Tag: Via Sistina (Ire)

Fastnet Rock’s Via Sistina Survives Inquiry To Win The Pretty Polly

Connections of Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}–Nigh {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) had an anxious wait to learn whether their star mare would keep Saturday's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh, but ultimately the inquiry accepted that Becky Hillen's uber-bargain 5,000gns Tatts December Yearling purchase was clear best despite causing significant interference. So impressive on her favoured rain-deadened ground in last month's G2 Dahlia S. at Newmarket, the George Boughey-trained 5-year-old who had also captured the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air in the autumn was confidently-supported into 6-4 favouritism despite racing on a livelier surface than ideal.

Held up in the last pair early by Jamie Spencer, she had to employ her lethal acceleration to get to Above The Curve (American Pharoah) in the straight and while she delivered that she also darted right and cut across Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Stay Alert (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the process. Swooping on the lead a furlong from home, she stayed on powerfully to make the stewards' decision easier with her two-length winning margin over Stay Alert a fair reflection of her superiority. Above The Curve clung to third, 1 1/4 lengths further away, ending Ryan Moore's weekend winning streak.

“I had a plan to jump smartly, get up behind Ryan in third or fourth but she didn't and so the first thing was to get out and not to get stuck down the fence–I was on about Plan E at that stage,” Spencer explained. “She leaned in a bit early in the straight and obviously halfway down the straight, but she was much the best. I only had to give her one flick and she had her ears pricked for the last furlong. I wasn't very comfortable for the first six furlongs, but she came alive when she passed one and I was in business then. She's not hung before and you'd rather win more smoothly, but she's obviously a high-class filly. You pinch yourself after Newmarket and think, 'can she do that again?' but she has.”

Handled with aplomb as well as care throughout the fledgling stage of her career by the now-retired Joseph Tuite, the imposing Via Sistina nevertheless managed to flash considerable talent on more than one occasion when the soft ground prevailed. In hindsight, her odds of 12-1 when taking apart a Premier Fillies' Handicap at Newmarket in October 2021 were a gift and the fact that was only her fourth start is testament to her former trainer's patience and due diligence.

Tuite only got to campaign her twice more as the long dry spell dominated the European summer of 2022 and as the rain finally came back Boughey was to instantly reap the rewards of that cautious approach. Second in Newmarket's G3 Pride S. before winning Toulouse's Prix Fille de l'Air, she cut an awesome figure on her comeback in Newmarket's Dahlia, handing Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a six-length thrashing which on Friday evening was made to look even better as the Shadwell homebred mastered Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Newcastle.

While this ground was against her reproducing her amazing final three-furlong Dahlia split of 36.76 which was significantly faster than the following 1000 Guineas, Via Sistina proved that she is able to handle top company even in adversity. “It doesn't happen like that very often,” Stephen Hillen said. “That ground is probably as fast as she wants to run on. Jamie said they went really quick, he said he missed the break and was a bit far out of her ground but when she comes good she's just much better than them. She's taken time to come and has been minded–she's 17 hands, but that cross is close to 10% group one winners and stats don't lie.”

“She's very versatile, I think she can go a mile to a mile and a half,” Hillen added. “She likes going in a straight line as well, so she could come back to a mile for the [G1] Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket. After that there is the [G1] Nassau and she'll be in most of the big races. She's in the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks and the [G1] International at York. You wouldn't be risking her on anything with 'firm' in it, but when she gets soft ground again I can see her doing something special.”

Pedigree Notes
Via Sistina's unraced dam Nigh is kin to the G1 Golden Jubilee S. and G1 Nunthorpe S. hero Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujadil) and to the stakes-placed Vanishing Grey (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}) who is in turn the dam of the Listed Prix Millkom winner and G2 Zabeel Mile runner-up First Contact (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). The third dam La Pellegrina (Ire) (Be My Guest) is a half-sister to the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Las Meninas (Ire) (Glenstal) from the family of the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). Nigh's 2-year-old colt by Ten Sovereigns (Ire) was a €90,000 purcase by Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock at the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, while she also has a yearling filly by Bated Breath (GB) bought for just 20,000gns by Hurworth Bloodstock at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
YULONG PRETTY POLLY S.-G1, €300,000, Curragh, 7-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:06.17, gd.
1–VIA SISTINA (IRE), 136, m, 5, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
1st Dam: Nigh (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Native Force (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: La Pellegrina (Ire), by Be My Guest
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (5,000gns Ylg '19 TADEYG). O-Mrs R G Hillen; B-Laundry Cottage Stud Farm (IRE); T-George Boughey; J-Jamie Spencer. €180,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng & Fr, 10-5-1-1, $392,951. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stay Alert (GB), 136, f, 4, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Starfala (GB), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Ben & Sir Martyn Arbib; B-Arbib Bloodstock Partnership (GB); T-Hugh Morrison. €60,000.
3–Above The Curve, 136, f, 4, American Pharoah–Fabulous (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Joseph O'Brien. €30,000.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.50, 25.00, 3.20.
Also Ran: Rosscarbery (Ger), Trevaunance (Ire), Goldana (Ire), Never Ending Story (Ire), Insinuendo (Ire), Comhra (Ire).

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The Curragh: “She’s Ready to Rock and Roll.” Is Pretty Polly-Bound Via Sistina the Real Deal?

Very few elite contests are won in the style that Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) displayed in last month's G2 Dahlia S., but Becky Hillen's star mare has to do it again at the next level in Saturday's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Granted more ease in the ground, trainer George Boughey is intent on pitching her against the best of the Irish in the 10-furlong test. “I've never seen her look so well and she's been training super, so it's all systems go as long we get a little bit more rain,” the trainer said of the former Joseph Tuite-trained 5-year-old, who signed off last season with a win in the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air. “She's travelled over good and she's ready to rock and roll. It's been the plan for a while and we look forward to taking them on.”

Joseph O'Brien, who was responsible for two of the last four winners, saddles TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah), who took all of the attention away from Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when winning last month's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud. Last year's G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner is one of two Coolmore hopes alongside Ballydoyle's Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who is backed up 13 days after after her second in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly.

Al Riffa In International Return…
It has taken a while, but Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiyah's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is back in action in the G3 Paddy Power International S. on the Pretty Polly undercard. Not sighted since winning the track's juvenile feature in September, he is giving Joseph O'Brien all the right vibes as he faces another long-absent colt in Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), last seen finishing a disappointing sixth in the Listed Chesham S. at last year's Royal Ascot.
While Alfred Munnings has to dust off the cobwebs, stablemate and fellow TDN Rising Star Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) is back just eight days after her runner-up finish in the Royal meeting's G3 Albany S. as she takes in the G2 Airlie Stud S. Three of Aidan O'Brien's last four winners of this had also been in action in Berkshire, but if this proves too quick a turnaround it may be that it benefits another with Coolmore involvement in the Joseph O'Brien-trained Grand Job (Justify) who was second in Matrika's course-and-distance maiden last month.

Return Acts At Newmarket…
The July Course's season got underway on Thursday and the action there on Saturday is not to be missed, with Charlie Appleby taking the wraps off last year's G3 Gordon S. winner and promoted G1 St Leger runner-up New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Listed Fred Archer S. “New London has had wind surgery since his last run and we have been very pleased with him at home,” his trainer said. “He has been for two racecourse gallops and this looks a good starting point for a campaign that should progress through the summer and into the autumn.”

The Fred Archer also sees the comeback of Shadwell's talented Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who looks to become the latest in a sequence to defy a lengthy lay-off having been sidelined since his win in Ascot's Listed Buckhounds S. last May. Interestingly, William Haggas also brings back another of Sheikha Hissa's stars missing in action of late in Aldaary (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in the card's G3 Criterion S.

“We need soft ground for Aldaary, I declared him when it was raining,” Haggas said of last year's impressive Listed Spring Trophy winner who has been off for the same 420-day stretch as Al Aasy. “The ground is on the slow side at Newmarket, but whether that remains the case we'll see. We can make a decision as late as we need to, but as long as it's not fast I'd say he'll probably run because he needs to get going. Al Aasy is the same, he likes a bit of cut in the ground, but he needs to start. They've both been training well, so I'm hopeful they'll run well.”

In the fixture's opening Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' S., Charlie Appleby tests the waters with TDN Rising Star Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) who dazzled at Haydock 16 days ago. She faces Ballylinch Stud's What A Question (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a key member of the Charlie Johnston juvenile academy who was impressive at Goodwood on her debut a day after her Godolphin rival.

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Newcastle: Nashwa Looking to Get Back on Track in the Hoppings

Friday sees an above-average renewal of Newcastle's G3 Hoppings Fillies' S. as Imad Al Sagar's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) looks to start her 2023 campaign in earnest on the Tapeta. Disappointing when too fresh in the G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud last month, the Gosdens have opted to go back to basics with one of the cream of last year's TDN Rising Stars. This is no foregone conclusion with Shadwell's G2 Dahlia S. runner-up and Listed Rothesay S. winner Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in attendance, while the extended 10-furlong trip could bring out the best in another TDN Rising Star, last year's G1 Fillies' Mile third Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir).

Al Sagar's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe is hoping for a return to form from Nashwa. “She had hard races in the Opera and at the Breeders' Cup and really needed her first run back in the Prix Corrida,” he explained. “We wanted her to hopefully get back to her level with the plan then possibly being to head to the Nassau. Imad has shown patience, these fillies pretty much tell us when they are ready so it is a question of hopefully getting everything lined up in the right order.”

 

Weekend Action Shapes Up…
   Ahead of what promises to be an intriguing three days of action, The Curragh's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. will see nine fillies and mares in the line-up including Coolmore's 2022 G1 Prix Saint-Alary-winning TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah) and the highly impressive G2 Dahlia S. winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) from the George Boughey stable. The draw was also made for Sunday's G1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg, with Gestut Karlshof's Straight (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) in pole position after his five-length dismissal of TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}) in Cologne's G2 Union-Rennen earlier this month. He is drawn in eight, with Wanja Soren Oberhof and Sebastian Weiss's Mr Hollywood, who had previously won Munich's G3 Bavarian Classic, in stall four. Liberty Racing 2021's G3 Baden-Baden Derby-Trial winner Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) has stall 16 to contend with, but six of the last 10 winners of the Classic were coming from double-figure stalls including his sire who was drawn 15 in 2014.

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