Tag: Top News Europe

Equinox Looks To Defy Recent History in Takarazuka Kinen

The final Group 1 of the first half of the year in Japan is set for Hanshin Racecourse Sunday afternoon, where Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), the world's top-rated racehorse on the heels of an imperious front-running victory in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic back in March, squares off against seven fellow elite-level scorers in the Takarazuka Kinen, an event which earns the winner a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 4.

The flashy 4-year-old is the 1.30 (3-10) mortal early doors, but the 2200-metre test has not exactly been kind to favoured runners over the last decade, with only Gold Ship (Jpn) in 2014–before finishing last but one at skinny odds after playing up in the stalls in search of three straight the following year–and Chrono Genesis (Jpn) in 2021 saluting. That said, the race is clearly Equinox's to lose. Second in the G1 Satsuki Sho and G1 Tokyo Yushun last term, he ran down the enterprisingly ridden Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and stamped his authority on the G1 Arima Kinen to wrap up Horse of the Year honours. Leaving nothing to chance at Meydan, Equinox was put on the lead by Christophe Lemaire and when asked to stretch ever so slightly in the straight, opened up at will for a breathtaking 3 1/2-length victory over G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

“[Christophe Lemaire] has been working him and the horse looks good going into the race,” said trainer Tetsuya Kimura. “He was in good condition for last year's Arima Kinen, and he's about the same as that now. It did take him some time to recover from his trip to Dubai. As he develops though, he's showing a lot more power, and that should help him prove himself here.”

 

 

Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was also Classic-placed last season, having finished a very good third behind Ask Victor More (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) over 3000 metres. Only seventh in the Arima Kinen, he is perfect in his two runs in 2023, including a 2 1/2-length defeat of the reliable Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) going two miles Apr. 30. Justin Palace cuts back a full five furlongs in trip Sunday, but his connections are nevertheless bullish on his chances.

“His responses and times have been good in training, and he looks better than I had imagined,” said trainer Haruki Sugiyama. “It seems like he's developed more even since his last race and he's well-balanced now, so I hope he can show even more this time.”

Geraldina (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), whose Horse of the Year dam Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was third at 7-5 in 2013, is already a Group 1 winner over Sunday's 2200-metre trip, having bested her peers in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup last November before running home nicely to be third in the Arima Kinen. She'll need to improve on sixth-place efforts in the G1 Osaka Hai and G1 FWD QE II Cup in Hong Kong. The female set is also represented by Carrot Farm's Through Seven Seas (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}), last-start winner of the G3 Nakayama Himba S. who holds entries for the G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Vela Azul (Jpn) (Eishin Flash {Jpn}) was the recipient of a brilliant and audacious ride from Ryan Moore to touch off Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's G1 Japan Cup, but he never threatened when 10th in the Arima Kinen. The registered black entire returns to the turf following a distant 13th to compatriot Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 25.

The post Equinox Looks To Defy Recent History in Takarazuka Kinen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Charm Spirit’s Shaquille Wins The Commonwealth Cup

To do everything wrong and still win the G1 Commonwealth Cup comfortably, Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}–Magic {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) must be among an elite brigade of sprinters to have come to Royal Ascot down the years. Although the pride of the Julie Camacho and Steve Brown stable had obvious credentials entering Friday's six-furlong feature, after blowing the start and losing several lengths all appeared lost. That was factoring against the abundance of talent Martin Hughes's homebred possesses and the calm of Oisin Murphy after he had asked for a 11.28 second-furlong split to get him onto the tail of the field.

Conjuring an incredible effort down the outer, the 9-1 shot threw in sectionals of 11.43, 11.24 and 11.63 to give the front-running Swingalong (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) something to think about. As that duo started to pay for their efforts in the closing 50 yards, the Listed Carnarvon S. scorer overhauled them and continued his surge to the line to beat Little Big Bear by 1 1/4 lengths. Last year's G2 Lowther S. winner Swingalong stuck on for third, 3/4 of a length away.

Camacho admitted that she had given up hope instantly after the winner's disastrous start. “I thought, 'well that's it' but then I thought, 'he's going to be placed' and then 'oh my God, he's going to win', so I am a bit speechless,” she said. “He was good, wasn't he? We never thought we would train a group one winner, not at Royal Ascot anyway, and for Martin who bred him. We've got his mother at home, his siblings, and dad looks after the stud, so I'm sure he was screaming at home. It's massive.”

 

Suffering just the one reversal when last of 11 tried over seven furlongs behind Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in York's G3 Acomb S. in August, Shaquille's biggest problem all along has been his stalls behaviour which led to his withdrawal from Newcastle's All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Conditions S. on Good Friday. Again tricky at the start of a Newmarket handicap at the Guineas meeting, he was still able to dominate and earn a second tilt at black-type company in Newbury's Carnarvon where he was better from the stalls and dominated from the front.

Had he broken on terms here, it is probable that he would have been an impressive wide-margin winner and Oisin Murphy had a far less stressful ordeal. “As the stalls opened, he went up into the air and took his time coming back down to the ground,” he explained. “It's very hard to do that in a 1200 metre race and win. I thought the race was almost over and you just have to hope they've gone too fast and will slow down at the end and I got to the back of Ryan quite easily without having to go for him.”

“I had to sustain an effort from quite a long way out. It really was a tremendous task that he managed to overcome,” Murphy added. “He's a tough, top-class animal. It's an astounding performance. I've had a fantastic comeback and brilliant support from so many people. To get on the scoresheet today in a group one is a brilliant feeling, but I feel for James Doyle. If Noble Style had not run, Shaquille was going to be his ride so thank you to the connections for letting me ride him.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Little Big Bear, “He ran very well. I think he is a sprinter and we will be looking forward to the July Cup.” Swingalong's trainer Karl Burke commented, “It was a fantastic run and Clifford [Lee] gave her a great ride. I knew the run in the French 1000 Guineas was wrong–she did not stay the mile, but equally she would not have won over six furlongs that day. She will stay another half furlong, so we are thinking of the [G1] Prix Maurice de Gheest.”

Pedigree Notes
The unraced dam Magic (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has genuine sprinting gold in her blood, being a daughter of Cheveley Park Stud's supercharged G2 Flying Five scorer and G1 Golden Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup-placed Danehurst (GB) (Danehill). This is the family of the G1 Cheveley Park S., G2 Lowther S. and G3 Sirenia S.-winning European champion 2-year-old filly Hooray (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner and G1 1000 Guineas third Dazzle (GB) (Gone West) who was making her debut when winning the Windsor Castle here in 1996. Also related to the meeting's G2 Hardwicke S.-placed Mighty (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), her yearling colt is by Cable Bay (Ire).

Friday, Royal Ascot, Britain
COMMONWEALTH CUP-G1, £600,000, Ascot, 6-23, 3yo, 6fT, 1:13.15, g/f.
1–SHAQUILLE (GB), 128, c, 3, by Charm Spirit (Ire)
1st Dam: Magic (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Danehurst (GB), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Miswaki Belle, by Miswaki
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Hughes, Rawlings & O'Shaughnessy; B-Martin Hughes & Michael Kerr-Dineen (GB); T-Julie Camacho; J-Oisin Murphy. £340,260. Lifetime Record: 7-6-0-0, $539,370. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Little Big Bear (Ire), 128, c, 3, No Nay Never–Adventure Seeker (Fr), by Bering (GB). (€320,000 Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & Westerberg; B-Camas Park Stud & Summerhill (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £129,000.
3–Swingalong (Ire), 125, f, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Pilates (Ire), by Shamardal. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (120,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Mount Armstrong Stud. (IRE); T-Karl Burke. £64,560.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 9.00, 0.91, 66.00.
Also Ran: Ocean Quest (Ire), Rumstar (GB), Queen Me (Ire), Shouldvebeenaring (GB), Mischief Magic (Ire), Noble Style (GB), Lezoo (GB), The X O (Ire), Marbaan (GB), Sakheer (Ire). Scratched: Cold Case (GB).

 

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80 Up For Frankie As Caravaggio’s Porta Fortuna Wins The Albany

Frankie got going early on Friday as he steered Steven Weston, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing 2020 LLC and Reeves Racing's Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio–Too Precious {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to success in the G3 Albany S. for a landmark 80th Royal Ascot winner. Sent off at 5-1 having garnered Naas's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. last month, the Donnacha O'Brien trainee travelled smoothly over two lengths behind the speed up the centre.

Arriving to reel in Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) passing the furlong pole, Porta Fortuna who was bought by Mark McStay from Annemarie O'Brien following her success in a five-furlong Curragh maiden in April beat Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star by a length. Highclere Throughbred Racing's Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), representing the George Boughey stable which was fifth with the subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) two years ago, was the same margin away in third.

“I fulfilled my dream,” Frankie said. “I love Ascot so much, it's always been good to me and to get 80 is unbelievable. This is a solid filly–she's speedy, she's got a turn of foot and she gave me an armchair ride. At the moment this filly feels like a sprinter, but only time will tell.”

Donnacha, who was celebrating his first Royal winner, added, “Porta Fortuna is a very smart filly and big congratulations to all the owners–they spotted her potential early and bought into her. She is quite a scopey filly–she is owned by a bunch of American owners, so the Breeders' Cup will be a target but whether she will stay that far or not we will see. It is a big gamble to buy a filly out of a maiden, but they have been proven right so fair play to them.”

Boughey said of Soprano, “She looked like she was probably drawn on the wrong side unfortunately, but we are thrilled. She's a filly that is always going to get further. She's out of a sister to a Breeders' Cup Mile winner and that's where her future lies, probably up in trip. They just had a little bit too much toe for her and sprinted away, but she hit the line strong.”

Pedigree Notes

Porta Fortuna is the first of three foals produced by Too Precious (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), a full-sister to the G2 P.J. O'Shea S. winner and G1 Australian Cup runner-up Numerian (Ire) and the G3 Prix Francois Boutin third Montesilvano (Ire). The third dam Kantikoy (GB) (Alzao) is a half to the G3 St Simon S. scorer and G1 Irish St Leger-placed Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) who produced the St Leger hero and Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Milan (GB) (Sadler's Wells). This Fittocks Stud family also includes this meeting's G2 Queen's Vase winner Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and last month's Listed Cocked Hat S. runner-up Klondike (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The dam's yearling filly is by Ten Sovereigns (Ire), while she also has a filly foal by Sottsass (Fr).

For more on Porta Fortuna's journey to Royal Ascot, please click here, and for a post-race update, click here.

Friday, Royal Ascot, Britain
ALBANY S.-G3, £100,000, Ascot, 6-23, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:13.97, g/f.
1–PORTA FORTUNA (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Too Precious (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
2nd Dam: Delicate Charm (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
3rd Dam: Kantikoy (GB), by Alzao
O-Steve Weston, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing & Reeves Thoroughbreds; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 3-3-0-0, $128,010. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Matrika (Ire), 128, f, 2, No Nay Never–Muravka (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £21,500.
3–Soprano (Ire), 128, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Lealas Daughter (Ire), by Excelebration (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€45,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1; 100,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Da Vinci); B-Empire Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-George Boughey. £10,760.
Margins: 1, 1, 1HF. Odds: 5.00, 9.00, 6.50.
Also Ran: Persian Dreamer, Pretty Crystal (Ire), Komat (GB), Dawn Charger (Ire), Carla's Way (Ire), Gushing Gold (Ire), Navassa Island (Ire), Jabaara (Ire), Passionately (Ire), Do It With Style (Ire), Rating (Ire), Flaccianello (Ire), Mapmaker (GB), Sarakana (Ire). Scratched: Snafiya (Ire).

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Godolphin’s Triple Group 1 Winner And Classic Hero Native Trail Retired

Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), an unbeaten champion 2-year-old and brilliant winner of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas last year, has been retired. 

The Charlie Appleby-trained colt won three times at the highest level and will embark on a stud career next year, according to Godolphin's Director Of Studs, Liam O'Rourke.

He said, “Native Trail has had an exceptional career and owes us nothing. We feel now is the time to retire him and he will take up stud duties in 2024.”

Native Trail was last seen finishing eighth in Tuesday's G1 Queen Anne behind Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). 

Along with his Irish Guineas success, he landed two Group 1 races as a juvenile–the National S. at the Curragh followed by the Dewhurst at Newmarket. The Le Haras d'Haspel-bred was also second in the G1 2000 Guineas in 2022.

The 4-year-old retires having won six of his 11 starts and has amassed over £1 million in prize-money. He was a €50,000 Arqana December foal, 67,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling, and a 210,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up 2-year-old.

The son of Needleleaf (GB) (Observatory), herself a full-sister to Group 1-winning sprinter African Rose (GB) and G3 Prix d'Aumale heroine and Classic-placed Helleborine (GB), is from the extended family of G1 Dewhurst S. winner Distant Music (Distant View). Helleborine is the dam of dual group winner Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who won the G2 Coventry S.

Stud plans will be announced in due course.

 

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