Cameras At The Ready As Flash Offers Blackbeard’s Sister

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry

KILDARE, Ireland–Blackbeard (Ire) has blazed a trail on the track this season and, less than a week after doubling his Group 1 tally when running out an impressive winner of the Middle Park S. at Newmarket, his little sister will go under the hammer at the Orby Sale on Tuesday, which gets underway at 9.30am.

The No Nay Never filly will be sold by Flash Conroy of Glenvale Stud and is one of the most important lots of the entire sale given the exploits of her older brother this year.

But there's only so far a yearling can piggy back off its vaunted sibling, according to Conroy, who says lot 93 has a physique to match her page.

“She's very good-looking, a lovely filly,” Conroy said on Monday. “Listen, we're looking at her all year and every day that Blackbeard ran was a big day for us.

“It's very rare in this game when you get the big updates on the page but you can stand over the physical of the horse that you are going to sell. It matches up in this case.”

Blackbeard has gone from strength to strength for Aidan O'Brien and the colt may not be finished yet. He has won six of his eight starts and, after following up on his Prix Morny victory in the Middle Park, O'Brien suggested he could run again before the year is out, possibly in the Dewhurst.

But Blackbeard has more than done his job as far as Conroy is concerned, with the leading consignor describing his offering as being up there with the best he has sold in recent times, which is saying plenty.

“Blackbeard is the top 2-year-old sprinter around. Watching him win, that's what this game is all about. If you don't get a kick out of that, you may as well give this game up.”

Conroy added, “We've had some very good horses in recent years and she is another. We sold Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), and Flotus (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), so we've had a good old time of it. This filly has all the physical attributes that you look for. She's a really good filly.”

Staffordstown's Rare Jewel

At the Lanwades/Staffordstown boxes on Monday much of the talk centred on Kirsten Rausing's five-time Group 1 winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who heads to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.

“I'll be off my food by Sunday,” joked the filly's trainer Sir Mark Prescott as he tucked into soup and sandwiches handmade by Catriona Oxx and reminisced about Sea The Stars (Ire) with her husband John, who also trained Sinndar (Ire) to win the Arc in 2000.

Rausing herself admits that she will probably be a “bundle of nerves” by Sunday, and Alpinista is not her only star filly to be travelling to Longchamp as dual Group 2 winner Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) is being aimed at the G1 prix de la Foret. But before thoughts can turn to Paris she has the equally important task of selling a half-sister to two more Group 1-winning Lanwades graduates, the brothers Time Warp (GB) and Glorious Forever (GB), both of whom are by the stud's late stallion Archipenko. Their younger sister, set to sell late on Wednesday as lot 490, is the sole yearling by Dubawi (Ire) in the catalogue, making her something of a standout. 

“I have a really nice Sea The Stars filly also and obviously we wanted to separate them, so the Sea The Stars goes to Tatts and the Dubawi filly came here. My thoughts were that there would be fewer Dubawi yearlings here, and in fact she's the only one,” said Rausing. 

“She was always an outstanding filly and she merits her place in the limelight. Her brothers both won the same Group 1 in Hong Kong, and the elder brother (Time Warp) won a further two Group 1s.”

Staffordstown, the Irish sister stud to Newmarket-based Lanwades, topped this sale in 2007 when selling the filly subsequently knowns as Jane Eyre (GB) – a half-sister to Alpinista's dam Alwilda (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) – for €2.4 million to Coolmore. Two years ago, for the more humble sum of £110,000, Rausing sold recent St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Meanwhile the International success of Lanwades continues, with the likes of  Zaaki (GB) and Le Don De Vie (GB), both by Leroidesanimaux (Brz), reaping group-race success in Australia.

Rausing continued, “I think I am right in saying that we have sent 11 Lanwades-breds down to Australia in the last few years. All 11 have run, one has only run once, ten have won, and seven have won black-type races. I suppose what it means is that I seem to breed horses that go distances the Australians like.”

No matter how out of fashion middle-distance races become in various parts of the world, there are few breeders who wouldn't dream of winning the Arc, and Rausing is justified to travel to Longchamp with high hopes of doing just that.

Of Alpinista she added, “She's obviously very special, as were her ancestresses Albanova (GB), her granny, and Alborada (GB), her great aunt in human terms.

“You're in this game so long that one tries to submerge any feeling of nervousness which I think I am fairly good at, because we all know that there are so many things that can go wrong. But if all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle actually fall into place it is so amazing one can hardly believe it.”

Staffordstown also offers four colts by the Lanwades first-season sire Study Of Man (Ire), including lot 236, who is out of the Group 3 winner Starlit Sands (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and is a half-brother to the dam of the aforementioned Sandrine.

Altior's Brother 'Going Down Like A Bomb' 

Fresh off the back of another productive September Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Ireland, Mark Dreeling of Coole House Farm offers the quirkiest colt at the Orby Sale in lot 86, a Mastercraftsman (Ire) half-brother to Altior (Ire), one of the greatest two-mile chasers in modern times.

Dreeling admitted that the colt, who was a late June foal, was always going to struggle to make it to a National Hunt foal sale, even if that would have been the most natural place to sell Paddy Behan's youngster.

However, the consignor, flanked by the enthusiastic breeder at Barn M, described himself as pleasantly surprised about how well the colt has been received by buyers.

Dreeling said, “He was foaled late so it was always going to be a struggle to get him to the National Hunt foal sales. We contemplated bringing the half-brother by Camelot (GB) here a few years ago but decided against that.

“This lad came along and we thought he might be a novelty horse here and he's gone down like a bomb. Paddy was astute in his thinking. Himself and his wife Rosie have done all the hard work. Goffs were eager to have him and we said, 'why not?' He's going down terribly well.”

Monte Solaro (Ire) (Key Of Luck) has been a dream broodmare for the Behans, with four-time Cheltenham festival hero Altior flying the flag for the pedigree, and Tuesday's offering is likely to be the last out of the 22-year-old.

However, Behan will continue to breed from the family after revealing that he recently struck a deal to buy Princess Leya (Ire) (Old Vic {GB}), a half-sister to the legendary dual Champion Chase winner.

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Morny Middle Park Double For No Nay Never’s Blackbeard

Confirming the form of the G1 Prix Morny on Saturday, Ballydoyle's Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) dominated Newmarket's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. as The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) delivered a one-two for the stable. Not content with a haul that already included the G3 Marble Hill and G2 Prix Robert Papin as well as the Deauville juvenile feature, the 10-3 joint-second favourite tracked the fast pace set by the Morny runner-up Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and was coaxed to that rival approaching the furlong pole with Ryan Moore's body language telling all. Sent clear with mainly hands and heels, Coolmore and Westerberg's indomitable performer hit the line typically strongly to record a two-length verdict over his stablemate who had run third at Deauville. Persian Force faded to be third, 1 1/4 lengths away, with the 15-8 favourite Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) only fifth having raced too keenly early.

 

“He has been very progressive, always, he has been from day one,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He often has to make his own running, as they don't go quick enough for him but always in his work he quickens very well from behind and we saw that today. He takes his work easy and is thriving, he never backs away from it.”

“He throws himself around, but there is no badness in him whatsoever,” his trainer added. He just starts stamping his feet if we ask him to stand too long and is like that at home, but he is very straightforward you just don't ask him to wait too long. He's that kind of personality–he's forward-going and if he was a human being he would say 'listen, just let me at it'–he likes going forward. He's very fast–we weren't sure how far he'd go early on and I think speed is his thing. I wouldn't be sure how much further he would go, but we'll re-assess him after today.”

Of The Antarctic, O'Brien said, “He's progressed hand over fist and is doing very well physically. He's on the upgrade and the stalls thing is getting better too. Tom said he stepped a little bit slow away and he has been doing that a little bit.”

Blackbeard, whose career began in early April with a win in the Dundalk maiden won by another former stable luminary in Caravaggio, is the first foal out of Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) who is a daughter of the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. winner Girouette (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). She is a half to the dam of the G3 John Porter S. and G3 Zetland S. scorer Max Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while the family includes the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Mrs. Penny (Great Nephew {GB}) and the 1000 Guineas heroine Hatoof (Irish River {Fr}). Muirin also has a yearling full-sister and a colt full-brother to Blackbeard, with the former selling on Tuesday as lot 93 on day one of the Goffs Orby.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE MIDDLE PARK S.-G1, £275,000, Newmarket, 9-24, 2yo, c, 6fT, 1:12.02, gd.
1–BLACKBEARD (IRE), 128, c, 2, by No Nay Never
     1st Dam: Muirin (Ire), by Born To Sea (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Girouette (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
     3rd Dam: Vassiana (Fr), by Anabaa
(270,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Newstead Breeding (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £155,953. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, GSW-Ire, 8-6-1-0, $550,894. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Antarctic (Ire), 128, c, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (750,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Magnier,Tabor,Smith,Westerberg,Brant; B-Bally Philip Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £59,125.
3–Persian Force (Ire), 128, c, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Vida Amorosa (Ire), by Lope de Vega (Ire). (€75,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV; €225,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Amo Racing Limited; B-Tom Lacy (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £29,590.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 3.33, 16.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Mischief Magic (Ire), Marshman (GB), Once More For Luck (Ire), Zoology (GB), Never Just A Dream (Ire).

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Little Big Bear To Miss The Rest Of The Season After Setback

Group 1 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) will be sidelined until the new year to give the colt “more time” to recover from a rear foot injury, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien. Just prior to his G1 Phoenix S. victory, the Coolmore partners' runner had kicked a wall, driving the clip of his shoe into his hind foot.

“Everything is fine and we just wanted to leave him for this year,” O'Brien told Racing Post on Tuesday. “He's perfect, there's not a bother on him, we just didn't want to be rushing him back. We had to give him plenty of time to get over it. We felt hurrying him for the [G1] Dewhurst [S. in October] wasn't the right thing to do.

“Everything is perfect with him and we felt giving him more time was the right option.”

Little Big Bear graduated at Naas at second asking in May, and then added the Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot. In the July 16 G3 Anglesey S. at the Curragh, he drew off by 4 3/4 lengths, and he won the Phoenix S. by seven lengths on Aug. 6. His setback forced him to miss last Sunday's G1 National S.

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No Nay Never’s Trillium Pips The Platinum Queen In The Flying Childers

No Nay Never's Trillium (GB), second choice at 9-5, just touched off the 7-4 heavy favourite and G1 Nunthorpe S. runner-up The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) in the final jump of the G2 Flying Childers S. at Doncaster on Sunday.  The Rockcliffe Stud homebred was second at first asking at Goodwood in June, but got off the mark in a Newbury maiden on July 15. Wheeled back just 12 days later, the Apr. 6 foal took the G3 Markel Molecomb S. returned to Goodwood by 1 1/4 lengths later that month.

A touch eager, the Richard Hannon trainee raced in a pocket at the end of the bunched field, as The Platinum Queen made the running. Niggled at by Pat Dobbs to improve, she began to let down inside the final 300 yards and, once a seam opened, steamed home to just touch off the pacesetter by a short head. Crispy Cat (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) was 4 1/4 lengths back in third.

Dobbs said, “I couldn't pull her up, she wanted to go round again. Sam Hitchcott has been riding her these past couple of weeks and he's done a great job in getting her settled. Richard just keeps her sweet at home, she trains herself. She's very quick and very tough so that is everything you want.

“She actually travelled too well and never relaxed properly so it's probably a better performance than it looks.”

Hannon, who as Guineas aspirations for his filly, said, “I'm delighted with her, she's turned into the most lovely filly and she has grown a lot. She clearly wants six furlongs now, Pat couldn't pull her up, and it will be the Cheveley Park next.

“Hopefully she can develop into a Guineas filly next year if she keeps progressing.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Trillium is yet another multiple group winner for her Coolmore sire, who is enjoying a wonderful year with his progeny, led by juvenile Group 1 winners Little Big Bear (Ire) and Blackbeard (Ire). Her dam, the G3 Dick Poole S. second Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), threw the stakes-placed Mohawk King (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) as her first foal, and Sunday's heroine is her third foal and third winner.

A half-sister to the G2 Queen Mary S. third Hairy Rocket (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), she has a yearling colt by Iffraaj (GB) named Stanley Spencer (Ire) and foaled a weanling colt by Wootton Bassett (GB) this season. Under the fourth dam is the former Royal runner and G2 Dante S. hero Carlton House (Street Cry Ire}), who was second in both the G1 Ranvet S. and G1 Prince Of Wales's S. across both hemispheres.

Sunday, Doncaster, Britain
CORAL FLYING CHILDERS S.-G2, £115,000, Doncaster, 9-11, 2yo, 5f 3yT, :59.34, sf.
1–TRILLIUM (GB), 126, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Marsh Hawk (GB) (GSP-Eng),
                                by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Asaawir (GB), by Royal Applause (GB)
3rd Dam: Triple Joy (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
O/B-Rockcliffe Stud (GB); T-Richard Hannon; J-Pat Dobbs.
£65,217. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $136,652. *1/2 to Mohawk
King (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), SP-US. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
   the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Platinum Queen (Ire), 126, f, 2, Cotai Glory (GB)–Thrilled
(Ire), by Kodiac (GB). (57,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRG).
O-Middleham Park Racing XV; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Richard
Fahey. £24,725.
3–Crispy Cat (GB), 129, c, 2, Ardad (Ire)–Mara Grey (Ire), by
Azamour (Ire). (7,500gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; £105,000 Ylg '21
TATIRY). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Saeed Masser Al Romaithi (GB);
T-Michael O'Callaghan. £12,374.
Margins: SHD, 4 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.00, 1.75, 7.00.
Also Ran: Prince of Pillo (Ire), Lady Hamana (Aus), Funny Money Honey (Ire), Harry Time (Ire), Malrescia (Ire). VIDEO.

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