TWO-YEAR-OLDS
Ian Heitman reports on a month packed with top juvenile action
The wait for spectators to return to UK and Irish races goes on but despite no spectators, as least we do have horse racing to watch and there has been some high-class racing in the last few weeks.
UK Group/Listed Races
Chindit maintained his unbeaten record in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot on July 25, finishing well from the rear to beat Cobh by a length and three quarters with favourite Naval Crown in third. Chindit looks ready for a step into Group 2 company with the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting the ideal race, a race his trainer Richard Hannon has won twice since he started training in 2014.
The following day saw the first
Group winner for both trainer David Loughnane and jockey Thomas Greatrex courtesy of Santosha who won the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes by three quarters of a length from Hala Hala Hala with another Loughnane trained filly, Caroline Dale running well in third having pulled hard making the running.
Santosha was the second winner to come from Dandalla’s Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, second placed Fev Rover benefitted from a drop to Listed company in the Star Stakes at Sandown on July 21. Star Of Emaraaty who finished fourth in the Star Stakes was unfancied in the betting for her next start, the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket on August 8, going off at 66/1. She finished very strongly inside the final furlong to run down long-time leader Dubai Fountain with 75 yards to go to win by a length and a quarter with another outsider 80/1 shot, Seattle Rock, in third.
The Qatar Goodwood Festival saw a couple of high-class performances from Battleground in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes and Supremacy in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes. Battleground was too strong for his nine rivals, drawing clear from Devious Company inside the last furlong to win by two lengths, providing Aidan O’Brien with a third win in the race. Battleground will be aimed like 2019 winner, Pinatubo, at the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh on September 13.
Only two two-year-olds since 2010 have run Goodwood’s 6f course faster than Supremacy did in the Richmond Stakes, Natalie’s Joy and Ivawood. Supremacy was quickly out from stall two and crossed to the stands side rail, leading all the way, he only had to be pushed out inside the last furlong by Adam Kirby to win by four lengths from Yazaman who finished second for the third successive race.
Supremacy provided Clive Cox with back-to-back wins in the race following Golden Horde’s win in 2019 and the second Group 2 winner of the year for Cox following Nando Parrado’s Coventry Stakes win.
The Listed Denford Stud Stakes, formerly known as the Washington
Singer Stakes, was held at Newbury on August 15, with six facing the starter, three going into the race having won their only starts and they filled out the first three places in the betting. Dhahabi, a 3,100,000 guineas yearling purchase by Godolphin was the 6/5 favourite having made a winning debut at Newmarket three weeks earlier. Jumby, impressive on his debut at Ascot was at 9/2 with Francesco
Guardi, the first winning newcomer for James Ferguson, at 5/1.
Saint Lawrence brought the best form into the race, fourth in both the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and Listed Pat Eddery Stakes but was at 11/2 as he set out in front under Andrea Atzeni. Despite being challenged for the lead by William Bligh and Francesco Guardi with a couple of furlongs to go, Saint Lawrence found plenty inside the final furlong and held off the late challenge of Dhahabi to win by three quarters of a length with Francesco Guardi in third and the hard pulling Jumby in fourth. Whilst Saint Lawrence came out in front, Dhahabi is mostly likely the better long-term prospect as he took a while to realise what was required but impressed with his finishing effort.
The following day at Newbury saw the Listed St Hugh’s Stakes run over 5f for fillies. Caroline Dale, who ran well to be third in the Princess Margaret
Stakes was the 11/4 favourite to take advantage of a drop in class. She had every chance racing in touch with the pace set first by Amor De Mi Vada and then Fairy Dust who led with two furlongs to go. Zoetic made good progress against the stands side rail but had to switch when short of room a furlong and a half from the finish.
She picked up well under champion jockey Oisin Murphy and took the lead with 100 yards to go, running on well to beat Fairy Dust by three quarters of a length with Caroline Dale keeping on to be third. Zoetic provided her trainer, James Ferguson with a first Listed success.
Irish Group/Listed Races
The first of 13 European Group 1 races for two-year-olds, the Phoenix Stakes, took place at the Curragh on August 9. Eight colts and two fillies lined up for a first prize of € 118,000 with St Mark’s Basilica attracting plenty of market support from an opening price of 7/1 to be sent off the 7/2 favourite on just his second start, one of three in the race for Aidan O’Brien who was looking for a 17th win in the race since 1998. St Mark’s Basilica had finished well to be second on his debut at the Curragh a fortnight earlier, no match for Coill Avon who had the benefit of a couple of previous runs. It was a surprise he was so well supported given he was taking on previous Group winners, Laws Of Indices, Steel Bull, The Lir Jet and Ventura Tormenta who had all shown smart form to win their respective races.
St Mark’s Basilica missed the break but not as badly as Railway Stakes winner Laws Of Indices who gave his nine rivals a few lengths start. Giorgio Vasari, winner of his two previous races for Aidan O’Brien, set a strong pace in front. Lucky Vega, narrowly beaten by Laws Of Indices in the Railway, travelled strongly just off the
pace as too did The Lir Jet and Steel Bull who both raced in midfield.
Giorgio Vasari was headed a furlong and a half from the finish by Aloha
Star, winner of the Airlie Stud Stakes, but she couldn’t hold onto the lead for very long as Lucky Vega swept to the front with 150 yards to go and he powered clear under Shane Foley to win by three and a half lengths from Aloha Star who was subsequently demoted to third having slightly hampered The Lir Jet (promoted to second) a furlong and a half from the finish.
Laws Of Indices finished well from the rear to take fourth but the slow start cost him, while St Mark’s Basilica also stayed on but never challenged to finish fifth. Steel Bull, impressive winning at Goodwood in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes never managed to challenge from his midfield position but came back with a couple of broken teeth so this run can be excused. Nothing came to light regarding the disappointing run from Ventura Tormenta who faded tamely out of contention over a furlong from the finish, last of the ten runners.
Lucky Vega provided Jessica Harrington with a first win in the race and continued the yard’s good run in
Group 1 two-year-old races having won two in 2019. The Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 26 is reported to be Lucky Vega’s next target.
Six days earlier at Naas saw the inaugural running of the Listed Marwell Stakes for fillies over 5f and it looked a good opportunity for Frenetic to get back into the winners’ enclosure having been narrowly beaten by Aloha Star in the Airlie Stud Stakes. With Gary Carroll taking over from Colin Keane who was forced to quarantine on his return to Ireland having ridden at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, Frenetic was the even money favourite. She had plenty of pace and looked like making all the running but came under pressure a furlong from the finish and flashed her tail. She was headed with 75 yards to go by Miss Amulet who stayed on well to win by three quarters of a length from Frenetic who gave another swish of the tail close to the finish.
Colin Keane was back on board Frenetic in the Listed Curragh Stakes on August 14 where she faced seven rivals. Again strong in the betting, sent off the 1/2 favourite, she led all the way and only had to be pushed out inside the last furlong to beat Chief Little Hawk by a length and three quarters.
The Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes and Group 3 Tyros Stakes were held at Leopardstown on August 6. The former was won in 2019 by subsequent 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Love and this year’s renewal went to Shale, a daughter of 2012 1,000 Guineas winner Homecoming Queen, trained by Donnacha O’Brien, the first two-year-old Group winner for the yard. She was in front a furlong and a half from the finish and kept on well inside the last 150 yards to beat 2/1 favourite Pretty Gorgeous, trained by Donnacha’s brother, Joseph, by a length and a half.
Having seen his two sons saddle the first and second in the Silver Flash, Aidan O’Brien took the Tyros Stakes courtesy of Military Style who was given a fine front running ride by Emmet McNamara, having just enough in hand to beat stablemate Van Gogh who finished well inside the last furlong and a half to be beaten a neck with favourite, Masen in third. Van Gogh should turn out to be the better of the O’Brien pair and like St Mark’s Basilica should have little trouble winning a maiden before a return to pattern company.
French Group Races
Charlie Appleby has an excellent strike rate with the juveniles he sends over to France, currently 30%, and sent Wedding Dance, winner of a maiden at Newmarket on her previous start, for the Group 3 Prix Six Perfections at Deauville on August 1. She set out to make all the running under James Doyle but couldn’t hold off the challenge of See The Rose who took the lead with 150 yards to go and won by three quarters of a length, maintaining her unbeaten record. See The Rose will no doubt be aimed at the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at the beginning of October, a race her trainer Andre Fabre surprisingly hasn’t won since 1995.
While Charlie Appleby was out luck with his runner, there was British success in the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg the following day at Deauville, Cairn Gorm, like See The Rose extending his unbeaten record to three for Mick Channon. He made progress on the outside of the field with a couple of furlongs to go, taking the lead 100 yards from the finish to win by a length from Jubilation. Mighty Gurhka, representing Archie Watson and Hollie Doyle, was favourite but the blindfold he had on in the stalls was slow to be removed which cost him plenty of ground.
Heavy ground at Deauville on August 16 saw five line up for the Group 3 Prix Francois Boutin over 7f. Tiger Tanaka, who had finished a close up third in Group 2 company on her previous start, won comfortably by two lengths from La Gioiosa. The sole British representative, Jimmy Sparks from the Brian Meehan yard raced prominently before finishing last.
Novice/Maiden Races
John Gosden introduced a couple of very promising newcomers at Newmarket’s July course on August 8 and 15. Wakening just got the better of Statement from the Martyn Meade yard on the 8th in a 7f fillies maiden for newcomers, the pair four and a half lengths clear of the third horse, whilst Megallan, who had been due to run in Laneqah’s race at Ascot, was very
impressive on the 15th, drawing clear inside the last furlong to win by three and a quarter lengths. From the family of Derby winner, Golden Horn, Megallan looks to have a very bright future.
Prior to riding Cloudbridge at Leicester on August 2, Ryan Moore hadn’t ridden a Charlie Appleby trained two-year-old since September 2015. The pair lowered the 7f twoyear-old track record in recording a comfortable three and a quarter length win, drawing clear from well supported favourite Soft Whisper with River Alwen, winner next time at Haydock, in third. Cloudbridge was entered to run in the Acomb Stakes on the first day of York’s Ebor Festival.
Roger Charlton sent out two debut winners for owner Khalid Abdullah on August 12 and 16. Lucid Dreamer led all the way under Ryan Moore at Kempton, beating previous winner Last Sunset by a length and quarter with a seven length gap to the third. Beheld, a filly by Frankel continued Charlton’s excellent run with the progeny of that sire, this the fifth debut two-year-old winner from eight runners (four from four for this owner) when she won at Newbury, beating Whiskey ‘N’ Chips by a head. Both fillies have excellent Juddmonte pedigrees and should progress well.
Following the exploits of Winter in 2017 when she won four Group 1 races on the bounce, the Coolmore operation would have expected her four siblings to have performed much better than have done so far, only three wins from 22 races.
The latest to run, Eternal Flame is the first colt the dam Laddies Poker Two has produced and he made his debut at Tipperary on August 7, running on to be fourth behind Jack Duggan, a winning newcomer trained by Jim Bolger. Like many from the O’Brien yard, there should be plenty of improvement to come from Eternal Flame and whilst he has a long way to go to be a Group 1 performer like his sister, Winter, he looks more than capable of reaching a decent level.