday's $1m Bahrain Trophy as something “dreams are made of” as the husband-and-wife training duo bid to prove that you don't need to spend massive amounts at the sales to secure big-race riches on the track. 

A 36,000gns purchase from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale last year, Astro King (Ire) (King {GB}) netted connections £103,080 when landing the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket in September. That performance came after Astro King cashed in a £51,540 cheque for winning a Heritage Handicap at York, meaning the ownership group of Capture The Moment, Carter & Lofthouse have long occupied bonus territory with the six-year-old. 

But overseeing morning trackwork in Bahrain on Wednesday, the Kublers admitted to being quietly confident that the dream run with their stable star could be set to continue a little while longer and outlined their hopes of coming home with more big-race riches on Friday. 

Daniel said, “The horse has settled in really well. We were a little bit concerned about travelling as it's the first time he has travelled this far but he's taken it very well and is quite relaxed. He's trained very well since he got here and, watching him this morning, he has settled into his routine quite quickly.”

Kubler added, “There is a big, long straight here so the track should suit him. It's fast ground but it looks as though they have put quite a lot of water on it. I hope they don't put too much more on it because we came here for quick ground!”

The Kubler yard is very much a joint operation. Based in Lambourn, the stable has gone from strength-to-strength in a short space of time and has sent out 21 winners domestically in 2023. 

Astro King (stripes): storming to Cambridgeshire glory | Racingfotos.com

Friday may represent the training team's first international runner but that's not to say the Kublers are rookies when it comes to challenges abroad. As well as spending three years working with Roger Charlton, Daniel spent time with Francois Doumen in France, legendary Australian trainer Gai Waterhouse and a stint in California with Ben Cecil. Meanwhile, Claire also spent time working in California as assistant to Patrick Gallagher as well working for Jeremy Noseda in Newmarket. 

In short, the pair know how hard it is to come across a horse capable of competing at this level, never mind finding one who cost them just 36,000gns. That's why the team are affording themselves the opportunity to dream this week.

Claire explained “It's a fantastic opportunity. For the owners, it's what dreams are made of. When they bought into the horse last year, of course you live on a hope that he can turn out to be a nice horse, but he has exceeded expectations already. To have won at the York Ebor Festival and then to follow up in the Cambridgeshire, it's just been amazing. Fingers crossed he puts his best foot forward on Friday.”

So how has Astro King been transformed from a 36,000gns purchase into a genuine contender for one of the world's richest races, not to mention climb 13lbs in the ratings in a little over a year? 

It has been well-documented that the Kublers are not what you'd describe as quintessential horse people in that they adopt a slightly more nuanced approach to training. The proof, as they say, is in the eating and there can be no better poster boy for this training method than Astro King.

Daniel said, “It would be nice if we could keep on repeating it but we've done really well recently and people have had a bit more confidence to give us more opportunities. We were kind of kicked into going and buying Astro King a little. 

“We had bought a few yearlings at the time but hadn't sold them all. Obviously the horses-in-training sale comes directly afterwards and a guy called Richard Farquhar, who helps us out with a few things, told us that we had to go and buy this horse. We did that and it's worked out really well. But we love going through all of the form and are very analytical people by nature so the horses-in-training sale suits us. 

“And then, when you get them home, the horsemanship side of things comes into it and we have a very good team in place at home. It's all about finding the right people to work with each individual horse and it's worked out well with Astro King.”

On their training methods, he continued, “The horsemanship and the relationships with the horses is key to the whole thing. The interaction with the horse is the base but we would then do more analytical stuff such as stride analysis and gene testing just to provide a more analytical and data approach. We are basically trying to work out how to get the best out of a horse. It's a puzzle and the more clues you have the easier it is to work it out.”

The bookmakers would lead you to believe that Friday's Bahrain Trophy is not such a difficult puzzle to work out with the Charlie Appleby-trained Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) heading the market at general odds of 15-8. Astro King is on offer at a much more general 16-1 in places and the Kublers are under no illusions about the task at hand. 

Claire commented, “I'm just really excited to be here and it's great that the Bahrain Turf Club have put this race on. They are obviously really progressive and are striving to make this a well-known race in the international calendar.”

Daniel added, “They have attracted a really high-class field. It's a race full of quality and, while we have a little to find with some of them on ratings, we know we have come here with a progressive horse who deserves his shot at a race like this. We've nothing to lose. We have been so well looked after coming out here and in many ways it's a shot to nothing. We'd like to think we have a good shot at picking up some of the prize money but, whether we can beat a 121-rated horse in Nations Pride, I don't know.”

 

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The Week In Review: A Weekend Report Card

The next best thing to the Breeders' Cup is a weekend filled with Breeders' Cup preps. That was the story last week as 31 graded stakes races were contested, many of them races that would help shape the fields for the Breeders' Cup races. Who were the big winners? Who were the big losers? Here's our reports card:

Up to the Mark: A+

It had been a depressing year for North American-based turf horses, who lost race after race to European shippers, including some whose credentials were rather modest. Saturday's GI Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland looked like it might be a case of more of the same as the favorite was the Charles Appleby-trained Master of The Seas (Dubawi {Ire}), who was coming off an impressive in the GI Woodbine Mile S. But in Up to the Mark (Not This Time), he was facing the best turf horse in the U.S. Had he been able to beat him handily that would have reaffirmed the message that the European turf horses are light years ahead of the ones based in the U.S. and that the Breeders' Cup turf races would certainly be dominated by shippers from the other side of the Atlantic. It was hardly a dominant performance as Up to the Mark beat Master of The Seas by a nose, but it showed that our very best turf horses can compete with Europe's best. This was the third straight Grade I win for Up to the Mark. If the GI Breeders' Cup Classic is won by an outsider and if Up to the Mark wins his Breeders' Cup race he could be Horse of the Year.

Muth: A

Muth (Good Magic), a $2 million purchase at the OBS March sale, didn't beat the toughest group of horses in Saturday's GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita, but the way he pulled off the victory was impressive and bodes well for his future. In his first two starts, he looked a lot like a precocious, fast horse who would fit best in sprint races. In the mile-and-a-sixteenth American Pharoah, he was relaxed and settled into fourth before launching his bid at the top of the stretch. If Muth is that good, how good is his stablemate, Prince of Monaco (Speightstown)? He beat him decisively when winning the GIII Best Pal S by 4 1/4 lengths.

Idiomatic: A

Yes, Idiomatic (Curlin) had a dream trip in the GI Spinster S. Sunday at Keeneland. And that's the only reason she doesn't get an A +. Florent Geroux managed to get her to the front by 1 1/2 lengths after an opening quarter was run in 24.49. At that point, the race was already over. The lineup that awaits her in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff is tough one, but after the Spinster Idiomatic has to be considered the one to beat. She's won four straight, all stakes and two Grade I's in a row.

Gina Romantica: A-

All that stands between an undefeated season for the Chad Brown-trained In Italian (GB) is Chad Brown. For the second straight race, In Italian went off as a heavy favorite in the GI First Lady S. at Keeneland only to be beaten by a stablemate. This time it was Gina Romantica (Into Mischief). She nailed In Italian by a head at the wire, not an easy thing to do considering that In Italian got the trip she needs, controlling the pace. This race came out of nowhere for Gina Romantica, who increased her best lifetime Beyer by 13 points, from a 92 to a 105. But if she can duplicate the effort in the Breeders' Cup she'll be a horse to watch.

War Like Goddess: A-

What a cool horse. War Like Goddess (English Channel) beat the boys for the second straight year in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Aqueduct. She RNA'd for $1,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale before selling for $30,000 the following year at OBS June. She's now earned $2,495,184 and has won three Grade I's. The competition will get tougher in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, but this was one of the better efforts of her career and showed that she's still at the top of her game at age 6 and more than capable of beating males.

Didia: A-

Few horses have flown under the radar more this year than Didia (Arg) (Orpen). Since arriving here last year from Argentina, she had been beaten only once in five tries and that was when she couldn't catch a loose on the lead Marketsegmentation (American Pharaoh) in the GI New York S. Trainer Ignacio Correas IV gave her four months off after that race and brought her back for Saturday's GII Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita. Facing a tough foe in the 3-year-old Anisette (GB) (Atwaad {Ire}), who was undefeated in three U.S. starts, she proved to be clearly the better of the two, winning by 1 3/4 lengths. Correas may not be a household name in the U.S., but he proved what he can do when he won the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff with Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize).

Locked: B+

At first glance, the win by Locked Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland doesn't look that impressive. As the 3-5 favorite, he won by just a half length and had to survive a stiff stretch battle from The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso). His Beyer was an 87, a drop off of nine points from his last race. But, breaking from the eight post, he was wide on both turns and lost a ton of ground while The Wine Steward was never more than two paths off the rail.

Timberlake: B+

Brad Cox had Timberlake (Into Mischief) entered in both the GI Champagne S. at Aqueduct and the GI Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland and it certainly looks like he made the right call sending the 2-year-old to New York for the Champagne. He was last seen running second in the GI Hopeful S., where the winner, Nutella Fella (Runhappy) got a Beyer figure of only 72. But with Timberlake winning the Champagne by 4 1/4 lengths, that race looks a lot better now. Timberlake probably won't be any better than the fouth choice in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he proved in the Champagne that he belongs.

Nations Pride: B

No, Charles Appleby isn't perfect. The first three horses he ran over the weekend all got beat. That meant that Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilio {Ire]) was his last hope. Sent to Woodbine for Sunday's GI Canadian International S., he came through with a 2 1/4-length win as the 2-5 favorite. He'll now return to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, where he finished fifth last year at the 5-2 favorite. Didn't beat much in this race, thus his grade.

In Italian: C

In Italian didn't run terribly in the First Lady when beaten by stablemate Gina Romantica, but that's two straight races she has lost as an odds favorite in which she had no real excuse.

Nest: C-

When Nest (Curlin) kicked off her 2023 campaign with a 2 1/4-length win over Clairiere in the GII Shuvee S. it looked like she was well on her way to a possible Eclipse Award. Nothing has gone right since. She was third in the GI Personal Ensign S. and followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the Spinster in which she was beaten 11 /4 lengths. A terrific filly who, for whatever reason, didn't have it in her last two starts.

Rebel's Romance: D

Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won last year's Breeders' Cup Turf, but nothing has gone right for him since. He returned to New York for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic after clipping heels and losing his rider in the GII Bowling Green S. Sent off at 1-2, he showed nothing, finishing fourth.

Fierceness: Incomplete

Considered one of the most impressive maiden winners at Saratoga, where he won by 11 1/4 lengths in the slop, Fierceness (City of Light) was pounded down to 1-2 in the Champagne. This time he didn't show up, losing by 20 1/4 lengths. He had all sorts of problems at the start, where be lunged and then got bumped, and maybe that explains the poor performance. We'll probably see him next at Gulfstream, where he'll have every chance to regroup.

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Nations Pride Gets Up Late In Canadian International

It should shock no one that Godolphin homebred Nations Pride (Teofilo {Ire}) has a more-frequently used passport than most of his human connections. The star 4-year-old has raced (and won) in his native England, is a Grade I winner in the United States, a graded-stakes winner in the United Arab Emirates and most recently took a Grade I race in Germany July 30 before shipping north of the border to Woodbine.

Racing with the addition of Lasix for his Canadian debut, the son of Teofilo certainly wooed the betting public who dispatched him at favorable odds of 2-5 facing six rivals. Royal Champion (Shamardal) broke widest of the field but had enough early speed to clear down to the rail into the first turn and quickly opened up a multi-length gap back to Nations Pride in a stalking second. The leader cruised through a :25.42 opening quarter and no one bar the eventual winner was making up any ground as Royal Champion swung into far bend. Even by the top of the stretch, Nations Pride had plenty of work left to do and was angled out to come after the pacesetter. Gobbling up the ground late, the Godolphin runner reeled in Royal Champion and drove past in the closing yards to win in a driving finish.

“I've ridden in the Canadian International a few times before and I've been placed a few times so it's great to win it,” said winning jockey William Buick. “I knew with Nations Pride I had a pretty good horse so it's just about getting everything right. The track was a bit of a concern, the yielding surface, but he really showed how versatile he is and he's a high-class horse.”

“The concerns going out was the ground changing to yielding,” added Charlie Appleby, in the winner's circle. “To be fair, in Germany, it was probably on the slower side, but we thought the change might be positive.”

“We'll stick with plan A,” Appleby responded when asked about a potential next start. “We won't go to the Breeders' Cup. We don't think he stretches out that mile and a half, so we'll take him to [G2] Bahrain [Trophy], and then contemplate if Hong Kong might suit him. But our immediate target will be the Bahrain Trophy.”

Pedigree Note:

By European champion Teofilo and out of a mare who picked up her own stakes win in Germany, Nations Pride has a yearling full-sister and a weanling half-brother by Ghaiyyath (Ire). Important Time (Ire) is herself a daughter of G1SW Satwa Queen (Fr) who topped the 2007 edition of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale when bringing a final bid of 3,400,000gns to Godolphin (purchasers of the sales top three hips for a combined 9.8m guineas). Her daughter Amerindia (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is responsible for Australian MG1SW Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) while another daughter produced GISW Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

Sunday, Woodbine Racetrack
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL S.-GI, C$753,000, Woodbine, 10-8, 3yo/up, 1 1/4mT, 2:03.65, yl.
1–NATIONS PRIDE (IRE), 126, c, 4, by Teofilo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Important Time (Ire) (SW-Ger), by Oasis
                                Dream (GB)
                2nd Dam: Satwa Queen (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
                3rd Dam: Tolga, by Irish River (Fr)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick. C$450,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-U.S., G1SW-Ger, G1SP-UAE, 14-9-2-1, $2,583,754. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Royal Champion (Ire), 126, g, 5, Shamardal–Emirates Queen (GB), by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Roger Varian. C$150,000.
3–Adhamo (Ire), 126, h, 5, Intello (Ger)–Foreign Tune (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€250,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Louis Lazzinnaro LLC and Michael J. Caruso; B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. C$75,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 7 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 5.10, 5.50.
Also Ran: Palazzi, English Conqueror, Starting Over, British Royalty, Dynadrive.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Heralds Close To Blockbuster Graded Weekend

With a nod to Chicago motorsport legend Jan Gabriel's famous call of Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!, the blockbuster weekend of horse racing isn't in the books just yet with 11 graded stakes scheduled. Out of those, three guarantee a starting spot in next month's 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships –'Win and You're In'.

In Toronto, Woodbine Racetrack cards the GI E.P. Taylor S. A renewal of the celebrated 1 1/4 grass event, this year's edition includes Godolphin homebred and Dubai multiple group stakes winner With The Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The 4-year-old filly ran second in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland back in the spring before finishing out of the money the next month at Newmarket in the G2 Dahlia S.

Receiving Lasix for the first time, the Charlie Appleby trainee will tangle with Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper), who won for the first time in over a year in the GII Canadian S. Sept. 9.

“She's doing well,” said Moira's trainer, Kevin Attard. “She's coming off a big win, obviously, and she's had some good works since then.”

With The Moonlight's stablemate, GISW Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), also returns to contest the GI Canadian International S. at Woodbine after winning a Group 1 in Germany over the summer. With Lasix too, the 4-year-old colt is up against GISW Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) from Chad Brown's shedrow, who sends out Juddmonte homebred GSW Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for the Sunday finale in the GII Nearctic S.

Nations Pride | Sarah Andrew

Elsewhere, the tip-top Sunday racing continues at both the Belmont at the Big A meet and at Keeneland.

First, Aqueduct hosts a trio of Grade III events. The Futurity S., which is an opportunity for 2-year-olds to earn a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, is a chance for second out maiden breaker Apollo Ten (Violence) to strut his grass ability. The Christophe Clement trainee will have to grapple from the outside gate with SW Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who tries turf for the first time. Sticking with the lawn, the Noble Damsel S. features veteran MGSW Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}), while the Matron S. could be the stakes coming out party for Ever So Sweet (Ire) (Calyx {GB}).

The action at Keeneland isn't quite on the level of Saturday's, but the Association cards a pair of 'Win and You're In' contests. The GI Spinster S. is always a highlight in October, as older females look to gain entry into the GI Breeders' Cup Longines Distaff. A slugfest is in the offing, as champion 3-year-old Nest (Curlin) looks to avenge her loss in the GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 25 at Saratoga when Idiomatic (Curlin) took home the prize from the first jump. The daughters of multiple leading sire Curlin are in for an epic battle.

“We know she likes this track,” said Nest's Hall of Fame trainer, Todd Pletcher. “We feel good about her that we got two races in her.”

Moving to the Haggin Course where the GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. will fill a position in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, we find a well-matched field of 2-year-olds. Noted (Cairo Prince) recorded his first stakes victory in the Sapling S. at Monmouth Aug. 26 for Repole Stable and should be the favorite come post time. However, don't miss First World War (War Front) who debuted a winner coming from just off the pace at Kentucky Downs last month for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Finally, swinging out to Santa Anita Park, the GIII Zuma Beach S. includes four 2-year-old colts who will be making their first start, while their filly counterpart, the GIII Surfer Girl S. beckons a pair of undefeated runners making their third start in SW Flattery (Flatter) and GSW Dreamfyre (Flameaway).

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