Winter, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore | Racing Post

By Tom Frary

WINTER STROLL
Sunday’s chore for Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas proved ultimately straightforward as Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s impressive grey simply ate up the ground at The Curragh to emulate stablemate Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and bring up a second Guineas double for her epoch-making stable. Something of a surprise package in Newmarket’s G1 1000 Guineas three weeks earlier, she was 8-13 this time and despite running keenly in the hands of Ryan Moore tracking the leading trio was able to gain command passing the quarter pole and open up for an emphatic 4 3/4-length success. In an O’Brien whitewash, Aidan’s Roly Poly (War Front) and Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) denied Joseph’s Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in a three-way photo for the minor placings, with a head and a nose separating that trio. “It was very easy,” her rider commented. “She gave me a lovely ride and took me into the race without me asking her a thing. I couldn’t be more impressed–she was relentless and kept building all the way to the line. It rode like a piece of work to her and the way she felt today there is no reason that she will not keep progressing. She will probably get a little bit further and a mile or a mile and a quarter will probably come alike to her, but she’s a fast filly.”

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS IRISH 1000 GUINEAS-G1, €300,000, CUR, 5-28, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:39.78, yl.
1–WINTER (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Laddies Poker Two (Ire), by Choisir (Aus)
2nd Dam: Break of Day, by Favorite Trick
3rd Dam: Quelle Affaire, by Riverman
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Laddies Poker Two Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €171,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 6-3-1-2, $585,098. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Roly Poly, 126, f, 3, War Front–Misty For Me (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). ($575,000 RNA Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Misty For Me Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien. €60,000.
3–Hydrangea (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Beauty Is Truth (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Beauty Is Truth Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €30,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, HD, NO. Odds: 0.60, 14.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Intricately (Ire), Bean Feasa (GB), Rehana (Ire), Aneen (Ire), Asking (Ire). 

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

In the shadow of her G1 Fillies’ Mile-winning Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) entering the 1000 Guineas, Winter charted an easier path than her stablemate through the Classic and the debate continues as to whether she would have been the victress had the race been run to suit them both. On Friday, we will get the chance to reflect further on that scenario after Rhododendron has run in the Oaks but for now it is Winter who is queen bee among the 3-year-old fillies at Ballydoyle. Handled by David Wachman at two, she had just a seven-furlong maiden win on Dundalk’s Polytrack in August to show for her trainer’s high regard but by the time she appeared for Aidan O’Brien with a second in Leopardstown’s seven-furlong G3 1000 Guineas Trial S. it was clear that her former trainer was right. Denied by a head by Hydrangea in that seven-furlong prep Apr. 8, she thrived on the Ballydoyle work program leading up to the Guineas and advanced at a rate of knots to emerge on top in a strong renewal of the Newmarket Classic.

Tending to over-race early behind the leading trio which included the even keener Rehana (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and the solid pace-setter Hydrangea, Winter was given a squeeze by Ryan Moore with three furlongs remaining and the response was immediate. A furlong later, she was beginning to dominate and by the line she had cleared away from three proven group 1 performers as if they were underlings. Rehana, who finished fifth, was demoted to sixth by the stewards after it was judged that jockey Pat Smullen had taken the ground of Bean Feasa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Even without Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to a summer of riches and Winter will be one of several potential odds-on shots at Royal Ascot next month. “She came forward from the first day at Leopardstown to Newmarket and obviously we felt that she came forward then to today,” he said. “You’d imagine she might get a mile and quarter when she gets a mile that strong here at the Curragh, but she’s a good traveller. If everything went well, you’d be thinking of the [June 23 G1] Coronation S. with her, because she is a good strong traveller. If everything is well then you have to make your mind up where you go after that. Do you go to Goodwood over a mile and a quarter [for the G1 Nassau S. Aug. 3], or do you go to the [G1] Falmouth [S. at Newmarket July 14] and those races? The lads will talk about it and see what they want to do. She’s a big, powerful filly and is very exciting.”

Yet another group 1 winner for her supersire, Winter was becoming only the third filly in history to complete the English-Irish 1000 Guineas here. The second foal out of the impressive 2010 Wokingham H. scorer Laddies Poker Two, she descends from Quelle Affaire, a daughter of the French juvenile champion and G1 Prix Morny winner Ancient Regime (Olden Times). She is a full-sister to the G3 Concorde S.-winning sire Rami and a half to the G3 Prix Eclipse-winning sire Crack Regiment, as well as the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp runner-up La Grande Epoque (Lyphard). After Winter are two more daughters of Galileo, the 2-year-old Snowflakes (Ire) who ran at this meeting 24 hours earlier and a yearling.

Prix d’Ispahan Win For Sea the Stars’s Mekhtaal

 

Mekhtaal | Scoop Dyga

By Tom Frary

Mekhtaal issued warning that he was a colt with gravitas when the six-length winner of the G2 Prix Hocquart over 10 furlongs at Deauville last May, but instead of imposing himself on his rivals in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club here the following month was in bad humour and trailed in eighth. He may have been slightly unlucky to be only fourth when next appearing on Bastille Day in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris over a mile and a half at Saint-Cloud before failing to make all when beaten a short neck by Sky Kingdom (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) as the runner-up in Maisons-Laffitte’s G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange back at 10 furlongs in September. Returning to be in that spot again when beaten a neck by the subsequent G1 Prix Ganay winner Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G2 Prix d’Harcourt over a mile and a quarter here Apr. 9, he followed Robin of Navan in second throughout the early stages. Finally getting the better of the long-time leader in the shade of the post as Usherette finished in between them, the chestnut was rewarding the painstaking patience of the Jean-Claude Rouget stable. “He is much more mature than he was as a three-year-old and behaves much better,” his trainer commented. “He has learnt his game and between nine and ten furlongs is his best distance. He ran well in the d’Harcourt, but had a real race there and so we did well to pass on the Ganay and wait for this. We will keep going in this category and Royal Ascot could be next. The [June 21 G1] Prince of Wales’s S. could be his target and maybe later he can run in the Irish and English Champion S.”

The dam is the G3 Prix Fille de l’Air winner Aiglonne, who is also responsible for four other black-type performers including the fellow Hocquart scorer Democrate and the GIII Long Island H. and GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. scorer Aigue Marine. Aiglonne is a half-sister to the dam of Germance (Silver Hawk), who landed the G1 Prix Saint-Alary, while the next dam Autocratic also had the G2 Tattersalls Gold Cup S. winner Fair of the Furze (Ire) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}). She produced the G1 Derby Italiano hero and G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up White Muzzle (GB) and the G2 Deutsches St Leger scorer Fair Question (Ire) (Rainbow Quest), as well as the Listed Diamond S. winner Elfaslah (Ire) (Green Desert). The latter went on to throw the G1 Dubai World Cup and G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning sire Almutawakel (GB). Next up from Aiglonne’s 3-year-old colt Aiguillon(Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) won on debut here for Nicolas Clement six days earlier, while she also has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old filly Miss Aiglonne (GB) (Dawn Approach {Ire}).

Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX D’ISPAHAN-G1, €250,000, CHY, 5-28, 4yo/up, 9fT, 1:49.92, gd.
1–&MEKHTAAL (GB), 128, c, 4, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aiglonne (GSW-Fr & GSP-US, $139,160), by Silver Hawk
2nd Dam: Majestic Role (Fr), by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Autocratic (Ire), by Tyrant
(€300,000 Ylg ’14 ARAUG). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Haras du Mezeray & Skymarc Farm (GB); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Gregory Benoist. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 8-3-3-0, €315,110. *1/2 to Aigue Marine (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), MGSW-US & SW-Fr, $423,555; Democrate (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), GSW-Fr, $139,381; and Apophis (Ire) (Rainbow Quest), SP-Fr, $176,569. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Robin of Navan (Fr), 128, c, 4, American Post (GB)–Cloghran (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). (€10,000 Ylg ’14 AR14; €47,000 2yo ’15 ARMAY). O-Cross, Deal, Foden, Sieff; B-Mme Monique Lepeudry (FR); T-Harry Dunlop. €57,150.
3–Usherette (Ire), 125, m, 5, Shamardal–Monday Show (SP-Ger), by Maria’s Mon. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €28,575.
Margins: NK, HF, 5. Odds: 2.30, 17.00, 3.70.
Also Ran: Dicton (GB), Zarak (Fr). Scratched: Kourkan (Fr). 

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

 

War Front Half To US Ranger Takes the Gallinule

3rd at CUR, Gr. Stk, €65,000

G3 Airlie Stud Gallinule S.

(10f)

Winner: Homesman, c, 3 by War Front

 

 

Homesman | Racing Post

By Tom Frary

It is a measure of how clinical the current team at Ballydoyle have become that whereas it took the late great Dr Vincent O’Brien from 1953 to 1991 to build up a tally of 15 wins in this race, Aidan O’Brien has now achieved the same feat in just 20. His stable have only missed on six occasions since Johan Cruyff (Ire) started the ball rolling in 1997, which alone would be a remarkable record for any operation. The fact is that during this imperial phase of the hallowed Rosegreen establishment it is merely a footnote under the unequalled achievements on grander stages. That said, the Gallinule which is an Irish Derby trial still acts as a reasonably significant race won by the likes of Alleged, Assert (Ire) and Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Whether Homesman will ever lay claim to be compared with that trio is unlikely, but he is becoming a more genuine performer with each outing and was overcoming the kind of rain-deadened conditions his sire’s progeny are inclined to struggle on.

Having beaten the subsequent winner Modern Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in a maiden over an extended 11 furlongs at Limerick Apr. 30, the bay was surprisingly dropped to a mile next time for a conditions race here and was soundly beaten by Irishcorrespondent (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) as a result. Settled in mid-division early by Ryan Moore, the half-brother to US Ranger was delivered to challenge the maiden Born To Play with 150 yards remaining and dug in to see off his renewed challenge. “It’s the first time I’ve sat on him and he’s a fine big horse,” Moore said. “It looks like there is plenty to work with and faster ground would be a help to him, as he struggled to get out of that ground. The size he is, there is plenty of room for improvement.”

US Ranger, who stands at WinStar Farm, was the winner of the Listed Prix Djebel and the Testimonial S. in the States, but that tells only half his story. Narrowly denied by Marchand d’Or (Fr) (Marchand de Sable) in the G1 July Cup, he was also third in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan stretching out to an extended nine furlongs. The second dam is the GI Top Flight H. heroine Andover Way, a half to the GII Saratoga Special S. winner Darby Creek Road (Roberto) who later produced the GII Jersey Derby-winning champion sire Dynaformer. Also among her offspring was the top producer Black Speck (Arch), who threw the G1 Champions & Chater Cup hero Lines of Battle and the G3 Prix Chloe winner War Flag by Homesman’s sire War Front. Andover Way is also the dam of the Continental Mile S. scorer White Bridle (Seattle Slew) and her full-sister Alvear, who is the dam of the GI Suburban H. hero Offlee Wild (Wild Again). My Annette’s last foal is a yearling full-sister to Homesman named War Cabinet.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
AIRLIE STUD GALLINULE S.-G3, €65,000, CUR, 5-28, 3yo, 10fT, 2:12.63, yl.
1–#@HOMESMAN, 129, c, 3, by War Front
1st Dam: My Annette, by Red Ransom
2nd Dam: Andover Way, by His Majesty
3rd Dam: On the Trail, by Olympia
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Joseph Allen LLC; B-Joseph Allen, LLC (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €38,350. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, $61,234. *1/2 to U S Ranger (Danzig), Hwt. 3yo Colt-Ire at 5-6f, Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 5-6.5f, SW & G1SP-Fr, SW & GSP-Ire, G1SP-Eng & GSP-US, $481,775. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Born To Play (Ire), 129, c, 3, Born To Sea (Ire)–Centreofattention (Aus), by Danehill. (20,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT). O/T-Joseph G Murphy; B-Mrs C Regalado-Gonzalez (IRE). €13,000.
3–Finn McCool (Ire), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Mystical Lady (Ire), by Halling. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs A M O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €6,500.
Margins: HD, 2, NO. Odds: 5.00, 9.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Twin Star (Ire), Red Label (Ire), Utah (Ire), Act of Valour (GB), Angel Island (Ire), Vociferous Marina (Ire). 

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

 

Galileo’s Decorated Knight Battles to Tattersalls Gold Cup Success

2nd at CGH, Gr. Stk, 300000

G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup

(10f)

Winner: Decorated Knight (GB), h, 5 by Galileo (Ire)

 

 

Decorated Knight | Racing Post

By Sean Cronin

KNIGHT WINS TATTS GOLD CUP BATTLE

Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}, who ran sixth in the Mar. 25 G1 Dubai Turf after annexing the Mar. 4 G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan, returned to European action in Sunday’s G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh and provided a third win for trainer Roger Charlton with a determined display. Positioned third in the wake of the pacesetting Success Days (Ire) (Jeremy) after the initial exchanges, the 7-2 favourite emerged from cover to challenge soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly once taking control approaching the final eighth to hold the late threat of recent G1 Lockinge S. fourth Somehow (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) by 1 1/4 lengths. Somehow’s stablemate Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) finished 2 1/4 lengths further back in third. “We were a bit worried about the ground as it’s on the slow side of good and a bit tacky, but [trainer] Mr [Roger] Charlton was very positive about him,” explained winning rider Andrea Atzeni. “He travelled beautifully through the race and won cosy in the end. He has a high cruising speed and a good turn of foot.”

 

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland

TATTERSALLS GOLD CUP-G1, €300,000, CUR, 5-28, 4yo/up, 10f 110yT, 2:18.03, yl.

1–DECORATED KNIGHT (GB), 129, h, 5, by Galileo (Ire)

1st Dam: Pearling, by Storm Cat

2nd Dam: Mariah’s Storm, by Rahy

3rd Dam: Immense, by Roberto

O/B-Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar (GB); T-Roger Charlton; J-Andrea Atzeni. €177,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, MSW & MGSP-Eng, 14-7-3-1, $682,050. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2–Somehow (Ire), 126, f, 4, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Alexandrova (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €60,000.

3–Deauville (Ire), 129, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Walklikeanegyptian (Ire), by Danehill. O-Mrs Fitri Hay, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Mrs Fitri Hay (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €30,000.

Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 3.50, 4.00, 4.00.

Also Ran: Success Days (Ire), Johannes Vermeer (Ire), Reckless Gold (Ire), Moonlight Magic (GB), Gentil J (Ire).

Decorated Knight registered a first black-type success in the Listed Festival S. at Goodwood on this weekend last year and followed up with a second in Epsom’s June 3 G3 Diomed S. before regaining the winning thread in Leopardstown’s July 14 G3 Meld S. in his first overseas foray. The chestnut was slated to contest the Aug. 13 GI Arlington Million, but was a late scratching due to injury and was on the shelf for the remainder of last term. He returned to claim Lingfield’s Feb. 4 Listed Winter Derby Trial en route to Meydan where he registered a career high in the Mar. 4 G1 Jebel Hatta before posting a last-out sixth in the Mar. 25 G1 Dubai Turf. “I was very worried when I saw the ground yesterday and I knew the forecast was for heavy showers yesterday, but not like an inch or whatever they had,” said trainer Roger Charlton. “I thought we’d come and have a look and decide today so I walked the course and was very pleasantly surprised how good it was. The surface was a bit dead, it’s good to soft, but they opened up a new strip and the course is in fantastic condition. He doesn’t have to have rattling quick ground and has improved and improved. The Group 1 race he won in Meydan wouldn’t have been the strongest race and this is a stronger race. If Minding had turned up it would have been a different story, but he won with his ears pricked and was pulling up in front. When Somehow came to him he picked up again and he can’t do more than that. He got a nice lead and came at the right time. It was perfect and the race worked out well. They didn’t actually go a very strong gallop and it was handy to be close to it. He has a very classy pedigree and is a very close relation to Gleneagles and his dam is a sister to Giant’s Causeway so he has a stallion career.”

Decorated Knight is the first representative of Pearling (Storm Cat), herself a full-sister to MG1SW champion and sire Giant’s Causeway and G2 Cherry Hinton S. victress You’resothrilling, who in turn produced three group-race winners headed by G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}. His second dam is the dual Grade II winner Mariah’s Storm (Rahy), while his third dam Immense (Roberto) garnered the GIII Little Silver H. and is herself a half to the brilliant GI Acorn S., GI Spinster S. and GI Sorority S.-winning champion juvenile Dearly Precious (Dr. Fager). Pearling has also produced the twice-raced 3-year-old filly Ambrosia (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and an 2-year-old colt by Dansili (GB). 

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

fonte : TDN