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Ganay Exam For Vadeni

Six months on from his near-miss in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) returns to ParisLongchamp on Sunday for what amounts to a stern test in the G1 Prix Ganay. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse hero has a surprise awaiting him in James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's G1 Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), who was impressive on his seasonal debut in 2022 when taking the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. Ballylinch Stud also have a significant involvement in Al Shaqab Racing's high-class G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while Haras de la Perelle and Stephane Wattel's Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and even Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) are hard to leave out of the picture with a run under their belts when first and second in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here Apr. 9. That could be the way of things in 2023, with so many talented older horses remaining in training to provide reliable markers in these important contests.

Christophe Soumillon is well aware of the level of opposition to Vadeni. “He worked quite well on Tuesday, we all know the horse isn't 100% fit and it is the first run of the season,” he said. “He's going to have a tough season, for sure, we couldn't believe the Ganay would be that strong. I have been doing this job for 25 years now and I haven't seen a Ganay with so many group one horses. It's like a strong Champion S. race. We're not going to give him a hard race, as his targets are at Ascot and the Irish Champion and the Arc. We know he likes soft ground and even heavy and is very versatile.”

James Wigan said of Bay Bridge, who had been entered in the eventually-abandoned G3 Gordon Richards S. this week, “Sandown was our original thought, but then he would have carried a penalty for being a Group 1 winner after August, so being seven pounds worse off with Adayar (Ire) would have meant he would have a hard race at any rate, so we felt he might as well have a hard race in a group one as in a Group 3. There will be the usual pattern of races for him. I'm sure Sir Michael knows where he'll want to go, but this is a good spot to begin.”

La Parisienne Returns

On a day of welcoming back, Peter Bradley's G1 Prix de Diane runner-up La Parisienne (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) who was also third in the G1 Prix Vermeille and disappointing in the Opera makes her seasonal bow in the card's G3 Prix Allez France Longines. This is a chance to start anew for the talented 4-year-old, who is another prize ride for Soumillon who has taken France by storm so far this year.

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British NH Champions Named At Sandown

Trainer Paul Nicholls was awarded his 14th British Champion NH Trainer award, when the end-of-season champions were named at Sandown Park on Saturday. He is sitting on 3,582 British jump winners to date. Nicholls is eyeing the longstanding records of Martin Pipe, who accumulated 15 Champion Jump Trainer championships, and also saddled 4,183 winners under both codes.

“It's been a fantastic season with some fantastic horses that have been very consistent all through the campaign and we are obviously thrilled,” said Nicholls. “It reflects very well on the whole team and everyone involved that we've had a 28% strike rate right through from October until now, which is the best we've ever achieved.”

Bravemansgame (Fr) (Brave Mansonnien {Fr}), as well as Cheltenham Festival winners Stay Away Fay (Ire) (Shantou) and Stage Star (Ire) (Fame And Glory {Ire}), where some of the leading lights of the stable during the season.

“We want to compete at the highest level and we're getting there again,” the trainer added. “It's like with a football team–they might win the Premiership and then go away for four or five years before coming back. It's all about the players on the team.”

JP McManus, who won his 20th Irish Champion Owner title this year, earned his 15th British Champion Jumps Owner award. Later in the day, his Under Control (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}) won the bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle.

Brian Hughes won the Champion NH Jockey title for the third time with 165 winners. He is already focusing on attempting a fourth title, and beating his tally of 204 winners during the 2021-2022 season. His family was on hand at the racecourse on Saturday.

“There's a bus load at Sandown,” the jockey said, regarding his family and friends who traveled to watch the presentation. “I organised for a bus to take all the family down there. There's my wife and kids and then her parents and my parents and plenty of others, so logistically it seemed the right thing to do. It's a long way to go in cars and getting on a bus together takes the stress away.

“Everything was behind closed doors when I won my first title, but the welcome I got last year was great. I'm not really one for fanfare or anything like that, but my family had a good day.”

Luca Morgan was named the Champion Conditional Jockey. Morgan rode 45 winners through the 2022-2023 season for his boss, trainer Ben Pauling.

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Tally Ho’s Inns Of Court Has His First Winner

On a day when first-season sires getting off the mark was a theme, Tally Ho Stud's Inns Of Court (Ire) (by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was in on the act as his daughter Ziggy's Dream (Ire) scored on debut at Doncaster. Sent off the 9-4 favourite for the five-furlong Download The At The Races App EBF Maiden S. for unraced juveniles, Middleham Park Racing's half-sister to the listed-placed No More Regrets (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) quickly had the lead under Thore Hammer Hansen. Tackled by Sioux Warrior (Ire) (Sioux Nation) passing halfway, the Alice Haynes trainee gave generously to ward off that threat and score by 1 3/4 lengths. The winner's dam, who also has yearling colt by Kodiac (GB), is a listed-placed daughter of the G3 Premio Primi Passi scorer and G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Shifting Place (GB) (Compton Place {GB}).

3rd-Doncaster, £6,800, Debutantes, 4-29, 2yo, 5f 3yT, 1:04.81, sf.
ZIGGY'S DREAM (IRE) (f, 2, Inns Of Court {Ire}–Shifting {Ire} {SP-Ire}, by Oratorio {Ire}) Sales history: £24,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,615.
O-Middleham Park Racing Liv; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-Alice Haynes.

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‘He Was Amazing’ — Lemaire On Kitasan Black’s Skilfing In Japanese Derby Prep

By the same sire as the stunningly dominant Japanese Horse of the Year and multiple Group 1 victor Equinox (Jpn) in Kitasan Black (Jpn), Skilfing (Jpn) appears he could be any kind with a half-length win over Hearts Concerto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho at Tokyo on Saturday. The 2400-metre G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) pointer was covered in a slick 2:23.90 over firm turf.

Favoured at 3-5, the formerly two-for-three Carrot Farm colourbearer settled near the rear of the field behind fairly even splits doled out by Asakara King (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). Improving after the first 1000 metres, the son of Rossweisse (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) was eager to do more under Christophe Lemaire and inched closer to the front at the 600-metre mark. Spun wide on the turn, Skilfing was given his cue at the quarter-pole and began picking off foes in earnest down the lane. He engaged fellow closer Hearts Concerto inside the final furlong, but was always going better of the pair to win with something in hand. The top two finishers earned spots in the May 28 Tokyo Yushun.

“I did not want to race aggressively,” Lemaire told www.netkeiba.com. “The pace was slow and that made me worried if we could catch up to the pacemakers, but I knew he has got potential. He was amazing after the uphill section of the course.

“He is a Group 1-level horse. His growth was a bit slow compared to other horses but he has matured as he has gained more racing experience. He will be in top condition on Derby day.”

Second on debut in October facing newcomers, Skilfing broke his maiden over 2000 metres a month later at this venue and handled the step up to 2400 metres with a victory in the Feb. 5 Yurikamome Sho.

Pedigree Notes

Skilfing is the sixth stakes winner and fifth group winner for his Shadai Stallion Station-based sire, who is by Deep Impact's full-brother Black Tide (Jpn). Kitasan Black is also represented by G1 Satsuki Sho hero Sol Oriens (Jpn), and fellow group winners Gaia Force (Jpn) and Ravel (Jpn).

The second foal out of his dam, a three-time winner and full-sister to the multiple stakes-placed Weitblick (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), Skilfing is followed by half-sisters by Kizuna and Satono Diamond (Jpn) born in 2021 and 2022, respectively. His dam was covered by Mikki Isle (Jpn) last spring.

The March-foaled colt is also related to G1 Yasuda Kinen victress Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Japanese/English Group 1 winner Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), and Japanese champion-turned-sire Logi Universe (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}).

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