Almanzor (Fr), Europe's champion 3-year-old of 2016, was represented by his first black-type winner on Sunday when Dynastic (NZ) won the Restricted Listed Karaka Million at Ellerslie.
Dynastic was also the first winner Down Under for Almanzor, who shuttles to Cambridge Stud from his base at Haras d'Etreham in Normandy. Almanzor's first New Zealand-conceived crop numbers 101 foals, and he has thus far had five runners, which also include the G2 Wakefield Challenge S. third Andalus (NZ). Dynastic, who is owned by Te Akau Racing and trained by Jamie Richards, who soon heads to Hong Kong, was making his second start in the Karaka Million.
Almanzor had his first Northern Hemisphere runners last year. From a crop of 102 foals, he had 10 winners from 39 runners and two stakes horses, including the G3 Prix des Reservoirs second Queen Trezy (Fr). The triple Group 1 winner stands for €30,000 at Etreham this season.
The 2021 Longines World Racing Awards ceremony will be held virtually on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. GMT. The show, which will be hosted by Francesca Cumani from the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket for the second straight year, will honour the Longines World's Best Racehorse, the Longines World's Best Horse Race and the Longines World's Best Jockey of 2021. Ryan Moore has already been revealed as last year's World's Best Jockey, while the other award winners will be revealed during the event. The IFHA's annual list of the top 100 Group/Grade 1 races, and rankings for all horses rated 115 or higher last year, will also be released on Tuesday.
The ceremony will be released on multiple digital platforms including the social media accounts of Longines, the IFHA and World Horse Racing.
Racehorse owner Dr Johnny Hon, who operates Global Group Racing, has donated £100,000 to Racing Welfare to fund the Housing Support Officer role for the next three years. The Housing Support Officer helps the young tenants living at Racing Welfare's properties and working in racing to manage all aspects of their lives, setting them up for success.
Racing Welfare's Housing Support Officer Sarah Ashley said, “For some young people they don't have family support so I'm the only person they have to check they are doing okay. It allows people to become more confident and thrive in all aspects of their lives. I've taken the same journey myself through the racing school, working and riding in yards, it's not easy and I understand that. I can empathise, and they feel comfortable talking to me. They are our next generation of racing staff. If they are living well here, they will continue to do so.”
Hon said, “I am delighted to back this project for the next three years. As a passionate racing fan and owner of Albert House Stables, I know the importance of supporting all the great people who make racing happen. Young people come into racing with a love of horses and a desire to share in the excitement of winning races, but they have not always been well supported and they can be vulnerable in their personal lives. This project makes a real difference and sets an example that should be copied elsewhere in racing communities.”
Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided his all-conquering sire his third winner in the last four runnings of the G2 Al Fahidi Fort S. and 143rd worldwide scorer at graded/group stakes level with a deceptively easy success in the seven-furlong test Friday at Meydan.
Away alertly from a low barrier, the athletic bay found himself forwardly placed and was locked away at the fence as the veteran Ajwad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) was ridden for speed from gate 13 and came across the field to lead at a good gallop. Quietly ridden on the bend by William Buick while holding his position, Naval Crown was waited with in upper stretch, muscled his way into the clear with about two furlongs to race, hit the front going well at the 200-metre peg and remained comfortably in front as Story of Light (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) chased him home in vain. Shadwell's Zainhom (Street Cry {Ire}) rallied from near the tail of the field to grab third.
Multiple Group 3-placed in France at two, Naval Crown was a creditable third in a single try on the dirt in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas last February before bouncing back to take the Listed Meydan Classic going a mile over the local turf three weeks hence. Beaten less than three lengths into fourth by Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) as a 50-1 chance in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in May, Naval Crown backed up to this trip to be runner-up in the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot June 19 and was last seen struggling home eighth in the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville July 11.
In a post-race interview, winning trainer Charlie Appleby said he'd be inclined to pass the upcoming stc1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia next month, a race won last year by Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and instead take in the 1400-metre $300,000 Ras Al Khor conditions race on Super Saturday Mar. 5 as a steppingstone to his 4-year-old season in Europe.
Pedigree Notes:
Naval Crown is the first foal from his dam, winner of the Listed Prix Amandine for Andre Fabre at Maisons-Laffitte in 2016 before visiting Dubawi for her first cover the following spring. Come Alive is one of five winners from eight to the races for her dam Portrayal, a listed winner and Group 3-placed in England and twice place at group level in France, including a third to the once-beaten, dual Classic winner Divine Proportions (Kingmambo) in the G2 Prix Robert Papin in 2004. Come Alive is represented by a 2-year-old Lope de Vega (Ire) filly and a yearling filly by Shamardal.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai AL FAHIDI FORT PRESENTED BY MINA BY AZIZI-G2, $180,000, Meydan, 1-21, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:22.02, gd.
1–NAVAL CROWN (GB), 126, c, 4, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Come Alive (GB) (SW-Fr), by Dansili (GB) 2nd Dam: Portrayal, by Saint Ballado 3rd Dam: True Glory (Ire), by In the Wings (GB) 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. $108,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, MGSP-Fr, 12-3-2-5, $287,402. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Story of Light (Ire), 126, g, 5, Dark Angel (Ire)–Beautiful Ending (GB), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Ahmad bin Harmash. $36,000.
3–Zainhom, 126, g, 8, Street Cry (Ire)–Kaseema, by Storm Cat. O-Shadwell Stable; B-Shadwell Farm LLC (KY); T-Musabbeh Al Mheiri. $18,000.
Margins: 1, SHD, NK.
Also Ran: Storm Damage (GB), Manjeer (Ire), Spirit of Light (Ire), Sanary (GB), Could Be King (GB), Land of Legends (Ire), Alkaamel (GB), Ajwad (GB), Garrulous (SAf), Ventura Rebel (GB), La Barrosa (Ire). Click for the Emirates Racing chart and the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
WATCH: Naval Crown proves too classy in Al Fahidi Fort
