Tag: York Racecourse

Frankel’s Alpinista Secures Fifth Group 1 On The Knavesmire

Kirsten Rausing's homebred 5-year-old mare Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), unbeaten through five tests last term, disposed of esteemed rivals in last month's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on seasonal return and maintained her winning streak with a decisive success as the 7-4 favourite in a stellar edition of Thursday's G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks on the Knavesmire, a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November. Successful in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, G1 Preis von Europa and G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern last year, she became Sir Mark Prescott's first domestic Group 1 winner since Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) annexed 2017's G1 Nunthorpe S. at this meeting. The grey's second dam Albanova (GB) (Alzao) rattled off the same trio of German Group 1 triumphs in 2004 and she embellished her record with a fifth straight elite-level triumph in the 12-furlong test. Trainer Sir Mark Prescott had voiced pace concerns beforehand, going so far as to say she may have to make her own running, but his worries were assuaged as G1 Pretty Polly S. victrix La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) and G1 Irish Oaks heroine Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) disputed a solid tempo up front with Alpinista positioned in behind in a stalking third. Urged closer once into the long home straight, she went to the front approaching the quarter-mile marker and was driven out in the closing stages as Epsom's G1 Oaks winner Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gave vain chase. At the line, Alpinista held a one-length advantage with La Petite Coco staying on well once headed to finish 1 3/4 lengths further adrift in third.

“They are all great, but Group 1 races are hard to come by and, for a smallish stable, every five or six years you get good ones come along and it's tremendous when it happens,” said Prescott. “We trained this one's dam, granddam and great granddam. It's been a marvellous family. The original intention was to go [G1] Coronation Cup and [G1] King George [VI & Queen Elizabeth S.], but she wouldn't come in her coat in time for the Coronation, so it then became Saint-Cloud and then either here or the [G1 Prix] Vermeille. Miss Rausing was very keen to come here as she hadn't won a Group 1 in England. She has really done it all now, she's won Group 1s in England, France and Germany.”

Looking ahead, the veteran Heath House conditioner added, “The [G1 Prix de l'] Arc [de Triomphe] has always been her aim. Last year we rather patted ourselves on the back for being so clever winning three Group 1s in Germany, then, when the one behind us [Torquator Tasso] came and won the Arc, we rather felt we might not have been as clever as we thought we were. When she stayed in training this year that was always the aim.”

Winning jockey Luke Morris is also relishing the prospect of going to ParisLongchamp on the first Sunday in October. “Since she has been on better ground this year she has looked like a filly with more class so we can dream about Paris now,” he said. “Generally the Yorkshire Oaks can look a little top heavy with a superstar of Aidan's, but I thought it had a lot of depth and she had to give nine pounds away to the second. I thought it was a great performance and it's great she's been able to show in Britain what she is capable of. It's a massive effort from the teams at Heath House and Lanwades Stud. I'm just the lucky one that gets to sit on her a couple of times a year.”

Aidan O'Brien was not too downcast, despite Tuesday's defeat, and looked ahead to future targets after the G1 Oaks heroine failed to reel in the winner. “She will go on Irish Champions weekend somewhere, whether she will stay here [in England], or whether she will go to Ireland or whether she will go to France or whatever. Hopefully she will go somewhere. We were happy enough with that. It was her first run back, she ran very well and I don't think she was losing any ground going to the line. She has come back to form after [finishing fourth in the G1 Irish Derby at] the Curragh. She was a bit hot before the race, but I didn't mind that as I was hot myself. She is in the mix for the Arc and other races.”

Team Valor's La Petite Coco would have preferred more juice in the ground, but nonetheless produced a display of star quality in third. “She is not the type to set the pace, but nobody else wanted to so that was somewhat less than ideal,” admitted Barry Irwin. “I think the difference between her finishing right there with the first two and where she did finish was somewhat quality, because they are two fantastic horses for sure, but our filly needs the soft. The ground had a good cover on top, but underneath it was firm and she can't lay her body down like that. On soft turf, not that the others would not have run as well, I think we would have been able to hang with them better if the ground was softer. The fact that the race turned into something of a sprint, and that she wasn't going to let herself down as well, played against her somewhat.” It's unlikely connections will be tempted into a rematch with Alpinista in Paris. “Paddy [Twomey] is talking about the [G1] Prix de l'Opera or the [G1] Champion S. [at Ascot]. That is what he is looking at, we need to wait for the ground to soften and we are going to forget about the Arc this year. When she won at the Curragh it was like a miracle, where it rained just before the race and she got her ground. Even though she wasn't really totally fit, she was able to win anyway because of the ground.”

Alpinista, kin to a 2-year-old colt by Oasis Dream (GB) and a weanling filly by Iffraaj (GB), is the first of four foals and one of two winners produced by a stakes-winning half-sister to four black-type performers out of the aforementioned Albanova (GB) (Alzao). The quartet includes G3 Legacy Cup victor Algometer (GB) (Archipenko), stakes-winning G3 Geoffrey Freer S. third Alignak (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and multiple stakes scorer All At Sea (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Albanova is one of four black-type performers thrown by G1 Moyglare Stud S. third Alouette (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), whose descendants also include dual G1 Champion S. heroine Alborada (GB) (Alzao) and stakes-winning G1 Epsom Derby runner-up Dragon Dancer (GB) (Sadler's Wells). Alouette is a half-sister to G3 Doncaster Cup vixtrix Alleluia (GB) Caerleon), who produced G1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine Allegretto (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G2 Nassau S. winner Last Second (Ire) (Alzao), with the latter being the dam of G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-winning sire Aussie Rules (Danehill).

Thursday, York, Britain
DARLEY YORKSHIRE OAKS-G1, £533,750, York, 8-18, 3yo/up, f, 11f 188yT, 2:29.92, gd.
1–ALPINISTA (GB), 135, m, 5, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Alwilda (GB) (SW-Ger & SP-Eng), by Hernando (Fr)
2nd Dam: Albanova (GB), by Alzao
3rd Dam: Alouette (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
O/B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-Sir Mark Prescott; J-Luke Morris. £302,690. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Ger & G1SW-Fr, 14-9-2-0, $1,165,186. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tuesday (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Lillie Langtry (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £114,756.
3–La Petite Coco (Ire), 135, f, 4, Ruler Of The World (Ire)–La Petite Virginia (Ger), by Konigstiger (Ger). O-Team Valor International LLC; B-Mr B Schone (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. £57,432.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.75, 3.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Lilac Road (Ire), Magical Lagoon (Ire), Raclette (GB), Poptronic (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Seven Declared For York’s Juddmonte International

Seven contenders will go forward for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International S. at York after final declarations were confirmed Monday morning. Shadwell's all-conquering Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), undefeated through nine starts to date, will seek to take his record to a perfect ten in the £1,000,000 10-furlong feature and will break from stall six. Guaranteed to start as the odds-on favourite for his first attempt at beyond the one-mile trip, his rivals are headed by Prince Faisal's globetrotting Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who has not tasted success in four starts since administering a six-length beating to Baaeed's stablemate Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in last year's renewal. Mishriff will exit from the five hole while Alenquer has drawn gate two. William Haggas is confident Baaeed will take the increased distance in his stride and said, “We've always felt he'd be better over further, but we've got a few people emailing us and casting doubt on whether we should be doing it. I'm looking forward to it, Sheikha Hissa is up for the challenge and I think it would be remiss of us not to give it a go. There's nothing I can do about the competition on the day and if the Mishriff of last year comes to York in the same form he'll be incredibly difficult to beat. He was unbelievably impressive that day. Mishriff ran a very, very good race in the Eclipse and a little bit of a lacklustre race in the King George, so who knows which one will turn up. He'll be a danger as will the others.” Haggas has also declared last year's G1 Champion S. runner-up Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}), who was beaten a nose by Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in last month's G2 York S. over course and distance. They have drawn stalls three and one. Godolphin's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who finished a head behind Mishriff in Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse last month, is the Classic generation's lone representative in the field and will bid to register a fourth win at the highest level in his second try at the distance. He has been allocated stall four. The field is completed by Ballydoyle's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and G1 Coronation Cup placegetter High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will start at long odds from the outside berth.

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Tasleet’s Bradsell Tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ At York

Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) was making his first start on Saturday and the word was out on the Archie Watson trainee, as he became the first 'TDN Rising Star' for his dual group-winning sire. Racing on the far side of the field, the 2-1 crowd's pick was always part of the early pace discussion less than a length off the leaders. Under a quiet ride from P.J. McDonald, he edged ahead a long way out and put his rivals to the sword by a visually impressive nine lengths without ever being asked a serious question to become the fourth winner for his first-season sire (by Showcasing {GB}), who was also placed multiple times at Group 1 level. Godolphin's Northcliff (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) emerged the best of the rest in second.

Originally offered by Bearstone Stud at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, the February foal brought 12,000gns from Highflyer Bloodstock and Harry Dunlop. He was re-offered by Mark Grant Racing at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, bringing £47,000 on a bid from Blandford Bloodstock in April.

A son of the listed winner Russian Punch, he is the fourth foal from his dam. Her latest offspring is a yearling colt by Ulysses (Ire), while her 2022 foal by Twilight Son (GB) died. This is the extended family of the G1 Phoenix S. runner-up Run to Jenny (Ire) (Runnett {GB}).

5th-York, £15,000, Alw, 5-21, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.89, g/s.
BRADSELL (GB) c, 2, Tasleet {GB}
1st Dam: Russian Punch {GB} {SW-Eng}, by Archipenko
2nd Dam: Punch Drunk (GB), by Beat Hollow (GB)
3rd Dam: Bebe de Cham (GB), by Tragic Role
Sales history: 12,000gns Ylg '21 TATSOM; £47,000 2yo '22 GOFTY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $10,118. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
O-Primavera; B-Mrs D. O'Brien (GB); T-A Watson. *1ST-TIME STARTER.

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Queen Olly Yet Another Rising Star For No Nay Never

David Loughnane is firing on all cylinders with his juvenile band this term and added another string to his Royal Ascot bow, and  provided Coolmore sire No Nay Never with a fourth 'TDN Rising Star' of the campaign, when Amo Racing's €300,000 Goffs Orby yearling Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never–Surprisingly {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) routed nine rivals in Friday's £20,000 Frank Whittle Partnership ebfstallions.com Maiden S. over York's straight six furlongs. The February-foaled bay was swiftly into stride and occupied a handy fifth, just behind the front rank, through the early fractions of this unveiling. Looming large going well at the two pole, the 11-4 favourite was ridden to the front approaching the final furlong and surged clear in the latter stages to outpoint Catch The Paddy (Ire) (No Nay Never) by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths. In winning, Queen Olly provided her sire (by Scat Daddy) with a record four juvenile pre-Royal Ascot TDN Rising Stars.

“I didn't feel any pressure because we've had more expensive juveniles run this year and, if I felt pressure, it was because I felt she was the nicest we had,” Loughnane said. “I don't really feel pressure, we make an assessment of them and they have to go and prove it's right. They don't always, but she's done it tenfold. She's still a bit green and had to muscle her way out of a tricky spot. She hit the front, pricked her ears and didn't really do a lot. She took a fair bit of pulling up and it'll take a good one to beat her at [Royal] Ascot. I said the first day I sat on her she was a Royal Ascot filly and she's an Albany filly to me, all day long. She's out of a Galileo mare so she could be better over seven furlongs going forward, but Royal Ascot was what we had in mind and I think she's proved she's good enough.”

Queen Olly is the third of five foals and second scorer produced by a full-sister to GSW G1 Irish Derby and G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Balanchine S. second Butterscotch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Her dam Surprisingly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is also kin to MGSP sire Coach House (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), is a daughter of MG1SP distaffer Lesson In Humility (Ire) (Mujadil) and has a yearling filly by Calyx (GB) and a weanling colt by Into Mischief to come.

The filly was purchased for €300,000 at Goffs Orby by Alex Elliott/Ben McElroy for Amo Racing. “She was a very special filly from the get-go, from the moment I laid eyes on her. She had the have-to-have sticker on her,” said Elliott. “By No Nay Never out of a Galileo mare, and an exceptional physical. The reports from Day 1 have been very good, so let's hope it's the start of something special.”

6th-York, £20,000, Mdn, 5-12, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.47, gd.
QUEEN OLLY (IRE), f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Surprisingly (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Lesson In Humility (Ire), by Mujadil
3rd Dam: Vanity (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $13,226. (€300,000 Ylg '21 GOFORB). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Diamond Creek Farm (IRE); T-David Loughnane. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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