Proud And Regal Targets Irish 2000 Guineas

Group 1 winner Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), third in Leopardstown's G3 Derby Trial S., will cut back in trip for the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas in late May, trainer Donnacha O'Brien revealed on Tuesday.

“I thought he travelled really well [at Leopardstown],” said O'Brien. “There's definitely a chance that he will get 10 furlongs and we could be going back there after the Guineas, but the plan is to go to the Curragh for the Irish Guineas.”

Raced by the Coolmore partners, the 2022 G1 Criterium International hero was second in the G2 Futurity S. in August and second in the G1 National S. at the Curragh a month later, prior to his Saint-Cloud heroics. A winner of the G3 Tyros S. in July, Proud And Regal's Derby Trial effort was his most recent.

O'Brien also gave an update on Listed Dee S. runner-up Alder (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who will travel to Epsom Downs for the G1 Betfred Derby on the first Saturday in June.

“We're aiming at the Epsom Derby,” he added. “I think it is an open race. I think he got in a poor position at Chester off a very slow pace, on ground he wouldn't like, and he just hung in behind the winner in the last furlong.

“But I think it was a very decent run from him. We think he's a good horse and he's going to be a much better horse on better ground over a mile and a half.”

As a juvenile, Alder was third in the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S., and won his 3-year-old bow, a 10-furlong race at Cork, in April.

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Aidan O’Brien Dominates Derby Nominations At Latest Entry Stage

After the Mar. 7 scratching stage, 83 horses remain signed on for the 2023 G1 Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 3. Worth £1.5 million, the 1 1/2-mile contest is the richest race in Britain.

Of the 83, 45 are trained in Ireland and of that number, a colossal 31 are trained by Ballydoyle supremo Aidan O'Brien for various Coolmore partnerships. Top of the heap are Deep Impact (Jpn)'s G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy hero Auguste Rodin (Jpn) and the late Shadai kingpin's son's Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). The last-named won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in November. The winning duo of Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are other potential Classic stars-in-waiting.

O'Brien's sons, Joseph and Donnacha, field eight between them, led by Group 1 winners Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the latter, and Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) for the former.

There are also three chances for His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort to scoop the Blue Riband this year, with the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas-nominated winner Slipofthepen (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) trained by John and Thady Gosden, the William Haggas-trained group-placed Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and the winning Sir Michael Stoute charge Circle Of Fire (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}) all nominated. Stoute claimed the 2022 Derby with Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), and he also entered Crystal Mariner (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for Robert Ng.

The Gosdens have the largest UK Derby arsenal with 15 colts nominated. Anchoring their brigade is George Strawbridge's 'TDN Rising Star' Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who was second in the Vertem Futurity Trophy S. behind the aforementioned Auguste Rodin.

Of Andrew Balding's quartet, three bear the colours of King Power Racing led by G2 Royal Lodge S. hero The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}).

The second entry stage is set for Tuesday, Apr. 4.

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Proud And Regal Edges Criterium International Battle Of The Galileos

It was a case of heads up, heads down at the conclusion of Saint-Cloud's G1 Criterium International on Saturday, with Coolmore's homebred Galileo duo Proud And Regal (Ire) and Espionage (Ire) engaged in a thrilling tussle in which the former ultimately prevailed.

Last seen finishing runner-up in the Sept. 11 G1 Vincent O'Brien National S., the Donnacha O'Brien-trained son of the G1 Fillies' Mile and G1 Falmouth S. heroine Simply Perfect (GB) (Danehill) who captured the July 21 G3 Tyros S. at Leopardstown was asked to keep close tabs on Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Espionage by Gavin Ryan as that rival took up the running from the outset.

Getting to the stand's rail as they entered the straight, the 3-1 second favourite stuck to his guns despite the tenacity of the eventual runner-up under Ioritz Mendizabal and managed to overhaul his compatriot in the final stride for a head success. The Ralph Beckett-trained Salt Bay (Ger) (Farhh {GB}) was 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

“He was very genuine and it was nice to get a big one with him,” Donnacha said. “It was only in the last furlong that he really got on top of dad's horse, but I'm sure they're two nice staying horses going forward.”

While there was perhaps a bigger pointer for the 2023 Derby from the latest Ballydoyle star at Doncaster later in the afternoon, the youngest trainer of the O'Brien clan has his own dreams of Classic glory next term. “He's probably going to want 10 or 12 furlongs next year, which opens up a lot of options for him. He's a good stayer,” he added. “He's had a few runs and he's plenty fit, but he's had a long enough year so it's a testament to him that he's still performing at a high class this far into the year. Whether we stick around for Classics with him in this part of the world or go travelling with him, we've plenty of options.”

 

Pedigree Notes

Becoming the 97th group 1 winner for his outstanding sire, Proud And Regal who was also third behind Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the Aug. 20 G2 Futurity S. at The Curragh is the last and best foal out of the aforementioned Simply Perfect. Also responsible for Galileo's G3 International S. winner Mekong River (Ire) and G3 Princess Royal S. and G3 Give Thanks S. runner-up Simply Beautiful (Ire), she is a full-sister to One Moment In Time (Ire) who produced two other notable Galileos in the dual group 3 winner and G1 St Leger runner-up Bondi Beach (Ire) and the G3 Gallinule S. scorer Constantinople (Ire).

The second dam is the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Fillies' Mile-placed Hotelgenie Dot Com (GB) (Selkirk), whose half-sister Bianca Nera (GB) (Salse) was successful in the Moyglare and the G2 Lowther S. and is the second dam of the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S., G1 Juddmonte International S., G1 Coronation Cup and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic-winning sire Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio and G2 Park Hill S. winner God Given (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and the GIII Beverly Hills H. winner and GI Yellow Ribbon S. runner-up Turning Top (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). God Given is the dam of this year's G3 Autumn S. and G3 Solario S. winner Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who could provide another top-level success if things fall his way at the Breeders' Cup next month.

 

Saturday, Saint-Cloud, France
CRITERIUM INTERNATIONAL-G1, €250,000, Saint-Cloud, 10-22, 2yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:51.34, hy.
1–PROUD AND REGAL (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Simply Perfect (GB) (MG1SW-Eng, G1SP-Fr,
                                $753,005), by Danehill
                2nd Dam: Hotelgenie Dot Com (GB), by Selkirk
                3rd Dam: Birch Creek (GB), by Carwhite (Ire)
   1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,
Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Gavin
Ryan. €142,850. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Ire, 5-3-1-1,
€273,550. *Full to Mekong River (Ire), GSW-Ire, $182,118.
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Espionage (Ire), 126, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Even Song (Ire), by
Mastercraftsman (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising
   Star'. O-Westerberg,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,D Smith;
B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €57,150.
3–Salt Bay (Ger), 126, c, 2, Farhh (GB)–Saltita (Ire), by Galileo
(Ire).1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (350,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT).
O-Valmont; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (GER); T-Ralph Beckett.
€28,575.
Margins: HD, 1 3/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.90, 6.30, 8.40.
Also Ran: Syros (Fr), Breizh Sky (Fr), Romina Power (Fr), Kubrick (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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No Nay Never’s Aesop’s Fables Wins The Futurity

Having already won both maidens on The Curragh's Saturday card, Ryan Moore again picked right in the G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. as he steered Ballydoyle's imposing TDN Rising Star Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) to an impressive success in the seven-furlong juvenile staging post. Not seen since winning on debut over an extended five furlongs at Navan Apr. 23, the half-brother to the stable's classy sprinter Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) had to see out this trip as the G3 Tyros S. winner Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and stablemate and fellow TDN Rising Star Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}) making it a test up ahead. Adrift of the latter as he took control passing the two-furlong pole, the 3-1 shot powered past in the final 100 yards for an authoritative 2 1/4-length success, with a neck back to Proud And Regal in third.

 

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