Tag: Top News Europe

Sumbe to Sponsor Prix Morny

Sumbe will be the new sponsor of the Prix Morny meeting at Deauville as part of a five-year deal, it was announced on Tuesday. 

The G1 Sumbe Prix Morny is the highlight of the day's racing on Sunday, August 20, with the supporting races on the card all carrying sponsorship by Nurlan Bizakov's operation.

“It is a real pleasure to announce that Sumbe is to sponsor the Prix Morny for the next five years, marking our first partnership with France Galop,” said Bizakov, whose horses in training are led by his homebred Group 1 winner Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}). 

“It is my first venture into sponsorship, and I am delighted to start with a stallion-making race as important as the Prix Morny. It takes place during the Deauville Barriere meeting, which attracts plenty of international attention. That fits in perfectly with our projects at Sumbe and will give us an opportunity to bring together our clients, partners, and friends from all over the world.” 

The Sumbe group is comprised of Haras de Monfort & Préaux and Haras du Mézeray, based over 350 hectares between the French regions of Orne and Calvados, and Hesmonds Stud in England. The farms are home to 50 Sumbe broodmares and boarders. In France, Sumbe stands the stallions Mishriff (Ire), Golden Horde (Ire), De Treville (GB) and Recorder (GB).

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‘He’s A Magical Horse’–Head Delighted With Big Rock

If there was any doubt who was the Cork Of The North among the French 3-year-old middle-distance colts heading into Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche, Yeguada Centurion's Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}–Hardiyna {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) provided the emphatic answer with a dominant display at a rain-soaked Chantilly. Compared to Frankel (GB) by the commentary team of Racing Galop afterwards, the homebred first foal out of the owner-breeder's €72,000 Goffs November purchase from The Aga Khan's draft was more Old Vic (GB) as he sliced through the testing ground to kill off all threats without Aurelien Lemaitre needing to delve into the deep reserves. Out on his own for the entirety of the nine-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club prep, the 6-5 favourite was sauntering late on with his peers coming home behind him at margins more akin to steeplechases.

At the line, the powerhouse G3 Prix la Force winner whose family includes all The Aga Khan's “H” luminaries headed by the Derby and Irish Derby hero Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) had five lengths to spare over Le Haras de la Gousserie's Patrice Cottier-trained Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), with another four back to Grey Tornado (Fr) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) from the Henri-Alex Pantall stable. TDN Rising Star Padishakh (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was beaten 14 1/2 lengths in fourth, with the other big representatives Rajapour (Ire) (Almanzor {Fr}) and Flight Leader (GB) (Frankel {GB}) the last two home by unthinkably large margins.

Jockey Club The Aim

It is a big week for Leopoldo Fernández Pujals' breeding operation and the Christopher Head stable, with Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in pole position in Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches now that Big Rock has spurned dreams of a 2023 Classic double.

“He is an amazing horse with such a high cruising speed–he destroys the field,” the trainer said of the homebred, beaten on his inauspicious first three starts for the Mathieu Brasme stable and unbeaten since the switch, including a handicap and the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault at this track. “It's even more amazing on such testing ground. He was really very, very impressive today, more than ever.”

“We got him at the beginning of the season, but he showed his class pretty early on,” Head told TDN Europe of Big Rock.

“Because of the ground, I wasn't expecting such a dominant win. It was a nice result and a proper preparation for the Jockey Club. That's the main aim.”

He added, “It's very important to be able to train this calibre of horse. I really want to thank Yeguada Centurion, and the confidence they have instilled in the stable. Their project is exceptional and will get better and better in time. I'm very lucky to train for them.

“We are looking forward to Blue Rose Cen, running for the same owners, in the French Guineas this weekend.”

Pedigree Notes

Hardiyna, by the aforementioned Harzand's sire, is an unraced daughter of the G3 Silver Flash S. scorer Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who was also second in the G2 Debutante S. and third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. The third dam is the G3 Athasi S. winner Hazariya (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), who alongside Harasiya and Harzand also produced three other black-type performers including the Listed Finale S. winner Hazarafa (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) who was in turn responsible for the G3 Derby Trial and G3 Amethyst S. scorer Hazapour (Ire) (Shamardal).

Hazariya is a half to Barathea's G3 Blue Wind S. winner and G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks third Hazarista (Ire) and listed-placed Hidden Brief (GB), better known as the dam of last year's G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine and Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn (GB) also by Sea The Stars. Hardiyna's second foal is a 2-year-old colt by Ten Sovereigns (Ire) who was a potential bargain €20,000 purchase by Emil Zahariev at Arqana Deauville October.

Tuesday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE GUICHE-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 5-9, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 1:55.48, hy.
1–BIG ROCK (FR), 128, c, 3, by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
     1st Dam: Hardiyna (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Harasiya (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
     3rd Dam: Hazariya (Ire), by Xaar (GB)
O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (FR); T-Christopher Head; J-Aurelien Lemaitre. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-2-0, €134,650. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Horizon Dore (Fr), 128, g, 3, Dabirsim (Fr)–Sweet Alabama (Fr), by Enrique (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€45,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Gousserie Racing, Ecurie du Sud, Ecurie Gribomont, Daniel Dumoulin, Mlle Chantal Becq & Mme Francoise Delaunay; B-Mlle Chantal Becq (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €16,000.
3–Grey Tornado (Fr), 128, c, 3, The Grey Gatsby (Ire)–Veldargent (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€25,000 Ylg '21 ARQAUG). O-Patrice Bourigault & Mlle Ingrid Pantall; B-Patrick Chedeville & Mme Yvette Pantall (FR); T-Henri-Alex Pantall. €12,000.
Margins: 5, 4, 5HF. Odds: 1.20, 7.60, 15.00.
Also Ran: Padishakh (Fr), Circeo (Ire), Rajapour (Ire), Flight Leader (GB). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

The post ‘He’s A Magical Horse’–Head Delighted With Big Rock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Lope De Vega Colt Earns TDN Rising Star in Chantilly Debut

Philippe Allaire's Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}–Enchanting Skies {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) landed  Tuesday's €50,000 Prix du Coq Chantant at Chantilly, the latest in France Galop's series of premium races for unraced 2-year-olds, earning in the process a 'TDN Rising Star' badge after posting an impressive 5 1/2-length triumph in the five-furlong dash.

Beauvatier broke from the outside stall and raced in rear while working his way across to the stands' side rail. Making smooth headway from halfway, the 23-10 second favourite cruised to the front on the bridle approaching the furlong marker and quickened again when changing leads inside the final 100 metres, surging clear in eyecatching fashion to mark his debut with a daylight success from Kumite (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

“He had not worked a lot before that, but he showed speed and a good attitude in his only serious piece of work so I decided to supplement him for this,” explained trainer Yann Barberot. “Obviously, he has the ability to handle testing ground and we will see how much he improves before deciding on his next race. He has the pedigree to stay further so there is no hurry.”

The February-foaled dark bay becomes the 12th Rising Star for his sire, whose list includes GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and GI Just A Game heroine Newspaperofrecord (Ire), National Stud resident Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), who placed five times at the highest level, and another GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf victrix in Aunt Pearl (Ire).

Allaire's wife Gitte spoke to TDN Europe on Tuesday, where she revealed that Christophe Soumillon called the couple after the race to compliment them on their bright prospect.

She said, “We are very excited about him. We bought him at the Arqana August Sale with Yann Barberot and he looked to be a very nice prospect. Yann picks out several horses for us at the sales to look at and we are happy to have found this one with him. 

“Of course, it is always very exciting to start a young horse after you invest and it's already been a nice return on investment for him after winning a race like that on debut.”

Allaire added, “He has a good pedigree and there was a lot to like about him at the sales. He has good conformation, is a great walker and was very powerful even as a yearling. Lope De Vega is an elite stallion and is very sought after. 

“It is the first time that Christophe Soumillon has called us after the race. He was so happy. I think that is a good sign. We have a saying in France that we are floating on a small cloud. We are enjoying the dream with this horse. It's so nice to dream.”

Pedigree Notes

Beauvatier, a €160,000 Arqana August purchase and kin to a yearling filly by Siyouni {Fr}), is the first of two foals produced by Listed Prix de Thiberville runner-up Enchanting Skies (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), herself a sale-topping €500,000 Baden-Baden September yearling when sold by Ronald Rauscher to Peter and Ross Doyle, on behalf of Mayfair Speculators, in 2016. His dam is one of four black-type performers out of Listed Kolner Fruhjahrs-Stuten-Preis third Estefania (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), the quartet headed by G1 Preis von Europa victor Empoli (Ger) (Halling). Estefania is out of a multiple-winning half to MG1SW G2 German 1000 Guineas and G2 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Elle Danzig (Ger) (Roi Danzig).

1st-Chantilly, €50,000, Mdn, 5-9, unraced 2yo, c/g, 5fT, 1:02.03, hy.
BEAUVATIER (FR), c, 2, by Lope De Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Enchanting Skies (Ire) (SP-Fr), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Estefania (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
3rd Dam: Eirehill (Ire), by Danehill
(€160,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €25,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
O-Philippe Allaire; B-Ecurie des Monceaux, Qatar Bloodstock Ltd & Mme Barbara M Keller (FR); T-Yann Barberot; J-Christophe Soumillon.

 

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Hong Kong International Races Receive Substantial Boost

Prize money for the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) will be worth a record HK$118 million in 2023 and will again host the world's richest Group 1 turf races over 1200m, 1600m and 2000m, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Monday.

The G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup received a 5.9% increase to HK$36 million, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) has been boosted by 8.3% to HK$26 million, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m) will grow by 6.7% to HK$32 million and the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) received a 9.1% bump to HK$24 million.

Additionally, each of the city's 12 Group 1 races will rise by a minimum of HK$1 million for a combined HK$20 million as part of an overall prize money increase of 10%. Hong Kong's record prize money and incentive structure now stretches to an estimated HK$1.73 billion across the 2023/24 season. The world's richest Group 1 turf race over 1400m–the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup–offers HK$13 million in prize money, while the Club has also raised purses on Group 2 and Group 3 races to HK$5.35 million and HK$4.2 million, hikes of 7.0% and 7.7%, respectively.

Including substantial increases to the PP and PPG bonus scheme, Hong Kong's domestic racing prize money pool will increase by 8% alone next season – with an additional HK$94 million on offer – to HK$1.38 billion.

“The Longines Hong Kong International Races continue to be widely recognised as the 'Turf World Championships' and the HK$118 million total prize money on offer next season also underscores the Club's commitment to attracting and rewarding the world's best horses and their connections,” Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said. “With growing competition around the world, it is crucial that Hong Kong's two international race days-Longines Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day–continue to be destinations of choice for owners, trainers and jockeys from around the world.”

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