Tag: Top News Europe

Too Darn Hot’s Darnation Powers To May Hill Triumph

Trainer Karl Burke's banner season continued apace on the opening day of Doncaster's St Leger Festival after G3 Prestige S. victrix Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}–Monday Monday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) added lustre to her palmares with a clear-cut triumph in Thursday's G2 Betfred May Hill S. over a straight mile at the Town Moor track.

Newtown Anner Stud's homebred, who registered a 10-length tally at Thirsk in her penultimate start, bounded along behind a steady tempo and raced third through the initial fractions. Taking closer order once past halfway, the 11-10 favourite quickened to the fore passing the quarter-mile marker and, despite drifting right inside the final furlong, drew off late under urging to post an ultimately impressive three-length success from See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Mark McKay's G3 Sweet Solera S. third and G2 Prix du Calvados fourth Les Bleus (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) was four lengths adrift in third as the field came home at wide-margin intervals.

“They didn't go quick and, when I asked her, she quickened up really well for a few strides and then galloped on towards the line,” said winning rider Clifford Lee. “She's very good and I'd like to see her next year when she's physically and mentally stronger. She handles that soft ground, she does stay very well and she does have a bit of boot about her as well, so we'll see next year how we get on.”

Burke added, “She's a classy filly and, on that ground, she's very good. We'll have to see how she is on quicker ground, but she's tough and she stays. She's not in the [G1] Fillies' Mile, but she is in the [G1] Prix Marcel Boussac. I haven't spoken to the owners, but she'd be more likely to get her ground in France. She's not the biggest in the world, but she should strengthen up even if she doesn't grow much. If she bumps into soft ground she could be anything.” Explaining his absence from the track, the trainer continued, “I was all set to come today, but I had a busy morning and decided not to. They don't run any faster for me being there.”

Pedigree Notes

Darnation, half-sister to a yearling filly by Fastnet Rock (Aus), is the first of two foals produced by an unraced full-sister to dual Group-placed G2 Beresford S. third Exemplar (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The April-foaled homebred bay's dam is also a half-sister to G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Blue Bunting (Dynaformer). Descendants of her second dam Miarixa (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), herself out of stakes-winning G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Mrs Arkada (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}), include dual stakes-winning GIII Intercontinental S. and GIII Franklin S. placegetter Star Devine (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and G3 Earl of Sefton S. runner-up Poker Face (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).

Thursday, Doncaster, Britain
BETFRED MAY HILL S.-G2, £120,000, Doncaster, 9-14, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:41.38, sf.
1–DARNATION (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Too Darn Hot (GB)
1st Dam: Monday Monday (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Miarixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Mrs Arkada (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm (IRE); T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. £68,052. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $149,904. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–See The Fire (GB), 128, f, 2, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Arabian Queen (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £25,800.
3–Les Bleus (GB), 128, f, 2, Blue Point (Ire)–Huma Bird (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€52,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY; £60,000 2yo '23 GOUKB). O-Mark McKay; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Richard Hughes. £12,912.
Margins: 3, 4, NK. Odds: 1.10, 4.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Hard To Resist (Ire), Francophone (GB), Hala Abrar (Ire), Romanova (GB). Scratched: Meribella (GB), Zenjabeela (GB).

 

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Positive Drugs Tests: Trainer Luke Comer Banned For Three Years 

Trainer Luke Comer has had his licence suspended for three years over positive drugs tests and ordered to pay over €750,000 in costs by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB).

The billionaire owner-trainer, who is also a major sponsor of Irish racing under the Comer Group banner, has seven days to lodge an appeal. 

The suspension will begin on January 1, 2024, and is the result of a long-running investigation carried out by the IHRB, with the regulator describing the case as “unprecedented”. 

As well as being ordered to pay the €750,000 in costs relating to the case, Comer was hit with €85,000 in total fines after 12 horses in his care tested positive for anabolic steroids.

He Knows No Fear, who became the longest-priced winner in Irish racing history when landing a Leopardstown maiden at odds of 300-1 in 2020, is at the centre of what is one of the biggest doping scandals the country has seen. 

A hair sample from He Knows No Fear, taken after he finished fourth in the Listed Trigo Stakes at Leopardstwon in October 2021, was found to have contained MD and MT. 

A further 11 horses also tested positive for anabolic steroids following out of competition testing carried out by the IHRB at Comer's yard in November 2021.

Along with He Knows No Fear, samples were taken from Old Tom Higgins, Boxing Hero, Grand D'Espagne, Aircraft Carrier, Powerful Don, Wee Jim, Great Moon, Our Man Flint, Questionare, Green Force and Blyto. All tests returned positive.

Comer denied that he or any of his staff were involved in the doping of the 12 horses at an extensive hearing that took place at the IHRB headquarters on the Curragh. 

The 65-year-old has been involved in racing for over three decades and his first big-race victory was achieved with Chimes At Midnight in a Group 3 at the Curragh in 2001.

Since then, Comer has been associated with another Group 3 scorer in Kargali, while Raa Atoll provided him with his biggest day on a racecourse when landing a Group 2 contest at Hoppegarten in German in 2019. Last year was Comer's best in terms of numbers with 11 winners recorded domestically from 254 runs.

His extensive sponsorship of Irish racing through Comer Group features the €600,000 Irish St Leger, a race that was won last weekend by Eldar Eldarov, and the Irish St Leger Trial.

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Tally-Ho Stud to Stand Group 1 Winner Good Guess in 2024

Tally-Ho Stud has snapped up G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Good Guess (GB) to join its stallion roster for 2024. 

Trained by Fabrice Chappet in France, Good Guess had the 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and other high-class horses such as subsequent G1 Prix du Moulin winner Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) behind him when landing his Group 1 at Deauville. 

He will stand alongside his sire Kodiac (GB), who has served Tally-Ho proud since joining the roster in 2007, at the stud next year. 

“We are delighted to be adding Good Guess to our roster,” said Tally-Ho Stud's Roger O'Callaghan. “As one of Kodiac's best sons, it is very satisfying to be standing him in the same stallion yard as his sire.

“Kodiac already has a number of successful sons at stud and in Good Guess, we are delighted to be offering a son who was not only a precocious two-year-old but also trained on into the one of Europe's best three-year-olds. He is also a very good-looking horse, as underlined by his yearling sales price of 420,000gns.”

Good Guess has won four of his nine starts for Chappet and carried the colours of Hisaaki Saito throughout his career. As well as showing top-class form as a three-year-old, Good Guess had the precocity to win over five furlongs on debut at Chantilly.

Chappet commented, “Good Guess is an extremely classy horse. The Prix Jean Prat is always a good test of a three-year-old, being over seven furlongs on a straight track, and Good Guess won the race over a strong field very easily.

“He also came to hand early as a two-year-old, had a very good turn of foot and is good-looking, so he should be an exciting prospect for breeders.”

Good Guess is the first Group 1-winning son of Kodiac to stand in Britain and Ireland. A renowned influence for quality two-year-old speed, Kodiac has emerged as a successful sire of sires with sons such as Ardad (Ire), Coulsty (Ire), Kodi Bear (Ire) and Prince Or Lir (Ire) each represented by Group 1 performers in the past two seasons.

Good Guess was purchased for 420,000gns by Sebastien Desmontils' Chauvigny Global Equine at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale. He was bred by Cheveley Park Stud and belongs to one of their most successful families as a son of Zykina (GB), a Pivotal (GB) daughter of Russian Rhythm, whose four Group 1 victories included the 1,000 Guineas.

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Irish Champion Stakes Day Popular On World Pool With €27.7m Wagered

The Irish Champions Stakes Day at Leopardstown resulted in  €27.7 million (HK$232.2m) bet into the World Pool via the seven World Pool bet types in operation last Saturday.

Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) delivered in the highlight race of the day–the G1 Irish Champion S. This was the third year World Pool was in operation on the Irish card, and turnover was almost on par with 2022's figure of HK$234.8m (approx. €27.9m) and significantly up on 2021's figure of HK$192.8m (€22.9m).

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products, at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “We were treated to some excellent racing at Leopardstown on Saturday and it was really pleasing to see such strong turnover on the day. Aidan O'Brien continued his love affair with the Irish Champion S., while Tahiyra was hugely impressive once again in the Matron S.

“The whole racing industry in Ireland has really embraced the World Pool concept. There was lots of fantastic branding all over the course; strong, competitive fields and we are delighted with how these World Pool meetings are progressing.

“Thanks to everyone at Leopardstown, Horse Racing Ireland and Tote Ireland, as well as all the connections of the runners. We're already looking forward to our Irish World Pool fixtures next year.”

The World Pool Moment of the Day was awarded to groom Davy Glennon, whose Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) was winning her third consecutive Group 1 and fourth overall in the Matron S. at Leopardstown. Besides the €4,000 monetary award, Glennon is now in the running to win a trip to Hong Kong in 2024, if Tahiyra's Matron victory is selected as the World Pool Moment of the Year.

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