Newbury, Watership Down Offer Foal Naming Contest

In partnership with Watership Down Stud, sponsors of next Saturday's G3 Watership Down Too Darn Hot Greenham S., Newbury has launched a competition to name one of the stud's most recent arrivals, a bay filly born Mar. 10 by champion Frankel (GB), out of the group winning mare, So Mi Dar.

A Group 3 winner, So Mi Dar also finished third in the G1 Prix de l'Opera. She is out of the Watership Down Stud-campaigned MG1SW Dar Re Mi (GB), who has produced four group performers, including European Champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old, Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). He stands at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud and has his first crop of yearlings in 2022.

Watership Down Stud owners, Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber will decide on the winning entry, which will be announced Monday, May 2.

The winning prize for the selected name will include:

  • Trip for up to six individuals or family to Watership Down Stud for a private tour and meet the foal
  • Table for the day and Premier badges for six people in the Parade Ring Lawn Saturday, Sept. 17, including a picnic box.

There will also be the opportunity to enter the competition at Newbury Apr 16-17, as well as at the Newbury Racecourse exhibition stand at the Lambourn Open Day Apr. 15.

For more information or to enter, click here.

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Sea The Stars’ Teona Downs Snowfall in Paris

One of the also rans when Coolmore's Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) posted her 16-length rout in the G1 Epsom Oaks, Ali Saeed's 3-year-old filly Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) enjoyed a confidence-boosting score in last month's Listed August S. at Windsor and the 18-1 chance caused a major upset to down the reopposoing 1-5 favourite in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp. The 280,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling raced in third for most of this 12-furlong contest as Snowfall's stablemate La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) set the tempo under Hollie Doyle. Coming under pressure soon after turning for home, she was ridden to gain a narrow advantage approaching the final furlong and stayed on strongly as Snowfall failed to deliver with her usual gusto. At the line, the winning margin was 1 1/2 lengths with the rallying pacesetter La Joconde keeping on resolutely to finish a half length adrift in third.

“It was a very strong race today, but we've always believed this filly to be high class and we're very happy she won,” commented trainer Roger Varian. “The first half of the season didn't really work out for her, so we gave her a break and she's done well since. She's matured, she's been excellent in training at home and we were confident of a good performance and hopeful of a win. She ran at York in the [G3] Musidora over 10 furlongs, but was very fresh that day. She wasn't that well behaved, but still ran a good race behind Snowfall. She then went to the [G1 Epsom] Oaks where the ground was heavy and had a hard race, which took a lot out of her. She didn't enjoy it and is a filly who likes a sound surface. She's a big-framed filly, we had to give her time and I'd like to thank owner Ali Saeed for being very patient.”

Next month's Oct. 3 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe looms large on the horizon and Varian will take his time before confirming connections' plans. “We'll see how she is in her training at home over the next one or two week,” he added. “The Arc is under consideration, of course, and we'd like the sun to keep shining, but it's very important to see what her condition is beforehand. We'll speak with the owner and see what he wants to do.”

Bemoaning a perceived lack of urgency on the front end, rider Frankie Dettori sought to explain the first reversal of Snowfall's sophomore campaign and said, “I found myself too far from the front end and I think the pacemaker [La Joconde] didn't go fast enough. The race turned into a sprint and the winner kicked on first. The other filly has more speed than Snowfall and that's what made the difference.”

Teona, who becomes the 16th top-level winner for her sire, is the second runner and second pattern-race winner out of the smart Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). Ambivalent's five victories include G1 Pretty Polly S. and G2 Middleton S. wins. She also ran third in the G1 Coronation Cup and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and her first produce is G2 Prix Hocquart victor Al Hilalee (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Ambivalent is the leading performer out of Listed Aphrodite S. runner-up Darrery (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), herself the second dam of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp hero Total Gallery (Ire) (Namid {GB}). Teona's third dam Flamenco (Dance Spell) annexed the G3 Waterford Candelabra S. and is kin to Listed White Rose S. victrix and stakes producer Portio (Riva Ridge). The March-foaled bay, who hails from the family of Listed Debonair S. victor and leading sire Claim (Mr. Prospector), is full to a weanling colt and half to a 2-year-old colt by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:31.99, gd.
1–TEONA (IRE), 122, f, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Ambivalent (Ire), by Authorized (Ire)
2nd Dam: Darrery (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Flamenco, by Dance Spell
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (280,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Ali Saeed; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-Olivier Peslier. €342,840. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP-Eng, 7-4-1-1, €382,363. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Snowfall (Jpn), 122, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Best In The World (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Roncon, Chelston Ire & Wynatt (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien. €137,160.
3–La Joconde (Ire), 122, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Wadyhatta (GB), Cape Cross (Ire) (850,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Westerberg; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €68,580.
Margins: 1HF, HF, SNK. Odds: 17.90, 0.20, 46.00.
Also Ran: Burgarita (GB), Incarville (Fr), Philomene (Ire), Joan of Arc (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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No Doubting Stradivarius In The Lonsdale Cup

With the drying ground ruling out the G1 Goodwood Cup hero Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), Friday's G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York was teed up perfectly for Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to register an inspiring third success in this marathon. Open to questioning following his fourth in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot June 17, Bjorn Nielsen's staying star was settled in second early by Frankie Dettori as The Grand Visir (GB) (Frankel {GB}) set off in isolation. Joined by Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) approaching two out as they loomed on the front end, William Buick had the upper hand for much of the rest of the distance and looked likely to prevail until the final yards. It was then that the 4-6 favourite was lifted by the crowd to give extra and outstay his chief rival for an 18th career and 16th pattern-race win by a head as The Grand Visir finished seven lengths adrift in third. “I'm feeling emotional,” Frankie said. “It was always going to be a messy race and I was using Richard [Kingscote on The Grand Visir] as a reference point, but Strad likes a target and so I pushed him close to William [Buick] and it worked–he only does enough and William would not go away, so it was a tremendous horse race. The reception he got–he's loved by everyone.”

One of the most consistent staying stars of all time, Stradivarius has drawn on his incredible constitution to maintain a level of ability that is still unattainable to much-younger rivals. Spanish Mission had shown when winning the G2 Yorkshire Cup and last year's G2 Doncaster Cup that he is a stayer of considerable merit and he held every chance of subduing the Gosden A-lister with everything to suit but ultimately came up short. With Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) out of action for now, Stradivarius has the opportunity to garner more of these before time is called.

Dettori thinks there is more to come from the 7-year-old. “Every time he's run here I've felt he is below-par–he fell in the last two times he won this for the bonus–and I feel he's much better at Ascot,” he said of the hero of two Yorkshire Cups and the 2018 and 2019 renewals of this race. “He's getting older, he's getting wiser. He got the job done and knows exactly what he's got to do.”

John Gosden added, “He's phenomenal. All those miles of racing. I always think flat horses are at their peak at five, but some of the great jumpers race on so we'll see how he is. He's a very happy horse and he's got a very good sense of humour as well. As long as he's happy, we can keep racing. He was a really angry chap when he came home from Goodwood and hadn't run. He used to sting like a butterfly and float like a bee, but he's a little more rope a dope now! He's still up for it and it was a proper race for everyone to watch between two fabulous horses. The [Sept. 10 G2] Doncaster Cup is a possibility and there is Champions Day, I hope it's decent ground but if it's bottomless we might have to reroute.”

Anna Lisa Balding said of the runner-up, who is bound for the G1 Melbourne Cup, “He's run a hell of a race and I actually thought we'd won when he went ahead. I thought we'd got him, but we didn't. We'll stick to Plan A, Australia here we come and let's hope he does his stuff out there.”
Stradivarius is the last foal out of Private Life (Fr) (Bering {GB}), who was bought by Nielsen for 70,000gns at the 2006 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She also produced the G3 Bavarian Classic and G3 Furstenberg-Rennen scorer Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), the group-placed Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and the stakes-placed Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}). Like Peintre Celebre a descendant of the great Pawneese (Ire), who captured the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. and the G1 Prix de Diane, she is also connected to the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).

Friday, York, Britain
WEATHERBYS HAMILTON LONSDALE CUP S.-G2, £150,000, York, 8-20, 3yo/up, 16f 56yT, 3:30.87, g/f.
1–STRADIVARIUS (IRE), 129, h, 7, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Private Life (Fr) (MSP-Fr), by Bering (GB)
2nd Dam: Poughkeepsie (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Pawneese (Ire), by Carvin II
(330,000gns RNA Ylg '15 TATOCT). O/B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £85,065. Lifetime Record: 3x Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 14f+, MG1SW-Eng & GSP-Fr, 29-18-3-3, $3,906,991. *1/2 to Persian Storm (Ger) (Monsun {Ger})), Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Ger, $121,198; Rembrandt Van Rijn (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), GSP-UAE, $167,081; and Magical Eve (Ger) (Oratorio {Ire}), SP-SAf. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spanish Mission, 129, h, 5, Noble Mission (GB)–Limonar (Ire), by Street Cry (Ire). ($125,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; 60,000gns RNA 2yo '18 TATBRE). O-Team Valor LLC & Gary Barber; B-St Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Andrew Balding. £32,250.
3–The Grand Visir (GB), 129, g, 7, Frankel (GB)–Piping (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (€750,000 Ylg '15 ARAUG; 170,000gns 4yo '18 TATAHI; £40,000 6yo '20 GOFJAN). O-Andy Bell & Fergus Lyons; B-Qatar Bloodstock, Ecurie Monceaux & Skymarc (GB); T-Ian Williams. £16,140.
Margins: HD, 7, 13. Odds: 0.67, 1.88, 28.00.
Also Ran: Stratum (GB). Scratched: Trueshan (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Darain Takes the Next Step at Newmarket

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday’s Insights features the return of pricey ‘TDN Rising Star’ Darain (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

2.50 Newmarket, Novice, £5,400, 3yo/up, 10fT
DARAIN (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to build on an impressive winning debut at Newbury earlier this month, where the 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 Sale topper earned TDN Rising Star status. Qatar Racing and Watership Down Stud’s 3.5million gns son of the high-class Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and full-brother to Too Darn Hot (GB) represents the John Gosden stable and has a seven-pound penalty as he meets seven maidens.

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