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Half-Sister to Iridessa Earns Rising Star Tag in Curragh Debut

Coolmore’s hitherto untested Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}), went postward as a 9-2 chance for Saturday’s Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden at The Curragh and made a mockery of those odds with a taking display to earn TDN Rising Stardom on debut. Breaking in mid division and remaining there through halfway in the one-mile test, she made eyecatching headway on the bridle along the far-side fence to seize control approaching the final furlong and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily account for Kailash (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) by an impressive 2 1/2 lengths. “I’ve won on two of that family [Iridessa and Order of Australia] and I’d say she could be the best,” said winning rider Seamus Heffernan. “I’d rate her highly.”

Santa Barbara is latest foal and fifth winner for Senta’s Dream (GB) (Danehill), herself one of just two foals produced by GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare and GI Matriarch S. heroine Starine (Fr) (Mendocino) and the March-foaled bay is a half-sister to MG1SW GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf victress Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}). Starine, herself a half-sister to G3 Prix Minerve placegetter Pearlescence (Pleasantly Perfect), is out of a half-sister to the dam of Listed Criterium du Bequet third Weld Elven (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}).

1st-Curragh, €25,000, Mdn, 9-26, 2yo, 8fT, 1:43.47, yl.
SANTA BARBARA (IRE), f, 2, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Senta’s Dream (GB), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Starine (Fr), by Mendocino
3rd Dam: Grisonnante (Fr), by Kaldoun (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $17,447. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs A M O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Half To Iridessa Debuts 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. Today’s Insights features a half-sister to multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}).

12.50 Curragh, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo, 8fT
SANTA BARBARA (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) debuts for Ballydoyle in this valuable Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden and is a half-sister to the four-times Group and Grade I-winning Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}). The March-foaled bay is the pick of Seamie Heffernan over the experienced stablemate Hector de Maris (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a colt from the family of the great Urban Sea (Miswaki).

1.15 Newmarket, Mdn, £8,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
QUILTED (GB) (Frankel {GB}) debuts for Khalid Abdullah and Roger Charlton, who combined with her full-sister Quadrilateral (GB) to win last year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile. The April-foaled bay is one of two Juddmonte newcomers of note alongside the Ralph Beckett-trained Vesela (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the latest daughter of Arabesque (GB) (Zafonic) and therefore a half-sister to the sires Showcasing (GB) and Camacho (GB).

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Night Of Thunder Filly Tops Sportsman’s Sale

There was just one offering by Night Of Thunder (Ire) in this year’s Goffs Sportsman’s Sale, and the Castlebridge-consigned filly duly topped the two-day auction with bid of £72,000 from Peter and Ross Doyle. Lot 730 is the fourth foal out of the placed Manduro (Ger) mare Muzhil (Ire), whose 3-year-old Monzoon (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) has become the mare’s first winner since the catalogue was published. Muzhil is a half-sister to Godolphin’s triple group winner Beautiful Romance (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). The filly proved a profitable pinhook, having cost 21,000gns last December.

The highest-priced colt of the session was the Ballyhane-bred and consigned (lot 698), a son of that stud’s resident sire Dandy Man (Ire). He was bought by Mags O’Toole for £50,000 and is out of Little Kipling (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), a full-sister to Royal Albert Hall (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) who won a listed stake in the U.S. last year.

The relocation of the Sportsman’s Sale to Doncaster this year meant that a significant number of vendors opted to withdraw their yearlings and wait for later opportunities to sell in Ireland. As such just 273 of the 387 offered went through the ring, and 185 were sold for £2,468,900; 98 more were sold last year for an aggregate of £4,320,862. The clearance rate of 67.8% was down from 78.6% last year, while the average and median each dipped 13% to £13,345 and £10,000, respectively. Figures from last year’s sale were converted to sterling for ease of comparison.

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “moving the Sportsman’s Sale to our UK sales complex was not a straightforward decision but, on balance, was deemed the right one in the circumstances. Frankly all of us are in a quandary about what is the right thing to do at the moment especially as things can change from day to day. Indeed, it is worth bearing in mind that the British Prime Minister announced new restrictions to help in the fight against Covid-19 on Tuesday so we are constantly having to react and adapt at short notice. In that connection we are indebted to Doncaster Council with whom we have liaised closely in recent months as they have provided feedback and support as we have drawn up the detailed protocols required to conduct a sale in the current climate.

“We are also very thankful to our vendors who embraced the change of date and location with hardly a murmur and worked with us to stage a sale that has returned a trade of relative strength on both days. Indeed, those yearlings that appealed most drew the normal level of activity from a large group of buyers from the UK, Ireland and those European countries on the UK’s current green list.

“We also want to acknowledge our appreciation to all attendees over the last few days as we are very aware that the protocols in place, whilst very necessary, can be frustrating on occasions. However they have been embraced with a level of acceptance and good humour which is helpful as we strive to do the right thing when no one really knows what that entails.

“Of course the stats do not compare with previous renewals of the Sportsman’s Sale but the key point is liquidity and the ability to trade. In that connection the last two days have delivered although comparing with 12 months ago is made even harder by the fluctuation of sterling in the intervening period so we would suggest that the most revealing figure is the clearance rate.”

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Kitten’s Joy’s Kameko Back On Top In the Joel

Saddled with a five-pound penalty as a result of his G1 2000 Guineas triumph, Qatar Racing’s Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) proved himself one of the better winners of that Classic in recent times when overcoming the extra burden to take the G2 Shadwell Joel S. over the same Newmarket mile on Friday. Settled behind the leading duo early by Oisin Murphy, the 85-40 second favourite needed rousing to get to last year’s winner Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) but responded by usurping that rival with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. At the line, he had half a length to spare over the strong-finishing Regal Reality (GB) (Intello {Ger}) who was having one of his better days, as the 7-4 favourite Benbatl faded late to be the same margin behind in third. “I’m delighted for Sheikh Fahad and everyone,” Murphy said. “To give weight away to older horses is a very difficult task and he stuck his head out and did everything right in the race. He ran straight as a die. He is so tough and consistent and, on ratings, I think that will rate higher than his Guineas win as to give weight away to older horses shows what a top horse he is. He is a very intelligent horse. I took him down in a hack canter and I had him really quiet at the gate. If I lit him up at all, he would have travelled really on the bridle. I was happy for him to race a little lazily today.”

Kameko was coming back from some reversals here, but he had also done that at two when following runner-up placings in Sandown’s G3 Solario S. and the G2 Royal Lodge S. also over this track and trip with a dominating success in the G1 Futurity Trophy on Newcastle’s Tapeta in November. Having conquered Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) in the June 6 Classic here, he has surprisingly gone three starts without making the frame but each effort had a valid excuse attached. Out of his ground over a mile and a half when tried in the July 4 G1 Epsom Derby, he was denied a clear run in the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood July 29 and was again stretched too far when fourth for the third consecutive time in York’s G1 Juddmonte International over an extended 10 furlongs last time Aug. 19.

While he was slightly lethargic during the Guineas, he was markedly more so here as early as halfway but was still able to gain the advantage well before the final furlong and there was a feeling from there that he was only doing enough to stay in command. Regal Reality had shown when winning the Aug. 9 G3 Sovereign S. that he can be a force to be reckoned with at this trip and his proximity does not undermine Kameko’s prospects of shaking up Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in next month’s G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. That target is set in stone according to Andrew Balding. “It’s a bit of a relief, as this was a tough task giving weight away to older horses,” he said. “I thought that Benbatl would have gone a slightly stronger gallop and he hit a flat spot but picked up well, so it’s nice to get back on track. The QEII has been on his agenda the whole season and I just hope the ground isn’t too soft by then. He hasn’t had a lucky season at all and it has felt like trying to put a square peg in a round hole since the Guineas.”

Kameko will be the second member of his immediate family to tackle the QEII, with the dam Sweeter Still (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) a half to the G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Kingsbarns (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was third in the 2013 edition. Sweeter Still, who was successful in the GIII Senorita S. and placed in the GII Providencia S. and GII Honeymoon H., is also a half to the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial S. winner Belle Artiste (Ire) (Namid {GB}). This is the family of the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Ace (Ire) (Danehill), who was fifth in the 2004 QEII, and his G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup-winning full-brother Danish (Ire) and the triple group 1 runner-up Hawkeye (Ire) also by that sire. Her 2-year-old daughter of Big Blue Kitten had sold to Atlantic Bloodstock for only $5,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, but went to David Redvers for £200,000 at the Arqana 2020 Breeze Up Sale at Goffs UK. Eleven days before this race, Capital System Co. paid $190,000 for her yearling filly by Optimizer.

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
SHADWELL JOEL S.-G2, £80,000, Newmarket, 9-25, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:34.41, gd.
1–KAMEKO, 131, c, 3, by Kitten’s Joy
1st Dam: Sweeter Still (Ire) (GSW-US, $311,603), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)
2nd Dam: Beltisaal (Fr), by Belmez
3rd Dam: Ittisaal (GB), by Caerleon
($90,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £45,368. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng, 9-4-2-0, $510,817. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Regal Reality (GB), 130, g, 5, Intello (Ger)–Regal Realm (GB), by Medicean (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £17,200.
3–Benbatl (GB), 130, h, 6, Dubawi (Ire)–Nahrain (GB), by Selkirk. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor. £8,608.
Margins: HF, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 2.13, 8.50, 1.75.
Also Ran: Tilsit, Zabeel Prince (Ire), Top Rank (Ire). Scratched: Duke of Hazzard (Fr), Urban Icon (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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