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Ballydoyle and Galileo One Two In the Irish 1000 As Empress Josephine Collects

Jim Bolger had been at it on Saturday, but 24 hours later it was his former prodigy Aidan O'Brien who was filling the first two places in a Curragh Classic as Empress Josephine (Ire) narrowly denied Joan of Arc (Ire) in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas for another Galileo (Ire) forecast. Runner-up in Gowran Park's Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. over an extended nine furlongs last time May 5, the winner who is a full-sister to Minding (Ire) was anchored towards the rear early by Seamie Heffernan and travelled strongly at halfway looming wide. Ryan Moore looked to have the race in the bag as Joan of Arc edged ahead of the long-time leader No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) in the closing stages, but Heffernan was getting a real tune out of Empress Josephine and the 14-1 shot rattled home to deny her stablemate on the nod by a short head. No Speak Alexander ended up a length away in third, with the 15-8 favourite Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) only seventh. “The only surprise for me was that she was beaten the last twice,” Heffernan said after registering a fifth win in this Classic. “I had a willing partner. She has a bit of class and it's a pleasure to be on the team riding good horses.”

Introduced over this trip at Naas Mar. 28, Empress Josephine opened her account with the promise of more to come and it was Aidan O'Brien's publicly-stated opinion that she had gone off too fast when attempting to dominate the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial S. at Leopardstown Apr. 11. Fading to 10th there as the marginally-less aggressively-ridden Joan of Arc wound up sixth, the homebred was given time to get over that experience and got back on track with a second to the year-older Too Soon To Panic (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) at Gowran Park. With her dam having been fifth in a blanket finish to this in 2010 and her illustrious full-sibling denied by a head by Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) in 2016, there was a score to settle and Empress Josephine adopted the family's trademark acceleration to do just that. Making up three lengths in the space of a furlong to get up on the line, this could only be viewed as an impressive success in a slowly-run Classic.

“She hadn't run as a 2-year-old, but she wasn't ready to go then and that was just the way it was with her in terms of phsyical strength,” Heffernan added. “She won snug with me at Naas in slow ground and last time Wayne [Lordan] said that she was still a little bit weak for the staying mile-and-a-furlong for the moment. He said that back at a mile she could travel a bit stronger. I wanted to follow Joseph's horse [Pretty Gorgeous] here every step of the way, but that filly actually got bumped and she in turn bumped me which knocked her off balance for a few strides. I was a lucky winner, but I should have won well. At the moment, she probably won't get a mile and a half for another couple of months, but she could if she gets more relaxed.”

Aidan O'Brien was winning the race for the 10th time and said, “We thought she was lovely the first day and then at Leopardstown all the leaders went too fast over seven. We then ran her over nine furlongs in Gowran, a lovely run but we thought nine may have just caught her out. She's able to quicken and Seamus gave her a lovely ride. She's very classy. She might go for the [June 18 G1] Coronation Stakes, but we'll see what the lads want to do. She's a sister to Minding and the second filly is a sister to Gleneagles. We were going to step Joan of Arc up to ten furlongs after today and she might go for the French Oaks [G1 Prix de Diane].”

Joseph O'Brien was far from downcast about the effort of Pretty Gorgeous and said, “I'm happy with the run, as it's not ideal to come here on heavy ground after a long lay-off. I would have loved to get a run into her, but she travelled very well throughout the race and was only beaten about three lengths. We look forward to the rest of the season with her and Royal Ascot looks like the logical place to go.”

Empress Josephine's dam Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who went on to take the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Matron S. following her near-miss in this Classic, is even better known as the dam of the aforementioned seven-times group 1-winning 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks heroine Minding. Also responsible for the G3 1000 Guineas Trial winner Kissed By Angels (Ire) also by Galileo, she is kin to the Listed Celebration S. winner and G3 Gallinule S. third Count of Limonade (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) and the Listed Dahlia S. winner and GIII Autumn Miss S. runner-up Danilovna (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). From the family of the group-winning sires Great Commotion and Lead On Time, she also has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Empress Josephine named Bubbling (Ire) and a yearling full-sister.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS IRISH 1,000 GUINEAS-G1, €400,000, Curragh, 5-23, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:47.92, hy.
1–EMPRESS JOSEPHINE (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 7-9 1/2f, G1SW-Ire, G1SW-Eng, $1,361,940), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hoity Toity (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Hiwaayati (GB), by Shadeed
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamie Heffernan. €232,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $303,158. *Full to Minding (IRE), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. 2yo Filly-Eur, Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 9 1/2-11f, Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9 1/2-11f, Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9 1/2f, MG1SW-Eng, MG1SW-Ire, $3,213,340; Full to Kissed By Angels (Ire), GSW-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Joan of Arc (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–You'resothrilling, by Storm Cat. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €80,000.
3–No Speak Alexander (Ire), 128, f, 3, Shalaa (Ire)–Rapacity Alexander (Ire) (SW-Fr), by Dandy Man (Ire). (€190,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Charles O'Callaghan, Noel O'Callaghan & Paul O'Callaghan; B-Mount Armstrong Stud (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €40,000.
Margins: NO, 1, NO. Odds: 14.00, 4.50, 6.50.
Also Ran: Belle Image (Ire), Fantasy Lady (Ire), Friendly (Ire), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr), Sense of Style (Ire), Thinking of You, Fev Rover (Ire), Sweet Gardenia (GB), Sziget (Ire), Miss Amulet (Ire), Zaffy's Pride (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Tattersalls Gold Cup Glory For Helvic Dream

Beaten three times by Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) already this term, Tom Hendron and Finbar Cahill's Helvic Dream (Ire) (Power {GB}) had been inching closer each time and chose the big occasion to turn it around as he denied that Ballydoyle rival in a thriller for the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on Sunday. Benefitting from the heavily rain-eased going at The Curragh, the 4-year-old who emanates from the Noel Meade stable better known for its national hunt runners travelled smoothly on the inside in mid-division throughout the early stages. Filling the eye with Colin Keane motionless turning for home, the 8-1 shot had dead aim on the 10-11 favourite who had been committed by Ryan Moore approaching two out. Eventually asked to go and win his race, the gelding responded generously to overhaul Broome close home and prevail in a bobber by a short head, with a length back to the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. and Neom Turf Cup winner True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) in third. “I've won plenty of group 1s over jumps and had a number of horses placed in Guineas and a fourth in the Epsom Derby, so this feels just fantastic,” Meade said. “I was afraid to even dream about it. It means a lot and I can die happy now! It's a shame nobody is here, because you'd want to be going to the champagne bar over there!”

Having beaten the future luminary Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) by 4 3/4 lengths in a heavy-ground Roscommon median auction race that has subsequently taken on a different dimension in September 2019, Helvic Dream was tried over too far before narrowly missing out on a first black-type win when third in a blanket to the Listed Vincent O'Brien Ruby S. over a mile at Killarney in August. Third in the valuable “Northfields” H. over 10 furlongs here on Irish Champions weekend in September, he bounced out of that to beat the useful Up Helly Aa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 7 1/2 lengths in the G3 International S. again over 10 furlongs on soft at this venue in October. Only eighth when the 5-4 favourite for the Listed Trigo S. at Leopardstown later that month, he was again flat on his return when a distant eighth behind Broome in the Listed Devoy S. at Naas Mar. 28. Narrowing that to 3 1/2 lengths next time when fourth in this track's G3 Alleged S. Apr. 17, he was just two lengths in arrears when second in the May 3 G2 Mooresbridge S. here last time.

Colin Keane delivered a masterclass in waiting ride tactics and said, “He relishes that soft ground and although I wasn't too sure we'd beat Broome, I did think he'd get a little bit closer. I thought he'd run well at Naas [in the Devoy], but he really disappointed us for whatever reason and the last day I got to Ryan [Moore] and he took off again. I wanted to have one crack at him and ideally, I should have waited another couple of strides again today. He's not short of pace and when he has those conditions I'd have no fear coming back in trip.”

Meade has no immediate plans for Helvic Dream. “He's improving all the time and Gillian O'Brien needs special mention here, as she treated him with a Chinese system which releases all the muscles and lets them loosen up. Two days after she'd done him, he was absolutely dancing down the yard. He could realistically be a horse for the [G1] Champion Stakes at Ascot, as you often get slow ground there which suits him. We'll have to think about a mile as well.” Aidan O'Brien said of Broome, “We were delighted and we're going up in trip with him now, for either the [June 4 G1] Coronation Cup [at Epsom] or the [June 19 G2] Hardwicke [at Royal Ascot].”

Helvic Dream is the first foal out of the unraced Rachevie (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose only other to date is this month's G3 Irish 1000 Guineas Trial runner-up Flirting Bridge (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The second dam Challow Hills (Woodman) is kin to the multiple stakes winner Teide (Mt. Livermore) from the family of the G1 Epsom Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Diminuendo (Diesis {GB}) and her Listed Pretty Polly S.-winning full-sister Pricket who was runner-up in that Epsom Classic. Diminuendo in turn produced the G3 May Hill S. winner and G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Calando (Storm Cat), herself the dam of the Listed Chesham S. winner Champlain (GB) (Seeking the Gold) and the Listed Silken Glider S. scorer Calare (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS GOLD CUP-G1, €300,000, Curragh, 5-23, 4yo/up, 10f 110yT, 2:21.11, s/h.
1–HELVIC DREAM (IRE), 131, g, 4, by Power (GB)
1st Dam: Rachevie (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Challow Hills, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Cascassi, by Nijinsky II
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€4,000 RNA Wlg '17 TATFBR; €12,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP). O-Mrs Caroline Hendron & Mrs M Cahill; B-T O'Dwyer & K O'Brien (IRE); T-Noel Meade; J-Colin Keane. €180,000. Lifetime Record: 15-4-2-5, $338,101. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Broome (Ire), 131, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Sweepstake (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY). O-Masaaki Matsushima, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €60,000.
3–True Self (Ire), 128, m, 8, Oscar (Ire)–Good Thought (Ire), by Mukaddamah. O-Three Mile House & OTI Partnership; B-Mr Don Cantillon (IRE); T-Willie Mullins. €30,000.
Margins: NO, 1, 8. Odds: 8.00, 0.91, 25.00.
Also Ran: Cayenne Pepper (Ire), Search For a Song (Ire), Sunchart (GB), Serpentine (Ire), Tiger Moth (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Uberleben Delivers In Yushun Himba

While all eyes were on 2-year-old champion and G1 Oka Sho victress Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) heading into Sunday's G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), it was the punters' third choice Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}) who handed the white Sodashi her first defeat, while in the process earning her first stakes win and providing her sire, the six-time Group 1 winner Gold Ship, with his first Group 1 winner.

Uberleben was out early for a Japanese 2-year-old, breaking her maiden at first asking last June before finishing a neck second to Sodashi in the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. after a three-month rest. After dropping to ninth behind that rival in the G3 Artemis S., Uberleben was third behind Sodashi in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies S.

Jockey Mirco Demuro noted in the aftermath of Sunday's race that Uberleben had suffered a bout of colic in February, and she returned with a pair of third-place finishes in the lead-up to the Yushun Himba: in the G3 Flower Cup and the G3 Sankei Sports Sho Flora S. over 2000 metres. Upped to 2400 meters for the first time on Sunday, Uberleben broke on terms from gate nine and settled midpack while Sodashi stalked the pace racing keenly. Moving wide rounding the turn while looking for running room, Uberleben saw daylight down the middle of the course upon straightening and put in a sustained rally down the lane, getting to the lead inside the final furlong and holding on to win by a comfortable length despite switching leads late on. Sodashi faded late on to be eighth.

Pedigree Notes

The fifth foal out of the winning Meine Theresia (Jpn) (Roses In May), Uberleben is a half-sister to the dual group-placed Meiner Fanrong (Jpn), who is by Gold Ship's sire Stay Gold (Jpn). Their second dam, Meine Nouvelle (Jpn) (Brian's Time), won the Flower Cup when it was a listed race and is a full-sister to stakes winners Meiner Hourglass (Jpn) and Meiner Charles (Jpn).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
YUSHUN HIMBA (JAPANESE OAKS)-G1, ¥251,400,000, Tokyo, 5-23, 3yo, f, 2400mT, 2:24.50, fm.
1–UBERLEBEN (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Gold Ship (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Meine Theresia (Jpn), by Roses in May
                2nd Dam: Meine Nouvelle (Jpn), by Brian's Time
                3rd Dam: Meine Pretender (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ)
1ST STAKES WIN. O-Thoroughbred Club Ruffian; B-Big Red
Farm; T-Takahisa Tezuka; J-Mirco Demuro; ¥138,980,000.
Lifetime Record: 7-2-1-3. *1/2 to Meiner Fanrong (Jpn) (Stay
Gold {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $956,608. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click
   for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Akaitorino Musume (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)
Apapane (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Makoto Kaneko
Holdings; B-Northern Farm; ¥52,280,000.
3–Hagino Pilina (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Hagino Arc (Jpn),
by Admire Moon. O-Mitsuko Yasuoka; B-Akihiro Murashita;
¥32,140,000.
Margins: 1, NO, 1 1/4. Odds: 7.90, 3.50, 214.40.
Also Ran: Tagano Passion (Jpn), Art de Vivre (Jpn), Miyabi Heidi (Jpn), Kukuna (Jpn), Sodashi (Jpn), Through Seven Seas (Jpn), Purple Lady (Jpn), Fine Rouge (Jpn), Slyly (Jpn), Stellaria (Jpn), Cool Cat (Jpn), Win Aglaia (Jpn), Nina Dress (Jpn), Stripe (Jpn), Enthusiasm (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Half to Golden Horde Starts at The Curragh

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 half-sister to Group 1 winner Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}).

1.30 Curragh, Mdn, €17,500, 2yo, f, 6fT
HEART TO HEART (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) was withdrawn from her intended debut at Dundalk earlier this month which was won by fellow Ballydoyle trainee and 'TDN Rising Star' Yet (War Front). The April-foaled bay, a 580,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, is a half-sister to the G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) from the family of the remarkable Serena's Song (Rahy).

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