Roger Varian | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sea The Stars’ Teona Downs Snowfall in Paris

One of the also rans when Coolmore's Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) posted her 16-length rout in the G1 Epsom Oaks, Ali Saeed's 3-year-old filly Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) enjoyed a confidence-boosting score in last month's Listed August S. at Windsor and the 18-1 chance caused a major upset to down the reopposoing 1-5 favourite in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp. The 280,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling raced in third for most of this 12-furlong contest as Snowfall's stablemate La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) set the tempo under Hollie Doyle. Coming under pressure soon after turning for home, she was ridden to gain a narrow advantage approaching the final furlong and stayed on strongly as Snowfall failed to deliver with her usual gusto. At the line, the winning margin was 1 1/2 lengths with the rallying pacesetter La Joconde keeping on resolutely to finish a half length adrift in third.

“It was a very strong race today, but we've always believed this filly to be high class and we're very happy she won,” commented trainer Roger Varian. “The first half of the season didn't really work out for her, so we gave her a break and she's done well since. She's matured, she's been excellent in training at home and we were confident of a good performance and hopeful of a win. She ran at York in the [G3] Musidora over 10 furlongs, but was very fresh that day. She wasn't that well behaved, but still ran a good race behind Snowfall. She then went to the [G1 Epsom] Oaks where the ground was heavy and had a hard race, which took a lot out of her. She didn't enjoy it and is a filly who likes a sound surface. She's a big-framed filly, we had to give her time and I'd like to thank owner Ali Saeed for being very patient.”

Next month's Oct. 3 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe looms large on the horizon and Varian will take his time before confirming connections' plans. “We'll see how she is in her training at home over the next one or two week,” he added. “The Arc is under consideration, of course, and we'd like the sun to keep shining, but it's very important to see what her condition is beforehand. We'll speak with the owner and see what he wants to do.”

Bemoaning a perceived lack of urgency on the front end, rider Frankie Dettori sought to explain the first reversal of Snowfall's sophomore campaign and said, “I found myself too far from the front end and I think the pacemaker [La Joconde] didn't go fast enough. The race turned into a sprint and the winner kicked on first. The other filly has more speed than Snowfall and that's what made the difference.”

Teona, who becomes the 16th top-level winner for her sire, is the second runner and second pattern-race winner out of the smart Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). Ambivalent's five victories include G1 Pretty Polly S. and G2 Middleton S. wins. She also ran third in the G1 Coronation Cup and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and her first produce is G2 Prix Hocquart victor Al Hilalee (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Ambivalent is the leading performer out of Listed Aphrodite S. runner-up Darrery (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), herself the second dam of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp hero Total Gallery (Ire) (Namid {GB}). Teona's third dam Flamenco (Dance Spell) annexed the G3 Waterford Candelabra S. and is kin to Listed White Rose S. victrix and stakes producer Portio (Riva Ridge). The March-foaled bay, who hails from the family of Listed Debonair S. victor and leading sire Claim (Mr. Prospector), is full to a weanling colt and half to a 2-year-old colt by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:31.99, gd.
1–TEONA (IRE), 122, f, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Ambivalent (Ire), by Authorized (Ire)
2nd Dam: Darrery (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Flamenco, by Dance Spell
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (280,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Ali Saeed; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-Olivier Peslier. €342,840. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP-Eng, 7-4-1-1, €382,363. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Snowfall (Jpn), 122, f, 3, 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. €137,160.
3–La Joconde (Ire), 122, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Wadyhatta (GB), Cape Cross (Ire) (850,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Westerberg; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €68,580.
Margins: 1HF, HF, SNK. Odds: 17.90, 0.20, 46.00.
Also Ran: Burgarita (GB), Incarville (Fr), Philomene (Ire), Joan of Arc (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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New Bay’s Bayside Boy Takes The Champagne

With the Gosdens and Frankie in such hot form and given the silks he carries, there was understandably a keen focus on The Queen's G3 Solario S. winner Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in Saturday's G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster. Patriots and Frankie followers were in for a late shock, however, as Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's highly-regarded Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) ripped up the script to subdue the royal runner in the final strides and prevail by a head. Last seen finishing runner-up in Newbury's Listed Denford S. over this seven-furlong trip Aug. 14, the 5-1 shot was keen early under restraint from David Egan as Dettori set out to test his three rivals in front. Travelling apparently easily for much of the contest, that 8-13 favourite failed to get away from the outsider Twilight Jet (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) and the warning light was on long before the Roger Varian trainee swooped to wear him down close home. “I was so disappointed last time, as he was in front before and after the line,” Egan said. “He is a nice, progressive horse and we came into today knowing it could be trappy as a four-runner race, so I nursed him along and I thought he hit the line hard and won a shade cosily in the end.”

Bayside Boy started out with an emphatic 3 1/4-length defeat of the useful Find (GB) (Frankel {GB}) over this trip at Newbury July 16, only to lose out in a photo to the more-experienced Masekela (Ire) (El Kabeir) in the race previously known as the Washington Singer over the same track and trip. Egan blames greenness for that narrow reversal. “I thought when I hit the front at Newbury, he was inexperienced and had a look at the stands,” he added. “He'll keep progressing into an even better 3-year-old, it's just a case of getting him switched off and saving as much energy as possible on that slow ground. He's so straightforward and getting him to relax early on is probably the key. That slow ground takes the turn of foot away from the others and maybe when it rides quicker he will need to be more handier.”

Varian is keen to try Bayside Boy in the Oct. 9 G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket if he gives the right signals in the interim. “He looked good when he won his novice at Newbury and probably showed his lack of experience when he was worried out of it back at Newbury,” he commented. “He showed he'd learned from Newbury and really stuck his head out–he was tough when he needed to be. He's quite a neat horse, he's not a giant. He looks a miler and saw the trip out well today. He'll be a miler next year. We'd like to run him again, but it depends on how he comes out of this. He is in all the big races and you'd have to be thinking of something like the Dewhurst.”

John Gosden said of Reach For the Moon, “The jockey said he wasn't in love with the ground, he wasn't travelling on it like he normally does. It's gone a bit dead, it's drying out after last night's rain and trying to make all into a headwind was just a bit much. Better ground, better horse is all I can say. He could run again, there are some nice races left at Newmarket and we'll see what the ground is like.”

Bayside Boy is the second group winner out of the Listed Prix Occitanie scorer Alava (Ire) (Anabaa) after the four-times pattern-race scorer Forest Ranger (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who captured two renewals of the 10-furlong G2 Huxley S. Alava, who also produced the listed-placed Home Cummins (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), is out of the triple listed-placed Cerita (Ire) (Wolfhound) whose half-siblings include the G3 Prix de Flore scorer Tamise (Time For a Change) and the GII La Canada S. and GII El Encino S. runner-up Luthier's Launch (Relaunch). Her descendants include the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges-winning sprinter Sestilio Jet (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}) and the GI Personal Ensign H. winner Passing Shot (A P Indy). Alava's yearling colt by Lope de Vega (Ire) is due to sell at the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2.

Saturday, Doncaster, Britain
CHAMPAGNE S.-G2, £120,500, Doncaster, 9-11, 2yo, c/g, 7f 6yT, 1:27.88, g/s.
1–BAYSIDE BOY (IRE), 126, c, 2, by New Bay (GB)
1st Dam: Alava (Ire) (SW-Fr), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Cerita (Ire), by Wolfhound
3rd Dam: Tanapa (Fr), by Luthier (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (200,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Teme Valley & Ballylinch Stud; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-David Egan. £71,336. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $120,295. *1/2 to Forest Ranger (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), MGSW-Eng, $498,136. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Reach For the Moon (GB), 126, c, 2, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Golden Stream (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. O/B-The Queen (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £26,980.
3–Twilight Jet (Ire), 126, c, 2, Twilight Son (GB)–My Lucky Liz (Ire), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). (€28,000 Ylg '20 GOFFEB; £210,000 2yo '21 GOFTY). O/T-Michael O'Callaghan; B-Tom Radley (IRE). £13,484.
Margins: HD, 1 1/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 5.00, 0.62, 25.00.
Also Ran: Lusail (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Hurricane Lane Leads 18 St Leger Nominations

Classic winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris already this summer, will line up for Godolphin in the G1 Cazoo St Leger on Sept. 11, one of 18 colts and fillies left in the fall Classic. G1 Cazoo Derby hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who also races for Godolphin, will not take part, and instead target the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Richard Hannon's Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), one better than Hurricane Lane's third in the Derby and fifth in the Irish equivalent is also signed on. The progressive G3 Gordon S. winner Ottoman Emperor (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}) for Johnny Murtagh and Martyn Meade's Irish Derby second Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also remain at the latest forfeit stage. One of two for Andrew Balding is G2 Great Voltigeur third Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).

Aidan O'Brien fields an octet at this point for the race, including Sir Lamorak (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), listed winner and G3 Gordon S. second Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and G2 Great Voltigeur runner-up The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

A pair of listed-winning fillies have also stood their ground in Roger Varian's Save A Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Ralph Beckett's Yesyes (GB) (Camelot {GB}).

Murtagh said of Ottoman Emperor, “That is the plan so far–we've had no problems, touch wood. I've not been speaking much to the OTI people [owners] since after Goodwood-[but] the English St Leger is the next stop.

“That last run was good, and the form of that race stood up at York. I think he deserves his chance in the St Leger–whether he stays the mile and six is a question mark, but we'll have to pay to find out.”

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Santa Barbara Headlines Belmont Oaks

Every year the GI Belmont Oaks and Derby attract an intriguing mix of European invaders and America's best sophomore turf horses and this year is no exception. The Coolmore contingent, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have a strong shot at taking their second renewal of this race with 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who enters this race of a narrow runner-up in Group 1 company. A debut winner at the Curragh in September, the bay was fourth in the G1 QIPCO One Thousand Guineas May 2 at Newmarket. A well-beaten fifth in the June 4 G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, Santa Barbara missed by just a neck in the G1 Pretty Polly S. back at the Curragh June 27.

“Every race she's had this year has been a Group 1 and she's been running very well in them,” said O'Brien's traveling assistant T.J. Comerford. “I suppose the ground was bad at Epsom when she ran in the Oaks. Quicker ground suited her better taking on the older fillies [in the Pretty Polly] and she ran well.”

Roger Varian also made the trip across the pond with a strong contender in Nazuna (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). The bay was second in a Doncaster handicap Sept. 10 and completed the exacta in the G2 Rockfel S. 15 days later. Failing to fire in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 6, she was second last out in the Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom June 5. Varian called on Belmont expert John Velazquez to guide Nazuna here.

Rounding out the European trio is Group 3 winner Cirona (GB) (Maxios {GB}). Following an allowance win with runner-up efforts in the G3 Priz des Reservoirs and Criterium du Languedoc last term, the dark bay opened 2021 with a victory in the G3 Prix de la Grotte in April and missed by a head in the Prix Saint-Allary May 24. She enters off a non-factor 10th in the G1 Prix de Diane Longines June 20. Cirona will be saddled by Christophe Ferland here, but part-owner Pete Bradley indicated she would be transferred to Chad Brown after this race.

“A filly like this is right in Chad's wheelhouse,” said Bradley. “It doesn't look like there will be firm going up there. I don't think some cut in the ground ever hurts with 90% of European horses. I don't see where the turf will be problematic regardless of what it is this week.”

The top two from the local prep for this event, the GIII Wonder Again S., return here in Con Lima (Commissioner) and Plum Ali (First Samurai). Only off the board once in 11 starts, the dark bay scored a decisive victory in the Honey Ryder S. May 1 and followed suit with a half-length defeat of Plum Ali in the Wonder Again June 3. Winner of this venue's GII Miss Grillo S. last term, Plum Ali was third in the GII Appalachian S. prior to the Wonder Again.

“She shows up and runs well every time,” said Todd Pletcher. “She finished up the mile and an eighth really well last time and being a daughter of Commissioner, you'd think the mile and a quarter would be within her scope. We're happy with the way she's doing and looking forward to giving her a shot.”

The first two home in the GIII Regret S. also return here in Gam's Mission (Noble Missioon {GB}) and Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}). Gam's Mission has a lifetime record of three-for-four and stakes winner Spanish Loveaffair has been a consistent performer in graded company.

Rounding out the field is a horse making her first start in graded company, but who hails from a barn that can't be ignored in a turf stakes. The Chad Brown-trained Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won a pair of 10-furlong events over this course Apr. 22 and June 10.

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