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Frankel’s Nashwa Earns TDN Rising Star Tag With Daylight Romp

Imad Al Sagar's 3-year-old filly Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) ran third contesting a hot Newmarket novices' heat over seven furlongs in her only prior start last October and illuminated Haydock's Saturday fixture with an impressive 6 1/2-length romp to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status on seasonal return in the Pendleton EBF Fillies' Novice S., going just shy of one mile. The eventual winner was reined back to employ patient tactics behind the leaders in fifth after a sharp getaway. Looming large out wide on the bridle passing the quarter-mile marker, the G1 Epsom Oaks entry and 13-8 favourite cruised to the front soon after and bounded clear under minimal coxing inside the final furlong to easily outclass stablemate Wonderful Times (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) by daylight and justify her Rising Star embellishment.

“It was her first run of the season and she was a little fresh early, but Hollie [Doyle] got her into cover and, when she pulled her out and asked her the question, she quickened up nicely,” said trainer Thady Gosden. “The ground was probably a little too quick for her and I think we'd probably have to go for an Oaks trial after that performance. Owner Imad Al Sagar also bred the filly and any owner-breeder's target is the Oaks, so we'll pop her in a trial now and see where we go from there.”

Nashwa, half-sister to a yearling filly by Decorated Knight (GB), is the third of four foals and second scorer produced by stakes-winning G1 Prix Jean Romanet runner-up Princess Loulou (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a half-sister to Listed Pomfret S. third Easy Target (Fr) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Descendants of the May-foaled homebred bay's dual stakes-placed third dam Sweeping (GB) (Indian King), herself out of G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Glancing (GB) (Grundy {Ire}), include G1 Middle Park S.-winning sire Awzaan (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}), G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. winner Ball Lightning (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) and GIII Will Rogers S. victor Media Mogul (GB) (First Trump {GB}).

4th-Haydock, £9,200, Nov, 4-23, 3yo, f, 7f 212yT, 1:40.22, g/f.
NASHWA (GB), f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Princess Loulou (Ire) (SW-Eng, G1SP-Fr & GSP-Ire, $175,317), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Aiming (GB), by Highest Honor (Fr)
3rd Dam: Sweeping (GB), by Indian King
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $8,115. O-Imad Al Sagar; B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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Derby Form Front and Centre on FWD Champions Day

While the ongoing complications caused by COVID-19 have resulted in no overseas competition, Sunday's FWD Champions Day meeting at Sha Tin will not lack for intrigue, as the region's top horses face a real challenge from the first two home in last month's BMW Hong Kong Derby.

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) is the afternoon's pin-up horse as he seeks an unprecedented 21st career victory when he goes in defence of his crown in the G1 FWD Champions Mile. The 6-year-old suffered the second and third losses of his career in the G1 Stewards' Cup and G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, respectively, but bounced back with a resounding success in the G2 Chairman's Trophy last time Apr. 3. He's drawn ideally in barrier two and it's full steam ahead, according to his connections.

“We've got a good draw and obviously there should be two or three horses that will have some good pace,” said regular rider Vincent Ho. “Draw two is perfect for us and we can just track up to them and run them down in the straight. Since [his] last start, he's brought on his fitness more and we're confident going into this race.”

California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) cuts back to the mile after finishing a gallant second in the 10-furlong Derby. He was unlucky to lose the Hong Kong Classic Mile after setting the pace from a horror draw and bounced back in the Classic Cup over 1800 metres before just giving in late in the Derby. He will have to be caught.

“It's an exciting part of it,” said jockey Zac Purton. “I don't know where we stand against Golden Sixty–he could just be better than us and that might be the case on the weekend, but we're not going to know until we race against him and I feel that my bloke has still got room to improve.”

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) looks to become the first 4-year-old since Werther (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) in 2016 to win the Derby and double up in the G1 FWD QE II Cup. After rallying to best California Spangle in the Classic Mile, he was dealt a bad draw of his own and worked home well to be a close fourth in the Classic Cup. He knuckled down late to grab his rival in the shadows of the post in the Derby and will try to keep the ball rolling Sunday.

“Stepping up to open age…will be a big challenge for him, because he won the Derby and it was only against 4-year-olds,” said trainer Danny Shum. “Now, he's against Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is very good over 2000 metres, so it's a big challenge for him.”

Russian Emperor steps back up in trip, having finished a sound runner-up to Golden Sixty in the Chairman's Trophy over a distance that is clearly short of his best. Prior to that, the former G3 Hampton Court S. hero took out the Gold Cup, leaving Golden Sixty in his wake.

The third of the day's Group 1s is the Chairman's Sprint Prize, headed by its defending champion Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}). It figures to be something other than a straight-forward task, however, given the presence of G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint hero Sky Field (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) and Lucky Patch (NZ) (El Roca {Aus}), who was the $3.20 (11-5) favourite in the Sprint, only to go down in that horrific spill at the 400-metre mark.

Click here for the group fields.

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No Nay Never’s Aesop’s Fables Powers To TDN Rising Stardom at Navan

Aidan O'Brien's juvenile band is approaching full swing and the trainer's latest representative to hit the track, Coolmore and Westerberg's Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never), earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a taking debut display in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan. The 5 3/4-furlong dash was annexed last year by subsequent G3 Marble Hill S. runner-up, G2 Coventry S. fourth and G2 Railway S. third Masseto (GB) (Territories}) and Royal Ascot options abound for the half-brother to that meeting's Listed Windsor Castle S. hero Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) following a 2 1/4-length defeat of Tanaiyla (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}). The 7-4 second favourite was sharply into stride from the outside stall to stalk the experienced 10-11 favourite Midnight Toker (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in a close-up second through the early fractions. Nudged along at halfway, he came under increased urging once quickening to challenge passing the quarter-mile marker and found an additional gear inside the final furlong to go comfortably clear of his rivals.

“He's a very smart horse and has done all his homework very nicely,” commented Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong. “Aidan [O'Brien] was very happy with him and Ryan [Moore] has sat on him a few times and was very happy with him. We'll try and give him one run before [Royal] Ascot. It will either be in the valuable winners' race at Naas or there's a winners-of-one at the Curragh on June 1st. Then hopefully on to Ascot. Fingers crossed he is a very smart horse going forward. He's obviously from the family of Washington DC, who was a precocious 2-year-old, he's got plenty of options and is one you would love to have in your stable.”

Aesop's Fables is the latest of eight foals and sixth winner from as many runners produced by Listed Land O' Burns Fillies' S. third How's She Cuttin' (Ire) (Shinko Forest {Ire}), herself the leading performer out of a half-sister to the stakes-placed Escape Plan (Ire) (Key of Luck) and to the unraced dam of G3 Firth of Clyde S. victrix and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Aspen Darlin (Ire) (Indian Haven {GB}). Hailing from the family of MG1SW sire Grand Lodge (Chief's Crown), the February-foaled bay is a half to G3 Phoenix Sprint S. victor and MG1SP sire Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and G3 Chester vase runner-up Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

1st-Navan, €16,000, Mdn, 4-23, 2yo, 5f 164yT, 1:14.10, gd.
AESOP'S FABLES (IRE), c, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: How's She Cuttin' (Ire) (SP-Eng, $111,446), by Shinko Forest (Ire)
2nd Dam: Magic Annemarie (Ire), by Dancing Dissident
3rd Dam: Magic Garter (GB), by Precocious (GB)
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $10,366. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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Freshman Sire Expert Eye Off The Mark At Leicester

Banstead Manor Stud's first-crop sire Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) notched his first winner when the Ralph Beckett-trained debutant Sunny Orange (Ire) raced to an ultimately snug victory in Saturday's Madri Excepcional Maiden S. over five furlongs at Leicester. Juddmonte's 70,000gns Tattersalls December Foals acquisition went postward as the well-backed 2-1 second choice for the straight dash and was well away from an outer gate to track the leaders in fifth through the initial fractions. Making smooth headway from halfway, he was ridden to launch his challenge approaching the final furlong and driven out in the latter stages to defeat Al Khazneh (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) by 1 1/4 lengths.

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