Jet Setting and Shane Foley (right) beat Minding and Ryan Moore
PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Bargain buy Jet Setting shocks Minding
Report: Curragh, Sunday
Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas (Group 1) 1m, 3yo fillies
JUST like Galileo Gold in Saturday’s Irish 2,000 Guineas, Minding was unable to complete the Newmarket/Curragh double as the Adrian Keatley-trained 12,000 guineas purchase Jet Setting outbattled the 4-11 favourite, who reportedly banged her head in the stalls before the start, in a thrilling finish.
Jet Setting, who was supplemented at a cost of €30,000 after finishing ninth – almost nine lengths behind Minding – in the 1,000 Guineas, was held wide by Shane Foley rounding the bend and held a clear lead early in the straight.
RELATED LINKS, Race result
As at Newmarket Ryan Moore was prominent on Minding, working his way through the gears and asking his mount for her full effort just before the two furlong marker.
But Jet Setting did not fade like those around her at Newmarket had, and instead – on rain softened ground – the pair fought it out all the way to the line with little more than the margin of victory, a head, between them throughout.
The ten lengths they pulled clear of the third, Now Or Never, suggested Minding produced a similarly strong finish – but Jet Setting, bought at the Tattersalls autumn horses in training sale last October from the Richard Hannon yard, proved more than a match.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Foley after landing his first Classic. “She’s a tough little filly and ran a blinder at Newmarket, the ground was too quick that day. I’ve been doing a rain dance all week, soft ground and a stiff mile is ideal.”
Royal Ascot a possibility
The winner was inserted at 8-1 by Paddy Power in their Coronation Stakes betting at Royal Ascot, while Minding was pushed out to 11-8 for the Investec Oaks at Epsom by Betfair’s sportsbook.
Keatley, who began training in 2014, suggested the going might determine his stable star’s next target. He said: “She loves being in front and a bit of soft ground. She was unlucky at Newmarket, getting bumped in the final furlong, and the ground was too quick. She justified her supplementary fee today.
“She has an entry at Ascot. She wants a bit of ease in the ground so we’ll have a look and go from there.”
Head banger
Minding’s trainer Aidan O’Brien was keen not to deflect any glory from the winner, but explaining the injury sustained by the favourite in the stalls, said: “Ryan said she anticipated the gate and banged her head, grazing the skin down the side of her face and nostril.
“It’s just one of those things and she ran very well but Adrian had his filly in super shape and Shane gave her a great ride.
“We were delighted to be second and hopefully she’ll be grand. Her sinus burst and the blood came down her nose and you can never know what kind of effect that has, but it obviously wasn’t a positive.”
On whether Minding will still go for the Oaks, O’Brien added: “It was a bit of an afterthought coming here, we skipped a piece of work and brought her here instead and I don’t think there will be any change of plan.”
Fascinating Rock and Pat Smullen stretch away from Found
PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Fascinating Rock blows Found away in Gold Cup
Report: Curragh, Sunday
Tattersalls Gold Cup (Group 1) 1m2½f, 4yo+
FASCINATING ROCK took the lead in his private head-to-head with Found as he added the Tattersalls Gold Cup to his Champion Stakes win last year and delivered Ballydoyle and Ryan Moore their second odds-on Group 1 disappointment on the card.
Pat Smullen celebrated his 39th birthday in style with a three and three-quarter length victory, taking the running up at the three pole – with Moore in his slipstream.
RELATED LINKS, Race result
With two furlongs to run Moore pulled out and laid down his challenge, but entering the final furlong it was clear the 8-15 favourite was struggling and Fascinating Rock, who Found beat by the exact same distance on her last start in the Mooresbridge, drew clear to take his record against Aidan O’Brien’s talented filly to 2-1.
“He’s a very good horse, we always thought he would improve for his last run, he’s a big, gross horse,” said Smullen. “We prayed for rain and got it. He’s only maturing now and needs ease in the ground.”
Targets: Irish Champion and Arc
O’Brien and Moore had an earlier reverse on the card when 4-11 favourite Minding was beaten a head in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, but while Minding had looked a danger all the way up the straight Found never really threatened Fascinating Rock on the yielding to soft ground.
The race may have been missing star turns Time Test and The Grey Gatsby, due to the going, but Weld’s five-year-old proved himself one of Europe’s best middle distance horses with give underfoot.
Fascinating Rock was cut to a best-priced 6-1 with BoyleSports for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, with Found pushed out to 11-2 with Betway. Andre Fabre’s four-year-old New Bay, last year’s Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner, heads the betting at a general 5-1.
But Weld delivered a word of warning to any punters considering an ante-post investment. “I thought he ran a good prep and ground is key to him. He’s a very good horse,” he said. “He’ll go for a nice break and be trained for the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc.”
Fascinating Rock has been cut to a best-priced 20-1 for the Arc with Ladbrokes and is as short as 12-1 for Europe’s richest race.
Auteuil (FR) Result, 22 May 2016
GRAND STEEPLE-CHASE DE PARIS (CHASE) (GRADE 1) (5YO+) (TURF)
- (5yo+) 3m6f Heavy
- £281,250.00, £137,500.00, £81,250.00, £56,250.00, £31,250.00, £21,875.00, £15,625.00
| HORSE/SP | AGE | WGT | TRAINER/JOCKEY | OR | TS | RPR | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « |
1 |
So French (FR) 174/10 | 5 | 10-6 | G Macaire | — | * | * | |||
| James Reveley | |||||||||||
| « |
2 |
4 | Storm Of Saintly (FR) 17/5 | 7 | 10-10 | G Macaire | — | * | * | ||
| Arnaud Duchene | |||||||||||
| « |
3 |
5 | Alary (FR) 232/10 | 6 | 10-10 | F-M Cottin | — | * | * | ||
| Regis Schmidlin | |||||||||||
| « |
4 |
3½ | Milord Thomas (FR) 39/10 | 7 | 10-10 | D Bressou | — | * | * | ||
| Jacques Ricou | |||||||||||
| « |
5 |
4 | Pindare (FR) 40/1 | 7 | 10-10 b | J-P Gallorini | — | * | * | ||
| Anthony Lecordier | |||||||||||
| « |
6 |
hd | Saint Palois (FR) 201/10 | 8 | 10-10 p | Emmanuel Clayeux | — | * | * | ||
| Felix De Giles | |||||||||||
| « |
7 |
12 | Vezelay (FR) 175/10 | 7 | 10-10 | Emmanuel Clayeux | — | * | * | ||
| Steven Colas | |||||||||||
| « |
8 |
7 | Shannon Rock (FR) 102/10 | 10 | 10-10 b | J-P Gallorini | — | * | * | ||
| R Walsh | |||||||||||
| « |
9 |
dist | Saint Pistol (FR) 195/10 | 8 | 10-10 | L Viel | — | * | * | ||
| Alain De Chitray | |||||||||||
| « |
PU |
Cafe De Paris (FR) 49/1 | 11 | 10-10 | F-M Cottin | — | * | * | |||
| Damien Mescam | |||||||||||
| « |
UR |
As D’Estruval (FR) 23/10F | 6 | 10-10 | G Macaire | — | * | * | |||
| Bertrand Lestrade | |||||||||||
| « |
PU |
Karelcytic (FR) 45/1 | 5 | 10-6 | F-M Cottin | — | * | * | |||
| Kevin Nabet | |||||||||||
| « |
PU |
Ange D’Amour (FR) 161/10 | 6 | 10-10 | J-P Gallorini | — | * | * | |||
| David Cottin | |||||||||||
1st OWNER: Magalen O Bryant BRED: Mme B Gabeur TRAINER: G Macaire
2nd OWNER: Jeannot Andt
3rd OWNER: Ecurie Centrale
TOTE PARI-MUTUEL (all including 1 euro stake): WIN 3.90 (coupled with Milord Thomas); PLACE 3.90, 2.30, 5.20; DF 33.20; SF 87.20
Auteuil (FR) Result, 22 May 2016
PRIX FERDINAND DUFAURE (CHASE) (GRADE 1) (4YO) (TURF)
- (4yo) (2m5f110y) 2m5½f Heavy
- £115,808.82, £56,617.65, £33,455.88, £23,161.76, £12,867.65, £9,007.35, £6,433.82
| HORSE/SP | AGE | WGT | TRAINER/JOCKEY | OR | TS | RPR | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « |
1 |
Punch Nantais (FR) 11/10F | 4 | 10-8 | G Macaire | — | * | * | |||
| Bertrand Lestrade | |||||||||||
| « |
2 |
shd | Roi Mage (FR) 149/10 | 4 | 10-8 | Francois Nicolle | — | * | * | ||
| Regis Schmidlin | |||||||||||
| « |
3 |
10 | Politikar (FR) 31/1 | 4 | 10-8 | G Macaire | — | * | * | ||
| Raymond O’Brien | |||||||||||
| « |
4 |
1½ | Triana Du Berlais (FR) 143/10 | 4 | 10-3 | A Chaille-Chaille | — | * | * | ||
| Ludovic Philipperon | |||||||||||
| « |
5 |
2 | Saint Richard (FR) 249/10 | 4 | 10-8 p | J-P Gallorini | — | * | * | ||
| R Walsh | |||||||||||
| « |
6 |
10 | Carriacou (FR) 92/10 | 4 | 10-8 | Mme I Pacault | — | * | * | ||
| Stephane Paillard | |||||||||||
| « |
7 |
2 | Paulougas (FR) 123/10 | 4 | 10-8 | D Bressou | — | * | * | ||
| Jacques Ricou | |||||||||||
| « |
8 |
dist | Saint Poursain (FR) 51/1 | 4 | 10-8 b1 | G Cherel | — | * | * | ||
| Geoffrey Re | |||||||||||
| « |
9 |
15 | Balk Man (FR) 41/10 | 4 | 10-8 | Emmanuel Clayeux | — | * | * | ||
| Felix De Giles | |||||||||||
| « |
PU |
Saint Xavier (FR) 59/1 | 4 | 10-8 | Emmanuel Clayeux | — | * | * | |||
| Steven Colas | |||||||||||
| « |
PU |
Romeo De Teillee (FR) 97/1 | 4 | 10-9 1 p |
G Cherel | — | * | * | |||
| David Cottin | |||||||||||
| « |
F |
Castelainya (FR) 35/1 | 4 | 10-8 | G Macaire | — | * | * | |||
| Kevin Nabet | |||||||||||
| « |
F |
Shakapon (FR) 118/10 | 4 | 10-8 | Francois Nicolle | — | * | * | |||
| Gaetan Masure | |||||||||||
1st OWNER: D Allard & F Turek BRED: D Paysan & M Bodiguel TRAINER: G Macaire
2nd OWNER: Ecurie Sagara
3rd OWNER: Mme Patrick Papot
TOTE PARI-MUTUEL (all including 1 euro stake): WIN 2.10; PLACE 1.40, 2.60, 3.80; DF 16.10; SF 16.80
