Full Brother To Aunt Pearl Impresses At Kempton

There was an exciting newcomer in action at Kempton on Monday as Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Icon (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) made light work of the seven-furlong British EBF Novice S. A full-brother to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and GII Jessamine S. winner and $3million Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale sensation Aunt Pearl (Ire), the Roger Varian-trained bay travelled strongly towards the rear with the anchor down throughout the early stages. Building a head of steam in early straight, the 4-1 shot struck the front passing the furlong pole and stayed on powerfully to score by 3 1/4 lengths from Elnajmm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

“I've not had many horses gallop out past the line the way he did there,” jockey David Egan said. “He is a raw horse that wouldn't have been 100 per-cent tuned up for this today, as it was an educational experience.” The dam, who proved a smart performer in Scandinavia, is also responsible for a yearling filly by Le Havre (Ire) who sold to Mike Ryan for 290,000gns at the recent Book 1 Sale, and a 2022 colt also by Lope De Vega. She is a full-sister to Wekeela (Fr) who captured the G3 Prix Chloe and GIII Matchmaker S. and was second in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary, GI Jenny Wiley S. and GI Gamely S. The family features the outstanding Monsun (Ger) and the G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Molly Malone (Fr) (Lomitas {GB}).

6th-Kempton, £14,000, Novice, 11-28, 2yo, 7f (AWT), 1:27.54, st/sl.
DRAGON ICON (IRE) (c, 2, Lope De Vega {Ire}–Matauri Pearl {Ire} {Champion 3-y-o Filly-Sca, MSP-Nor, SP-Swe, $128,209}, by Hurricane Run {Ire}) Sales history: 360,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,124. O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Ecurie des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian.

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Gunther Invites Breeders To Unlock Free Nomination To Without Parole

Owner-breeder Tanya Gunther has invited people to unlock a free nomination to Without Parole (GB), the St James's Palace S. winner whose first foals sold well at Tattersalls this week, by offering a limited number of keys to those interested in breeding to the Newsells Park Stud-based stallion. 

Just one of those keys will unlock the free nomination that is hidden in one of three boxes at the Newsells Park consignment at Tattersalls for the December Mares Sale.

The majority of the keys have been sent out to breeders who have already supported the stallion, whose 15 foals sold for an average of 28,100gns at last week's December Foal Sale, including colts for 58,000 and 52,000 respectively.

However, there are still a limited number of keys available, with Gunther urging those interested to make their way down to the Highflyer Paddocks this week. 

Gunther explained, “We devised a promo that we thought would be a little bit of fun. We are inviting breeders to unlock a free nomination from behind bars during the December Mares Sale this week at Tattersalls. The people who have supported Without Parole have already received an email and a key but, basically, we have three boxes down at the Newsells consignment at Tattersalls and behind one box is a nomination to Without Parole and in the other two have champagne in them.

“None of the boxes have been opened yet and, while there is a limited supply, we invite breeders who may be interested in using Without Parole to come and visit the hospitality suite at Newsells and get their key before they are all gone. It's a pretty fun way to get talking to the breeders about the stallion and we'd love to talk to people who may be interested in using him in the future.”

Bred by Gunther's father John, Without Parole won four times for John Gosden before joining Chad Brown, for whom he placed third in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. 

He joined the Newsells roster in 2021 at a fee of £10,000 and is set to stand for just £7,000 in 2023. Gunther described herself to be delighted with the feedback from breeders at Tattersalls and said that she thinks Without Parole represents good value. 

She said, “I wasn't sure what to expect going around looking at the Without Parole foals last week because, before this sale, all I had really seen from him were my own foals. I have to say that I was very happy with what I saw in his offspring and he seems to be throwing some very good stock and is putting quality into his offspring so you can't really ask for much more than that. 

“Of course, it is only the first step but we are really pleased with how things are going with him so far and we're all quite happy about it. We hope that breeders are as happy as we are and, to hear comments like 'he is throwing horses with a touch of class' or that 'there is a resemblance of Frankel,' I mean you couldn't ask for much more than that.  It's lovely to hear that Without Parole resembles Frankel who we all know had such an amazing season and is riding the crest of a wave.”

She added, “We are very happy with the results. We hope that the buyers will make some money on their Without Parole pinhooks and feel that people didn't go too crazy at every level so hopefully they have a really great chance to do well. It's comparable to going around and looking at a bunch of your children when viewing the foals of Without Parole and it's just very rewarding to see that they have been well received. He looks as though he represents good value.”

 

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Clare Manning: ‘Gan Teorainn The Most Exciting Horse I’ve Had To Sell’

NEWMARKET, UK-Classic contender Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) has been described by Clare Manning of Boherguy Stud as the most exciting horse the 29-year-old has ever had the chance to consign ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Sceptre Session at Tattersalls on Tuesday.

Trained by her grandad Jim Bolger, Gan Teorainn advertised her Classic credentials when second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp in October and can be backed at odds of 25-1 for next year's Oaks. 

The Ennistown Stud-owned filly also boasts a rock-solid pedigree to match her ability given she is a half-sister to eight winners, three of which are black-type performers, including Puncher Clynch (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), who Bolger trained to win the G3 Ballysax S. at Leopardstown in 2010.

Manning said, “She is the highest profile horse I have ever had to sell. I've sold plenty of relations to good horses but this is a two-year-old who is already Group 1-placed and has a Classic campaign ahead of her so she's certainly the most exciting horse I've ever had the chance to sell. It's very exciting.

“Gan Teorainn is by a young and exciting sire who is going places. She has won over a mile and is out of a Rainbow Quest mare [Dance Troupe (GB)] who's had 11 foals, 10 runners and eight winners. There are plenty of black-type horses under the first dam and, as a breeding prospect on a catalogue page, it's all there.”

Gan Teorainn translates from Irish to unlimited or infinite, and Manning says that the filly her father Kevin partnered to all bar one of her seven starts in the final season of a spellbinding career that lasted over 40 years will appeal to just about everyone at Tattersalls.

Manning explained, “She has shown it on the track and, given she has a 1000 Guineas and Oaks entry for next year, I think that she will be pretty popular. There is real international appeal to Gan Teorainn and she really could go anywhere.

“There are lots of high-class mares in the sale and you can't pick out one filly or mare and say, 'this is the best in the session,' as there are several there. Gan Teorainn is the highest-rated two-year-old in the sale. Some of them will be sold as broodmare prospects while others will have racing careers ahead of them so I suppose our filly is a little unique in the sense that she is sold with a Classic campaign ahead of her as well as having that broodmare career to look forward to further down the line.”

Should Gan Teorainn play a prominent role in the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls, it would crown another excellent year for the burgeoning Boherguy Stud after a sales-topping Autumn Yearling Sale at Goffs with a colt by Dawn Approach (Ire) and a number of other productive sales either side of the Irish Sea. 

Manning said, “It's been another good year. It would be absolutely amazing if we could end it on a positive note. I think she will be well-received so I can't see why we wouldn't.

“It's very hard to top the Orby or even a Book 2 here at Tattersalls. Those sales are just so strong. To top any sale is great and we got a lot of pleasure out of the Autumn Yearling Sale. To do it with a Dawn Approach, who isn't the most commercial sire but gets Group 1 winners, was sweeter because he's down at Granddad's place in Redmondstown. 

“We'd a good mares' sale, a great February Sale, a good Fairyhouse–we didn't go in there and make headlines but horses sold above their asking price and a lot of our clients were very happy. Placing horses in the right sale is one of the most important things in this game. You can have a lovely horse but, if it's in the wrong sale, you can get overlooked.” 

She added, “Granddad and Dad have been very supportive of me. Neither of them pushed me to work with horses or to go into this industry. If anything, they probably tried to steer me in a different direction. But they have been great. The first year, I wanted to get horses and showcase how I could prep them for a sale and Granddad let me do that with some of his better horses. It has helped me get clients in the door and to advertise how we do things at Boherguy. Without that, I wouldn't be where I am now; I'd still be trying to make a name for myself whereas now, Boherguy is beginning to get recognised at the sales in Britain and Ireland.”

It was just last month when Kevin Manning announced his retirement at the age of 55. He rode his first winner back in 1983 and had been stable jockey for Bolger since 1993. Together, Manning and Bolger won eight Classics in Britain and Ireland, with Clare pointing to the particular significance surrounding the first with Margarula (Ire) (Doyoun {GB}) in the Irish Oaks back in 2002.

She said, “A lot of people ask me about how hard Dad worked down through the years and how he looked after his weight. It's a hard question for me to answer because Dad was a jockey before I was even born so I have never known it to be any different. For me, the way he eats, sweats and the work he does, it's just normal to me. He never stops. He's mad into his shooting and has his gun dogs. He's two young pups he's bringing on and he also gives me a hand in the yard. Shooting season goes on for another three months and he's happy to tip away at that for now.” 

Manning added, “But the one day that really sticks out for me was Margarula winning the Irish Oaks in 2002. She was 33-1 on the day and, just as we were about to sit down and watch the race, I said to Granddad that I was going to run down to put a bet on her. He told me not to do it so, when she crossed the line in front, I turned around and looked at him without saying anything. To be fair to him, he handed me 50 quid to make up for it! 

“It was great because Granny owned the mare and she was Dad's first Classic winner. No sooner had the presentation finished, Grandad and I hopped into the car and headed off down to Portlaoise to see Wexford lose to Clare in the quarter final of the All-Ireland hurling championship. I think I was eight at the time so it's a great memory to have. 

“Trading Leather (Ire) was another great day. Grandad promised Granny that he'd train a Derby winner for her one day so for Trading Leather to carry her colours in the Irish Derby meant a lot. Grandad bred, trained and owned him and Dad rode it. Not only that, but we had a lot of family there on the day and for it to be at the Curragh, it was absolutely brilliant. Poetic Flare (Ire) winning the St James's Palace S. was the one that I probably enjoyed the most, though. He had won the 2000 Guineas and confirmed himself a top-class colt at Ascot that day.”

The spotlight turns to Clare at the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls this week. Should Gan Teorainn capture the imagination of buyers, it would represent another day to remember for the family. 

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Blue Is The Colour In Japan Cup, As Euros Strike Out

The reign of 2005 G1 Japan Cup hero Alkaased (Kingmambo) will have to stand as testament as the last foreign-bred winner to claim the 2400-metre contest for another year once again, as Vela Azul (Jpn) (Eishin Flash {Jpn}), under an icy Ryan Moore steering job, prevailed for Japan. A Carrot Farm silksbearer, the 5-year-old was three-quarters of a length to the good of 2021 G1 Japanese Derby and 2022 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic victor Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) on the line. Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), who is bound for broodmare duty in the Land of the Rising Sun for Shadai's Teruya Yoshida, was best of the international raiders, running sixth.

Third choice at 7-2 in this Group 1 bow, Vela Azul raced in the back half of the field as Unicorn Lion (Ire) (No Nay Never) cut out steady fractions of :24 flat and :48.80. In close quarters entering the clubhouse turn, the Shiraoi Farm-bred was in a good rhythm, and held his position as he edged up to midpack. The pacesetter threw in the towel with a quarter mile remaining, as several foes loomed up with chances in the straight.

Stonewalled behind a wall of horses in upper stretch, gaps kept slamming in Moore's face, and it was not until the 200-metre mark, that a razor-thin hole appear. Just as Moore was sending Vela Azul through, that too, disappeared, and the Englishman redirected his charge back toward the inside. Miraculously a path opened 100 metres from home, and Vela Azul bulled his way through, hitting the front in the dying strides to clinch the victory. Favoured at 12-5, Shahryar, too, came from well off the pace, to master Weltreisende (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) who had briefly anchored the vanguard and was a neck back in third. Tom Marquand was a half-length behind aboard Japanese Filly Triple Crown Winner Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in fourth. 2022 G1 Grand Prix de Paris scorer Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB})'s momentum was halted 400 metres from the wire, and he also lacked racing room in deep stretch to take seventh.

“He broke OK,”said trainer Kunihiko Watanabe. “The pace was rather slow, but my horse has a good late charge and I trusted him to make a good run and. He was in good condition coming into this race but he exceeded our expectation. He is five years' old but he gets better and better and still has room for improvement. The reason for racing him on dirt early in his career was because he had leg issues [fractures] as a young colt and in order to race him with less risk he was raced on dirt. However, I did think he had an aptitude to race well on turf and it was only a matter of timing as to when to shift to turf racing.”

“I was very lucky to ride a talented horse,” said Moore, who was winning his second Japan Cup after piloting Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to her second consecutive edition in 2013. “The pace was very steady for the Japan Cup. The horse never had much room, but when he did he quickened up very well so he was very impressive today. I had a good horse that got me out front and we had a nice spot–it wasn't too far off the pace and following a good horse, the horse in front was having to wait and I was having to wait [too], and when he found a bit of room he quickened up very well. I suppose for today being towards the inside wasn't a disadvantage.”

Making his first 16 starts on dirt, without a black-type race on his resume, although he did win once at three and once last term, Vela Azul became an entirely different creature switched to firm turf second up this year, running off with the Awaji Tokubetsu over 2600 metres in March. Third in both the Sunshine S. and Ryokufu S. at Nakayama in April and Tokyo in May, respectively, the 5-year-old sealed the first half of his season with an 1 3/4-length score in the June S. over course and distance on June 11. He returned on Oct. 10 to take the G2 Kyoto Daishoten from off the pace at Hanshin by 2 1/2 lengths in 2:24.30 against several of these as second favourite.

 

Pedigree Notes

Tops of a trio of stakes winners for his G1 Japanese Derby/G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn)-winning sire, Eishin Flash, Vela Azul is the son of King's Best's first scorer at Group 1 level. He becomes the fifth top-shelf victor for the French Deputy horse Kurofune as a broodmare sire.

The sixth of seven foals of racing age and one of five winners for his dual-winning dam who did her best work when breaking her maiden in the mud going 1800 metres at Hanshin at three and over a fast dirt strip at Fukushima over 1800 metres later that year, Vela Azul is by some margin the best of the septet. Vela Blanca (Jpn) (Kurofune)'s latest progeny is a yearling filly by World Ace (Jpn), and, although she was covered by Bago (Fr) later that spring, she did not produce a foal this term.

Second dam Admire Sunday (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), runner-up at listed level, did an admirable job in the paddocks with five black-type horses to her credit led by G1 Shuka Sho heroine and Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Adventura (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}). Adventura's full-sister, Tall Poppy (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}), was also a Classic winner and a champion of her generation as a juvenile. Third dam Moon Indigo (El Gran Senor), herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Moonlight Dance (Alysheba), is a product of French champion and Group 1 winner Madelia (Fr) (Caro {Ire}), who claimed both the 1977 French 1000 Guineas and the French Oaks alongside the Prix Saint-Alary.

 

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
JAPAN CUP-G1, ¥765,580,000, Tokyo, 11-27, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:23.70, fm.
1–VELA AZUL (JPN), 126, h, 5, Eishin Flash (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Vela Blanca (Jpn), by Kurofune
                2nd Dam: Admire Sunday (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
                3rd Dam: Moon Indigo, by El Gran Senor
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B-Shiraoi Farm (Jpn);
T-Kunihiko Watanabe; J-Ryan Moore. ¥403,906,000. Lifetime
Record: 22-6-4-5. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
   for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shahryar (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Dubai Majesty,
by Essence of Dubai. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥161,116,000.
3–Weltreisende (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Dream Journey (Jpn)–
Mandela (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥100,558,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, HF. Odds: 3.50, 2.40, 8.50.
Also Ran: Daring Tact (Jpn), Danon Beluga (Jpn), Grand Glory (GB), Onesto (Ire), Karate (Jpn), Tunnes (Ger), Uberleben (Jpn), Heart's Histoire (Jpn), Shadow Diva (Jpn), Trust Kenshin (Jpn), T O Royal (Jpn), Simca Mille (Ire), Unicorn Lion (Ire), Boccherini (Jpn), Ridge Man (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

 

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