Rogue Millennium “Exciting Prospect” For Joseph O’Brien

Group 2 winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a winner of the Duke of Cambridge S. and second in the G1 Matron S. last term for Tom Clover, is an “exciting prospect” for 2024, according to new trainer Joseph O'Brien.

Formerly owned by the Rogues Gallery, who picked her up for 35,000gns at the Tattersalls Mare December Sale as an unraced 2-year-old in 2021, the now-5-year-old mare was fifth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on QIPCO Champions Day last out in October. She was knocked down for 1.65 million gns at that same sale in December, with Lanigan/Durcan agent on the ticket on behalf of Heider Family Stables.

“She gives the impression that she'll always appreciate better ground and she shows plenty of pace,” said O'Brien. “We won't be shy about travelling her and have a long list of potential options for her in America where we think the style of racing will suit her. She's a very exciting prospect to have in the yard.”

O'Brien also had updates on several other stable stars, among them G2 Blandford S. winner Lumiere Rock (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). A good third to Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de l'Opera last October, she was not disgraced in the colours of Michael O'Flynn when sixth to Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf a month later in California. The G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May is first on her assignment sheet this term.

“She had a busy campaign last season, but never let us down and kept improving,” said O'Brien. “We all got a real thrill from her win in the Blandford S., and it was great that her owner Michael O'Flynn was there on the day to enjoy it with us.

“We are looking at the Tattersalls Gold Cup as an early-season target and will drive on from there.”

Group 1-winning juvenile Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a winner of the 2022 G1 National S., enjoyed a brief campaign at three in 2023. Second in the G3 International S. at the beginning of July, he filled that spot again in the wake of undefeated G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano in August. The 4-year-old entire is also pleasing O'Brien, and has been handed French targets, including the G1 Prix Ganay in April.

O'Brien said, “We are delighted with him. He was always a tall, rangy horse and has filled out into a magnificent athlete now.

“We were very sweet on him for the Irish Champion S., but a little issue the day before meant we couldn't run. Everything has gone very smoothly with him this preparation and we are steadily stepping up his work.

“We are working him towards the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp in late April. Longer term, I could see him stepping up to a mile and a half.

“He won a Group 1 over seven furlongs as a 2-year-old and has never looked short of pace, but he has the most lovely, relaxed way of going and it will give him a great chance to carry his pace over further if we ask him to. I'd be very hopeful he can win another Group 1.”

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Royal Ascot Winner Rogue Millennium Set For Sceptre Sessions

Trainer Tom Clover says that Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided him and his owners with a day they will never forget when winning at Royal Ascot but described her date with the Tattersalls December Mares Sceptre Sessions as the perfect way of seeing the Group 2 winner off on her next chapter as a broodmare.

Rogue Millennium, who was bought by Billy Jackson-Stops for just 35,000gns from Shadwell at this exact sale in 2021, has carried the colours of The Rogues Gallery with great distinction and brought Clover to some of the biggest meetings in Europe.

Not only did she justify her supplementation fee when landing the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot, but she also ran a gallant second to Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Matron S. at the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown.

She will now embark on her next chapter as a broodmare and Clover says that he is hopeful that the 4-year-old will prove quite an attractive prospect to all the big stud farms come December.

Recapping on that memorable triumph at the Royal meeting, Clover said, “It was just the most incredible day at Royal Ascot. It's the type of result you dream of when you start training. For a syndicate of really good friends and people now, who are such racing enthusiasts, to have a day like that together; we'll remember it for the rest of our lives. We'd a great big picnic in the car park beforehand and had a fantastic day. A day we'll remember forever.”

The trainer added, “She's a filly who we always had in mind to put through the ring at some stage. Being a daughter of Dubawi (Ire) and a Group 2-winning miler at Royal Ascot will hopefully make her quite attractive. Tattersalls has just been fantastic to us and the Rogues. I know Tony Elliott [syndicate manager] really wants to support them. Going there to the Spectre Sessions will be a fantastic way of seeing her off.”

Rogue Millennium reached an official rating of 110 and amassed over £300,000 in career earnings. She has won three times from 14 starts and placed on a further five occasions. She was last seen running fifth behind Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S.

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Deauville: Rothschild Heads August Festival Opener

Deauville's month-long racing fest is back upon us on Sunday, with the G1 Prix Rothschild the key event on a talent-packed card. British and Irish interests always excel at this meeting, so the first port of call must be the reinvented miler Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who was able to transfer the scintillating speed she had shown over middle distances of late to this trip in Royal Ascot's G2 Duke of Cambridge S. The pride and joy of Tom Clover's stable may have found an ideal opportunity to garner one of these precious contests with the big cats playing elsewhere.

“She travels so well and it is hard to have a horse to take her far enough through her races,” Clover said. “We won over a mile, so it makes sense to stay at a mile. Obviously it was a fantastic day at Ascot and one we will always remember, but let's hope we can continue on the path we've been going on. She seems well and has been since Ascot and hopefully we have some luck.”

Also from England is Wathnan Racing's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Falmouth S. runner-up Remarquee (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who has the edge over the Jessie Harrington challenger Sounds Of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on the Coronation form, while France's best chance of keeping this at home could rest with the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). She beat the subsequent shock G1 Prix Jean Prat heroine Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) in Chantilly's G2 Prix de Sandringham last time and is only going one way at present.

Richard Brown, racing adviser to Wathnan, said of Remarquee, “We are conscious it is her third run in a fairly short space of time, but we are going to give her a break next, win, lose or draw. She has come out of Newmarket in great form. She's still quite green and still learning her job. She came up against Nashwa at her best last time and that is a hard task for any filly.”

An Elite Cabourg…
In the fixture's G3 Prix de Cabourg, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Listed National S.-winning sensation Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) goes up to six furlongs for the first time having been found out for sharpness in Royal Ascot's G2 Norfolk S. Bad news for him is he has White Birch Farm's TDN Rising Star Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) lying in wait having entered the leading juvenile conversation when dynamic at Chantilly at the start of the month. Then there is the Fabre unknown in Prince Faisal's Saint-Cloud scorer Sajir (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who follows in the steps of the likes of Zamindar, Xaar (GB) and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal). François Boutin still holds the record of nine wins in this important staging post, but one more for Fabre and it will be shared.

Sunday's Support…
Also at Deauville, the seven-furlong G3 Prix Six Perfections Sky Sports Racing for 2-year-old fillies features Gousserie Racing and Jean-Etienne Dubois's Classic Flower (GB) (Calyx {GB}), who will give further evidence in the ongoing investigation into the true merit of TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) who thrashed her in the G2 Prix Robert Papin. Fabre saddles a granddaughter of Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) for Juddmonte here in the Chantilly winner Cavalletti (GB) (Kingman {GB}), while Ecurie des Charmes' impressive Compiegne debut winner Minoushka (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) could be another big name for the Lerners. Munich's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis sees Liberty Racing's G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) take on Godolphin's GI Saratoga Derby winner Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) who is back in Europe after his third from a horror draw in the Mar. 25 G1 Dubai Turf.

 

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Nathaniel Filly Yorkshire Oaks Bound After Hoppings Win

Friday's G3 Jenningsbet Hoppings Fillies S. at Newcastle represented one of the early skirmishes between the Classic generation and the older fillies and mares and it boiled down to a battle between two members of the former category with Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) emerging on top of Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Pitched into this by Karl Burke on the back of a five-length novice success over nearly 11 furlongs at Ripon at the start of the month, David and Yvonne Blunt's homebred looked to be doing too much early with Sam James keen to restrain her behind the pace. Keeping enough in reserve for the pursuit of fellow 3-year-old Rogue Millennium in the straight, the 8-1 shot gained the advantage at the furlong pole and stayed on to score by a length.

Poptronic, who was also successful on Wolverhampton's Tapeta over an extended mile in late December, has a big date on her dance card now. “We talked about the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting, so I would imagine that will be her target if she was good enough,” Burke said. “She obviously proved herself good enough today to have a go at it. They went pretty steady early, but we didn't really want to make it with her. She is a bit keen, but Sam said she looks a bit keener than she actually is. He said she wasn't too bad, but swings her head around a little bit. It was a great performance and she is obviously a filly on the up.”

The dam Alpine Dream (Ire) (Dream Ahead), a daughter of the G2 Lowther S. winner Infamous Angel (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) connected to the G3 Hotham S. runner-up Mankayan (Ire) (Intello {Ger}). Her unraced 2-year-old filly is by Brazen Beau (Aus).

Friday, Newcastle, Britain
JENNINGSBET HOPPINGS FILLIES S.-G3, £60,000, Newcastle, 6-24, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 42y (AWT), 2:13.12, st/sl.
1–POPTRONIC (GB), 121, f, 3, by Nathaniel (Ire)
     1st Dam: Alpine Dream (Ire), by Dream Ahead
     2nd Dam: Infamous Angel (GB), by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
     3rd Dam: Evangeline (GB), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-David & Yvonne Blunt (GB); T-Karl Burke; J-Sam James. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $57,057. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rogue Millennium (Ire), 121, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Hawaafez (GB), by Nayef.
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (35,000gns 2yo '21 TATMA). O-The Rogues Gallery; B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (IRE); T-Tom Clover. £12,900.
3–Pearl Beach (GB), 133, m, 5, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Western Pearl (GB), by High Chaparral (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Mr & Mrs N Welby (GB); T-William Knight. £6,456.
Margins: 1, 1HF, 2. Odds: 8.00, 2.75, 7.50.
Also Ran: Moon de Vega (GB), Ad Infinitum (GB), Angel Power (GB), Potapova (GB), Auria (GB), Lower Street (GB). Scratched: My Astra (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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