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Lope de Vega Colt Wins The Cocked Hat

The only maiden in the line-up for Goodwood's Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat S. on Friday, Normandie Stud's Lionel (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) emerged on top of a tight finale to step into the frame for the Irish Derby. Sent off at 17-2 on the back of a promising third behind the re-opposing Natural World (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and the subsequent Listed Fairway S. winner Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in an 11-furlong Newbury maiden Apr. 16, the bay was settled with one behind early by Jamie Spencer as Frankie Dettori dictated on Aldous Huxley (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Off the bridle before the turn for home, the chestnut kept responding to build a head of steam and wear down that 7-4 favourite in the final yards and prevail by a neck, with Lysander (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) half a length away in third.

Lionel's trainer David Menuisier is aiming high now. “He is in at Royal Ascot and he is in the Irish Derby and he is in the Grand Prix de Paris in July. At the moment, when I say Ascot, I can't write off the Queen's Vase. I can't write off the King Edward VII and can't write off the Irish Derby,” he said of the winner, who was withdrawn from the Derby. “He had no luck at Newbury. I think he is a very good horse, I have always said that, but he wants to be a grown up to win at Epsom and he is not. I think he will handle any ground, but I don't want it to be too quick on unconventional tracks. On a nice, big galloping track, he will be fine.”

“Doncaster in September is a good possibility. The dam won a group 2 there and he will stay well in time, but he has got the pace to win over one mile and four. I think the Curragh over one mile four sounds like a good idea. He is entered in the Arc and entered everywhere.” Lysander was not immediately ruled out of the Derby, with Harry Herbert saying, “It wasn't a bad run, but the ground was too soft for him. He had a hard race, but I would hold on to those Derby tickets a while longer. We will see how he takes this.”

As Menuisier stated, Lionel is the first runner for the G2 Park Hill S. and Listed Chalice S. winner Gretchen (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of Dolores (GB) (Danehill) who captured the Listed Conqueror S. here and was second in the G2 Sun Chariot S. and third in the G1 Coronation S. Her sons Duncan (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Samuel (GB) (Sakhee) enjoyed career-highs when dead-heating in the G1 Irish St Leger and winning the G2 Doncaster Cup respectively, while another daughter Deirdre (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was third in the Listed Height of Fashion S. on this card in 2010. She has the unraced 2-year-old colt Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) and a colt foal by Kingman (GB).

BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF COCKED HAT S.-Listed, £55,000, Goodwood, 5-20, 3yo, c/g, 11f 44yT, 2:33.34, sf.
1–LIONEL (GB), 128, c, 3, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Gretchen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $127,958), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Dolores (GB), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Agnus (Ire), by In the Wings (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Normandie Stud Ltd (GB); T-David Menuisier; J-Jamie Spencer. £31,191. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-1, $44,780.
2–Aldous Huxley (Ire), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Albasharah, by Arch.
1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden. £11,825.
3–Lysander (GB), 128, c, 3, New Approach (Ire)–Darting (GB), by Shamardal.
1ST BLACK TYPE. (120,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing – Beehives; B-Highclere Stud (GB); T-William Haggas. £5,918.
Margins: NK, HF, 3/4. Odds: 8.50, 1.75, 3.00.
Also Ran: Maksud (GB), Mr Alan (GB), Natural World (Ire). Scratched: Inverness (Ire).

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DahlBury Named New Sponsor of G1 Coronation Cup

DahlBury was announced as the new sponsor for the 1 1/2-mile G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs on Ladies Day, June 3. The vision of owner/breeder Simon Davies, Chief Executive Officer of the global telecommunications firm Spectra Group (UK) Ltd., DahlBury's stallion roster is based at Chapel Stud in Worcestershire. Middle distance and staying horses for both the Flat and National Hunt are the focus of the stud, which stands Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Walzertakt (Ger) (Montjeu {Ire}), and Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

Simon Davies said, “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Coronation Cup, which is one of the top races of its kind and is the ideal showcase of what we're trying to achieve with DahlBury, we want to help break the myth that middle-distance racehorses can't retire to stud, stand under both codes and be commercial.

“We're investing in British Thoroughbreds, and we hope that our operation will help to challenge some of the currently-held notions around 'dual-purpose' sires. We believe that middle-distance sires have a lot more to offer in this country, you only have to look at the success that they are having in Japan at the moment.

“Planteur has had an incredibly successful couple of years on the back of the successes of Trueshan and his other stakes winners and we hope that this venture is the start of something really exciting for British racing.”

Phil White, London Regional Director at The Jockey Club, added of the 120th edition of the historic race, “We're delighted to have DahlBury on board as sponsor for the G1 Coronation Cup, in what is a historic year both for Epsom Downs and for racing as a whole.

“We are honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to be at The Cazoo Derby during the central weekend for the celebrations of her historic reign, which we are hoping will put more eyes than ever before on this fantastic sport.

“DahlBury has a fantastic vision for how they can contribute to British racing and breeding, and it is fitting that they have chosen to sponsor the Coronation Cup, which is one of the premier middle-distance races in the calendar.

“There have been some fantastic winners of this race over the years, and we hope that this partnership will act as a platform for further success in this division down the line.”

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Cash Bound For French Derby

Earle Mack's Cash (Ire) (Shamardal), who ran second in Sandown's Apr. 22 G3 bet365 Classic Trial by only a short head to Juddmonte's Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), will make his next start in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club on June 5, according to Mack's British-based racing manager Anthony Burke. Trained by David Simcock, the colt broke his maiden at first asking going a mile at Newmarket last October. He was withdrawn from the G1 Cazoo Derby field earlier this week.

Burke said, “He goes to the French Derby. We took him out of the English Derby this week as we felt the French Derby would suit him better.

“Whatever he does this year will be a bonus because he is a big horse, with loads of potential. He finished his race off very well at Sandown last time and we felt that Chantilly would suit him better than the hustle and bustle of Epsom.”

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Sea The Stars’s Sea Silk Road Prevails in Goodwood’s Height of Fashion

Sunderland Holdings' 190,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling Sea Silk Road (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) backed up a Dec. 15 debut sixth at Kempton with an impressive 5 1/2-length tally going an extended mile at Nottingham in her May 6 sophomore comeback and continued on an upward trajectory with a hard-fought victory in Friday's Listed William Hill Height of Fashion S. at Goodwood. The 11-10 chalk and G2 Ribblesdale S. entry is not engaged in Epsom's G1 Cazoo Oaks, for which this contest has acted as a stepping stone in the past, and was sluggish from the stalls here. Settled off the tempo in rear through halfway, she made relentless headway under pressure in the straight to join the front rank passing the furlong marker and was driven out in the closing stages to best Godolphin's Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}) by a half length for a career high.

“I think she is a promising filly and I'm pretty convinced she didn't like that soft ground at all,” said in-form trainer William Haggas. “She was off the bridle and in trouble three out, but she wants to win and it was her guts that got her through today. She is a Sea The Stars and they can do anything because he is such a good sire. I think she will mature and keep getting better, but she might need some more time. She has come a long way in such a short space of time and I think she will get further as she gets stronger. We will see how she is after this and I doubt we will put her away, but the [G2] Ribblesdale [at Royal Ascot] might come a bit too quick.”

Sea Silk Road, the fourth of six foals, is one of three winners from as many runners produced by Listed Winterkonigin-Trial and G3 Grosser Preis von Lotto Hamburg third Oriental Magic (Ger) (Doyen {Ire}), herself half to G2 Gerling-Preis and G3 Deutsches St Leger victor Oriental Eagle (Ger) (Campanologist) and MGSP G2 Prix Kergorlay second Oriental Fox (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}). The March-foaled bay's stakes-winning second dam Oriental Pearl (Ger) (Big Shuffle) is kin to three black-type performers and to the dam of MGSW G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Grosser Preis von Baden placegetter Oriental Tiger (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}). Oriental Magic has the unraced 2-year-old colt Indemnity (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and a yearling filly by Bated Breath (GB) to come.

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
WILLIAM HILL HEIGHT OF FASHION S.-Listed, £52,000, Goodwood, 5-20, 3yo, f, 9f 197yT, 2:11.55, sf.
1–SEA SILK ROAD (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Oriental Magic (Ger) (SW & GSP-Ger, SP-Fr), by Doyen (Ire)
2nd Dam: Oriental Pearl (Ger), by Big Shuffle
3rd Dam: Orange Bowl (Ire), by General Assembly
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. (190,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Sunderland Holding Inc; B-Kildaragh Stud (IRE); T-William Haggas; J-Tom Marquand. £29,489. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $41,448.
2–Eternal Pearl (GB), 128, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Pearly Steph (Fr), by Oasis Dream (GB). (700,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Godolphin; B-SCEA Haras de Saint Pair (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £11,180.
3–Viareggio (Ire), 128, f, 3, Caravaggio–Just Joan (Ire), by Pour Moi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (75,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; 65,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Alpha Racing; B-Hawes Stud (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. £5,595.
Margins: HF, 3 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.10, 5.50, 18.00.
Also Ran: Ottilien (Fr), Emotion (GB), Present Moment (Ire), Three Priests (Jpn), Makinmedoit (Ire), Bella Veneta (GB), Moonlight Frolic (GB).

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