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Second Irish EBF Ballyhane S. Field Revealed

The field for the 24-strong €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. was revealed on Friday. Led by the unbeaten Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), the race will begin at 2:25 p.m. at Naas Racecourse on Aug. 2. Her Ger Lyons stablemate Recurrent Dream (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) sports a win over the course and distance, and they will be joined in the lineup by their yardmate Jarvis (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}).

The Brighton winner Dusky Prince (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) and the aforementioned Recurrent Dream are both running for the €50,000 Ballyhane Bonus, as they are both by Ballyhane stallions. Dusky Prince's latest run was an off-the-board finish in the Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot in June.

Said trainer Archie Watson of Dusky Prince, “Dusky Prince is a very solid colt. He won nicely at Brighton on his debut and things just didn't go his way since. He missed the break in the Woodcote and it was horrible ground that day and then things just happened too quick for him at Royal Ascot back over five furlongs in the Windsor Castle.

“The step back up in trip on Monday will be a help and this was a race we were keen to support and with Dusky Prince being by Prince Of Lir and the bonus for a winner by Prince Of Lir it was certainly worth having a crack at.”

Other intriguing entrants include the dual winner Bosh (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}), who is trained by Richard Hannon, while Kevin Ryan fields the pair of Aleezdancer (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Smullen (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). Ever Given (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) hails from the Tom Dascombe barn and won the Unibet Deposit £10 Get £40 Bonus Nursery H. at Goodwood on Friday. The winning Missing Matron (Ire) (Vocalised) will start for Jim Bolger.

In its second year, the race is restricted to juveniles that are EBF eligible and whose sire established a median price of not more than €75,000 at the 2020 yearling sales. The races's winning breeder will receive a free nomination to one of the Ballyhane sires courtesy of Ballyhane Stud. In addition, if the winner is by a Ballyhane Stud stallion, there is a €50,000 bonus on top of the €300,000 purse. The racecourse has also partnered with the Barretstown children's charity to raise funds during the Ballyhane S.

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Night of Thunder’s Suesa Storms to King George Glory

Unbeaten bar a latest blip in testing ground in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, George Strawbridge's Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) bounced back to her brilliant best in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood. Sent off at 7-1, the Apr. 20 G3 Prix Sigy and May 17 G3 Prix Texanita winner chased the frantic early pace which saw the four-times winner Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sitting off it throughout the early stages. Coming alive for William Buick at halfway, the Francois Rohaut-trained bay powered by Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole en route to a three-length dismissal of that fellow 3-year-old, with Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) the best of the older sprinters 1 1/2 lengths away in third. Battaash, the 2-1 favourite, found little when the crunch came and trailed in seventh. “It was an amazing performance,” the in-form Buick said after steering his sixth winner of the meeting after his success in the other “King George” at Ascot on Saturday. “She travelled through the race very strongly and had that kick at the finish off a fast pace. It was bad ground in the Commonwealth Cup and she couldn't get any cover early over six furlongs, so she ended up running her race the wrong way round there. Everyone had put a line through that and I wanted to let her travel where she was comfortable here, so it was just about getting a run. She has a great attitude and is very calm–she's just a very good filly.”

Racing for owner Georgina Cabrero and trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias initially, Suesa scored in a debutantes contest over six furlongs at Chantilly in October before following up over 5 1/2 furlongs back at that venue in the Listed Prix Yacowlef the next month. Doing enough to draw attention from George Strawbridge as a result, she provided an instant return on his investment when taking the Sigy over the Yacowlef course and distance before winning with just as much authority over six on her fourth start at Chantilly in the Texanita. Sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Commonwealth, she was beaten two out and faded to eighth after racing prominently and it was a case of back to the drawing board for connections.

Entering this aggressive test of pace something of a forgotten filly as a result, it turned out to be tailor-made for her racing style and the true Suesa was in evidence as she brushed aside some leading sprinters including Shadwell's lord of the manor in a watershed moment for this prize. Always travelling within herself following Dragon Symbol and Arecibo (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) as the race regular Ornate (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) blazed the trail, she was off the bridle and working as Battaash was still hard on the steel for Jim Crowley out wide with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. While his effort petered out remarkably quickly, Suesa's surge was relentless to make the speedy Dragon Symbol and Glass Slippers appear relatively pedestrian late on.

James Wigan, racing manager for George Strawbridge, said, “We thought she was very good before Ascot and then the rain came and the ground was bottomless. She just couldn't act on it, luckily we took her home and she was okay. Her form in France before was very impressive, but we didn't know what she'd be like over here. There aren't really many deep sprint group races in France in the summer, so this was the obvious place to come. As for a run at York [in the Aug. 20 G1 Nunthorpe S.], it depends what she is like when she gets back. She'll have had quite a lot of travelling, coming here and then going back, then coming again having already done Ascot. The [Oct. 3 G1] Abbaye will be the obvious target. There is a very good chance she will stay in training next year, as the owner is very much a sportsman.”

Oisin Murphy was left feeling deflated by another runner-up finish for Dragon Symbol. “He is better than that. It's a shame the good ones weren't drawn beside him, we followed the wrong ones,” he said. Glass Slippers' trainer Kevin Ryan was pleased with the effort of the mare on her seasonal bow. “We would like to have got a racecourse gallop into her, but the ground has been so firm everywhere. We didn't want to risk doing that,” he said. “We knew coming here she was going to need the run. We can look forward to the rest of the year now. We will have a chat over the weekend, but we will generally take the same sort of route, the race in Ireland [the Sept. 12 G1 Flying Five] I would imagine will be on the agenda. It will be a nice chat to have on Sunday morning.”

Charlie Hills was inclined to blacme the ground for the uncharacteristically tame effort of the favourite. “He had a good trip and although there was a lot of pace on the other side of the track he came into it nice and strong,” he said. “l was a little bit concerned about the going here today and he didn't handle it as well as he could have done. We were happy that he was doing everything he's done in the past few years and there was no difference really. We'll see how he comes out of this and speak to the management and Sheikha Hissa and see where we go.”

Jim Crowley added, “The ground was probably slow enough for him. He travelled well early and showed plenty of enthusiasm. Even cantering down, I thought the going was slow enough.” Shadwell's Angus Gold refused to give a kneejerk reaction, but seemed to be suggesting that retirement could beckon now. “He had an injury last year and it took him a long time to come right. He's had issues all his life and I think it's remarkable that he's back with us at all,” he commented. “I'll speak to Sheikha Hissa. He is her horse and the last thing we want to do is abuse him. After all the problems he's had and him being seven, why would we go on now? Ascot I thought was a good run given how long he had been back in the yard. Today was not so good. Obviously, Charlie and the team would like to keep him in the yard, but there comes a time for all of us.”

Suesa is out of an unraced half-sister to the Listed Radley S.-placed Sheboygan (Ire) (Grand Lodge) and daughter of the Listed Tyros S. third White Satin (Ire) (Fairy King). The latter is kin to the stakes-winning and GII Honeymoon H.-placed Chenille (Ire) (Tenby {GB}) and the group 3-placed Sweet Treat (Ire) (Orpen) connected to the dual listed-winning and dual group-placed sprinter Nights Cross (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). This is the family of the Sadler's Wells duo of luminaries Barathea (Ire) and Gossamer (GB) and the multiple group-winning sire Desert Style (Ire) (Green Desert). Sally Is the Boss, whose previous best was the Spanish champion juvenile colt Valle Inclan (Ire) (Elusive Pimpernel), also has the unraced 2-year-old filly Celebrate In Style (Ire) (Estidhkaar (Ire) and a yearling colt by The Last Lion (Ire).

Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
KING GEORGE QATAR S.-G2, £300,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 3yo/up, 5fT, :59.35, g/s.
1–SUESA (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Sally Is the Boss (Ire), by Orpen
2nd Dam: White Satin (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Canton Lightning (Ire), by Rheingold (GB)
1st GROUP 1 WIN. (€17,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-George Strawbridge; B-Thomastown Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Francois Rohaut; J-William Buick. £170,130. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Fr, 6-5-0-0, $376,852. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dragon Symbol (GB), 124, c, 3, Cable Bay (Ire)–Arcamist (GB), by Arcano (Ire). (67,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Archie Watson. £64,500.
3–Glass Slippers (GB), 125, m, 5, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O/B-Bearstone Stud Limited (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. £32,280.
Margins: 3, 1HF, 2. Odds: 7.00, 2.50, 22.00.
Also Ran: Arecibo (Fr), Keep Busy (Ire), Stone of Destiny (GB), Battaash (Ire), Art Power (Ire), Good Effort (Ire), Liberty Beach (GB), Zargun (Ger), Ornate (GB), Ubettabelieveit (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Sea The Stars’s Baaeed Explosive in Goodwood’s Thoroughbred

Shadwell's homebred 3-year-old colt Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) announced his arrival on the scene going three-for-three with a four-length rout in Newmarket's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. earlier this month and continued a rapid rise through the ranks with an explosive performance in Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. He had earlier snagged a June 7 one-mile maiden on debut at Leicester, following up under a six-pound penalty in a June 19 novice heat at Newmarket, and went postward with overwhelming crowd confidence for this fourth outing at the one-mile trip. Baaeed employed patient tactics from flagfall and settled off the pace, racing sixth of the seven runners, through halfway. Making eyecatching headway under a motionless Jim Crowley in the straight, the 2-5 favourite loomed large hard on the steel approaching the furlong marker and lengthened clear in impressive fashion to easily outclass G1 Coral-Eclipse fourth El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by a widening 6 1/2 lengths. Royal Ascot's G2 King Edward VII S. runner-up Tasman Bay (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) bolstered the form and finished a half length back in third.

“People keep saying he is running good times, but he's just a good horse and keeps doing it,” said trainer William Haggas. “He's sound, healthy and fast. I learnt today that he doesn't need fast ground to be at his best and it confirmed that he is a good horse. Baaeed is a full-brother to Hukum, who stays 14 furlongs, and looking at him, he looks like he is faster than his pedigree suggests. We will stay at a mile for now. He started life on June 7 and it is now July 30. He has had four races and been running in decent company against 3-year-olds. He's in the races that he should be and it is time he took on the better ones in the bigger races. He is entered in the [G1 Prix] Jacques Le Marois, the [G2] Celebration Mile back here and the [G1 Prix du] Moulin. I'm not for running them regularly, but horses are bred to race and I am very happy to run him in a top-class race next time.”

Shadwell's racing manager Angus Gold added, “It looked like he got there very quickly when Jim [Crowley] asked him. He has a fantastic attitude and you've got to think he is a Group 1 horse. Until he proves us wrong, or gets caught out over a mile, there's no point in going up to 10 furlongs. He is very much a 12-furlong horse on pedigree, but you just have to stand behind him and look at his quarters to see where his speed comes from. We are lucky to have him and too much speed is a nice problem to have.”

Reflecting on the performance, rider Jim Crowley commented, “Baaeed has an engine on him and I was quite happy to sit where I was. We had a low draw, but I didn't want to go up the inside and complicate it, especially here at Goodwood. He got into a nice rhythm and, when I pulled him out, I knew I had plenty of horse. We had a few concerns about the good-to-soft ground as he has not gone on it before, but as you could see it was no problem. He is a proper horse and you would like to think that he is a Group 1 horse, but he's got to go and do it. I don't see any reason to step him up in trip at the moment and, from a stallion's point of view, you'd love him to win Groups 1 races over a mile. I am sure, at some stage, he will go up in trip.”

Roger Varian was not downcast in defeat and accepted runner-up El Drama had met with something special. “In trying to stretch the winner, he just tired in the final 100 yards, but we are pleased he held on for second,” the Newmarket trainer said. “We were blown away by the winner, but he ran a nice race. El Drama is a very likeable horse and just shy of the top grade at the moment. I think he will improve with age and will be a nice horse to have in the stable over the next year or two. He is at this level while the winner looked a Group 1 horse.”

Baaeed is the fifth of seven foals and one of three scorers out of Listed Prix de Liancourt victrix Aghareed (Kingmambo), herself a daughter of MGISW US champion Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). Lahudood, in turn, is a granddaughter of Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Bashayer (Mr. Prospector), herself one of seven black-type performers out of MGSW blue hen Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}). Baaeed is a full-brother to last term's G3 Geoffrey Freer S. and this month's G3 Silver Cup winner Hukum (Ire). The April-foaled homebred bay is also a half-brother to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Zaghaareed (GB) (Intello {Ger}) and a yearling colt by Nathaniel (Ire).

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
BONHAMS THOROUGHBRED S.-G3, £100,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 3yo, 8fT, 1:41.20, gd.
1–BAAEED (GB), 127, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $133,500. *Full to Hukum (Ire), MGSW-Eng, $224,940. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–El Drama (Ire), 127, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Victoire Finale (GB), by Peintre Celebre. (425,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Farm Cove Thoroughbreds (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £21,500.
3–Tasman Bay (Fr), 127, c, 3, Le Havre (Ire)–Purely Priceless (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (€220,000 Ylg '19 ARAUG). O-Sir Peter Vela; B-SARL de Chambure, Haras d'Etreham & SARL Ecurie des Charmes (FR); T-Sir Mark Todd. £10,760.
Margins: 6HF, HF, NK. Odds: 0.40, 11.00, 22.00.
Also Ran: Perotto (GB), Tactical (GB), Khartoum, Rhythm Master (Ire). Scratched: Passionova (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Battaash Primed For a Fifth King George

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) began his impressive ascent to the top of the sprinting tree in the 2017 edition of the G2 King George Qatar S. and in all his return Goodwood visits he has been unflinching and unbeatable. He returns to the race he has made his own in search of a glorious five-timer on Friday and after Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was forced out of a similar bid on Tuesday the onus is firmly on him. Immaculate last term with his three starts culminating in successes here and in Royal Ascot's G1 King's Stand S. and the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York, he was probably a touch short of his peak when fourth behind Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) on his return in the June 15 King's Stand and connections are happy they have him spot-on now. “It was well-documented that he hadn't been back in training long before Ascot, so it didn't surprise me that he needed it,” racing manager Angus Gold commented. “Hopefully he has come on from that. It's an obvious fact he's not getting any younger and at some stage he will start to slow down, but hopefully not yet.”

“He showed us all his old dash was still there [at Ascot]–he seemed very happy to be back at the races, behaved himself well, so there were a lot of positives to take out of it,” Gold added. “They went very, very hard – he sat just behind them, came through to take it up and just blew up and got tired. “It would be very special if he could pull it off. It's already pretty remarkable, four years in a row and it's great for racing. We were blessed last year and sadly no one could witness it, so let's hope we can make up for it this year.”

Taking aim at the King of Sussex is 'TDN Rising Star' Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), who was stripped of his win in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18 only to lose out again at the highest level when Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) proved too strong in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket July 10. Campaigned at this trip only once so far, Yoshiro Kubota's 3-year-old sensation was impressive in a conditions race at Hamilton May 2, the race in which he earned his Rising Star tag. “We're drawn away from Battaash which isn't ideal, but there is pace around us with Good Effort and Ornate,” jockey Oisin Murphy said. “I know it's not been long, but he had a little freshen up after the July Cup. I'm looking forward to coming back to five furlongs with him, his sectionals at Newmarket were very fast. I really respect Battaash, he's obviously a champion, but Dragon Symbol will hopefully give him something to think about if he's at his best.”

Runner-up to Battaash 12 months ago, Bearstone Stud's Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) bows to very few having won the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp in 2019, The Curragh's G1 Flying Five in September and the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland when last seen in November. She is facing as tough a seasonal bow as is possible to find in a Group 2 in name only, while King Power Racing's Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is race-hardened this term and has been knocking loudly on the door of late. It could be that Goodwood and this trip is an ideal combination for the strong front-runner, who was third in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. on Royal Ascot's soft ground June 19 and was caught only in the final strides when fourth in the July Cup.

Also on the card are the G3 l'Ormarins Queen's Plate Glorious S. and the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S., with the latter hosting a Shadwell representative at the other end of the career spectrum in the unbeaten 3-year-old Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). So impressive over this mile trip in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket July 8, the full-brother to Hukum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) may have an easier task here than on that occasion with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) held on the form of his win in Chester's Listed Dee S. over an extended 10 furlongs May 6.

“It's a step up and it's all happened quite quickly for him,” racing manager Angus Gold said of the exciting William Haggas-trained homebred. “He's had three relatively quick runs, but from what William and his team can see at home he seems in good shape. He seems to have a good mind on him–he takes it well. The interesting thing with this horse is, from his pedigree, you would think he wanted further and yet he's got the class to be winning so far–including a decent race last time–over a mile. One day, I'm imagining we will be wanting to go a mile and a quarter with him, but equally at the same time you couldn't say the way he won at Newmarket last time he necessarily needed a jump up in trip just yet.”

Connections are keeping an eye on the weather. “There's talk of rain on Thursday night and I think if it was heavy rain and it went back to what it was on Tuesday, there's every chance he wouldn't be there,” he warned. “If it's just on the easy side of good, I can't see that being too much of a problem. When they've done all their winning on faster ground, until you've seen them go on slower you don't know.”

In the Glorious over a mile and a half, Ballydoyle's 'TDN Rising Star' Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) returns to the course and distance of his success in the G3 Gordon S. at last year's festival. Last seen finishing at the tail of the field in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom June 4, the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Hong Kong Vase hero needs the ground to continue to dry out. If he is compromised, the May 27 G3 Brigadier Gerard S. and July 2 Listed Gala S.-winning veteran Euchen Glen (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) will be on his case. “He won here last season and he would take all the beating if in the same form that saw him take care of In Swoop in the Grand Prix de Paris and win the Hong Kong Vase afterwards,” Mogul's rider Ryan Moore said. “He hasn't hit that note in three runs this year and clearly didn't give his running at Epsom last time, but if the ground dries out sufficiently for him and he runs his race than he is a serious Group 1 horse taking on lesser rivals here.”

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