The Curragh: O’Brien Prepares Beresford Assault

It is the time of year when ideas begin to form about the following season's Classics and with Derbys in mind, Saturday's G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. at The Curragh offers food for thought. Aidan O'Brien's record in this mile staging post is plain remarkable, even by his standards, with a tally of 21 winners including St Nicholas Abbey (Ire), Saxon Warrior (Jpn), Japan (GB) and Luxembourg (Ire) and the fact that he has a trio engaged in the race he missed out in 12 months ago for the first time since 2010 suggests he is looking to resume normal procedure.

With Ryan Moore in Australia, Frankie Dettori flies in to partner Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and full-brother to Never Ending Story (Ire) who put a debut fifth at Killarney behind him when scoring over an extended mile on heavy ground at the Galway festival in August. Colin Keane rides Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-brother to Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) who also won over that same course and distance this month, while the mile Leopardstown maiden winner Chief Little Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the mount of Gavin Ryan.

“Chief Little Rock came forward nicely to win at Leopardstown but he only just won, we thought he'd win easier than he did,” O'Brien said. “He's in good form and we think he's a horse who is going to progress more. He's got a stout pedigree and will be staying well next year. Grosvenor Square won nicely at Galway, that was only 11 days ago. He's a lovely, big horse but he was babyish and green there, so we think the experience will do him well. He's another with plenty of stamina in his pedigree. Frankie is riding Navy Seal for us. He won nicely at Galway the last day, but he was a little but green. He ended up winning nicely at the end and we think he's ready to go again. The first day we were a bit disappointed, we expected him to run better but he was very green. He was still green the last day, so we're just hoping that he keeps coming forward.”

Joseph O'Brien attempts to stem the tide of Ballydoyle winners in this with Teme Valley Racing's Stromberg (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who steps up from seven furlongs for the first time having a Galway maiden and Roscommon conditions race by a total of 17 lengths, while Vimal Khosla's Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) brings the form of the Leopardstown's G2 Champions Juvenile S. into focus having been four-lengths fourth behind Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

Mister Sketch In Mill Reef Test…

Newbury's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. is the other juvenile feature on Saturday, with speed as the contrast for the six-furlong feature of the card. Wathnan Racing's acquisition Mister Sketch (GB) (Territories {Ire}) won by 9 1/2 lengths over this trip at Salisbury last month and trainer Eve Johnson Houghton is hoping he can cope with this easy ground. “It's not ideal ground for him, but it's the same for everyone and I think he'll run a big race,” she said. “He's a lovely, strong horse, so I hope he'll be able to handle the ground.”

This renewal is dominated by those who have danced a few dances already and with conditions demanding toughness, that could play into the hands of the G3 Sirenia S. second and third Seven Questions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Array (Ire) (No Nay Never). The latter is a relative of Frankel (GB), so this is a big opportunity for the Juddmonte homebred. “I think the ground won't be an issue for him, Andrew [Balding] always felt he'd go with a bit of ease in the ground and obviously he ran well at Goodwood on desperate ground,” Barry Mahon said. “He's a nice horse who probably hasn't been the luckiest, but he looked good winning his maiden and he's shown a good level of form to partake in such a race.”

Sense Of Duty Returns…

In the five-furlong G3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury, St Albans Bloodstock's exciting filly Sense Of Duty (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) is back in action having been absent since her impressive 4 1/2-length success in Newcastle's G3 Chipchase S. last June. This looks an ideal starting point for the William Haggas-trained 4-year-old, who has a class edge over her four rivals if retaining her ability.

“She's never run over five furlongs, but she has to run somewhere with as big a gap as possible between Champions Day,” Haggas said. “She will need the run, but she's pretty useful. She was very good the day she won the Chipchase at Newcastle. I think she'll enjoy the ground.”

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War Rooms Sits Flying Scotsman Test At Doncaster

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. Friday's Observations features a 'TDN Rising Star' in the Listed Flying Scotsman S.

13.50 Doncaster, Listed, £60,000, 2yo, 7fT
WAR ROOMS (IRE) (Churchill {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut over course and distance in July and takes the next step in his career in this Listed Flying Scotsman S. Such was the impression he created, Brook Farm Bloodstock's Owen Burrows-trained relative of Distant Music is favoured in the betting over a clutch of potentially smart performers including Ballydoyle's Convivial Maiden winner Battle Cry (Ire) (No Nay Never).

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Making Waves: Calyx Filly Makes Her Mark At Del Mar

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Zona Verde in a maiden race as the Del Mar meet wound to a close.

Seeing Green At The Seaside

The Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables and Michael Nentwig's Zona Verde (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) graduated at Del Mar in her U.S. debut on Friday (video).

Bred by Knockainey Stud, the 30,000gns Tattersalls October Book 3 buy-back raced in their purple-and-gold-checked silks for her first four starts, which were good for a pair of placings. Transferred from the yard of Ken Condon to Phil D'Amato, the second foal out of the winning Dark Angel (Ire) mare Namibie (GB) is a half-sister to a pair of colts–a yearling by Earthlight (Ire) and a weanling by Waldgeist (GB). Her second dam is the G3 Prix du Calvados heroine Mambia (GB) (Aldebaran).

One of 13 winners for her Coolmore Stud-based freshman sire, the filly is his second winner in America from three runners (66%). His first, Angiolleta (Ire), is also out of a Dark Angel mare and took third in the Listed Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S.

 

 

 

Honourable Mention

Bregman Family Racing, LLC & WWBD LLC's No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) won for the third time in four starts with a victory in the Exacta Systems Rosie's S. (video). First featured in this column in May, this colt has won a trio of American stakes, with his only blip a ninth in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot.

 

 

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Making Waves: Oceanport The Place To Be

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Camila T in a maiden race at Monmouth Park.

 

Monmouth Suits Filly To A T

First-time starter Camila T (No Nay Never) won on debut at Monmouth Park for R.T Racing Stable and Victoria's Ranch, LLC and trainer Juan Avila (video).

Bred by Barronstown Stud, the January foal was a €120,000 Goffs Orby yearling on the bid of Stripes Stables. The first winner for her dam, Just Imagining (War Front), the filly has a yearling half-brother by Wootton Bassett (GB) and a weanling full-sister. Her second dam Imagine (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), herself responsible for five stakes winners led by Group 1-winning juveniles Van Gogh (American Pharoah) and Horatio Nelson (Ire) (Danehill), is a daughter of blue hen matriarch Doff The Derby (Master Derby), the dam of standout runner Generous (Ire) (Caerleon).

A total of 39 of Coolmore's No Nay Never's 76 U.S. runners have now won (51%) with the victory of Camila T. Of these, nine, or 12%, have earned at least one black-type score, including GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Meditate (Ire), dual graded winner Nay Lady Nay (Ire), and GIII Palm Beach S. victor Vitalogy (GB).

 

 

The Forest Through The Trees

Robert S. Evans's Poet's Woods (Lope De Vega {Ire}) put it all together in her fifth start, winning at Monmouth Park for trainer Kent Sweezey this past weekend (video).

Bred by SF Bloodstock, the 3-year-old filly was a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling buy by P. Lawley-Wakelin and she is a half-sister to a trio of Kitten's Joy stakes winners led by GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero turned Lanwades Stud sire Bobby's Kitten. Yet to race for Celestial Woods (Forestry) is a juvenile filly by Kitten's Joy named Gerwig and a yearling filly by Twirling Candy. The mare was bred back to the last-named sire this spring. This is the extended family of at least four Group/Grade 1 winners and sires anchored by Wild Event (Wild Again).

Ballylinch Stud's Lope De Vega is going from strength to strength, and he has sired 38 winners from 70 runners (54%) in America. His seven stakes winners from that batch (10%) are anchored by Grade I winners Newspaperofrecord (Ire), Aunt Pearl (Ire), and Program Trading (GB), with the latter striking in the Saratoga Derby earlier this summer.

 

 

Honourable Mention

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Anisette (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}) is on something of a roll, taking her fourth start in a row in Del Mar's GI Del Mar Oaks on Saturday (video). Trained by Leonard Powell, she first appeared in Making Waves just under two months ago and won the GII San Clemente S. at the seaside track in July.

 

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