Saxon Warrior’s Victoria Road Notches Landmark Score In The Conde

Westerberg and Coolmore's 2-year-old colt Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}–Tickled Pink {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) earned his black-type stripes with a game win in last month's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at Deauville and continued his upward momentum with another narrow success, and a first pattern-race victory for his freshman sire (by Deep Impact {Jpn}), in Saturday's G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly. The 19-10 second choice, who graduated at Gowran Park in his fifth attempt last month, was sharply into stride and settled off the tempo in seventh after the early shuffling. Taking closer order in the home straight, he came under a drive once leaving the quarter-mile marker behind and found extra inside the final 100 metres to edge Rashford (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) by a neck nearing the line, the duo 3 1/2 lengths clear of the remainder headed by Nasomo (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

“We are delighted with the horse and delighted for Saxon Warrior as this is his first Group winner,” reflected Coolmore representative Hermine Bastide. “Ryan [Moore] says that the horse does the minimum, but hasn't stopped improving. He is a late foal, so that is a very good sign. He is in the [G1 Prix Jean-Luc] Lagardere, but that is over seven furlongs. I am sure Aidan [”Brien] will have a look at the programme and decide which race is best for the horse. He will most certainly be entered in the [G1] Criterium de Saint Cloud.”

Victoria Road, the lone black-type scorer for his dam, is one of five winners from many runners out of G3 Abernant S. and G3 Sandown Sprint S. victrix Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), herself a daughter of multiple Group-winning G1 July Cup second Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). Tickled Pink is thus kin to three stakes performers headed by three-time Group 1-winning distaffer Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), herself the dam of three pattern-race winners by Galileo (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). They include multiple Group 1-winning heroine Magical (Ire) and her dual Group 1-winning full-sister Rhododendron (Ire), the latter being the dam of last week's G2 Champions Juvenile S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Halfway To Heaven's half-sister Theann (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) is the dam of GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo Drive S. winner Photo Call (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Cassandra Go is kin to G3 Coventry S. winner and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Verglas (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}). Tickled Pink has a weanling colt by Ghaiyyath (Ire) to come.

Saturday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE CONDE-G3, €80,000, Chantilly, 9-17, 2yo, c/g, 9fT, 1:49.11, g/s.
1–VICTORIA ROAD (IRE), 126, c, 2, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
1st Dam: Tickled Pink (Ire) (MGSW-Eng, $117,768), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
1ST GROUP WIN. (115,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Trevor Stewart (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, €144,350. *1st Group winner for freshman sire (by Deep Impact {Jpn}). Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rashford (Fr), 126, c, 2, Zarak (Fr)–Randium (Fr), by Sinndar (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Friedrich Hodel (FR); T-Yann Barberot. €16,000.
3–Nasomo (Ire), 126, c, 2, Australia (GB)–Navaro Girl (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Stall Nizza; B-Ursula & Jurgen Imm (IRE); T-Peter Schiergen. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 3HF, HD. Odds: 1.90, 5.10, 9.00.
Also Ran: Duc De Morny (GB), Mojo Ego (Ire), Precious Sea (GB), Angers (Fr), Kamino (Fr). Video, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Mill Reef At The Centre Of Saturday Action

It is all about the 2-year-olds in Europe on Saturday, with Newbury's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. enjoying the prestige bragging rights. A week after celebrating Classic glory, KHK Racing, Roger Varian and David Egan combine again with the exciting 'TDN Rising Star' Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who is a warm order following his six-length Haydock novice rout at the start of the month. “He has looked of good ability throughout the summer,” commented Varian, who also has Nurlan Bizakov's Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Clive Cox may have something to say about the outcome, having won this twice in the last six years including with Harry Angel (Ire), but Jason Goddard's Aug. 19 Salisbury novice scorer Heroism (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has a leap to make. “He's a horse we have always liked and because of the exceedingly dry summer, he hadn't been on the grass since the spring when he won first time,” he said of the descendant of The Queen's Highclere (GB) and relative of Deep Impact (Jpn).

 

All About Me

Of the seven other group races across Britain and France on Saturday, three are for the juveniles with Ayr's Gold Cup meeting including the six-furlong G3 Virgin Bet Firth of Clyde Fillies' S. in which Jaber Abdullah's Aug. 18 G2 Lowther S. runner-up Queen Me (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to continue the winning momentum for Kevin Ryan here. Ryan Moore heads to Chantilly to partner Ballydoyle's Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the G3 Prix de Conde over nine furlongs, with his mount in pole position having beaten the subsequent G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in Deauville's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage Aug. 20. He may have most to fear from the Wertheimers' Precious Sea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Indonesienne (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) who had the subsequent G2 Prix du Calvados scorer Wed (Fr) (Profitable {Ire}) back in second in a seven-furlong conditions event at La Teste de Buch July 13. In the six-furlong G3 Prix Eclipse, an intriguing contender is Stall Ritterbusch's impressive Aug. 4 Deauville winner Bodyman (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) from the Andreas Suborics stable.

Click here for the group fields.

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First Black Type Winner For Saxon Warrior At Deauville

Delivering Saxon Warrior (Jpn) with a breakthrough first black-type winner at Deauville on Saturday, Victoria Road (Ire) took the Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at a mile to also crown a memorable afternoon for Aidan O'Brien who had enjoyed a clean sweep of the 2-year-old contests at The Curragh. Always prominent under Ioritz Mendizabal, the 4-1 shot who had broken his maiden at the fifth attempt 10 days previously over seven furlongs at Gowran Park worked his way to the front inside the last 100 metres and mastered Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) by a short neck. Carrying the Westerberg silks, the bay had to survive an inquiry having swerved across the path of the third Dear My Friend (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the dying moments but was safely clear at the time.

Saturday, Deauville, France
CRITERIUM DU FONDS EUROPEEN DE L'ELEVAGE-Listed, €130,000, Deauville, 8-20, 2yo, 8fT, 1:42.58, gd.
1–VICTORIA ROAD (IRE), 126, c, 2, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)
1st Dam: Tickled Pink (Ire) (MGSW-Eng, $117,768), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (115,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Trevor Stewart (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ioritz Mendizabal. €65,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0, €104,350. *1st stakes winner for sire (by Deep Impact {Jpn}).
2–Blue Rose Cen (Ire), 122, f, 2, Churchill (Ire)–Queen Blossom (Ire), by Jeremy. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (IRE); T-Christopher Head. €26,000.
3–Dear My Friend (GB), 126, c, 2, Pivotal (GB)–Dusty Red (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (35,000gns RNA Wlg '20 TATFOA; £40,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-Middleham Park Racing XXV; B-Bartlett, Beever & Cheveley Park Stud (GB); T-Charlie & Mark Johnston. €19,500.
Margins: SNK, 1HF, 1HF. Odds: 4.10, 2.90, 2.60.
Also Ran: Duc De Morny (GB), Love Too (Fr), Strako (Fr), Ghrainne (GB), Everwin (Fr), Bozzo (Fr). Scratched: Ifach (Ire). Video, sponsored by TVG.

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