Sea The Stars’ Rosscarbery Prevails In Stanerra Thriller

Gaining some compensation for her controversial disqualification from third place in last Sunday's G1 Pretty Polly S., Robert Moran's Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) edged out Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a pulsating finale to Thursday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Stanerra S. at Leopardstown. Always travelling strongly on the outer halfway down the field, the Paddy Twomey-trained 15-8 favourite struck for home passing two out and found the line a short head in front of Ballydoyle's unexposed runner. The print showed that Billy Lee had prevailed by a short head, with 3 3/4 lengths back to Lady Hayes (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in third.

 

Adaptable at a range of trips from a mile to this 14-furlong stamina test, Rosscarbery has won all starts for Twomey bar the aforementioned Pretty Polly, with the G3 Munster Oaks over a mile and a half at Cork June 8 being her prior best. “She's got a bit of class, she's tough and she carried a penalty there,” Twomey said. “A mile-and-six is probably as far as she wants to go and she could go for the [G1] Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend over a mile-and-six, the Yorkshire Oaks, the [G2] Blandford over ten furlongs and I've also entered her in a group one in Germany over a mile-and-a-half.”

Rosscarbery's listed-winning dam is a daughter of Rosenreihe (Ire) (Catcher In the Rye {Ire}), who took the G1 Preis der Diana and also produced the G1 Deutsches Derby third Rosenpurpur (Ger) (Pour Moi {Ire}) and the Listed Nijinsky S. third Ruling (Ger) (Camelot {GB}).

Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland
IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF STANERRA S.-G3, €65,000, Leopardstown, 7-7, 3yo/up, f, 14fT, 3:01.94, gd.
1–ROSSCARBERY (GER), 138, f, 4, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
     1st Dam: Rose Rized (Ger) (SW-Ity, SP-Fr, MSP-Ger), by Authorized (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Rosenreihe (Ire), by Catcher In The Rye (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Rosengeste (Ire), by Be My Guest
(130,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Robert J W Moran; B-Gestut Wittekindshof (GER); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €39,000. Lifetime Record: 15-5-2-2, $121,804. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Emily Dickinson (Ire), 121, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Chicquita (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Chicquita Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €13,000.
3–Lady Hayes (Ire), 135, f, 4, Kodiac (GB)–Andry Brusselles (GB), by Hurricane Run (Ire). (280,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; 310,000gns HRA '21 TATMA). O-Mrs Paul Shanahan; B-Gigginstown House Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. €6,500.
Margins: SHD, 3 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.88, 6.50, 18.00.
Also Ran: Moon Daisy (Ire), Forbearance (Ire), Lily Pond (Ire), Kiss You Later (Ire), Federica Sophia (Ire), Pita Pinta (Ire), Mighty Blue (Fr), Garden Paradise (Ire), Quenelle d'Or (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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“We Received An Offer That Was Very Hard To Refuse” – La Petite Coco’s Breeder

Bernd and Ute Schone may sound an unlikely couple to be putting County Offaly in lights. However, the husband-and-wife team, who hail from Germany but have based themselves in the village of Rhode for over a decade, boast the rare achievement of breeding a Group 1 winner after their graduate La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) stormed to Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. glory at the Curragh on Sunday. 

Ute Schone, who runs the farm alongside her husband Bernd, described La Petite Coco's Group 1 victory as “a dream” and revealed that she still hadn't come back down to earth after Sunday's race. 

Speaking on Monday, she said, “What can I say? Yesterday was so unreal. I am speechless. It is a dream, honestly. Watching her yesterday, that last furlong, I stood there in complete shock. I couldn't believe it. 

“Even last year when she won her Group 2 on Irish Champions Weekend. I mean, hello? You are standing there watching it and you can't believe that it's a horse that you bred.”

Schone added, “We had La Petite Coco for two years and yesterday we were watching her winning a Group 1. Wow. It's indescribable, honestly. 

“My husband [Bernd] and I, we are just small breeders, and something like this has never happened to us before.”

Bernd and Ute run a boarding facility in Rhode. They cater mostly for international clients and breed a handful of their own mares. La Petite Virginia (Ger) (Konigstiger {Ger}), the dam of La Petite Coco, was one of those mares.

“We refused a few offers [for La Petite Virginia] earlier on in La Petite Coco's career but, after she won the Blandford Stakes, we received an offer that was very hard to refuse,” – Ute Schone, breeder of La Petite Coco

That was until the Schones received an offer that they couldn't refuse for the mare after La Petite Coco won the G2 Blandford S. at the Curragh last term.

However, fortune had not always followed La Petite Virginia and, before La Petite Coco came onto the scene, the Schones endured their share of hard-luck stories. 

Shone explained, “La Petite Virginia was very weak when she came to us first. Her dam had to be put down when she was only two months old and she was raised by a foster mare. We got her as a weanling and, because she was pretty weak, it was quite obvious not to put her into training. 

“Because she was so well-bred, we decided to breed from her. We couldn't afford the big stallions but we went to what we thought would suit her, what was affordable and nice.”

She added, “Her first foal was a filly by Thewayyouare. She was sold abroad and won, which was great. We sent her to Power (GB) and we sold the foal to a man in Germany but unfortunately it died as a yearling. That was only the start of the bad luck with her. 

“We had a beautiful Excelebration (Ire) colt foal. Just gorgeous. We turned him out in the field and everything was great. The vet liked him as well. He was perfect. The following morning came and the foal was dead. 

“We skipped a year with her after that but then decided to try and do it again with her. We went to Ruler Of The World (Ire). We liked him as a racehorse. He's a Derby winner and is obviously by Galileo (Ire). We saw him in the flesh and we liked him a lot. The rest is history now. 

After that we sent her to Ivawood (Ire) because we thought it would be a good idea to try and get a bit more speed into her so we still have that 2-year-old. She is in training with Andrew Kinirons.”

La Petite Virginia is a half-sister to Lavirco (Ger) and Laveron (GB), both known for being proven National Hunt stallions, and is from a good Gestut Fahrhof family.

Despite this, Schone did not think that La Petite Coco would make much at the sales and elected to race her. After two solid runs in Irish maidens for Andrew Kinirons, La Petite Coco was sold privately to Team Valor and sent to Paddy Twomey, for whom her career has blossomed with. 

The one constant in the La Petite Coco story has been Billy Lee and Schone is under no doubt the role the rider has played.

She said, “We didn't send La Petite Coco to the auction because we didn't think she'd make any money. We decided to put her in training with Andrew Kinirons and he did a very good job with her. 

“Andrew has a very good connection with Billy Lee. He rode her in two races and he always liked her, which meant a lot. I think we were very lucky having Billy on board so early in her career.”

Schone's Ivawood half-sister to La Petite Coco has yet to grace the track but the reports are good. As for La Petite Virginia, she was sold back to Gestut Fahrhof for an eye-watering sum and is understood to have given birth to a colt foal by Gleneagles.

Schone said, “Once you produce a good horse, the sales call is never far away. We refused a few offers earlier on in La Petite Coco's career but, after she won the Blandford Stakes, we received an offer that was very hard to refuse. Luckily enough, she went back to her breeder [Gestut Fahrhof].”

She added, “You could say it was a life-changing amount of money and you don't have to worry about certain things anymore. On the other hand, we owned La Petite Virginia for nearly 13 years. She became a part of the family. We went through so many things with her. Ups and downs. You build up a relationship with a horse like that. 

“But she has gone back to one of the best stud farms in Germany and we know she will have a great life. There are no concerns there. We sold her in foal to Gleneagles (Ire) and she had a colt foal. The plan was to send her to Camelot (GB) after that.”

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Twomey “Disappointed And Upset” Over Rosscarbery Disqualification 

Paddy Twomey has admitted that the disqualification of Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) from third spot in Sunday's Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. after her rider Wayne Lordan weighed in 5lbs light took the gloss off the fact that he recorded his first Group 1 success in the race with La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}).

The trainer described himself as “disappointed and upset” that Rosscarbery, supplemented for the Curragh Group 1 at a cost of €30,000 to the filly's owner Robert Moran, missed out on prize-money and valuable black type due to what he described as an Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) error. 

Twomey believes that the finger of blame points to the clerk of the scales who, according to the trainer, told Lordan that he was 5lbs too heavy upon weighing out. 

As a result, 5lbs of weight was taken out of the saddle cloth and Twomey is convinced that the same saddle that Lordan weighed out in was the one that returned to the weigh room after Rosscarbery ran a career-best to finish third behind her stablemate. 

Twomey told TDN Europe on Monday, “I am very disappointed and upset over Rosscarbery being disqualified from finishing third in a Group 1. She is a filly on the up and what happened on the day was clearly an error on the part of the clerk of the scales. I am very upset by it. 

“I enjoyed winning my first Group 1 but all I could think about for three or four hours afterwards was losing third in a Group 1. It has been referred to the IHRB and that's the latest.”

He added, “Robert was very sporting in supplementing the filly and she justified that decision by finishing third. Through no fault of the filly's, the owner's, the trainer's or the jockey's, she didn't get the chance to collect the prize money or the Group 1 black type that she deserved. 

“He spent €30,000 to run this filly and never had the chance to earn that money back due to an error that was made by the clerk of the scales.”

It was just last month that Moran, speaking exclusively to TDN Europe, revealed that he contemplated wrapping up his ownership vehicle in Ireland after a number of bad experiences left him demoralised with racing

Although Moran couldn't be contacted on Monday, Twomey explained how the American-based owner never had a chance of recouping the €30,000 stumped up to run Rosscarbery on Sunday, which bears the brunt of the frustration within the camp. 

Twomey said, “We spoke at Limerick a couple of weeks ago and I told him [Moran] that I was thinking of supplementing. I changed my mind last Tuesday morning but, at two minutes to 12 [the latest supplementary stage], I put her in. 

“I rang Robert at a minute past 12 to tell him I had spent €30,000 supplementing the filly. He said, 'that's fine,' so for Robert to be sent out without a chance of recouping that money is something that really upset me.”

Had Rosscarbery not been disqualified, she would have covered the cost of running in the Pretty Polly, with €30,000 on offer for finishing third. Instead, the Ger Lyons-trained Thunder Kiss (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) picked up the third-place prize money and black type while Rosscarbery left empty-handed.

Niall Cronin, communications manager for the IHRB, would not offer further comment on Monday.

Speaking immediately after racing on Sunday, he said, “Wayne Lordan weighed out at 138.1lbs and weighed back in at 133.5lbs. 

“As a result there was an inquiry into the weighing-in procedures of the third-placed horse. As per rule 231, section 1, the horse had to be disqualified. The stewards have referred the matter on for further investigation. Mr Twomey is aware of that.”

Given the extensive ramifications the disqualification has to Rosscarbery's residual value as a broodmare, TDN Europe understands that Twomey and Moran are prepared to pursue legal options should their filly not be reinstated as the third home in Sunday's Group 1. 

Speaking about future plans for Rosscarbery, and what it meant to notch a breakthrough Group 1 with La Petite Coco, Twomey said, “We know that 1m2f is a little on the sharp side for Rosscarbery and she'll be even better over 1m4f and should even get 1m6f. 

“She proved she belongs at Group 1 level and we're going to have to map out a campaign for the second half of the season now. Hopefully we can win a Group 1 with her and, all of those races that Coco can run in, she could also. The likes of the G1 Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot could also suit. She's very versatile.”

He added, “I couldn't see anything beating La Petite Coco yesterday to be honest. When you can't get it done [first Group 1] for a while, it seems far away, so it was nice to  get that under our belt.”

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Ruler Of The World’s La Petite Coco Back With A Bang In Pretty Polly

Highlighting a stellar training performance by Paddy Twomey, Team Valor's G2 Blandford S. winner La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}–La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger}) led home My Astra (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and stablemate Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on her seasonal debut in Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Let go at 9-1 with the punters' confidence shaky, the bay tracked the clear leading pair early with Billy Lee showing the same unerring sense of timing he had in the Listed Dash here a day earlier. In front with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, she pulled out extra to deny the William Haggas-trained 11-4 favourite My Astra by half a length, with the progressive G3 Munster Oaks winner Rosscarbery 1 1/4 lengths away in third. In a later twist, the Cashel-based Twomey was denied a dream result as Rosscarbery was disqualified due to a discrepancy in the weighing-in procedure of jockey Wayne Lordan and the fourth-placed Thunder Kiss (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was moved up. “She's a cool customer and takes everything in her stride,” Twomey said of the winner. “She's a joy to have and I'm lucky to have her. She's never put a foot wrong–she's tough and she's doing it herself.”

Trained on her first two starts by Andrew Kinirons, La Petite Coco's initial foray for this stable resulted in a 4 1/4-length defeat of the subsequent G1 Irish 1000 Guineas fourth Belle Image (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) over a mile at Killarney last May and her next stop happened to be her last defeat as she was second in the 10-furlong Listed Naas Oaks Trial the following month. After a return confidence-boosting win at Killarney in a conditions event over 11 furlongs in July, she registered a 5 1/2-length success in Cork's G3 Give Thanks S. in August before inching out Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Blandford here in September, where last year's Pretty Polly heroine Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was three lengths back in third. “The plan was to start mid-season and I didn't think it was outrageous giving her an Arc entry the other day,” Twomey added. “The Yorkshire Oaks, the [QICPO Champions] Fillies and Mares at Ascot and the Breeders' Cup are on her agenda, as a mile and a half is her optimum.”

Barry Irwin was keen to praise Twomey. “He's a fantastic trainer. When we bought the filly we sent her directly to Paddy, we had good hopes but we didn't know that she was this good,” he said. “Today I thought that if she really is as good as he thinks we could win it but I can't believe she hung in there, at the end she was running on fumes. She's a gutsy horse. I've backed off from racing in the United States, I'm not happy with it there. I think it will be getting better, but we've had some issues with guys taking an edge. I have a lot more faith in what's going on here and it's more fun. I've been coming here since 1971, raced a few horses and we've decided to send a few more over here. Our partners enjoy it, I've got 12 people here right now on a trip. We went to Paddy's yesterday and now we're going to England and France. I'm trying to promote to have more racing over here. I've just a few with Paddy but I'm sure we'll have more.”

William Haggas said of My Astra, who had booked her ticket with a 12-length success in Ayr's Listed Rothesay S. and proved to be one of the few who came from far back to get involved in a finish during the weekend, “She ran a great race and was probably beaten by a better one. She was a little bit wide, but I think she needs a bit of space. I didn't see her coming at Ayr and she bolted up, so I wanted to see her confirm that and she did. She wants sloshing soft and Danny [Tudhope] said this is a bit tacky. I think we'll drop Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) back to a mile and try and find a group one race race for her, but it might be a bit difficult. She has penalties now she's won a group two.”

Rosscarbery's disqualification came as a result of Lordan weighing in five pounds light and it is believed that a malfunction of the scales was to blame. Twomey said, “The clerk of the scales told Wayne that he was five pounds too heavy, so he made him take down the saddle and take out the weights and then get back on the scales. He did that and the clerk of the scales then cleared him. He weighed him out with the correct weight and sent him out to the race. Then when he came back the clerk of the scales told him he was five pounds light. I brought the saddle from the weighing room to the filly and put it on. I was under pressure for time, as I had two runners and they took a lot of time messing around, putting in weight and taking out weight. The same saddle that went out came back in and I guess we will have to appeal it. It's a glitch with the clerk of the scales, it's an issue with the IHRB and I'd say my owner won't be impressed.”

Pedigree Notes:

La Petite Coco is the first runner from three live foals out of the unraced La Petite Virginia, who is a half-sister to the G1 Deutsches Derby hero Lavirco (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}) and his G2 Deutsches St Leger-winning full-brother Laveron (Ger) who was also third in the domestic Derby. La Petite Virginia is out of La Virginia (Ger) (Surumu {Ger}), who is also the second dam of the G3 Badener Stutenpreis winner and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio runner-up Lacy (Ger) (Authorized {Ire}) and the G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Langtang (Ger) (Campanologist).

La Virginia's group 3-winning full-sister La Colorada (Ger) produced the triple group 1-winning champion and leading sire Lomitas (GB), with this being the dam line of Gestut Fahrhof's blue hen Love In (GB) whose descendants include another Deutsches Derby hero in Lagunas (GB), the leading sire Lord of England (Ger) and the G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Lady Marian (Ger) (Nayef). La Petite Virginia also has the unraced 2-year-old filly La Petite Sissi (Ire) (Ivawood {Ire}).

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
ALWASMIYAH PRETTY POLLY-G1, €300,000, Curragh, 6-26, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:13.86, yl.
1–LA PETITE COCO (IRE), 138, f, 4, by Ruler Of The World (Ire)
     1st Dam: La Petite Virginia (Ger), by Konigstiger (Ger)
     2nd Dam: La Virginia (Ger), by Surumu (Ger)
     3rd Dam: La Dorada (Ire), by Kronzeuge (Fr)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Mr B Schone (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €180,000. Lifetime Record: 8-5-1-0, $396,444. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Astra (Ire), 138, f, 4, Lope de Vega (Ire)–My Titania (Ire), by Sea the Stars (Ire).
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. €60,000.
3–Thunder Kiss (Ire), 138, m, 5, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Desert Snow (GB), by Teofilo (Ire).
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Newtown Anner Stud (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €15,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 9.00, 2.75, 20.00.
Also Ran: Concert Hall (Ire), Purplepay (Fr), Dreamloper (Ire), Lyrical Poetry (Ire), Tranquil Lady (Ire), *Rosscarbery (Ger). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
*Rosscarbery finished third, but was disqualified and placed last.

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