Tag: Shared News Europe

Breeders’ Cup Still an Option for King Of Steel

The GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 4 remains under consideration for Amo Racing's G1 QIPCO Champion S. winner  King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

“He appears to have come out of the race physically in good shape, but he would have had a hard race yesterday and we can't ignore that. We just have to see how he is over the next week,” said the colt's trainer Roger Varian. 

“I know Kia is very keen on the Breeders' Cup anyway, in general, and if he could get a good horse there, then of course he'd want to be there.

“But in fairness to Kia, he's been very good all year and he's always said to me only run the horse when you're 100 per cent happy, and if you're not, we don't go.”

He added, “I'm sure that will be the same regarding California in a couple of weeks' time. We need to give it a few days to see what messages the horse is giving us, so I'm not going to take it off the table and we'll just see how he is.”

King Of Steel, who was runner-up to Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Derby, has raced just seven times in his career, and also triumphed at Royal Ascot in June in the G2 King Edward VII S. 

Mostahdaf (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a late defector from the Champion S. as the ground deteriorated on Saturday, has been confirmed as on course for the Breeders' Cup Turf, which is likely to be the final race of his career.

The winner this season of the Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York, the John and Thady Gosden-trained five-year-old was ruled out of action after the stable won the first race of the day at Ascot with Trawlerman (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}).

“John and I had another look at it and spoke to Sheikha Hissa and said, 'look, it's your decision, but the ground isn't going to be in his favour', and John just felt it wasn't fair on the horse ending his career in ground we know he doesn't like – he couldn't hobble on it in the Arc last year,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for Mostahdaf's owner Shadwell.

“With the option of the Breeders' Cup still to come, there didn't seem any point in bowing out on a low note when we can go to California with a chance of running him on fast ground in a couple of weeks' time if he's still well.”

He added: “His best form here recently has been over a mile and a quarter, but over an American mile and a half, going down that hill for the first four furlongs or whatever it is, I think he'll stay it. He's a five-year-old now who has done brilliantly this year and I think if he does go to America that will be his last run.”

 

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Camelot’s Los Angeles Prevails In Thrilling Criterium de Saint-Cloud

Aidan O'Brien had experienced a famine of sorts since annexing 2010's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud with Recital (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}), but he was back in the familiar surroundings of Saint-Cloud's winner's circle after Ballydoyle second string Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}–Frequential {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) prevailed in a blanket finish to Sunday's latest renewal of the 10-furlong feature.

The 67-10 chance found the necessary gears late on to register an ultimately impressive debut success tackling nine furlongs at Tipperary at the beginning of last month and was well away to track the leaders in fourth through halfway here. Sent wide to the stands' side rail off the home turn, he was bustled along to launch his challenge with 300 metres remaining and stayed on strongly under continued urging to deny Joseph O'Brien trainee and G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. second Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by a neck. The podium was an O'Brien family affair with the winner's stablemate Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) keeping on well to finish 3/4-of-a-length adrift in third.

“He's a very big horse, I imagine he will be even better next year and we're very happy,” the winning trainer commented after collecting a fifth edition. “He won very well, going left-handed, at Tipperary and Seamus [Heffernan] loved him when he rode him [there]. Christophe [Soumillon] was a bit worried because he wasn't changing his legs throughout the race, but he said he picked up very nicely. He'd only had the one run and this was great experience for him. He's obviously still a bit babyish, but I'm delighted that he won. He could get a mile-and-a-half next year and he's something to look forward to.”

Los Angeles will seek to break an alarming trend set by recent winners. The gold medal has become something of a millstone since Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) prevailed in 2016, with 2020 victor Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) the only one of five to have added to his tally, in that quintet's 41 aggregate starts, after claiming a career high in the contest.

Reflecting on the effort of runner-up Islandsinthestream, Joseph O'Brien said, “It was a very good run and I'm proud of the horse's performance. It was a very good ride from Maxime [Guyon], but it's always frustrating when you get beaten in a Group 1. He'll have a holiday now and we'll look forward to some of those 3-year-old Group 1 races next summer. He's a horse we'll probably campaign internationally as well as at home.”

 

Pedigree Notes
Los Angeles, half-brother to a yearling colt by No Nay Never, is one of three winners from as many runners produced by an unraced half-sister to G3 Prix Messidor victor Impulsif (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). The February-foaled dark bay is a full-brother to G3 Ballyroan S. third Hector De Maris (Ire) and this year's G3 Prix Penelope third Be Happy (Ire). His third dam, G3 Prix de Flore victrix Allez Les Trois (Riverman), produced G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Anabaa Blue (GB) (Anabaa) and is a half-sister to storied blue hen Urban Sea (Miswaki).

Sunday, Saint-Cloud, France
CRITERIUM DE SAINT-CLOUD-G1, €250,000, Saint-Cloud, 10-22, 2yo, c/f, 10fT, 2:15.25, vsf.
1–LOS ANGELES (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Frequential (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Violante, by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Allez Les Trois, by Riverman
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Westerberg, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Longfield Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Christophe Soumillon. €142,850. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €151,850. *Full to Be Happy (Ire), GSP-Fr & SP-Ire; and Hector De Maris (Ire), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Islandsinthestream (Ire), 128, c, 2, Wootton Bassett (GB)–A Mist Opportunity (Aus), by Foxwedge (Aus). (€135,000 Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O-Islandsinthestream Partnership; B-Haras d'Etreham & Katelanis Bloodstock (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €57,150.
3–Illinois (Ire), 128, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Danedrop (Ire), by Danehill. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €28,575.
Margins: NK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 6.70, 1.90, 1.90.
Also Ran: Ramadan (Fr), Bracken's Laugh (Ire), Shiffrin (Ire), Casapueblo (Ire). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Cairo Returns in the Knockaire

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations features a son of Quality Road returning at Leopardstown seeking an initial stakes win.

14.10 Leopardstown, Listed, €40,000, 3yo/up, 8fT
CAIRO (IRE) (Quality Road) makes his return to the track after a five-month absence in this Listed Bahrain Turf Club Knockaire S., with his last start being a second to stablemate Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. Also successful in the G3 Killavullan S. here 12 months ago, the relative of Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) faces nine rivals tackling deep ground that will test his fitness.

HOW THEY FARED

16.46 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT
Blackpool (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the first runner for the G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), put up a sound debut effort in fourth behind his mightily impressive stablemate Ocean Of Dreams (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).

13.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 7f 23yT
Azada (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), the half-sister to Australian champion and sire The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), earned TDN Rising Star status with this taking debut in difficult conditions.

13.55 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, c/g, 7f 23yT
Moyglare Stud's Dermot Weld-trained debutant Spoken Truth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a full-brother to last year's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs (Ire), made headway from off the pace in the straight and finished one length and two heads behind the winner in fourth.

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Saint-Cloud: Juvenile Features Dominate Sunday Action

Saint-Cloud stage the key fayre on Sunday, with the G1 Criterium International and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud offering the juvenile crop a late opportunity to flaunt Classic pretensions. In the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Ballydoyle look for their first winner since 2010 with the impressive Curragh maiden winner Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) while the Joseph O'Brien-trained compatriot Islandsinthestream (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will provide clues as to the merit of his G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. conqueror Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Godolphin's unbeaten Andre Fabre-trained TDN Rising Star Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) is also in the mix along with Bernardine and Sean Mulryan's Haynes, Hanson & Clark S. winner Bracken's Laugh (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). His trainer Richard Hughes said, “It's a big ask going into such a race on just your second start, but that's why I ran him in a winner's race at Newbury. He needed to run in a proper race to prove himself and I feel he did that on the day, he made up a two or three lengths on a couple of winners and won well at the line and he proved he goes on the heavy ground.”

“When you spend 200,000gns on a horse you hope you are buying a superstar and I stuck my neck on the line for this fella,” Hughes added. “He's a huge horse and he did a very good breeze back in May when he shouldn't have been able. He's got an abundance of pace and he's bred to stay a minimum of a mile and a half. I feel I have ticked all the boxes other than having only run once.”

In the Criterium International, another TDN Rising Star from the Fabre stable is Baron Edouard De Rothschild's Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), who beat the re-opposing Saganti (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon over this mile trip and track last month. Guy Pariente, Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's G2 Champagne S. runner-up Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) is a key opponent and trainer David Menuisier believes he has a measure of the merit of Alcantor. “It's the form line of the Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud, when we finished fourth with Devil's Point and Andre Fabre's horse looks really good,” he said. “We respect the opposition but the horse is really well and I'm counting on him for a big run.”

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