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Middleton Fillies’ S. First Up For Star Filly Nashwa

Dual Group 1 winner Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who took the 2022 G1 Prix de Diane with Hollie Doyle aboard, is pointing toward the May 18 G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. at York for her 4-year-old bow.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden for Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud, the bay is in good form, and, if the ground is unsuitable at York, she could be re-routed to the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury two days later.

“She stays in training and has wintered well,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Nashwa's owner Imad Al Sagar. “She hasn't done much and probably at this stage we're aiming at the Middleton at York and then we would see how we go from there.

“The mile-and-a-quarter races would be her initial targets anyway I would imagine, but I suppose if the ground came up very soft for some reason at York and if the ground was all right at Newbury she might divert to the Lockinge. At the moment though, the plan is to look at the Middleton and Imad is happy with that plan.”

Third in the G1 Oaks at Epsom last spring, she eked out a short neck victory in the Chantilly Classic and made it two top tier races on the bounce with a 1 3/4-length score in the Nassau S. at Goodwood in July. A too-good-to-lose second in the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc Day Nashwa ran fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November. Trips to France for the G1 Prix Jean Romanet, as well as clashing with males in open Group 1s are on the table for later in the season.

“There's the Prince Of Wales's, Eclipse and Juddmonte if you are being really brave,” Grimthorpe continued. “Otherwise, there are nice races in Deauville and all those nice fillies races all around the Nassau which she won last year as well, so there is a good programme for her.”

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Cornelius All Smiles as Mamma Delivers Again

NEWMARKET, UK–The hugely consistent producer Mamma Morton (Ire) (Elnadim) was represented by arguably her most exciting offspring to date when her Havana Grey (GB) daughter Mammas Girl (GB) shot to victory along the stands' rail in the G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S.

The decisive win ensured that breeder Robert Cornelius and his father George were all smiles as they raced from the grandstand to watch the replay on the big screen.

“She was never mentioned except to say she was trailing, and then suddenly in the last 100 yards she gets through and then she was going away,” said Cornelius, who is based near Boroughbridge in Yorkshire. 

He was understandably full of praise for the veteran Mamma Morton, who was bought on his behalf as a three-year-old by Richard Frisby at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Bred by Nelson Bunker Hunt, she was placed three times in five starts in Ireland but has more than made up for own lack of success on the racetrack in her second career. From her 12 progeny of racing age, 11 are winners and three have earned black type. 

“She's been an amazing mare, truly amazing,” Cornelius added. “She's 19 now and she has a Dandy Man (Ire) yearling colt and an Ardad (Ire) colt foal. She's going to Mohaather (GB) this year. We've mostly gone the speed route with her; she likes a small, fast stallion.”

A former long-term boarder at Whitsbury Manor Stud, Mamma Morton's three stakes performers are all by the farm's stallions, past and present. Master Of War (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) won the Listed Rose Bowl S. before finishing second in both the G2 Richmond S. and G2 Mill Reef S. More recently Life In Colour (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) was placed in last season's Listed Waterford Testimonial S. for Willie McCreery in the colours of Wendy O'Leary. Mammas Girl is now unbeaten in two starts, both on the Rowley Mile, where she will return in a little over a fortnight for the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas to become a first Classic contender for her second-season sire.

“She used to board at Whitsbury and this was the last foal she had there, but she was at Whitsbury for all that time and they did a great job,” said the breeder who added that Mamma Morton, one of only two broodmares he owns, now lives at Copgrove Hall Stud, close to his own home. The famed Yorkshire nursery, previously owned by successful breeders Major Lionel Holliday and Guy Reed, is run by Brian O'Rourke.

He added, “She's only ever had one foal that hasn't won. I'm really hoping for a filly next year.”

Mammas Girl was consigned by WH Bloodstock at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale and bought for £35,000 by Peter and Ross Doyle on behalf of Amo Racing, whose successful day continued with victory in the following race for juvenile Persian Dreamer, a second winner for Calyx (GB).

 

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Dubai Mile Put Through His Paces Over The Rowley Mile

Group 1 winner Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) galloped over the Rowley Mile in Newmarket on Wednesday. The Ahmad Al Shaikh silksbearer is being primed for a possible start in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas over this course on May 6.

Trained by Charlie Johnston, the 3-year-old was originally pencilled in for the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dante S. at York in mid-May, but connections are weighing the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero's chances in the run-up to the G1 Betfred Derby on June 3.

“We've been having a debate internally all spring really regarding what is the best route for this horse,” said Johnston. “We're pretty confident his optimum trip this year will be a mile and a half plus and you can see in his work there that he's not travelling hard on the bridle behind the other horse. He's a very laid-back horse who is behind the bridle and his last furlong is his best furlong.

“But, having won a Group 1 as a 2-year-old, your route to the Derby is narrowed down quite dramatically. You either have to have to step down in grade or you have to go to the Guineas. From an early point it's been either Guineas-Derby or Dante-Derby. The way they're in the calendar this year running in all three is pretty unrealistic.

“I've spent most of the spring leaning on the side that he should be going Dante-Derby, but Ahmad is always keen to take on a challenge and take the ambitious route–and when you've got a Group 1-winning 2-year-old, the reality is winning the Dante is not going to add anything to this horse's stallion profile, whereas finishing third in the Guineas would be a big asset to him.”

The chestnut won at second asking over a mile at Windsor last August and added an all-weather mile contest at Kempton later that month. Second over the Guineas course and distance in the G2 Royal Lodge S. in September behind Thursday's G3 bet365 Craven S. entry The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), the son of Beach Bunny (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) thrived in the heavy going at Saint-Cloud in his top-level score a month later.

Johnston added, “We're all well aware that this horse is being trained and going to be campaigned as a top-class mile-and-a-half horse, it's just what we do in the early season to get him there.

“I'd love a soft ground Guineas, then he really would be a player because we know he handles testing conditions, and one asset you can never take for granted here is he's run over the course and distance. Danny says you don't even notice the dip on him, he just floats down it and out the other side. The Guineas is not a race you go into as a prep race, but if he was running in many ways it would be a prep race for the Derby.”

Also taking a spin over the course on Wednesday was the Charlie Hills-trained two-for-two Circero's Gift (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) with Kieran Shoemark at the controls. The Rosehill Racing-owned colt worked in company with stablemate Saratoga Gold (GB) (Mayson {GB}) under Michael Hills, however, his participation in the Newmarket Classic is not definite. He won both his Newbury debut last autumn, and a Wolverhampton all-weather affair on Mar. 30.

“He worked well and had a nice little blow afterwards as well actually, so it was just what we wanted I think,” said Hills. “He's obviously had two starts and two wins and we're just trying to feel our way really and see exactly where we are and find out a bit more about him. Today he behaved great, had a nice bit of work and did what we asked him.

“We didn't really want to run in a trial and put three quick races into him. It's going to be a long season, so we'll just try to keep him as fresh as we can.

“We'll see how the week unfolds with the trials and make a decision next week. There is a conditions race at Goodwood around the same weekend as the Guineas, so that could be another route to take, but I'm pretty open-minded at the moment.

“He's a nice horse and there's only one Guineas, isn't there? If we decide against it you've got Goodwood and the Dante at York and the [G3] Hampton Court [S.] at Royal Ascot, something like that. I think I could see him stepping him up in trip later in the year.”

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Canberra Legend Swoops Late For Feilden Triumph

James Ferguson trainee Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}–Rocana {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) registered a 3 1/2-length tally in his Feb. 20 debut over one mile at Newcastle and made a smooth transition into stakes company with a game victory in Wednesday's Listed bet365 Feilden S. at Newmarket. The 15-2 chance broke well from the far-side stall and tracked the leaders in fifth for most of this straight nine-furlong contest. Easing into third approaching the quarter-mile marker, he took some time to engage top gear and, once doing so, devoured the ground under continued urging up the hill to deny Kolsai (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) by a half-length in the dying strides for a career high.

“I was delighted with how professional he was when the gates opened and, from that wide draw, he had every opportunity to be keen and free, but he settled into the race really well,” said Ferguson of the G1 2000 Guineas, G2 Dante Stakes and G1 Derby entry. “I thought he was given a lovely ride and, from the jockey's action, it looked like he was pretty happy the whole way, so I'm thrilled. He has always been a big type and we made an executive decision to leave him and let him develop over the winter. That run at Newcastle and today has shown that he does have that ability we thought he had at home. The whole way through his training has been fairly smooth, so credit to the guys back home as they all do a wonderful job.” Looking ahead, the local conditioner added, “I think he will definitely get further in time and we've got a lot of options ahead of us. It is very exciting to have a horse of this calibre for his owner, who has been with me since I started. He is in both the Dante and the Derby and I think we have to see how he comes out of the race first. The [2000] Guineas is not far away and he looks like he wants further, but I have to talk to the owner first.”

Pedigree Notes
Canberra Legend, half to a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB), is one of three scorers from as many runners produced by an unraced half-sister to four black-type performers headed by G2 Gimcrack S. victor Blaine (GB) (Avonbridge {GB}), the stakes-winning Bogart (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up Legal Attack (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}). Descendants of the April-foaled chestnut's fifth dam Djallybrook (Fr) (Djakao {Fr}) include GI Breeders' Cup Sprint-winning US champion Lit de Justice (El Gran Senor), G1 Racing Post Trophy-winning sire Commander Collins (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Derby and G1 Irish Derby third Colonel Collins (El Gran Senor).

Wednesday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 FEILDEN S.-Listed, £50,000, Newmarket, 4-19, 3yo, 9fT, 1:56.24, g/s.
1–CANBERRA LEGEND (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Rocana (GB), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Lauren Louise (GB), by Tagula (Ire)
3rd Dam: Movie Star (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (125,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 350,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Boniface Ho Ka Kui; B-Ringfort Stud & Paul Hancock (IRE); T-James Ferguson; J-Daniel Muscutt. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $47,440. *1/2 to Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), GSW-Eng, $184,480.
2–Kolsai (GB), 128, c, 3, Oasis Dream (GB)–Fizzi Top (GB), by Frankel (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (160,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Meon Valley Stud (GB); T-Roger Varian. £10,750.
3–Killybegs Warrior (Ire), 128, c, 3, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)–Alltherightmoves (Ire), by Namid (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (100,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; €50,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-M Doyle; B-Glashare House Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Johnston. £5,380.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.50, 16.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Regal Honour (Ire), Bold Act (Ire), Galactic Jack (Ire), Intinso (GB), Blanchland (Ire), Captain Wierzba (GB).

 

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