Tag: Shared News Europe

TDN Rising Star Elbaz Steps Out At Chantilly

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. Saturday's Observations features the return of a 'TDN Rising Star'.

13.40 Chantilly, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, 1600mT
ELBAZ (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut in Deauville's important Prix de Crevecoeur in July and Jean-Claude Rouget opts to stick to conditions races for now with The Aga Khan's relative of Siyouni's starlet Ervedya (Fr). Also in this Prix des Aigles is Peter Bradley's acquisition Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), a Mario Baratti-trained relative of the GI Beldame S. runner-up Tiger Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) who also opened his account on debut at Deauville for Scuderia Scolari who retain a share.

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£50,000 Ex-Racehorse Class Added To Cornbury House Horse Trials

A new class for ex-racehorses, worth £50,000, will be conducted at the Cornbury House Horse Trials in 2025, Jayne McGivern and Cornbury House Horse Trials announced on Friday.

The new class is the initiative of McGivern of Dash Grange Stud, who owns top event horses, and David Howden, group CEO and founder of Howden and founder and president of the Cornbury House Horse Trials. Her aim is to also raise the profile of the adaptable nature of Thoroughbreds, especially in terms of their suitability for eventing. She is donating £50,000 in prize-money, and the class will be run alongside the other classes at Cornbury House Horse Trials. The class will showcase Thoroughbreds and their abilities, aiming to encourage riders to take on and retrain ex-racehorses and incentivise riders to work towards the 2025 class. It will also provide an additional opportunity for ex-racehorses, building on the existing resource and guidance provided by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR).

Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud said, “I am thrilled to be able to launch a new ex-racehorse class that will run in 2025 and thank David Howden for his support in allowing my idea to come to fruition. Racing and eventing are both my passions and through this class we will be able to showcase the talent that Thoroughbreds have in their second careers.”

The class will begin at CCI2*/Novice level with further details to be announced in due course.

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Making Waves: Classic Vibes At Kentucky Downs

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of the Classic-placed Lindy at Kentucky Downs, formerly the “Dueling Grounds”, in Southern Kentucky.

 

Le Havre Filly Wins in Kentucky

The French Classic-placed Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) won a Kentucky Downs affair for Everest Racing and trainer Brendan Walsh on Thursday (video).

Part of the Ecurie La Vallee Martigny Earl breeding programme, Lindy was knocked down to Ghislain Bozo's Meridian International for €90,000 as a 2021 Arqana August yearling. A winner of her first three starts including a listed race at Toulouse for trainer Christophe Ferland and an ownership group of Ecurie Waldeck, Didier Provost, Ecurie Elag, Et Al, the filly was second in the G3 Prix de la Grotte behind Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), and would be runner-up again to that rival in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for Everest Racing, Ecurie Waldeck, Meridian International, Ecurie Elag, Ecurie Nininoe, Provost and Frank Dhooghe. Unplaced in the G1 Prix de Diane, she was making her first Stateside start this week.

The third foal, winner and black-type horse out of her multiple stakes-placed dam Llanita (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), Lindy is a half-sister to listed winner Nirliit (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}) and the multiple stakes-placed Almeida Girl (GB) (Temple City). Her dam has a juvenile colt named Shawnee (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and a yearling colt by Zelzal (Fr).

Sumbe's late Le Havre has 50% winners to runners (10/20) in the U.S. His best is GI Keeneland Turf Mile S. hero Suedois (Fr), while Rymska (Fr) and Orglandes (Fr) have also won at the graded level.

 

 

An Oaks For Saxon Warrior Filly

Ken McPeek trainee Freydis The Red (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) found the unique undulations of Kentucky Downs to her liking when winning the Listed Dueling Grounds Oaks for Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm (video).

Bred by Eric Puerari, Ocean Bloodstock, Ecurie du Parc Monceau et. al., the chestnut was plucked by McPeek out of the Arqana August Yearling for €125,000 in 2021. The daughter of the winning Songerie (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) had previously been placed in the GIII Pucker Up S. at Ellis Park last month. A half-sister to the stakes-placed Sojourn (Ger) (Iffraaj {GB}), the 3-year-old's juvenile half-sister Sogniamo (Fr) (Calyx {GB}) has been placed. Numerous Group 1 winners trace to the stakes-placed second dam Suivez (Fr) (Fioravanti), among them American champion Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), Japanese champions Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) and Stars On Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), and Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}).

Freydis The Red is the second stakes winner for Saxon Warrior in the U.S. after GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire). Three of his four starters (75%) are winners in America, while worldwide he has seven stakes winners. His Zulu Warrior (Fr) took the Listed Prix Turenne on Friday.

 

 

Siyouni Gelding Takes Rich Kentucky Downs Event

Representing Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel, Beuys (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) won for the first time on American soil at Kentucky Downs for trainer Brendan Walsh on Thursday evening (video).

Bred by Ecurie David Salabi, the gelding was a €220,000 Arqana October yearling in 2019 when picked up by Oceanic Bloodstock. He won his first two starts for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, and was subsequently transferred to the Chad Brown barn in the U.S. two starts later. Sold following a pair of tries at Gulfstream Park in Florida earlier this year, he brought $82,000 at the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale on the bid of agent Fergus Galvin.

Out of the winning Kendor (Fr) mare Plain Vanilla (Fr), Beuys is a half-brother to the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air second Vespera (Ire) (Teofilo {Ir}), and is from the family of G2 Prix de Sandringham heroine Volta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), herself placed in both the G1 Prix Rothschild and the G1 Prix de Diane.

Standing under The Aga Khan Studs' banner at Haras de Bonneval, Siyouni has 15 winners from 37 runners (40%) in the U.S. to his credit. Four of them has struck at stakes level (10.1%), including Grade III winners Sacred Life (Fr), La Signare (Fr), and Love And Thunder (Ire).

 

 

Del Mar Route The Trick For Zoustar Filly

Lunar Impact (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) won at fourth asking stepping up to a mile for trainer Dan Blacker and D K Racing, Qatar Racing, Radley Equine, Rick Gold and Dave Odmark on the Del Mar grass on Saturday (video).

The P. E. Barrett-bred chestnut was a 100,000gns graduate out of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when picked up by David Redvers and Boomer Bloodstock's Craig Rounsefell in 2021. She is the third winner for her dam, whose best result was a third at listed level in Germany. Button Moon (Ire) (Compton Place {GB}) has the juvenile filly Wedyan (GB) (Advertise {GB}), a yearling filly by Mohaather (GB), and a full-brother to Lunar Impact to come. This is the family of multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

From just six U.S. runners, reverse shuttle stallion Zoustar is responsible for three winners (50%) to date, with his first Northern Hemisphere-bred crop just 3-year-olds. Worldwide, the Widden Stud (SH)/Tweenhills Stud (NH) resident has 39 stakes winners, with his Northern Hemisphere best the G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Lezoo (GB).

 

 

Honourable Mentions

GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. victor Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) secured his third graded stakes of the year, with a 1 1/4-length win in the GII Del Mar H. Presented by The Japan Racing Association for trainer Phil D'Amato (video).

Another D'Amato trainee was also already featured in a March column of Makings Waves, Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}). He earned his second graded stakes victory in Del Mar's GIII Green Flash H. last week (video). Thanks to the solid racecourse results for his progeny, his sire has earned a place at Haras du Petit Tellier for the coming year under a new partnership.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Dream With Me Stable's Parnac (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) claimed a career high in the GII Flower Bowl S. at Saratoga for Christophe Clement near the end of the meet (video). Her sire just sired his first Group 1 winner in Germany on Sunday.

 

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Vespertilio Al Shira’aa’s ‘Best Chance’ At Irish Champions Festival

Al Shira'aa's Kieran Lalor has nominated Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) as the operation's best chance of a winner at the Irish Champions Festival where the rapidly-progressive filly lines out in Sunday's G1 Moyglare S. at the Curragh. 

Vespertilio forms part of a three-pronged attack on Ireland's flagship Flat festival that features homebred Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in Saturday's G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. at Leopardstown and Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in the Matron S. on the same card. 

“We've six horses in training in Ireland and three of them are competing at the Irish Champions Festival, so we need to keep pinching ourselves,” racing and bloodstock manager Lalor said on Friday. 

The black and red silks of Al Shira'aa has already enjoyed top-level triumphs with Mutamakina (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in America and Jannah Rose in France (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Lalor has talked up the chances of Vespertilio in Sunday's eagerly-anticipated Moyglare. 

Vespertilio comes into that race off the back of a wildly impressive display in the G2 Debutante S. over the same course and distance and, while Lalor is respectful of the opposition with G3 Silver Flash S. conqueror Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) heading the market, he is expecting a bold show.

He said, “Vespertilio is getting better and better with experience. She had a fantastic run in the Debutante, showing a tremendous turn of foot to come from last under Billy [Lee] and I don't think he had to ride her too hard to do that, either. I'd say if she had been closer to Ylang Ylang in the Silver Flash, I think she would have been right there at the line. She's only a May foal so is developing and growing all the time.”

Lalor added, “She's just getting better and better with racing. It's a tough task and to have a runner in the Moyglare is very special for us. We're going in there with a lot of confidence but obviously it's Group 1 and anything can happen. We're very excited. She's our best chance of the weekend and it's great for Willie [McCreery, trainer], who is a big part of our operation. He's a top-class trainer–he was a bloody good footballer but some would argue he's an even better trainer and he's hugely important to us.”

Atlantic Coast has the unwanted task of staring down the barrel of another Ballydoyle big gun in Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Leopardstown. 

Trained by Joseph O'Brien, the homebred colt made a fine start to his career when winning a Curragh maiden in good fashion, and Lalor is expecting more to come.

He said, “This is actually a good story because we usually sell all of our colts but the day before the Orby, David Cox of Baroda Stud called to say that this lad had kicked a wall and that he had to be scratched. Thank God he did! 

“Now, he probably would have made three or four hundred grand because he's such a beautiful-looking colt, but it's very special for everyone on the farm to have a homebred running in a Group 2 at the Irish Champions Festival.”

Lalor added, “It's a big step up from a maiden into a Group 2 but Joseph has done a brilliant job with him and I don't think stepping up to a mile will be an issue for him either. It's a good race, with Deepone and Formal Display in there, but it seems as though we all have to beat Diego Velazquez.”

Should Diego Velazquez justify his short price in the betting, it wouldn't be all that bad for Al Shira'aa, the emerging bloodstock force of Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Lalor wisely secured Saadiyat (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a half-sister to Diego Velazquez, at Book 1 at Tattersalls in 2021 and the page has gone from strength to strength ever since. 

Saadiyat, like the majority of the Al Shira'aa string, will return to the farm just off the Curragh at Maddenstown and join the broodmare band when her career is over. 

The small but select approach to one of the newest owner-breeding operations in Ireland is paying rich dividends and, while Al Shira'aa were not active at Arqana last month, Lalor explained that it was not for a lack of trying and he revealed the team would be out in force at the Goffs and Tattersalls sales in the coming weeks. 

Lalor said, “We didn't get anything at Arqana but we plan on being active at the Orby at Goffs and at Tattersalls as well. I must say that the Orby looks very good this year. I've gone through the catalogue a couple of times and it looks like one of those great Orbys from the late nineties when everyone was scrapping for Flame Of Taras and the like. We've a very big list to get through and, in fairness to the breeders and to Goffs, they've put on a good book. Hopefully the physicals match up.”

But before then, Al Shira'aa also has Ocean Jewel to look forward to the Matron, and Lalor is not ruling out McCreery's filly out-running her odds of 33-1. 

He said, “Ocean Jewel is much better than what she showed at Naas a few weeks back. She won a Group 3 at Leopardstown over seven furlongs earlier this season and the question with her is if she will get the mile or not. If she does, she could get a slice of it but Tahiyra is the one to beat, for sure. The ground will suit Ocean Jewel and anything can happen at this level. She's a very good filly and deserves a shot at her Group 1 here. This has been the plan for a while.”

He added, “The really exciting thing about this is, when I speak to the boss, everything points to the future and with these fillies, they will all retire here and are exciting broodmares for us to look forward to.”

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