Justify’s Statuette Earns TDN Rising Star Tag at Navan

Coolmore, Westerberg and Merriebelle Stables' 2-year-old filly Statuette (Justify–Immortal Verse {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) was hammered into 11-10 favoritism for Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Navan and justified that welter of support by powering clear of her rivals in the latter stages to attain TDN Rising Stardom on debut. The March-foaled chestnut was well away to track the leaders in a share of third through the early stages. Nudged along to close soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, she quickened smartly to lead with 150 yards remaining and engaged turbo from there to prevail by an impressive three lengths from Olivia Maralda (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), becoming the second winner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy).

“It was nice to start her off on some nice ground,” said Ryan Moore. “She's a lovely, big filly and was a standout physically. She did that really nicely. She's a Justify out of Immortal Verse, so she's got an incredible pedigree. I'd like to think, looking at the size of her, that she will continue to progress throughout the season. She's a filly that Aidan [O'Brien] liked and I'm very happy with what she's done.” Ballydoyle's Chris Armstrong added, “She has always shown loads at home and could be a filly for the [G3] Albany [S. at Royal Ascot]. She's a very big filly, we'll take her home and see how she comes out of it. She is by Justify, an incredibly exciting sire, she's his first winner in Europe and he had a very good winner in America last weekend. We have some nice Justifys.”

Statuette is the latest of five foals and fourth scorer produced by Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose career highlights include victories in the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois. Immortal Verse, who topped the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares sale when knocked down for 4,700,000gns, is the leading performer for Listed Prix La Camargo victrix and G3 Prix Fille de l'Air runner-up Side of Paradise (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), whose descendants include stakes-winning G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. runner-up Roseman (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Side of Paradise is a full-sister to Listed Rose Bowl S. winner Flowerdrum (Ire) as well as being a half-sister to MG1SW sire Last Tycoon (Ire) (Try My Best), G3 Prix du Bois victrix The Perfect Life (Ire) (Try My Best) and dual G3 Goldene Peitsche-winning sire Astronef (Ire) (Be My Guest). Side of Paradise is also kin to the stakes-placed dam of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Valentine Waltz (Ire) (Be My Guest) and G1 Matron S. victrix Sense of Style (Thunder Gulch). Black-type descendants of Statuette's third dam Mill Princess (Ire) (Mill Reef) also include top-level winners Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Tie Black (Ire) (Machiavellian). Immortal Verse, whose leading performer is last year's G1 Cheveley Park S. victrix Tenebrism (Caravaggio), was bred to Justify last year.

1st-Navan, €16,000, Mdn, 5-28, 2yo, f, 5f 162yT, 1:11.55, gd.
STATUETTE, f, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Immortal Verse (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 7-.5f, G1SW-Eng & Fr, $1,053,873), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Side of Paradise (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Mill Princess (Ire), by Mill Reef
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €9,440. O-Westerberg, Coolmore & Merribelle Stables; B-Merriebelle Stables, Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Kingscote to Ride Desert Crown in Cazoo Derby

Saeed Suhail's 'TDN Rising Star' Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who won the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York on May 12, will continue his association with jockey Richard Kingscote in the G1 Cazoo Derby on June 4, according to trainer Sir Michael Stoute. A Nottingham maiden winner in November, the colt delivered a 3 1/4-length victory in the Dante and would become the sixth winner of the Blue Riband for the veteran trainer if he captured the 1 1/2-mile contest.

“He has ridden him plenty of work and won twice on him and he gets on well with him, so we will go down that route,” said Stoute of the reasoning behind the decision. “The owner is happy to have him on and so am I, so we will go down that route.

“It doesn't feel strange [that Ryan Moore] is not on board as he has been doing it for years. He has been riding horses for Aidan [O'Brien] in important races for a long time.”

Desert Crown has turned in one six-furlong work since his Dante triumph, and the colt is pleasing Stoute and his team less than two weeks from the big day.

Added, Stoute, “He was a good-looking horse with a good temperament, but we had to learn something about him on the racecourse and it was a positive.

“He had just one piece of work since the Dante. It was just a loosen-up really. He went six furlongs quite comfortably. He is workmanlike and not spectacular at home.

“He wouldn't have to come on too much but it was a good performance that puts him in the reckoning. He did surprise me [at York].

“If you win the Dante you don't have to improve much to win The Derby. He has still got to do it though. He is a nice athlete and has a lovely temperament. All good horses are important and it is nice to have them and it has given the yard a great lift.”

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No Nay Never’s Blackbeard In Command In The Marble Hill

Already a dual winner prior to Saturday's G3 GAIN Marble Hill S. at The Curragh, Ballydoyle's Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) was the picture of professionalism as he made all under Ryan Moore to assume the mantle of generation leader. Already hardened by the experience of battle in this track's May 2 Listed First Flier S., the 5-2 second favourite set out to dictate on this first foray over six furlongs and relished the extra distance as he shook off the even-money market-leader Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) to stretch to a 3 1/2-length success.

“We weren't exactly sure that he would get six, but Ryan thought the last day that he would and obviously he got it very well,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He relaxed very well and quickened very well, that's what you'd really love about him. No Nay Never is usually an influence for speed, which is good, but some of them don't get beyond sprinting distances. Looking at this horse, there is every chance that he could. We thought he'd be either a Norfolk or Coventry horse and he can go either way I think, but you'd have to say he's a Coventry type. We ran him today to see and you couldn't say he didn't pass that test.”

Blackbeard, who also scored at Dundalk Apr. 8, is the first foal out of Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), who was fourth in the 2017 G1 Moyglare Stud S. on only her second start. She is a daughter of the Curragh specialist Girouette (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who captured the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. and Listed Sweet Mimosa S. and was runner-up in the G3 Renaissance S. and third in the G3 Athasi S. here. From the family of the G3 Zetland S. and G3 John Porter S. scorer Max Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and the G2 Curragh Cup-placed Camphor (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Muirin's yearling is a full-sister to Blackbeard.

Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
GAIN MARBLE HILL S.-G3, €60,000, Curragh, 5-21, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.72, g/y.
1–BLACKBEARD (IRE), 131, c, 2, by No Nay Never
     1st Dam: Muirin (Ire), by Born To Sea (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Girouette (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
     3rd Dam: Vassiana (Fr), by Anabaa
1ST GROUP WIN. (270,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Newstead Breeding (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €36,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $72,549. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tough Talk (Ire), 131, c, 2, Kingman (GB)–Terrific (Ire), by Galileo (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €12,000.
3–Mehmar (Ire), 131, c, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–She's Different (Ire), by Epaulette (Aus).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (42,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; £200,000 2yo '22 GOFTY). O/T-Michael O'Callaghan; B-Tony Killoran (IRE). €6,000.
Margins: 3HF, 2 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, Evens, 5.00.
Also Ran: Ocean Vision (Ire), Deneuve (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Dubawi’s Alfred Munnings A New TDN Rising Star

Aidan O'Brien trainee Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}–Best In The World {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was all the rage for Friday's seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Leopardstown and justified market support, and then some, with a dominant debut performance, earning a TDN Rising Star rosette by 4 1/2 lengths on his birthday. The stable had won the contest in recent years with G1 Dewhurst S.-winning sire War Command (War Front) and G2 Vintage S.-winning sire War Decree (War Front) and also prepared Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to finish fourth in 2014. The eventual winner was away sharply and shadowed the leader in a close-up second through halfway. Sent to the front off the home turn, the 8-11 favourite quickened beyond recall soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and maintained a high tempo under minimal encouragement in the latter stages to easily outclass Segomo (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) by daylight.

“Aidan [O'Brien] was very happy with that and the plan is to go for the [Listed] Chesham [S. at Royal Ascot],” revealed Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong. “He was very professional, he knew his job and delivered on the promise he's shown so far. He's a good mover and has the pedigree behind him. Fingers crossed now he has a good chance in the Chesham. Hopefully, it's a proper maiden and he's won it very impressively.”

Alfred Munnings, half-brother to a weanling colt by Wootton Bassett (GB), is the third of four foals and second winner out of G3 Give Thanks S. victrix Best In The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the first being last year's runaway G1 Epsom, G1 Irish and G1 Yorkshire Oaks-winning sensation Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Best In The World is a full-sister to three pattern-race winners, namely MG1SW G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning superstar Found (Ire), GSW G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks placegetter Divinely (Ire) and G3 Noblesse S. victrix Magical Dream (Ire). Found's first foal is G2 Vintage S. victor and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and G1 St James's Palace S. placegetter Battleground (War Front). The May-foaled bay's second dam is G1 Matron S. and G1 Lockinge S. heroine Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab).

1st-Leopardstown, €16,000, Mdn, 5-13, 2yo, 7fT, 1:33.64, gd.
ALFRED MUNNINGS (IRE), c, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Best In The World (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $141,246), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Red Evie (Ire), by Intikhab
3rd Dam: Malafemmena (Ire), by Nordico
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,965. O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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