TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow Takes Aim at the Futurity Stakes

In a season when even by their exalted standards Ballydoyle seem to be boasting more than the average amount of highly talented juveniles, Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity S. at The Curragh on Saturday. Earning TDN Rising Star status when beating the subsequent Galway maiden winner and G3 Prix Francois Boutin runner-up Mythology (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) hollow on debut over this course and seven-furlong distance last month, the son of  Minding (Ire) (Galileo {GB}) is as exciting as it gets at this time of year.

Ryan Moore has an idea where his mount stands, but admits this will tell connections a lot more. “This is clearly up another grade or two but we have an excellent record in this race, winning it with some top-class future Classic winners and hopefully Henry Longfellow can stamp himself as a candidate for future group 1 honours too,” he said in his betfair blog. “But let's not get ahead of ourselves, as his bare form to date means this is a tough enough task in its own right, even with just four rivals.”

Among them is Vincent Gaul's Spanish Flame (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), who took Tipperary's Glenvale Stud Race over nearly 7 1/2 furlongs last month and who is held in high regard by Ger Lyons.

Chesham Rematch In The Debutante…
In the seven-furlong G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S., Lindsay Laroche's unbeaten Snellen (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) renews rivalry with Ballydoyle's Pearls And Rubies (No Nay Never) who she narrowly edged out when last seen in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S. Dropping back to an extended six furlongs in this track's G3 Anglesey S. last month only confirmed that the latter needs at least this trip.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell said of Snellen, “We gave her a short break after Ascot and she's done well since and we're looking forward to Saturday. She's going to have to come forward, but we're hopeful she has done. Everything has been straightforward with her since Ascot.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Pearls And Rubies, “She's in good form and she won't mind an ease in the ground either. We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but Ryan [Moore] said to maybe go a bit further, he said she was coming home well but the line just came too quick for her.”

Hungerford Test For Mostabshir…
   Newbury sees the G2 Hungerford S. over seven furlongs, where Shadwell's TDN Rising Star Mostabshir (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) drop back in trip following his sixth in the G1 St James's Palace S. and fourth in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. The half-brother to Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) most likely has his best days ahead of him but this is a tough call for 3-year-olds taking on hardened older horses and specialists at the trip like Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) and last year's winner Jumby (Ire) (New Bay {GB}).

“He's an interesting horse and a horse who works very well at home and shows plenty of ability there,” racing manager Angus Gold said. “I'm not quite sure he has fulfilled his potential so far on the racecourse. He won very well at York obviously earlier in the year and on his day he's capable of putting up a good performance, but he really needs to step up to the plate now. He's been a bit immature, but like everything out of his mare, hopefully he is only going to get better as he gets older.”

Calvados Heads Deauville Action…
Deauville's August Festival continues apace, with the seven-furlong G2 Prix du Calvados for 2-year-old fillies featuring Gerard Augustin-Normand's course-and-distance G3 Prix Six Perfections winner Laulne (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles-winning TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never). Adding intrigue is Amo Racing Limited's Qatar Goodwood Festival winner Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), while the card's other group 2 is the 12 1/2-furlong Prix de Pomone, where Juddmonte's G3 Prix de Royaumont scorer Ottery (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) could have more to offer.

Morny Humdinger In Store For Sunday…
Friday saw the draw made for Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny and it did not disappoint as the 2-year-old race of the season attracted the G2 Coventry S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin-winning TDN Rising Stars River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Ramatuelle (Justify) respectively. Also in the line-up are the G2 July S. winner Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), the G2 Norfolk S. scorer Valiant Force (Malibu Moon), G2 Richmond S. scorer Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and the G3 Prix de Cabourg winner Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), as well as the G3 Princess Margaret S. winner Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). A field of eight will contest the same card's G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet, where the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is set to encounter the G1 Prix Rothschild winner Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

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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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O’Brien Charts Course for River Tiber, Kyprios

Aidan O'Brien confirmed TDN Rising Star River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) remains on track for Sunday's G1 Prix Morny at Deauville despite missing a piece of work two weeks ago. Campaigned by Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg and Brant, the juvenile was last seen winning the June 20 G1 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot.

“The plan is to run River Tiber [this weekend],” O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. “He had a setback a couple of weeks ago so there will be a cloud over him when we do run him as we're a bit worried about his fitness, but the plan at the moment is to run.

A runaway winner in his career bow at Navan Apr. 22, the colt followed up with another victory at Naas May 21.

O'Brien continued, “He had a hold-up and missed his second-last piece of work so he had that week off, but he did a piece of work this week so that gave him a chance to go.

“He seems to be in good form since, but the ground that we lost you couldn't make back up with him.”

O'Brien also indicated MG1SW Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last year's Gold Cup winner, may mark his return in the Sept. 10 G1 Irish St Leger. The chestnut was last seen destroying his rivals in the G1 Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp Oct. 1.

“Kyprios was at the Curragh for a canter last weekend after racing and that went well. He seems to have come out of that well,” said O'Brien. “We're looking at maybe starting at the [Irish] Leger, but that's a tough enough race to come back in so we'd be hoping he could run a good race, come out of it OK and then have a look at something on Arc weekend, something like that, because you couldn't expect him to perform at his best after such a traumatic year. If it all went well we could look at next year with him.”

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Observations: TDN Rising Star Alcantor Back for Deauville Test

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. Tuesday's Insights features TDN Rising Star Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) in a Deauville Conditions test.

14.33 Deauville, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2fT
Baron Edouard de Rothschild's ALCANTOR (FR) (New Bay {GB}), a half-brother to G2 Union-Rennen winner Boscaccio (Ger) (Mount Nelson {GB}), looked a class act when elevated to 'TDN Rising Star' status going seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud in June, but lacked a finishing kick behind subsequent G3 Prix de Cabourg third Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) over six at Chantilly in early July. The March-foaled bay, who hails from the family of dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), was withdrawn from a one-mile contest at Clairefontaine earlier in the month and sidesteps Thursday's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at this venue. He faces a stiff task in his quest for redemption and is the only one of six contenders to have not won last time out.

15.00 Nottingham, Mdn, £6,850, 2yo, f, 6f 18yT
Godolphin homebred CRYSTAL OF TIME (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is out of the stakes-winning Important Time (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and thus a half-sister to, and Charlie Appleby stablemate of, last term's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational hero and recent G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen victor Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Her four rivals include George Boughey trainee Rose Branch (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who is out of a full-sister to G1 Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).

15.10 Dundalk, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, 8f (AWT)
Aidan O'Brien trainee CAPULET (Justify) is a son of G2 Kilboy Estate S. victrix and G1 Nassau S. runner-up Wedding Vow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a full-sister to G1 Derby hero Serpentine (Ire). He opens up in a contest won last year by the stable with subsequent G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third and G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris second Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Opposition includes the twice-raced Huxley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-brother to G1 Prix Ganay-winning sire Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who ran fourth behind the 'TDN Rising Star' display of subsequent G2 Superlative S. winner City Of Troy (Justify) at the Curragh last month.

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