Justify Son of Winter Debuts in Fascinating Curragh Affair

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 Insights features the third foal of MG1SW Winter, who already claims a TDN Rising Star to her docket as a broodmare.

13.45 The Curragh, Debutantes, €17,000, 2yo, 7fT
LONDON CITY (Justify) is the third foal out of the G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Nassau S. winner Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose 3-year-old daughter Beginnings (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) earned TDN Rising Star status last term. Ryan Moore has opted for the grey colt over Ballydoyle's other runner Chantilly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-brother to the group 2 winners Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), while Juddmonte and Ger Lyons combine with Formal Display (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), a son of Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and half to Dubawi's Time Test (GB) and Johnny Murtagh unveils The Aga Khan's Shamsuddin (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}), a half-brother to last year's G2 Railway S. scorer and dual group 1-placed Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

16.05 Newbury, Mdn, £30,000, 2yo, 7fT
FARIZIO (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the second foal out of Juddmonte's Listed Height of Fashion S. winner and G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Mori (GB) (Frankel {GB}), whose dam Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was such a font of success for the operation throughout her career as a six-times top-level winner. Ralph Beckett has charge of the February-foaled colt, who meets King Power Racing's homebred Fox Legacy (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a Sir Michael Stoute-trained half-brother to the G2 Queen Mary S. winner Ceiling Kitty (GB) (Red Clubs {Ire}) from the family of last year's G2 Gimcrack S.-winning TDN Rising Star Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

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Naas Sunday: Sprinters Warm Up for Royal Ascot

by Tom Frary

Sunday's card at Naas sees some of the leading Irish sprinters build towards next month's Royal meeting, with the six-furlong G3 Goffs Lacken S. the feature. There was no mistaking the authority of the filly Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in Navan's Listed Committed S. last month and although that was on heavy ground, she hails from the Jessie Harrington stable carrying all before it at the moment. Saturday's Listed Carnarvon S. placegetter Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the re-opposing The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) were left behind as she opened up in the style of a group 1 performer G1 Middle Park S. runner-up and it may be that Shane Foley has finally found the key to her.

River Tiber Lined Up For Coventry Prep…
Royal Ascot's juvenile contests should take more shape after the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. and opening Coolmore Stud Calyx Race, with the latter race hosting Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Stars Democracy (Ire) (No Nay Never) and River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the line-up. Ryan Moore is booked for River Tiber, who did something out of the ordinary even for his yard's juveniles when scoring by 10 lengths on debut at Navan last month. In the Sprint S., Team Valor International and Gary Barber's acquisition Ribchestina (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) makes her debut for the Paddy Twomey stable, having scored on her introduction for Sheila Lavery here last month.

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Invincible Spirit’s Shartash Wins The Railway

It is rare that The Aga Khan's silks are at the forefront this early in the major two-year-old contests, but when they are it is always a good sign and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}–Shamreen {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) showed he had the precocity to go with his illustrious pedigree in Saturday's G2 GAIN Railway S. at The Curragh. Kept fresh by Johnny Murtagh following his Naas conditions win May 7, the son of the dual G2 Blandford S. winner was held up early as the Listed First Flier S. and G3 Marble Hill S. winner Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) set off in front. Needing the gaps late on, the 9-1 shot was produced in time by Ben Coen to oust the rallying 5-6 favourite by a short head, with 1 1/4 lengths back to Apache Outlaw (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in third. “This is where these colours should be on Irish Derby weekend and it's my job to get them there,” Murtagh said. “He's a Guineas type of horse to me, he's got that pace.”

The last juvenile that the owner-breeder enjoyed such early-season success with was the great Siyouni (Fr), so Shartash's every move from here on warrants the closest examination. Third on debut behind the subsequent Marble Hill runner-up Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and the Windsor Castle-winning TDN Rising Star Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) over this course and distance Apr. 10, the bay managed to edge out Age of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) at Naas before being held back from the demands of Royal Ascot. Rewarding that patience, he was able to subdue the more-experienced Blackbeard who was demonstrating his unquenchable appetite for the game by coming back at the line.

“He's improved and got a bit more streetwise–he was always sharp, but now he's relaxing and he showed a very good turn of foot today when he needed it,” Murtagh added. “Ben had to be brave there, but I have great confidence in him and a good horse is usually able to get you out of trouble. He's always had plenty of speed and when I entered him up in April, Pat Downes said 'are you sure?' but I knew that this is a real two-year-old. He's tough and hardy and the Phoenix is the next logical step. Maybe it will be the National Stakes later on–he has to get seven and that is not a guarantee at the moment, but he's starting to do it right now.”

There is no obvious reason why Shartash should not get at least seven furlongs on pedigree, with Shamreen at her best over a mile and a quarter as she showed when garnering her brace of Blandfords and also the G3 Royal Whip S. here. The second dam Shahreen (Ire) (Bahri) captured the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies' S. and also produced the GIII Singspiel S. winner Shahroze (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), while she is kin to the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. scorer Sharestan (Ire) (Shamardal). From the family of the 1986 Irish Derby hero Shahrastani, Shamreen's second foal and first winner Shartash is followed by a yearling colt by the aforementioned Siyouni.

Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
GAIN RAILWAY-G2, €142,800, Curragh, 6-25, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.44, gd.
1–SHARTASH (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
     1st Dam: Shamreen (Ire) (MGSW-Ire, $364,530), by Dubawi (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Shareen (Ire), by Bahri
     3rd Dam: Sharesha (Ire), by Ashkalani (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-H H Aga Khan; B-His Highness The Aga Khan's Studs S.C. (IRE); T-Johnny Murtagh; J-Ben Coen. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $91,449. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Blackbeard (Ire), 131, c, 2, No Nay Never–Muirin (Ire), by Born To Sea (Ire). (270,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Newstead Breeding (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €24,000.
3–Apache Outlaw (Ire), 131, c, 2, Churchill (Ire)–Focus of Attention (Ire), by Intense Focus.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£21,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-E & S Racing; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: SHD, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 9.00, 0.83, 22.00.
Also Ran: Age of Kings (Ire), Borletti (Ire), Crispy Cat (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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