Tag: Pretty Gorgeous (Fr)

Thunder Moon Heads Straight to The Guineas

Group 1 winner Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will make his next start in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas on May 1. A winner of a maiden at The Curragh in August, the bay stepped up and won the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. by 1 ½ lengths there in September. He lost his unbeaten record with a third-place finish in the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. behind St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), both trained by trainer Joseph O'Brien's father Aidan.

“He's wintered very well,” O'Brien said on Nick Luck Daily on Tuesday morning. “Obviously we put him away after the Dewhurst, but I was very pleased with that run. The ground went a bit slow on us and we probably weren't drawn in the perfect position, but it was a very good run.

“The plan all winter has been to go straight to the Guineas and not have a prep. He's in good shape. His National S. win was a very good performance. It was a very messy race, but he got himself out of trouble and showed a fantastic turn of foot.

“Turn of foot and speed are probably his two attributes, he'd love a bit of firm ground as he's a strong traveller with a turn of foot, which he showed a couple of times last season. It would be pretty important to us that the ground is good or better.”

“I don't know if he's classier [than the two who beat him in the Dewhurst], but I probably feel that we are the quickest horse,”  O'Brien added.

“We travelled very well through the Dewhurst and looked the winner, but on the day there was a severe bias to the rail, we were drawn on the other side and also the ground was on the slow side so I thought it was a fantastic run.

“When we broke down the race afterwards we were very proud of his run, we're looking forward to taking them on again on what we hope will be quicker going.

“His pedigree suggests he'll stay further, I'm quite confident about the mile but after that I'm not sure how much further he'd go as he's quite a pacey horse.

“I'd say Declan McDonagh is most likely to ride at Newmarket and we'll go from there, but it hasn't really been discussed yet. I'd imagine it will be Declan as he has a good relationship with him.”

O'Brien's G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas hopeful Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), a winner of the G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile, is also in good form. Like her yardmate, she will also not have a prep prior to her run in the fillies' Classic.

“She's in good shape too, I'm pleased with how she's wintered,” O'Brien said. “She's a big, powerful mare and the plan is to go straight there,” he said.

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Ghaiyyath Crowned Cartier Horse Of The Year

Godolphin’s four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) has scooped the top honours at the 30th annual Cartier Awards.

The five-year-old son of Dubawi is the third Cartier Horse of the Year for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation following Daylami (Ire) in 1999 and Fantastic Light in 2001. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Ghaiyyath also claimed the Cartier Older Horse category ahead of Addeybb (Ire), Enable (GB) and Magical (Ire).

There was further success for the Maktoum family when Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and trained by John Gosden, was named Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt ahead of Kameko, Pinatubo (Ire) and Siskin. In an outstanding 2020 season, he won the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot before defeating his elders in the G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois at Deauville.

Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) remained undefeated in her three starts this year, winning the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks for Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners. The Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly in a division which included fellow nominees Alpine Star (Ire), Fancy Blue (Ire) and Wonderful Tonight (Fr).

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s 6-year-old Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was awarded the Cartier Sprinter honours following a season which included victory in the G1 King’s Stand S., G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood for the fourth time, and the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. for the second year running. The Charlie Hills-trained gelding clinched the award ahead of fellow nominees Dream Of Dreams (Ire), Glass Slippers (GB) and Glen Shiel (GB).

For the third consecutive year, one of the most popular horses in training, Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was named Cartier Stayer. Owned and bred by Bjorn Nielsen and trained by John Gosden, the 6-year-old captured the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for a third time as well as winning his fourth G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup. Also shortlisted in this category were Galileo Chrome (Ire), Princess Zoe (Ger) and Wonderful Tonight (Fr).

The Aidan O’Brien-trained G1 Criterium International winner Van Gogh, who became the first European Group 1 winner for his sire American Pharoah, has been named Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt of 2020. Van Gogh is yet another feather in the cap of David and Diana Nagle’s Barronstown Stud, whose long list of Group 1-winning graduates includes Irish Derby winner Sovereign (Ire), G1 St Leger winner Kew Gardens (Ire) and the four-time G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (Ire). The operation’s record of breeding top-class horses over four decades was recognised at the ITBA breeding and racing awards last January as they were inducted in to the Hall of Fame. In total, the Nagles have bred 29 individual Group 1 winners of 44 Classic or Group 1 races. Also nominated in the juvenile colts’ category were Battleground, Mac Swiney (Ire) and St Mark’s Basilica (Ire).

The Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly fell to one from the Joseph O’Brien stable, Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). Owned by John Oxley, she finished the year in style by winning the G1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket. Her fellow nominees were Alcohol Free (GB), Campanelle (Ire) and Tiger Tanaka (Ire).

With two horses from his stable having picked up awards, John Gosden OBE was the recipient of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit in 2020. Champion trainer in Britain for the past three seasons, he has saddled over 3,500 winners during a 41-year career and has been responsible for a record five Cartier Horse of the Year recipients: Kingman (2014), Golden Horn (2015), Enable (2017 & 2019) and Roaring Lion (2018).

Harry Herbert, Cartier’s Racing Consultant, said, “Back in the spring, nobody knew if we would even have a European Flat season in 2020 but with the hard work of everyone in the racing industry we were ultimately rewarded with a season to savour.

“Racing cannot continue without the ongoing support of owners and I would like to extend my congratulations to tonight’s winners—Godolphin, Coolmore, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Bjorn Nielsen and John Oxley.”

He added, “John Gosden has truly reached the summit of his profession and is the perfect recipient for the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit in 2020. With his supreme eloquence and communication skills, racing is very lucky to have such a fabulous ambassador.

“I would like to end by extending special thanks to Cartier, Sky Sports Racing, The Daily Telegraph and Racing Post. Cartier’s support of these prestigious awards stretches right back to 1991 and is ongoing, even in today’s troubled times. We are truly blessed to be able to enjoy such tremendous support.”

Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, commented: “In what has proved to be a year in which so many people have faced exceptional challenges, I am delighted for the Cartier Racing Awards to be broadcast on Sky Sports Racing allowing the racing public to join us in watching the presentation this year. It is an honour to celebrate the very best of horseracing, especially this year as we honour the 30th anniversary of the Cartier Racing Awards. My heartfelt congratulations go out to this exceptional year’s winners.”

The Cartier Awards, which are usually presented during a glittering ceremony in London, were this year broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing.

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Fillies’ Mile Glory For Lawman’s Pretty Gorgeous

Friday’s G1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket was fought out by two elite TDN Rising Stars, with Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) prevailing by half a length over Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to claim the bragging rights. Runner-up in the Sept. 13 G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh, John Oxley’s Pretty Gorgeous had been forced to miss Sunday’s G1 Prix Marcel Boussac due to the well-documented feed contamination but confidence remained intact as she traded as the 5-2 favourite. Racing well off the honest tempo as Shane Crosse played the waiting game, the bay who had earlier won the G2 Debutante S. cruised into contention two out and was in front soon after chased by a Ballydoyle runner which was at the time believed to be the 50-1 shot Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Able to see off that Rosegreen representative with relative comfort, she was beyond reach as George Strawbridge’s G2 May Hill S. winner Indigo Girl closed late on. It later transpired that the eventual third, who was the same margin behind, was in fact Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and not Snowfall with the number cloths having been mixed up. “Early on, I wasn’t overly happy and she’s so big she didn’t come down the hill all that great but once I got her balanced and rolling in the last half-furlong it was a case of me getting there too soon,” commented Crosse, who had missed out on G1 St Leger glory last month after a positive COVID-19 test.

Pretty Gorgeous was a rare Rising Star to run at the low-key Irish venue of Bellewstown, but the promise of her five-length defeat of the useful Talacre (Flintshire {GB}) over this trip was there for all to see July 2. Runner-up to Donnacha’s Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Silver Flash S. over the first of three seven-furlong outings when the going was lively at Leopardstown Aug. 6, she turned that form around with ease in the ground when scoring by 2 1/2 lengths in the Debutante at The Curragh Aug. 22 before again coming off second-best to Shale in the Moyglare. “She was very impressive and I’m delighted for everybody at home, for Mr Oxley who was keen to come here and for Justin who bought her,” trainer Joseph O’Brien said. “I thought Shane gave the filly a great ride. He was patient on her and committed when he had to. Shane is a young man, but he is a very good rider–strong and cool in a finish and he doesn’t panic.”

“I was a little bit worried coming here, given that she’d been to France but she was very fresh and in great shape so we thought we’d better take our chance,” he added. “From the first day she worked, she was impressive at home and proved today that she is top-class. The Breeders’ Cup is an option, but it’s more likely she’ll be put away now and trained for a Guineas next Spring. She is a Lawman, so she would not be bred to go very far. I think Lawman’s can get 10 furlongs and I see her more as an eight to 10-furlong filly rather than an Oaks-type filly at this stage.”

John Gosden said of the runner-up, “It was a great run and I’m very happy with her. Her mother won the French St Leger and her sister won a group one over a mile and a half. She will be trained more for a mile and a quarter and middle-distance races. She won’t be trained as a Guineas filly.”

Aidan O’Brien explained the mix-up with his fillies later in the afternoon, telling the Racing Post, “I didn’t see the race live and when I looked at the replay after it was brought to my attention, I could see straight away. I contacted the BHA straight away and let them know what is after happening. We have a team based in England these days because of the coronavirus restrictions, so the problem is the lads that are with the horses at home can’t always go racing with them. I don’t know what to say other than I am so sorry that it happened.”

Pedigree Notes:
Pretty Gorgeous’s listed-placed dam Lady Gorgeous (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), who also produced the Listed Prix Nureyev scorer Alwaab (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), is kin to the G3 Prix Fille de l’Air third Kartica (GB) (Rainbow Quest) who is in turn the dam of the G1 Coronation S., G1 Prix Rothschild and G2 Duke of Cambridge S. heroine Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). The listed-winning second dam Cayman Sunset (Ire) (Night Shift), who was also placed in the GII Canadian H. and GIII All Along Breeders’ Cup S., is from the family of the GII Lexington S. and GIII Everglades H. winner Royal Roberto (Roberto). Lady Gorgeous’s colt by Shalaa (Ire) was purchased by Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for 90,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls December Foal Sale and heads back to that venue to come under the hammer during Tuesday’s session of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2.

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 FILLIES MILE-G1, £400,000, Newmarket, 10-9, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:39.10, sf.
1–PRETTY GORGEOUS (FR), 126, f, 2, by Lawman (Fr)
     1st Dam: Lady Gorgeous (GB) (SP-Eng), by Compton Place (GB)
     2nd Dam: Cayman Sunset (Ire), by Night Shift
     3rd Dam: Robinia, by Roberto
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€55,000 Wlg ’18 ARQDE; 525,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Mr John C Oxley; B-EARL Ecurie Haras du Cadran, Enrico Ciampi, SAS I.E.I. & Ecurie la Boetie (FR); T-Joseph O’Brien; J-Shane Crosse. £226,840. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Ire, 5-3-2-0, $433,221. *1/2 to Alwaab (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Indigo Girl (GB), 126, f, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Montare (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). O/B-George Strawbridge (GB); T-John Gosden. £86,000.
3–Snowfall (Jpn), 126, f, 2, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Best In the World (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Roncon, Chelston Ire, Wynatt (JPN); T-Aidan O’Brien. £43,040.
Margins: HF, HF, NK. Odds: 2.50, 5.00, 50.00.
Also Ran: Dubai Fountain (Ire), Zabeel Queen (Ire), Shale (Ire), Star of Emaraaty (Ire), Mother Earth (Ire), Isabella Giles (Ire), Lilac Road (Ire). Scratched: Seattle Rock (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Fillies’ Mile Dominates Friday Action

Friday sees a clash of the 2-year-old heavyweights in the G1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket, where George Strawbridge’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has to defend her unbeaten record against Ireland’s best in Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). In a renewal that also features Paul and Clare Rooney’s Aug. 29 G3 Prestige S. and Sept. 25 G2 Rockfel S. scorer Isabella Giles (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), the championship pecking order should be in some part established within the sub-100-second period it takes for the action to play out. Indigo Girl is totally unexposed and bred to progress with racing, so it can only be a significant pointer to her ability that she is already the winner of the G2 May Hill S. at Doncaster Sept. 10.

Clive Cox said of Isabella Giles, “She’s been a very pleasing filly and has enjoyed easy ground, which she’s likely to get on Friday. We’re obviously stepping up to a mile, but she’s come out of the Rockfel so well and we’re pleased she’s taking this step. It’s a strong race, but we’re looking forward to it.”

The score between Shale and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Pretty Gorgeous currently stands at 2-1 in pattern races, with the most important of those going the way of the former in the Sept. 13 G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh. Pretty Gorgeous was forced to miss Sunday’s G1 Prix Marcel Boussac due to the well-documented feed contamination and it could be that John Oxley’s bay has the upper hand with the ground riding soft on the Rowley Mile, as it did when she impressive in the Aug. 22 G2 Debutante S. also at The Curragh.

Donnacha said of Shale, “The ground is probably going to be a bit softer than ideal, but she’s in good form and we’re hoping for a big run. There’s not a lot between our filly and Joseph’s, obviously. I think the step up in trip is going to suit my one, so it will be good fun watching them run against each other and I’m sure it will be another good race. There’s some other smart fillies in the race and it will be interesting to see how the Irish and English form lines stack up.”

Joseph was also keen for another crack at his brother’s juvenile star and commented, “She’s in good shape. It looks a very good race and we’re looking forward to seeing her run. We’re obviously meeting Donnacha’s filly again and it will be interesting to see how it goes. It’s probably not the ideal preparation after last weekend, but we’re hoping for a good run. She has handled a bit of juice in the ground.”

Also on the card is another Classic pointer for the fillies over seven furlongs, the G3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp S., in which Pretty Gorgeous’s stablemate Thinking of You (American Pharoah) bids to build on her third placing in The Curragh’s G3 Weld Park S. Sept. 27. She encounters Nazuna (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who was second to Isabella Giles in the aforementioned Rockfel over this track and trip, and the impressive course-and-distance Sept.  26 maiden winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}). Thinking of You’s trainer Joseph O’Brien said, “She ran a very good race at the Curragh last time in what was a messy enough race. I’m quite hopeful of a good run from her.”

In the G2 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards Challenge S., the sponsors supply Zakouski (GB) (Shamardal) who comes back off a break having won the G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan Feb. 20, and he is joined by the fellow Charlie Appleby-trained Sept. 18 Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup winner Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Roger Varian runs Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s G2 Rockfel S. and G3 Albany S. winner and G1 Moyglare Stud S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf runner-up Daahyeh (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), whose intended seasonal bow in the Listed October S. was lost at Ascot on Saturday. “We have been pleased with Zakouski’s preparation and are happy to drop him back to seven furlongs in testing conditions,” Appleby said. “He is a horse with a nice profile and doesn’t have to carry a Group 2 penalty for his win earlier in the year. We are looking forward to seeing him back running on British soil ahead of another Dubai campaign. Glorious Journey has shown that he is capable of winning at this level and conditions will be there to suit. He came out of his run at Newbury well and his confidence is up on the back of that win. We are hopeful that he can put up another decent performance.”

Manton Park Racing’s Method (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) comes back to the scene of his G1 Middle Park S. flop in the G3 Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis S. over five furlongs. Too keen there with a slipped saddle, the July 18 Listed Rose Bowl S. scorer faces tough opposition including the Aug. 22 Listed Roses S. winner Acklam Express (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and trainer Martyn Meade has reservations. “Obviously it’s not ideal coming back to five furlongs–he is a six-furlong horse,” he said. “Having said that, he does have plenty of speed and I have got to run him somewhere before the end of the season. He didn’t take anything out of himself in the Middle Park. He seems in good form and we’re hoping he can show his superiority over a distance that is a little bit shorter than ideal. It is a stiff five furlongs at Newmarket and the ground isn’t going to be lightning-fast. From what I’ve seen of him working on soft ground at home, I don’t think it will be a huge inconvenience. Hopefully he can finish his season on a decent note.”

John Gosden has some notable runners for Juddmonte on the afternoon, with the July 26 Listed Lyric Fillies’ S. winner Franconia (GB) (Frankel {GB}) bidding to put a disappointing effort when last of six in the Aug. 20 G1 Yorkshire Oaks behind her in the 10-furlong G3 Darley Pride S. at Newmarket and the 2019 G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) taking in the re-scheduled G3 Betsafe Cumberland Lodge S. at York. His three opponents include Fitri Hay’s July 30 G3 Gordon S. and Aug. 19 G2 Great Voltigeur runner-up Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and Oliver Cole said of him, “Highland Chief is in great form. I think he’ll love the ground. It will be better for him up there. I think he’ll run a very big race. Obviously we’ve got to take on John Gosden’s horse, who is very good, but hopefully he’ll give him a race.”

Click here for the group fields.

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