Erwan De Chambord has joined Haras de Montaigu in the capacity of commercial development and client relations. He will serve as the point of contact for new sales in addition to advising on breeding and stallion matings. Launching EDC Agency two years ago, De Chambord has also served with Arqana and bloodstock agent Nicolas de Watrigant, in addition to holding the post of assistant under U.S.-based trainer Christophe Clement. Representing Haras de Montaigu at the track, at French sales and international racing venues, De Chambord will work alongside Aliette Forien and Sybille Gibson to further the operation's advancement and growth.
Group 2 placed Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) is expected to mark his seasonal return in Chantilly's G3 Prix Sigy over 5 1/2 furlongs Apr. 17. Victorious in his first two starts, including an 8 1/2-length score at Thirsk last August, the Karl Burke trainee finished runner-up in York's G2 Gimcrack S. before checking in fifth behind Blackbeard (Ire) in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket in September.
“He came out of the [Middle Park] lame in front,” explained Nick Bradley, managing director of owner Nick Bradley Racing.
“He was suffering with sore shins throughout his 2-year-old campaign, which is just something that can happen with 2-year-olds, particularly ones which come from the breeze-ups. So, when he went downhill in the Middle Park, I expected him to hang but he hung more than I thought he would. He was keen at the beginning of the race as well and everything went wrong, but we still managed to finish [fifth] in a Group 1.”
According to Bradley, the sophomore is approaching his first official work of the season.
“He's been back in since December time,” Bradley continued. “Karl was raving about the horses in general and Marshman was kind of top of the pile. He has not done any serious work as yet though.”
Bradley added that Marshman will be targeted at many of the top sprints this season.
“We're not going to be drawn into stepping him up in trip for the Guineas or anything like that, we very much see him as a sprinter. I find a lot of those breeze-up horses run over a shorter distance than their pedigrees suggest due to the way they have been trained early in their careers. But, hopefully, we are going to win the [Sigy] then we can look at races like the G2 Sandy Lane [Haydock], G1 Commonwealth Cup [Royal Ascot] and the G1 July Cup [Newmarket]. Those sorts of races will be his targets and the aim is to win as many group races as we can.”
For the third time in four starts this season, this time in Sunday's G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) jumped at a quote of even-money or better, not insignificant given that his highest starting price in his 14 appearances prior to that was $1.80 (4-5).
That he offered his backers $2.30 was only logical, as he was facing off with Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), perfect in four starts over the course and 2000-metre distance, which was supposed to be the great equaliser and level the playing field. Romantic Warrior, off as the $1.50 jolly Sunday, got first run and turned for home with every conceivable chance, but Golden Sixty was all guts when push came to shove and was home a head to the good to win for the 24th time from 28 starts, including a narrow success in this event two years ago.
Sunday's game plan was a pretty straight-forward one–don't let Romantic Warrior out of your sights–and Vincent Ho followed those instructions to the letter, even having to get after Golden Sixty through demanding middle sectionals. Karis Teetan aboard the favourite tried to win the race 600 metres from home and the duo struck to the lead, even as Golden Sixty was poised to tackle him. While his customary turn of acceleration was noticeably and understandably less electric given the distance of the Gold Cup, Golden Sixty continued to knuckle down and grabbed Romantic Warrior a handful of strides before the winning post. Money Catcher (NZ) (Ferlax {NZ}) made the running into the straight and held gamely for third.
“He was very relaxed today, I even had to ask him a little to keep up today in the back straight and, of course, I had another great horse to follow through and ask for the full effort at the 200- [metre mark],” said Ho. “I just had to stay close with him and don't let him get away too far.”
Ho added, “To be honest, I expected the other horse would have beaten us but, of course, I just do my best on Golden Sixty without hurting him too much for the Champions Mile or if we go to Japan, so it's going to take time for him to recover, aged seven now. I just don't want to overdo it, but doing my best to [help him] perform at that level.”
It was an eighth Group 1 conquest for Golden Sixty, equaling the number achieved by Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock {Aus}) and his earnings now exceed an eye-watering HK$136 million. Next up could be the G2 Chairman's Trophy back over a mile on Apr. 9 into either the G1 Champions' Mile or the G1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m) Apr. 30. Though the G1 Yasuda Kinen in early June remains an option, Golden Sixty remains an outside chance to shoot for the older horse Triple Crown in the G1 Champions and Chater Cup over 12 furlongs May 28.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong CITI HONG KONG GOLD CUP-G1, HK$12,000,000, Sha Tin, 2-26, 2000mT, 1:59.98, gd/fm.
1–GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS), 126, g, 7, by Medaglia d'Oro 1st Dam: Gaudeamus (GSW-Ire, $179,846), by Distorted Humor 2nd Dam: Leo's Lucky Lady, by Seattle Slew 3rd Dam: Konafa, by Damascus
(A$120,000 Ylg '17 MMGCYS; NZ$300,000 '17 NZBRTR). O-Stanley Chan Ka Leung; B-Asco International Pty Ltd (Qld); T-Francis Lui Kin-wai; J-Vincent Ho Chak-yiu; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: 2x Horse of the Year, Ch. Middle Distance Horse & Ch. 4yo-HK, 28-24-2-1, HK$136,530,600. *1/2 to Igitur (Aus) (Helmet {Aus}), SP-Aus; and Rainbow Connection (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), GSP-Aus. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Romantic Warrior (Ire), 126, g, 5, Acclamation (GB)–Folk Melody (Ire), by Street Cry (Ire). (300,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; HK$4,800,000 HRA '21 HKJUN). O-Peter Lau Pak Fai; B-Corduff Stud & T J Rooney; T-Danny Shum Chap-shing; J-Karis Teetan; HK$2,640,000.
3–Money Catcher (NZ), 126, g, 5, Ferlax (NZ)–Warren's Sister (NZ), by Savabeel (Aus). (NZ$13,000 Wlg '18 NZBMAY; NZ$60,000 2yo '19 NZBRTR). O-The Sunflower Syndicate; B-Haunui Bloodstock Ltd; T-Frankie Lor Fu-chuen; HK$1,200,000.
Margins: HD, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 13-10, 1-2, 45-1.
Also Ran: Glorious Dragon (Ire), Panfield (Chi), Tourbillon Diamond (Aus), Ka Ying Star (GB). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.
So-Ho Team To Take Out the Classic Cup
Trainer Chris So celebrated the most important victory of his career when Super Sunny Sing (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), ridden by Ho about 70 minutes after the Gold Cup, swept past Sword Point (Aus) (American Pharoah) in the dying stages to scoop the Hong Kong Classic Cup, the final local lead-up to the BMW Hong Kong Derby three weeks down the road.
Settled with about four rivals behind as Sword Point dropped over from his high draw to apply some pressure to all-the-way Classic Mile winner Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) and Jamie Kah, the 12-5 favourite was swung out wide and into the clear approaching the stretch. Sword Point, Group 2-placed in Australia for Chris Waller, claimed Voyage Bubble with about a furlong to race, but Super Sunny Sing was motoring home down the centre of the track and did his best running through the line with a final 400 metres in a slick :22.70. Galaxy Witness (Aus) (Star Witness {Aus}) earned a photo for third over Classic Mile runner-up Tuchel (NZ) (Redwood {GB}).
Super Sunny Sing is reportedly the first to win the Classic Cup while making his Classic series debut since the legendary Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) a dozen years ago.
“To get a horse to win this race makes me very happy and it relieves a lot of pressure now,” said So, who was an assistant to Caspar Fownes before going out on his own in 2013. “Today has proven that he should handle further distance, but let's see how he pulls up–if he's sound and happy, we target the Derby. We won't change too much on the programme and just keep him happy.”
A 26th stakes winner for Nicconi and first in Hong Kong, Super Sunny Sing was purchased by John Foote Bloodstock for A$48,000 at the 2020 Inglis Classic Sale. Foote also bought Galaxy Witness for A$160,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale that year. Red Centre's last listed produce is the 3-year-old Press Statement (Aus) filly Altrove (Aus), odds-on winner of a Class 1 handicap at Albury Feb. 2 and runner-up in a Class 2 this past Saturday.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong HONG KONG CLASSIC CUP-LR, HK$12,000,000, Sha Tin, 2-26, NH/SH4yo, 1800mT, 1:46.26, gd/fm.
1–SUPER SUNNY SING (AUS), 126, g, 4, by Nicconi (Aus) 1st Dam: Red Centre (Aus), by Rubiton (Aus) 2nd Dam: Land of Dreams (Aus), by Kenvain (Aus) 3rd Dam: Holograph (Aus), by Bletchingly (Aus) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (A$48,000 Ylg '20 INGFEB). O-Janice Wong Oi Ying; B-Miss J Henderson, Etak Thoroughbreds (NSW); T-Chris So Way-yin; J-Vincent Ho Chak-yiu; HK$6,840,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-1, HK$10,908,900. *Formerly Axe Atkins (Aus). **1/2 to Too Many Reds (Aus) (Magic Albert {Aus}), MSP-Aus, $293,613.
2–Sword Point (Aus), 126, g, 4, American Pharoah–Jazz Song (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). (A$750,000 Ylg '20 MMGCYS). O-Li Chi Pong; B-Morning Rise Stud (Vic); T-Frankie Lor Fu-chuen; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$2,640,000.
3–Galaxy Witness (Aus), 126, g, 4, Star Witness (Aus)–Black Tulip (Aus), by Lonhro (Aus). (A$160,000 Ylg '20 MMGCYS). O-Winnie Law Wing Yin; B-Bird Rock Thoroughbreds (Vic); T-Caspar Fownes; J-Blake Shinn; HK$1,200,000.
Margins: HF, 2 1/4, NO. Odds: 12-5, 9-1, 17-1.
Also Ran: Tuchel (NZ), Flagship Warrior (Aus), Voyage Bubble (Aus), Bon's A Pearla (Aus), Sinba (Aus), Majestic Colour (Aus), La City Blanche (Arg), Sweet Encounter (NZ), Encounterd (Ire), Keefy (Aus), Beautyverse (NZ). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing.
When Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) provided Japan with a breakthrough victory in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, Tom Ryan, one of the key men behind the lucrative two-day meeting, punched the proverbial air.
Of all the results possible in the big race, a Japanese victory would have been right up there as the most desirable for a relatively new fixture on the international racing circuit, as extravagant the prize-money may be.
Nobody understands this better than the County Tipperary native who swapped managing Naas racecourse for his current role as the Racing Advisor to the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia a little over four years ago.
Ryan and his team have worked tirelessly to provide the Saudi Cup fixture with a foothold on the international programme in that time and, along with Panthalassa's Saudi Cup win that spearheaded a Japanese-trained treble on the evening, the victory of Breeders' Cup winner Elite Power (Curlin) and a local success in the Saudi Derby all helped point to the fact that such status is being secured.
“We're in year four now and it's hard to believe that it's been four years since I left Naas racecourse to come out here,” a wide-eyed Ryan said after racing on Saturday.
“Tonight's result gives us a global spread–America won the Saudi Cup in year one, England in year two, the Middle East last year and now Japan. It gives the event an unbelievable spread.”
He added, “I am also delighted for Juddmonte to get their winner [Elite Power in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint ] as they've tried very hard to. I felt very bad about the fact that Mandaloun (Into Mischief) got delayed going back home to America last year after running in the Saudi Cup. Obviously that was out of our control but I was very happy to see Elite Power winning for them tonight.
“On the whole, the event has been fantastic and the enthusiasm for racing in Saudi Arabia is exploding. Our job now is to harness that and hopefully give them a platform for it.”
The progress that has been made in a short space of time can largely be put down to the huge confidence trainers and jockeys have had in the racing surface at Riyadh racecourse, particularly on the dirt track, which was evident when Frankie Dettori described it as 'one of the best in the world' at a press conference on Thursday.
That, along with a developing programme and colossal prize-money, has provided enough of a carrot for the international runners to take up the challenge. A number of those box office names helped make this year's meeting one to remember.
Ryan said, “We've been very well-supported from the outset. The Saudi Cup is the most important race on the card but we had a Breeders' Cup sprint winner here today and the Turf Sprint is a Group 1 in all but name. That race started out as a bit of a play thing at 1,351 metres and now it's a Group 3 but, the quality of field it is attracting, it could be a Group 1.”
He added, “The track was always our core asset–the dirt track in particular. We took a chance here in developing the turf track on the inside and that has matured beautifully. From that point of view, the international riders have been happy from day one to endorse the dirt track as possibly the best in the world. We added the turf track and took a chance that first year with an expansive race programme.”
Whether it was races for Arabian-breds, contests confined to runners who were bred locally, sprints, marathons and everything in between, you name it, there was a race for it in Riyadh. Not only that, chances were that there was a pretty lucrative purse up for grabs as well. Take for example the fact there was an Arabian race on dirt worth $1 million on Friday while Saturday's Group 1 Classic on turf was run for $2 million. Staggering stuff.
A local expert told Nick Luck that one of the main reasons why people follow Arabian racing is that the majority of the runners are seasoned campaigners that tend to be kept in training that bit longer. The Gulf's answer to jumps racing back home in Britain and Ireland if you like. Given the average age for Saturday's 12-runner Group 1 was six, it was hard to disagree with that logic.
However, what our expert failed to tell us about Arabian-breds is that they are flighty little buggers. Just ask the stalls handler who had his leg broken by one of the runners on Friday.
None of the Japanese-trained horses were reported to have wreaked such havoc this week but Panthalassa did win the Saudi Cup as a 6-year-old and that could go some way to explaining the growing affection and association that fans from that part of the world have built up with him.
Not only that, but his stablemate Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) won the 1351 Turf Sprint as a 5-year-old while Japan's third winner of the evening, the Yasutoshi Ikee-trained Silver Sonic (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), took out the G3 Red Sea Turf H. at the grand old age of seven.
Yoshito Yahagi | Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
If it's not the horses that send the Japanese racing fans wild, perhaps it's the great characters associated with the game, and they don't come much better than the Saudi Cup-winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
Just about the only man who could pull off a grey suit bedecked with a red and white-striped tie and topped off with a bright purple hat, Yahagi let everyone in on the secret behind his hat-wearing habits after Panthalassa's triumph.
“When I started training, nobody knew who I was. That way, how people came to recognise me, was when I started wearing hats. Today, I wore the same hat that I wore to the Breeders' Cup. I have 200 to 300 hats.”
Long gone are the days where Yahagi needs to wear an illuminous hat to get himself recognised. His achievements speak volumes. Similarly, the Saudi Cup has now become a recognised event, and Ryan says that it is here to stay.
“When you think about it, we started in April 2019 with one race and now we have ended up with a two-day festival with people coming from all over the world. Even look at that jockeys' challenge yesterday, that is turning into a proper test–dirt, turf, sprint and middle-distance races–and we have jockeys begging us to get into it. It's become a real spectacle.
“It was great that the locals got a winner. We always felt that the Saudi Derby was probably the race that they could grab a hold of and win. There are just plenty of positives to take from the two days and there was a huge crowd again here tonight. It's really positive.”
He added, “You see the guys here who are so active in the horses-in-training sales back home, in particular looking for those dirt types, and it's very easy to see what pedigrees go on it. For the horses who have been imported, it does take them a little bit of time to acclimatise, we have seen that, but a bit of patience goes a long way.”
Hapipi Go Lucky (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is one such graduate. A winner for Johnny Murtagh when trained in Ireland, she was sourced at the Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale in 2011 for just 11,000gns, but landed a $400,000 handicap for her new connections on Friday.
Such success can only be a benefit to the local owners and trainers, who will doubtlessly feel they have a chance to get in on the action in the coming years. But it's the Panthalassas, Elite Powers and the Country Grammers of this world that will help drive the Saudi Cup's status as a global event, and Ryan has put together a team with a track record of delivering the goods.
“It started from year one–we put the horse at the very centre of our efforts. The trust with the horse and then hopefully the people will follow. A mention for Emer Fallon, a fellow Irish native, she does amazing work with the trainers, who all know her. The jockeys get on great with her as well. She follows the form on a global level and she's really the one who sets the tone for all of this and we just rally around her in terms of the conversations that need to be had to attract people to the meeting.”
