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Goffs Unveils €100,000 Sportsman’s Race

Just days after launching The Goffs Million, a €1-million race for 2-year-old graduates of the Orby Sale to be held at The Curragh on Sept. 24, 2022, Goffs announced on Wednesday that the Goffs Sportsman's Challenge, worth a minimum €100,000, will be staged at Naas going six furlongs on Sept. 15, 2022.

Like The Goffs Million, the continent's richest 2-year-old race, the Goffs Sportsman's Challenge will pay out to tenth place. It is open exclusively to graduates of the Goffs Sportsman's Sale, which will take place at Kildare Paddocks this year from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.

Goffs, additionally, renews its sponsorship of Naas's G3 Lacken S. on Royal Ascot Trials Day on May 16.

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “Goffs Sportsman's Sale is an integral part of Ireland's biggest yearling sales week, coming immediately after the two-day Orby, Ireland's National Yearling Sale. A real trainer's sale, the Sportsman's is a leading producer of 2-year-old winners and we anticipate that the addition of this valuable sales race will see demand increase even further from agents and trainers in Ireland, the UK and right across Europe.

“With the yearling sale inspections commencing we are delighted to announce these two sales races to provide a lift to the industry following the challenges of the past year. Back in Kildare Paddocks this year, we look forward to offering two catalogues of relative superior quality with the additional bonus that every yearling buyer at Goffs, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, will be in with a chance to win some major prize money.

“Our two new sales races further bolster Goffs' burgeoning sponsorship portfolio, which from next season will see three high-profile race days throughout September leading right up to the start of Goffs yearling sales with the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S., Goffs Sportsman's Challenge and Goffs Million worth a combined total of €1.5-million.”

Eamonn McEvoy, General Manager of Naas Racecourse said, “We are delighted at Naas Racecourse to have been approached by Goffs to stage the inaugural Goffs Sportsman's Challenge Race. Races like this are a great addition to the calendar and provide owners with excellent opportunity to win a fantastic purse. We are delighted to extend our partnership with Goffs and great credit is due to them for their recent initiatives.”

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Haggas Outlines Plans For Stable Stars

Shadwell's Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the G3 Finest Surprise S. at Newbury on Apr. 18, will back up in the G3 Al Rayyan S. there on May 15. Originally, the 4-year-old was tagged to go straight to the June 4 G1 Coronation Cup S., but trainer William Haggas determined that his charge was so fresh and well, another run was needed.

“I was going to wait for the Coronation Cup, but he's too well so he's going to run next Saturday in a Group 3 back at Newbury on Lockinge day,” said Haggas. “That will give us three weeks to Epsom. He worked beautifully this [Wednesday] morning. He's a very impressive horse at home.

“He wouldn't go over the top [if he didn't run at Newbury], but he might get a bit fresh and silly. He needs racing, that horse, he didn't race much last year. I don't like carrying penalties in stakes races, but this race is a good fit–I don't want to go further up in trip for the Yorkshire Cup and I think the Coronation Cup is the right race. He's very powerful and everything is easy for him, we'll see how good he is soon enough but at the moment he's an impressive horse.”

Haggas stablemate My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), although being considered for the G1 Lockinge on May 15, is not a guaranteed runner. He won the G3 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket on Apr. 14 in his latest outing.

Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Haggas said, “I'm debating about him. I really want to go for the [G1] Prix d'Ispahan on May 30 and I can't do both. I want to go up in trip with him and he's in the Prince of Wales's and I'll put him in the Eclipse. If he's going to improve enough to be a proper horse, he's got to do it going up in trip. He was good at Newmarket over nine and I'm just not sure taking on Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is the right way round. I think if we go for a nine-furlong Group 1 in France that fits better, we've got to make him a stallion.”

Rounding out the Haggas trio is the multiple Group 1 winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who has returned in good order from his latest Australian sojourn.

Added Haggas, on Addeybb, “I'm not going to turn him away and I'm going to get him ready for the Prince of Wales's [S. at Royal Ascot on June 16], I think.”

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Japan Gets His Campaign Underway

Ballydoyle missed out with an unusually low-key representation at the Chester May meeting on Wednesday, but one of their big guns is rolled out on Thursday as Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is relaunched in the G3 Ormonde S. Tackling the extended 13-furlong trip which is the furthest he has gone so far in his career, the 2019 G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero looks to put a disappointing end to his 2020 season behind him. Tailing off following his third placing in the G1 Eclipse at Sandown in July, the 5-year-old will have his stamina tested by the impressive G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup winner Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), who races under a five-pound penalty due to those exploits.

Ryan Moore is looking forward to being reunited with Japan. “Ideally, we probably could have done without all the recent rain, but he finished fourth in a deep ground Arc a couple of years ago and is pretty versatile and hopefully his Group 1 class will see him through,” he said. “This is the longest trip he has faced, but the way in which he has finished off his races over a mile and a half when at his best suggests it should not be an issue. It'll take a very good one to beat him if he is on his A-game.”

In the Listed Dee S., Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to build on his comeback effort when third in the Apr. 23 G3 Sandown Classic Trial. “He's sharpened up for that run at Sandown quite noticeably at home,” trainer Charlie Appleby commented. “We're putting the cheekpieces on him, just because he's got similar characteristics to his sister [Wild Illusion]–it's not that he's ungenuine, it's just to keep him focused. We didn't want to put the cheekpieces on and step him up to a mile and a half at the same time, so we opted to keep him to 10 furlongs.”

With eight wins in this, Aidan O'Brien knows what kind of material is required and last year's G2 Royal Lodge S. runner-up and G2 Futurity S. third Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the stable pick. Third over seven furlongs on his return in Newmarket's Listed European Free H. Apr. 14, he should appreciate this step up in trip. “He looks to hold pretty strong claims,” Ryan Moore said. “He finished a good third in what appears a decent Free Handicap on his return, and his pedigree would give you every encouragement that the step up from seven to 10 furlongs or so here will suit this Galileo colt a lot better. He finished second in a Royal Lodge at two, while he also finished third to Mac Swiney in soft ground in the Futurity at The Curragh, so you'd have to be pretty hopeful, though his draw [in stall seven] could have been better, obviously.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Poor Bloodwork Likely Culprit in Supremacy’s Pavilion Run

Group 1 winner Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who ran eighth and last in the G3 Pavilion S. as the 10-11 crowd's pick at Ascot on Apr. 28, returned a poor blood test after the race, trainer Clive Cox announced on Wednesday.

Trainer Clive Cox said, “We have had a less than perfect blood result from him. We're leaving no stone unturned in the hope of rectifying the situation, which was far below expectations. We've had many tests–and without having a complete conclusion yet, we're hoping we can get him back on the right track.”

A first-crop son of Champion First-Season Sire Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), they bay won the G2 Richmond S. last July and added the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. in September in his latest pair of racecourse outings.

Cox added, “He's a horse of such a high standard–undoubtedly we wouldn't have been there if we hadn't been happy with him. Although he's got such a laid-back temperament and way about him, it's a just a relief.

“It's flagged up less than perfect, which wasn't the case before. We've got a bit of time to decide what's next, and hopefully that will become clear over the couple of weeks.”

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