Tag: Rob Hornby

No Nay Never’s Alcohol Free Prevails In The July Cup

She wasn't supposed to like fast ground, but Jeff Smith's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Sussex S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) skipped the light fantastic on Newmarket's balmy July Course to stamp her class on Saturday's feature G1 Darley July Cup. Back to this six-furlong trip for the first time since winning the G1 Cheveley Park S. as a juvenile when under three-lengths ninth in Royal Ascot's G1 Platinum Jubilee S., the 14-1 shot was drawn in the right place with that race's winner Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) blazing the trail towards the far side. Delivered by Rob Hornby to subdue that rival inside the final furlong, the Andrew Balding-trained homebred asserted to beat the Godolphin runner by 1 1/2 lengths, with half a length back to Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) in third as the Platinum Jubilee form of the older horses came to the fore. “She's now won four group ones at two, three and four, which is a very unusual feat,” trainer Andrew Balding said after greeting his first July Cup winner. “She's a very talented filly and this is her time of year as well, she's twice the horse she was in the spring and it's just lovely to have her back on song.”

 

Since the failed attempt by connections to stretch her to an extended 10 furlongs in the G1 Juddmonte International last August, Alcohol Free's record of one placing in four subsequent starts seemed to tell a story but closer analysis afforded her leeway heading into the most extreme speed test she had yet to face. Apart from the re-entry to the sprinting world in the Platinum Jubilee, she had probably needed her seasonal return when third in the Apr. 22 G2 Sandown Mile and it was only her fourth in the May 14 G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury and eighth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. that cast any doubt as to her retained ability. This represented a return to the pomp of her defeat of Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the Goodwood feature last term, with her deadly acceleration the key in a deep contest full of sprinting talent proven in the international sphere.

As it turned out, the 2022 July Cup was a case of being in the right place with Naval Crown and James Doyle the one to target and Alcohol Free able to sit over two lengths off him with Artorius in her wake. Despite pace pressure from Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal), Naval Crown was able to fend off all bar the filly heading to two out and the rest never stood a chance with the front three following that straight path towards the far rail. As on Friday, it was Rob Hornby who was judging things to a tee and it is fitting that he was becoming the first to ride the winners of the Falmouth and this at the same meeting since Johnny Murtagh in 2004.

“It just goes to show her guts and bravery, because she has form on every bit of ground now,” her rider commented. “Coming back to six furlongs, we were unsure if the ground was a bit quick and she was a bit disorganised in the first half of the race which she can sometimes be. From half way I felt her really kick in and she had a real fire in her belly today. It is a hell of a training performance from Andrew and everyone back at Park House. She is a fiery character and she has got a lot of personality. She has always shown lots of natural speed, but stamina as well.”

Balding is intent on heading back to the Sussex now to add to a star-studded line-up. “We needed to run somewhere between Ascot and Goodwood really–the Sussex Stakes has always been her main target, having won the race last year and we were just trying to find the best plan to get her there,” her trainer added. “She's obviously a speed miler rather than an attritional miler, so Goodwood should suit her really well and we look forward to it.”

Charlie Appleby was delighted with the performance of the runner-up and said, “Naval Crown has run a rock-solid race. The plan with him was to go and be forward. He set a good clip there and it was only the filly that has come and dived on us late. It was another solid performance at that level as well, and at sprinting more importantly. I think going forward we will probably head towards Haydock [for the Sprint Cup] with him, as the ground doesn't worry him at all.”

Sam Freedman said of Artorius, “Frustrating is the wrong word, because he always runs very well and a frustrating horse is probably one who mixes his form. He's very honest and reliable in the sense he's always finishing his races off and the 1300 metres for his next target would suit him nicely. He needs them to come back to him a little bit and today it's probably not been the easiest thing to do to make up ground.”

Christophe Soumillon reported that the seventh-placed 9-4 favourite Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) was unlucky. “Unfortunately, when I asked him to come through horses I never had a clear run and we shifted from the left to the right. He finished well and it wasn't a bad run,” he said.

Alcohol Free, who becomes her sire's second July Cup winner after Ten Sovereigns (Ire), is out of Plying (Hard Spun) who also produced the Listed Prix Le Fabuleux winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The second dam is the Listed National S.-placed Nasaieb (Ire) (Fairy King), who was responsible for the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Princess Margaret S.-placed Kissing Lights (Ire) (Machiavellian) and is a half to the G3 Solario S. scorer Raise A Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge). From the family of the champion juvenile filly Numbered Account (Buckpasser), Plying's unraced 2-year-old colt by Dandy Man (Ire) is named Hidden Ambush (Ire) while she also has a yearling filly by Gleneagles (Ire).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
DARLEY JULY CUP-G1, £628,500, Newmarket, 7-9, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:09.47, g/f.
1–ALCOHOL FREE (IRE), 131, f, 4, by No Nay Never
     1st Dam: Plying, by Hard Spun
     2nd Dam: Nasaieb (Ire), by Fairy King
     3rd Dam: Atyaaf, by Irish River (Fr)
(€40,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-Mr J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Rob Hornby. £356,422. Lifetime Record: 14-6-1-2, $1,864,597. *1/2 to Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW-Fr, $108,819. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Naval Crown (GB), 134, c, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Come Alive (GB), by Dansili (GB). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £135,128.
3–Artorius (Aus), 134, c, 4, Flying Artie (Aus)–Gracie's Lass (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus). (120,000 Ylg '20 MMGYRL). O-Newgate, China Horse Club & Partners; B-Mr G J Perry (AUS); T-Anthony & Sam Freedman. £67,627.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1HF. Odds: 14.00, 4.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Creative Force (Ire), Double Or Bubble (Ire), Emaraaty Ana (GB), Perfect Power (Ire), Happy Romance (Ire), Flaming Rib (Ire), Romantic Proposal (Ire), King Hermes (Jpn), Cadamosto (Ire), Twilight Jet (Ire). Scratched: Blackrod (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Prosperous Voyage Upsets Inspiral In The Falmouth

There was a surprise of grand proportions in store in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket, as Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) ruthlessly dragged Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) into the red to strip the July Festival's “good thing” of her unbeaten record. Bridesmaid to the Gosdens' luminary in the G2 May Hill S. and G1 Fillies' Mile at two, the resilient Ralph Beckett-trained bay who had been runner-up again in the 1000 Guineas was asked to go deep by Rob Hornby from the outset and responded with pressurising sectionals. Heading to two out, the damage had already been inflicted and while soon after the 1-7 favourite and Sandrine (GB) (Kitten's Joy) loomed, the 16-1 shot had most to give up the deciding incline. Inspiral had been at work for some time, but managed to stave off the challenge of Sandrine to at least obtain the first silver medal of her career, 1 3/4 lengths down on the impressive winner. Sandrine, who also had to run hard to enter the fray, paid for that late to drop away and finish a length further behind. “It is a horse race and anything can happen,” Beckett said of the winner, who had flopped as Inspiral shone when down the field in the G1 Coronation S. “Maybe Inspiral didn't turn up today, maybe she did bounce–there are lots of maybes, but this filly ran her race and that's all that really matters to me.”

 

Prosperous Voyage's progress throughout her juvenile campaign had assumed more the pace of a pleasure cruise than a high-speed ferry, with a narrow maiden win at Epsom followed by a second in a Chester novice and a third in the seven-furlong G3 Prestige S. at Goodwood in August. Picked off by Inspiral and beaten 3 3/4 lengths when upped to a mile and allowed to bowl along in the May Hill at Doncaster's St Leger meeting, she had narrowed that deficit to 2 1/2 lengths in the Fillies' Mile on the Rowley Mile here in October, but the overwhelming impression was that she would remain in her contemporary's shadow for some time.

Back over the course and distance of the Fillies' Mile in the May 1 1000 Guineas which was as much about those absent than it was those present, Prosperous Voyage ran a race well up to her 2-year-old form and had she been set the kind of examination she was on this sun-baked afternoon she would have caught Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}). As it was, she was a fast-vanishing neck margin away at the line before blowing out in the Coronation, where she faded uncharacteristically tamely from early straight and wound up nine-lengths 10th.

This upset came down to a filly that operated with deadly efficiency on ground as fast as it gets on the July Course in the modern age, versus one that was compromised by having such a tough assignment so soon after a dynamic effort at Royal Ascot. Time will tell whether Inspiral can get back on top in a rivalry that up until Friday afternoon had seemed anything but, with this gruelling task her first true experience of what it feels like to go deep into her reserves. Hornby put Prosperous Voyage on the limit of what she was capable of and her furlong-by-furlong fractions made it a race of truth which exposed a crack–temporary or otherwise–in the formidable armour of the favourite.

For Beckett, the key to the winner is a straight track. “She scraped home at Epsom, got beat at Chester and didn't act in the Coronation Stakes because she's not as effective around a bend–we know that now,” he explained. “When she's run on a straight track, she's run her race and this race was right for the horse. You will remember she was supposed run in the Saint-Alary, but the traffic was backed up so I decided not to send her and that probably counted today. Rob gave her a lovely ride–he did it in France last year on Scope and we don't lack faith in our rider. He never panics when he is challenged–he sits still and he suits this filly. He sat still on her and she came good underneath him. The Sun Chariot is the obvious race for her and we'll keep bringing her back to Newmarket.”

Hornby, who like Dettori has been in the news of late not only for his considerable riding talent, was happy to focus on his achievement on Friday. “She has a great character and a lot of personality,” he said of the winner. “She run such a heroic race in the Guineas and is a strong stayer who enjoys bowling away in front. Coming inside the three they came to challenge me, but she is so brave and gives her it all, all of the time. She hit the rising ground and stayed strongly. Today it was a matter of keeping the revs up and keep it smooth and flowing like the Guineas.”

“Days like this make everything worthwhile,” he added. “Nothing has ever happened for me straight away. I just plugged away through my apprenticeship through great guidance from Mr. Balding and the academy there, which stood me in good stead for the highs and lows that were to come for the rest of your career. It was terribly sad that we lost Scope after the yard had such a tremendous weekend and I was thinking it can't get any worse, but this is a crazy sport we play and hugely exciting.”

John Gosden was inclined to believe that Inspiral's reversal was down to backing up too fast from the Royal meeting. “You don't normally come here after a big win at Ascot, but she hadn't run all year so we did and I just thought she ran a little flat,” he said. “The ground has quickened up, but I think it's more the turnaround. You could tell early on that she was a little bit flat, so we'll freshen her up and away we go again. She seems happy enough.”

Cheveley Park Stud's Managing Director Chris Richardson commented, “Frankie basically felt that it probably came a bit quick after such a stunning performance at the Royal meeting and perhaps the ground was a little too quick for her, so it was a combination of the two. She's run a great race, so we'll give her a nice five or six-week break and freshen her up and see how we get on. To be fair, Mrs Thompson asked if this was something we should be doing but John and I agreed that it was tempting to come here having missed the Spring. Take nothing away from the winner, who was very impressive and hopefully we'll be back to have another go another day. We were concerned in the Spring even before her setback that fast ground might be a problem coming down into dip on the Rowley Mile.”

Prosperous Voyage's dam Seatone (Mizzen Mast), a Juddmonte cast-off who was a 115,000gns purchase by Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock at the 2011 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, is also responsible for the Australian stakes-placed Romanesque (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Her dam is the G3 Prix Corrida winner Diese (Diesis {GB}), who proved one of Juddmonte's abundant significant stakes producers when throwing the GI United Nations H. and G1 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship S. hero Senure (Nureyev) and fellow sire Speak In Passing (Danzig) who captured the GIII San Simeon H. She is also the second dam of the G2 Chairman's H. and G3 N E Manion Cup scorer Permit (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

The third dam is the G3 Ballyogan S. winner and G1 Phoenix S. runner-up Monroe (Sir Ivor), dam of the G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Prix de la Salamandre-winning juvenile sensation and sire Xaar (GB) (Zafonic) and the G3 Prix Quincey scorer and G1 Grand Criteirum runner-up Masterclass (The Minstrel). She is also the ancestress of the G1 Dubai Duty Free-winning sire Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk) and the G2 Temple S.-winning sire Bated Breath (GB), as well as the five-times grade I-winning champion and stakes producer Close Hatches (First Defence). Seatone's unraced 2-year-old colt Tenerife (Ire) (No Nay Never) was the second-highest-priced lot at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, selling to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for 450,000gns, while she also has a yearling filly by Camelot (GB).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH S.-G1, £250,000, Newmarket, 7-8, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:36.03, g/f.
1–PROSPEROUS VOYAGE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Zoffany (Ire)
     1st Dam: Seatone, by Mizzen Mast
     2nd Dam: Diese, by Diesis (GB)
     3rd Dam: Monroe, by Sir Ivor
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (£65,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen; B-Lynch Bages & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Rob Hornby. £141,775. Lifetime Record: 9-2-4-1, $505,539. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Inspiral (GB), 126, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Starscope (GB), by Selkirk. O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £53,750.
3–Sandrine (GB), 126, f, 3, Bobby's Kitten–Seychelloise (GB), by Pivotal (GB). O/B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £26,900.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, 3 1/4. Odds: 16.00, 0.14, 12.00.
Also Ran: Primo Bacio (Ire), Sibila Spain (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Group 1-Winning Stayer Scope Put Down After Gallops Accident

Ralph Beckett's Group 1-winning stayer Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) has been put down after suffering a serious injury in a routine piece of work.

The 4-year-old enjoyed his finest hour when lifting the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp in October and connections had been looking forward to him making his presence felt this season.

However, Beckett reported in his website blog, “Scope was put down this (Tuesday) morning after fracturing his right-hind cannon bone and pastern, whilst at routine exercise.

“Having trained him, his entire family, and won a Group 1 with him last autumn, he meant a great deal to us and we will miss him sorely.”

The news illustrates the high and lows of racing, as it comes just days after the stable won the G1 Irish Derby in brilliant fashion with Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Giving an update on the colt, Beckett said: “He has come out of it well, and is a possible for the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. at the end of July.”

 

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The Major Talking Points From Irish Derby Day at the Curragh

The Curragh, IRELAND–Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby revolved around Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and he didn't disappoint.

The fact that Colin Keane was handed the ride at the expense of Rob Hornby, who was aboard the colt at Epsom, provided a fascinating sub-plot to the race and both men emerged from the weekend with reputations not only intact but enhanced.

Westover was the winner the Curragh needed and his victory tees up a fascinating rematch between himself and the Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot next month.

From Westover, to the Curragh crowds and Johnny Murtagh registering an important winner for the Aga Khan, we examined the main talking points from an enthralling day's action.

 

Class Comes to the Fore in the Irish Derby

In sauntering to Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby glory, Westover provided further proof that this year's Derby at Epsom was won by a proper horse in Desert Crown.

With no Desert Crown to worry about at the Curragh, Westover stamped his class over the opposition, and boy did the race need this.

The Irish Derby has been a mixed bag in terms of quality throughout the past decade. There was no doubting the class of this year's winner.

Nor that of the rider. Much of the talk in the build-up to Saturday revolved around the fact that the three-times Irish champion jockey Colin Keane was taking over in the saddle from Rob Hornby, who had ridden Westover in all bar one of his five starts before the Curragh.

Saturday would have been one of the most difficult days in Hornby's career but, judging by how the rider dealt with the news and even went as far as offering Keane advice on how to ride the horse he knows so well on the morning of the race, he is clearly a man of immense character.

We learned as much from Keane moments after the race. Keane had just ridden his third Irish Classic winner, the second in the Juddmonte silks after of Siskin (First Defence) in the G1 2000 Guineas in 2020, but his immediate priority was to acknowledge the role Hornby played in the success.

He said, “Fair dues to Rob Hornby. I rang him this morning and he told me everything I needed to know about the horse. A true gentleman.”

Keane added, “The horse is very good and Rob told me that he'd get the trip well and will even stay further. He told me not to be afraid to use him up because the one thing he'll do is get to the line, and Ralph said the same. He told me to get him rolling and that he'd stay going.”

Stay going is putting it mildly. Westover devoured the Curragh straight as his rivals cried enough. The win represented a fourth Classic success for Ralph Becket but the first the trainer recorded with a colt.

Many people viewed Westover an unlucky loser behind Desert Crown at Epsom given he was stopped in his tracks and encountered traffic problems at vital stages in the race.

The prospects of a rematch between the pair was raised following the Irish Derby with the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot next month the most likely destination for both colts. Now that would be class.

 

Murtagh Making the Most of Aga Khan Support

Less than two years after it was announced that Johnny Murtagh would train horses for the Aga Khan, the Curragh-based operator sent out Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) to land the G2 GAIN Railway S.

Murtagh was closely associated with the Aga Khan Studs during his long and fruitful period as stable jockey with John Oxx, with his most famous partnership in the world-famous green and red silks coming aboard Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge), the dual Derby hero who went on to snare the Arc in 2000.

Saturday represented another hugely important milestone for Murtagh and the Aga Khan who, in his role as trainer, has now become a vital cog in the wheel of the Irish operation.

Shartash is an unusually quick runner for the Aga Khan. Out of the five-time winner Shamreen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won back-to-back editions of the G2 Blandford S. in 2016 and 2017, Shartash has an exciting future.

The G1 Phoenix S. could be the obvious next race for him and he should have no trouble getting seven furlongs in time.

 

Tide Finally Turns For Teresa

There were few more deserving winners of the Listed Dubai Duty Free Dash S. than Teresa Mendoza (Ire) (Territories {GB}).

It seems a long time ago now since Ken Condon's filly burst onto the scene by winning a Curragh maiden as a 2-year-old in good style back in 2020.

She had placed six times at listed and group level since, before finally bagging that all-important listed success at the Curragh on Saturday.

That win sugar-coated a good weekend for her sire. Ger Lyons unleashed another smart runner by Territories at the Curragh on Friday in the shape of Slan Abhaile (Ire), who slalomed her way through the field under Colin Keane before pulling clear at the line.

Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal (GB), who was sold for a whopping £1.2 million to join Gai Waterhouse in Australia at the Goffs London Sale recently, showed that it's not all about speed when it comes to Territories. He is clearly a sire going places.

 

Aikhal Proves Doubters Wrong

He may have finished last of the 11 runners behind Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 St James's Palace S. when last seen, but Aikhal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) showed that he is colt not to be underestimated in running away with the G3 ARM Holding International S. on the Curragh card.

It's not often that Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore team up with a 20-1 runner and Aikhal proved his doubters wrong in producing a fine performance to scamper clear of some solid rivals.

Saturday's victory represented just the sixth start of his career and his first over 10 furlongs. Judging by the style the win was achieved, he should have no trouble getting 1 1/2 miles and Saturday may not be the last time he surprises people.

 

Respectable Curragh Crowds

Curragh chief executive Brian Kavanagh said in the build-up to Derby weekend that he was more focussed on people enjoying themselves than getting bums on seats.

Well, the Curragh achieved both on Saturday and, for the first time in a long time, there was a genuine buzz around the place.

Kavanagh was quoted as saying “roughly 11,300” came through the turnstiles on Saturday.

Despite the fact that the newly developed €81-million Curragh can cater for over 30,000 people, the fact that 11,300 turned up on Saturday represented a positive step.

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