Ribchester | racingfotos.com

By Tom Frary

CLEAR BLUE WATER
Making all to turn Saturday’s G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. into a procession, Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) rewarded William Buick’s positive tactics and takers of 7-4 to provide Godolphin with an eighth renewal of Newbury’s feature. Last seen finishing third on his first foray beyond this trip in the G1 Dubai Turf over nine furlongs at Meydan Mar. 25, the bay was swinging along happily in front until the two-furlong pole and despite drifting right to the stand’s rail soon after was always firmly on top. At the line, last year’s G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero had an authoritative 3 3/4-length margin to spare over Lightning Spear (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). “He’s a very good horse, very versatile,” his rider commented. “He’s getting mentally better and physically stronger every day. If you are going to compete in these group one races and be successful, you have to be the complete package and the team at home have helped him become that.”

Saturday, Newbury, Britain
AL SHAQAB LOCKINGE S.-G1, £350,000, NBY, 5-20, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:43.00, sf.
1–RIBCHESTER (IRE), 126, c, 4, by Iffraaj (GB)
1st Dam: Mujarah (Ire), by Marju (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tanaghum (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Mehthaaf, by Nureyev
(€78,000 Wlg ’13 GOFNOV; €105,000 Ylg ’14 GOFORB). O-Godolphin; B-A Thompson & M O’Brien (IRE); T-Richard Fahey; J-William Buick. £198,485. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9.5f, G1SW-Fr & G1SP-UAE, 11-4-3-3. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lightning Spear (GB), 126, h, 6, Pivotal (GB)–Atlantic Destiny (Ire), by Royal Academy. (260,000gns Ylg ’12 TAOCT). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-David Simcock. £75,250.
3–Breton Rock (Ire), 126, g, 7, Bahamian Bounty (GB)–Anna’s Rock (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). (£20,000 Ylg ’11 DNPRM). O-John Cook; B-George Kent (IRE); T-David Simcock. £37,660.
Margins: 3 3/4, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 4.50, 25.00.
Also Ran: Somehow (Ire), Galileo Gold (GB), Aclaim (Ire), Mitchum Swagger (GB), Toscanini (Ire). Scratched: Dutch Connection (GB). 

Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Ribchester has proven another inspired purchase by his previous owner David Armstrong of Mayson (GB) fame, instantly flaunting his considerable ability when second in York’s G2 Gimcrack S. as a maiden in August 2015 before going one better in the G2 Mill Reef S. here the following month. On his three-year-old bow, he was second before being demoted to fifth in the G3 Prix Djebel over seven furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte in early April and proved he stayed this far when third behind Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket later that month. Defying a five-pound penalty to take Royal Ascot’s G3 Jersey S. back over seven in June, he was a strong-closing third behind The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Galileo Gold in Goodwood’s G1 Sussex S. in July prior to beating the subsequent G1 Prix du Moulin winner Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) in the Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August. Rested after his half-length second to Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on Champions Day, he may have needed his reintroduction when third in the Dubai Turf which acted as a scouting mission with regards his trip.

With stablemate and potential pacemaker Toscanini (Ire) (Shamardal) missing the break altogether, it was left to Buick to set his own fractions and Ribchester proved more than content to oblige with Frankie Dettori opting to separate the keen-going Galileo Gold from the field to race alone. By the time he passed the three-furlong pole, it was clear that the Fahey runner had all in trouble in behind and if his errant path soon after gave Lightning Spear a half-chance at closing the gap as soon as he had the rail to guide he again surged away. “I was quite nervous today, as it was a big day and he performed,” his trainer said. “It was plan b after Toscanini missed it, but I always felt he could do something like that. He’s mature physically and is getting better, even though he won the Mill Reef as a 2-year-old when he was a bit of a handful. At home, he’s just gone a bit lazier but I’m happy with where he is and he’s happy in his mind. The Dubai job was to think if he gets a mile and a quarter it gives us more options and I’d love that, but we don’t need to go there at the moment. I’ve always ranted and raved about him, so it’s a relief. We just had to nurture and get it out. The [G1] Queen Anne [S. at Royal Ascot June 20] looks every inch where we’ll go, but I’ve got to speak to a big team and it was a fair slog today so we also need to check he’s okay.”

Despite his prowess at up to a mile, Ribchester who is the first foal out of the undistinguished John Dunlop-trained Mujarah is bred to go further. His dam, who was tried at a mile and a half by that Arundel maestro, is a half to the G3 Curragh Cup scorer Tactic (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) and the G3 Prix Minerve runner-up Yaazy (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), with other evidence of stamina under the first three dams emerging through the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio-winning highweight Najah (Ire) (Nashwan). Mehthaaf had the speed to accomplish victories in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G2 Celebration Mile and G3 Nell Gwyn S. and she is a half to the G1 July Cup-winning sire Elnadim. The G1 Prix d’Astarte-winning fourth dam Elle Seule (Exclusive Native) is related to a flurry of high-class individuals emanating from the great broodmare Fall Aspen in Timber Country, Bianconi, Fort Wood and Hamas (Ire), with this also being the family of Dubai Millennium (GB) (Seeking the Gold). It also features the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Occupandiste (Ire) (Kaldoun {Fr}), who has produced last year’s GI Arlington Million hero Mondialiste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G2 Prix de Sandringham winner and G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches runner-up Impressionnante (GB) (Danehill), in turn the dam of the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club-winning sire Intello (Ger) (Galileo). Mujarah also has a yearling colt by Raven’s Pass and a colt foal by Dubawi.

First Winner From The Sole Crop of Reckless Abandon at Navan

 

Guessthebill | Racing Post

By Sean Cronin

2nd-NAV, €16,500, Mdn, 5-20, 2yo, 5fT, 1:02.82, gd.

GUESSTHEBILL (IRE) (f, 3, Reckless Abandon {GB}–Tussie Mussie {GB}, by Royal Applause {GB}), a debut runner-up over this trip at Naas last time Apr. 9, was well away to stalk the pace in second from the outset here. Gaining a slender advantage before halfway, the 2-5 lock was shaken up when pressed on both sides just inside the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly under a late drive to assert by 1 1/4 lengths from Himmah (Ire) (Intikhab). The homebred bay, a first winner for her sire (by Royal Applause {GB}) is the sole representative out of a full-sister to MGSW G2 Oettingen-Rennen scorer Lovelace (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and hails from a family which includes GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic-winning sire Stroll (Pulpit), G2 Sun Chariot S. victress and G1 Nassau S. runner-up Lady In Waiting (GB) (Kylian), and GSW G1 South African Fillies Sprint second Headstrong (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, €13,664. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

O/B-David Bobbett (IRE); T-Johnny Murtagh.

 

Kitten’s Joy’s Hawkbill Dominates the Aston Park

1st at NBY, Gr. Stk, £100,000

G3 Al Rayyan S. (Aston Park S.)

(12f)

Winner: Hawkbill, c, 4 by Kitten’s Joy

 

 

Hawkbill | Racing Post

By Tom Frary

Without a win since his defeat of The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Eclipse S. over 10 furlongs at Sandown in July, Hawkbill relished the return to soft ground and this mile and a half to stamp some authority on this well-contested renewal. Granted a charmed passage through the spring and early summer of his 3-year-old campaign as the adverse weather meant that he encountered his favoured soft ground twice and good-to-soft once when rattling up a sequence of wins in the Listed Newmarket S., G3 Tercentenary S. and Eclipse, the chestnut was eighth on too slick a surface in the G1 Juddmonte International S. Only ninth in Leopardstown’s star-studded G1 Irish Champion S. in September and third trying this trip for the first time in the G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern at Munich in November, he was fifth but beaten only three lengths on his return in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud May 1.

Sent up to lead after the initial stages by William Buick, he was always comfortable on the front end and when sent clear from early in the straight was quickly out of reach. At the line, he may have been idling instead of tiring as last year’s G1 Prince of Wales’s S. hero My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill) made some inroads. “Charlie [Appleby] was very positive about going on and making the running, so I let him prick his ears in front,” Buick said. “The Ganay run did him the world of good and he has come forward. It looked like he stayed well there and although it doesn’t have to be as soft as it is today, he needs to get his toe in. That’s hard work out there, but he’s back on track now and I would say he has opened up the mile-and-a-half door for himself now.” His trainer added, “I was pleased with his run in the Ganay, as they went French pace which didn’t suit us and he’d definitely come forward for the run. He’s in everything from here, but is a better horse with ease in the ground and is one of the few horses who can quicken in it. Therefore, if we are going to compete at the top level it has to be with ease in the ground.”

Hawkbill’s love of ease in the ground may come in part from his sire, whose ability to handle rain-afflicted going was evidenced with a win in the 2004 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational. The dam, the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial H. runner-up Trensa, is a daughter of the GI Ballerina S. winner Serape who was also responsible for the GIII Vinery Matchmaker S., GIII My Charmer H. and GIII Honey Fox H. scorer Batique (Storm Cat). The latter is responsible for two stakes performers headed by Tejida (Rahy), runner-up in the GIII Bewitch S., GIII All Along S. and GIII The Very One H. The third dam Mochila was in the money in the GI Ruffian H., GI Beldame S. and GI Ladies H. and is a half-sister to the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile-winning champion and leading sire Cozzene. Also from the extended family of the GI Ogden Phipps H. heroine Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow), Trensa has an as-yet unraced 3-year-old filly by Hard Spun named Hard Cloth, a 2-year-old colt by Union Rags named Free Drop Billy and a yearling colt by Curlin. She has been bred to More Than Ready for 2017.

Saturday, Newbury, Britain
AL RAYYAN S. (ASTON PARK S.)-G3, £100,000, NBY, 5-20, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:42.75, sf.
1–HAWKBILL, 126, c, 4, by Kitten’s Joy
1st Dam: Trensa (SW-US, $170,470), by Giant’s Causeway
2nd Dam: Serape, by Fappiano
3rd Dam: Mochila, by In Reality
($350,000 Ylg ’14 KEESEP). O-Godolphin; B-Helen K Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £56,710. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Ger, 13-7-0-2, $619,776.Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. 

Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2–My Dream Boat (Ire), 126, h, 5, Lord Shanakill–Betty Burke (GB), by Choisir (Aus). (€4,000 Ylg ’13 GOFFEB; €16,000 Ylg ’13 GOFSPT; £40,000 2yo ’14 DONBRE). O-Paul & Clare Rooney; B-Patrick Monahan (IRE); T-Clive Cox. £21,500.
3–Midterm (GB), 126, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Midday (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £10,760.
Margins: 2, 2, HF. Odds: 3.00, 4.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: To Be Wild (Ire), Across The Stars (Ire), Chemical Charge (Ire). 

Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

fonte : TDN