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Galileo’s Tower Of London A New Rising Star

Hotfooting it from Sandown where he had partnered the exciting Stoute colt Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Ryan Moore was in the unusual position of steering two TDN Rising Stars at two different tracks in the same day on Thursday as Ballydoyle's Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) planted the seeds of another Derby dream for Rosegreen at Leopardstown. Sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden over a mile, the full-brother to the Irish Derby and St Leger hero Capri (Ire) was quickly away before being anchored with one behind throughout the early stages. Moving smoothly on the outer passing the two-furlong marker, the imposing May-foaled bay overwhelmed Fleetfoot (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) a furlong later and despite veering left on the run to the line was still able to register an impressive 2 3/4-length verdict over that Bolger runner, with a length back to Magnetar (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in third.

 

Tower Of London is the first of the nine foals out of Dialafara (Fr) (Anabaa) to win on debut as a 2-year-old and, given the comfort of this success, it can only mean that Ballydoyle's ninth juvenile TDN Rising Star of 2022 and Galileo's 40th in all is destined to dine at the top table given normal progression. O'Brien was full of praise. “He has shown loads of class at home and is a very classy colt,” he said. “He's a Beresford and Futurity Trophy horse, but he could also be one for the [seven-furlong G2] Futurity], as his work has been short at home and he's shown plenty of speed.”

“He's been working like a horse that could go back to seven, so we'll see what's in the Futurity nearer the time and decide but we won't be in any panic with him as he's a proper middle-distance horse for next year,” O'Brien added. “Ryan was going to ride him forward, but four went on and he was very green and babyish so Ryan sat in and taught him plenty. When he got there, he didn't know where he was. He's a big, scopey horse.”

Tower Of London is currently the last known foal out of the aforementioned Dialafara, who was a €175,000 purchase from The Aga Khan Studs' draft at the 2010 Arqana December Mixed Sale and who is another who has been solely mated with Galileo so far. Alongside Capri, she is also responsible for the G3 Loughbrown S. winner Cypress Creek (Ire) and the G3 Stanerra S. winner Passion (Ire) who was also third in the G1 Irish Oaks, the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Ribblesdale S. Capri, who presaged his two Classic victories with success in the aforementioned Beresford in 2016, was second on his debut at The Curragh and while that was over seven furlongs, Tower Of London comes across in every way as a pacier individual.

The fact that Dialafara's 4-year-old son Brazil (Ire) won the Cheltenham Festival's Fred Winter Hurdle in March only serves to underline the stamina gift that this family provides, with the G2 Prix de Malleret-winning and G1 Prix Vermeille-placed second dam Diamilina (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) connected to the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer (Ire) (Halling). There is miling pace in the pedigree, however, with the Malleret-placed third dam Diamonaka (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}) producing Diamond Green (Fr) (Green Desert) who was runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S., G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

4th-Leopardstown €16,500, Mdn, 7-21, 2yo, 8fT, 1:46.18, gd.
TOWER OF LONDON (IRE), c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
     1st Dam: Dialafara (Fr), by Anabaa
     2nd Dam: Diamilina (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
     3rd Dam: Diamonaka (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $10,080. O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. *Full to Capri (Ire), Ch. 3yo-Eur at 14f+, Ch. 3yo-Ire at 14f+, Ch. 3yo-Ire at 11-14f, Ch. Older Horse-Ire at 11-14f, Ch. 3yo-Eng at 14f+, G1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire, G1SP-Fr, $2,067,692; Full to Cypress Creek (Ire), GSW-Ire, GSP-Eng, $102,373; Full to Passion (Ire), GSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $200,604. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Galileo’s Proud And Regal Makes All In The Tyros

Leopardstown's G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. had played host to three subsequent Classic-winning sons of Galileo (Ire) in the last eight years and the dream is alive for Donnacha O'Brien after Proud And Regal (Ire) made all in Thursday's renewal. Off the mark on debut over this seven-furlong trip at The Curragh June 26, the son of Simply Perfect (GB) (Danehill) set off in front with Gavin Ryan bossing events and from the top of the straight the contest was already decided as the 11-4 shot's stamina kicked in. At the line, the chestnut who represents Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Westerberg had a 1 1/4-length margin to spare over Hellsing (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), with a neck back to Age of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) in third.

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Dubawi’s Never Ending Story Takes The Silver Flash

Making it a dozen renewals of Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. for Aidan O'Brien on Thursday, Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided her handler with more quandaries as to where he places his star juvenile fillies as the big events loom. Third on debut over six furlongs at The Curragh May 22 before opening her account back there over this seven-furlong trip June 24, the daughter of Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) was keen early restrained by Ryan Moore behind the leading duo. Swooping three-wide on the turn, the 5-6 favourite was in front a furlong from home and only needed to be pushed out with hands and heels to score by half a length from Zoinnocent (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), with a head back to the long-time leader La Dolce Vita (Ire) (Caravaggio) in third to make it an Aidan-Joseph-Donnacha tricast.

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Falling Attendances Reported in HRI’s Six-Month Industry Statistics

Fewer horses in training, a drop in active owners and falling attendances were reported by Horse Racing Ireland in the six-month Irish Thoroughbred Racing Industry Statistics, which were released on Thursday. 

Attendances for the first half of 2022 were down 9% on 2019 levels while on-course bookmakers reduced by 10.3% and Tote Ireland turnover was down a further 12.8%.

However, bloodstock sales in Ireland at public auction continue to thrive, with the figures for the first six months up 31% to the most comparable recent figure of 2019. 

There were just three fewer fixtures in the first six months of 2022 compared to 2021. Despite this, there were 1,508 fewer runners and field sizes have fallen from an average of 12.5 per race to 12.1 during the same period across both codes. 

The number of horses in training for the first six months this year compared to 2021 has fallen by 594 to 8,342. However, these figures are still greater than the pre-pandemic 7,206 horses that were in training in the first six months of the year in 2019. 

Active owners are also up on pre-pandemic figures but there are 52 less active owners this year compared to last year while just 510 new owners registered in the first six months of 2022 compared to 637 in the same period in 2021. 

Sponsorship is inching back towards pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, race sponsorship reached €4.2m. That figure fell to €1.5m in the first six months of last year but is over double that in the same time period in 2022 at €3.1m.

Attendances have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. A total of 505,752 people have come through the gates during the first six months of 2022 compared to 555,475 in 2019. 

Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Suzanne Eade admitted the industry has come through a challenging couple of years but praised the resilience shown among stakeholders. 

She said, “After a challenging couple of years, the hard work and efforts across the industry has meant that Irish racing is in a strong position to face up to the combined challenges of the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and an increase in the general cost of living.

“In the first half of last year, our racing calendar adapted to reflect an increased demand, particularly in the National Hunt sector, for racing opportunities for a growing horse population. A significant number of extra races were scheduled to allow horses unable to run in point-to-points to compete on the racecourse. That necessity no longer exists, and it is telling that the entries, runners and field sizes are all tracking ahead of the same comparable period which is January to June 2019.”

Eade added, “I am very encouraged that the number of active owners has held up well while we continue to attract healthy numbers of new owners with 510 registrations in the first six months of 2022, a significant figure in the face of so much economic uncertainty. Again, these numbers are ahead of pre-Covid levels of 2019.

“What has decreased, by 9%, is the attendance levels compared to 2019. Many sports and leisure sectors have faced a challenge in returning to pre-Covid levels of attendance and Irish racing is not immune to that. It is a challenge that everybody will step up to and over the past few weeks we have enacted a strong media marketing campaign to drive attendances throughout the summer. I have seen many instances of innovation and strong engagement from racecourses over the past few weeks and months and am confident that the interest we know there is in racing, will translate back into racecourse attendance.

“An increase in total Tote betting to €31.9m points to the benefits of its strategic alliance with Tote UK, and off-course betting into Irish pools is up 21.3% on the 2019 tally. However, betting on-course, for both Tote and bookmakers, is down on the pre-Pandemic 2019 figures.

“Bloodstock sales have performed very well, particularly the National Hunt store sales, with a figure of €62.5m for horses sold at public auction. This reflects the high confidence international and domestic buyers have in horses bred, reared, and prepared in Ireland. This figure is also well ahead, over 30%, of the €47.7m recorded for the first six months of 2019.”

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