Earthlight | Racing Post

By Tom Frary

Saturday’s star-studded G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket was robbed of one of its star turns as Siskin (First Defence) was withdrawn after being upset in the stalls, but Godolphin’s Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) stepped up to save the day and maintain his unbeaten record. Buried early by Mickael Barzalona as the pace was forced up ahead, the G1 Prix Morny hero delivered his customary strong surge to overwhelm Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) approaching the final half-furlong and assert for a neck success. Outsider Summer Sands (GB) (Coach House {Ire}) was just 1 3/4 lengths away in third, putting a surprise spin on the outcome but the time recorded by the 11-4 favourite beat that of the preceding Cheveley Park and the winner was emerging with great credit once more. “I was very confident all the way, as he was travelling easily,” Andre Fabre said. “We just felt it was a bit sharp for him, but he has a lot of class.”

Earthlight had the look of something special as he stepped up from conditions wins at Maisons-Laffitte June 19 and Deauville July 2 to dominate the G3 Prix de Cabourg back at the latter venue July 28. Allowed to take his chance in the Morny despite the heavy rain, he was able to produce what was required in the conditions to prevail by a neck from Raffle Prize (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}) in that Aug. 18 highlight and is now a rare winner of two top-level contests on widely-contrasting ground conditions.

With Siskin taken out of the equation at the last minute, the Hannon pair of Mums Tipple (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and the Ballydoyle duo of Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) failing to make a serious impact, it could be argued that this much-vaunted renewal failed by a long way to live up to expectations. That the 100-1 shot Summer Sands, who was fifth behind Threat in the G2 Gimcrack S. when last seen, was so close at the finish will also heap doubt on the form, but the G2 Richmond S. winner and Morny third Golden Horde is a tough and classy customer and Earthlight needed that sharp turn of acceleration to subdue him on the rise to the line.

Earthlight is a surprising Middle Park winner on pedigree, even if his racing style is that of a sprinter pure and simple. Usually, it is wise to bow to Andre Fabre’s greater judgement and he is convinced he has a miler or even a middle-distance performer on his hands for 2020. “For sure he will get a mile, he could even go a bit further with his pedigree,” he commented. “We’ll prepare for the Guineas and see what happens–he is the right type, but he will go further and will get a mile and a quarter. He will go back home, idle, eat well and sleep as he usually does. He is done for the season.”

Whether Fabre will tackle Pinatubo (Ire) in the Newmarket Classic next May remains to be seen, but the prospect of the two Shamardal colts in the line-up is one to savour. Fabre was not ruling it out afterwards. “It will have to be discussed, obviously. Sheikh Mohammed is a sportsman and he wouldn’t mind one running one against another, but we will see,” he added. “He is well-bred and is good-looking with a good temperament and he showed early that he is good like all the good two-year-olds. He has won on all sorts of ground, so that doesn’t seem to affect him. He would have a prep race for the Guineas, as he is stocky heavy horse that needs some work. It would probably be in France, ground-depending.”

Golden Horde’s trainer Clive Cox said of the runner-up, “It was great performance, obviously we would have liked to have won, though we have closed the gap on the winner from the Morny. He appreciated the slightly drier ground. He has been group one-placed twice this year and we have got an awful lot to look forward to next year. I think the Morny was the best two-year-old race at that stage, but this was far and above that and I’m delighted he has equipped himself well. We will look towards next year. I think we will be more in the sprinting division next season.”

Connections of Siskin were surprised that the normally bombproof homebred was so fractious in the gates and Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe could offer no explanation in the immediate aftermath. “He went into the stalls fine. All we have said about him is that he has the most laid-back attitude of any horse we have,” he said. “For that suddenly to happen is bizarre really and we are as shocked as most people. I don’t know if it was the wind, but there was no obvious trigger. It wasn’t like something got kicked or rattled the stalls. He just flipped, so we will have to get him back. He seems fine at the moment. He has got a few cuts and scrapes, but they seem only superficial. We are at a loss really to describe it. The jockey is fine.”

Whichever Guineas Earthlight turns up in next May, it will be a surprise if he proves a non-stayer being out of the G1 Fillies’ Mile third Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) who stayed 10 furlongs at three. Her dam Summertime Legacy (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) captured the G3 Prix des Reservoirs and was third in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary before producing four black-type performers in total. They are headed by this stable’s G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}). Her daughter Lavender and Lace (GB) (Barathea {Ire}) is the dam of Maxi Boy (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who was third in this year’s G2 Superlative S.

Summertime Legacy is out of Zawaahy (El Gran Senor), a half to the G1 Epsom Derby hero Golden Fleece (Nijinsky) and the stakes-producing Office Wife (Secretariat). This is the family of the leading sire Be My Guest (Northern Dancer) and the GI Belmont S.-winning sire Jaipur (Nasrullah). Winters Moon also has a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire) and a 2019 full-sister to Earthlight.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE MIDDLE PARK S.-G1, £275,000, Newmarket, 9-28, 2yo, c, 6fT, 1:09.31 (NTR), gd.
1–EARTHLIGHT (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Winters Moon (Ire) (G1SP-Eng), by New Approach (Ire)
2nd Dam: Summertime Legacy (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Zawaahy, by El Gran Senor
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. £155,953. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr, 5-5-0-0, $492,282. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Golden Horde (Ire), 126, c, 2, Lethal Force (Ire)–Entreat (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (£65,000 Ylg ’18 GOUKPR). O-AlMohamediya Racing; B-CN Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Clive Cox. £59,125.
3–Summer Sands (GB), 126, c, 2, Coach House (Ire)–Koharu (GB), by Ishiguru. (£2,000 Ylg ’18 TASAYG; £85,000 2yo ’19 TATABR). O-The Cool Silk Partnership; B-Koharu Partnership (GB); T-Richard Fahey. £29,590.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.75, 16.00, 100.00.
Also Ran: King Neptune, Threat (Ire), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), Mums Tipple (Ire), Monarch of Egypt. Scratched: Siskin. 

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

Starspangledbanner’s Millisle Takes the Cheveley Park

 

Millisle | racingfotos.com

By Tom Frary

Jessica Harrington’s wealth of talent among her juvenile fillies spilled over on to Newmarket’s Rowley Mile on Saturday as Stonethorn Stud Farms’ Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) caused an upset in the G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. Off the bridle for most of the contest trying to keep up with the tempo mainly carved out by Raffle Prize (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}), the 16-1 shot who was second last time in Salisbury’s G3 Dick Poole S. gave generously for Shane Foley to swamp her in the last 75 yards. At the line, she had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over that 10-11 favourite in a short-lived juvenile record time, with Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) an unlucky third, a half length further behind. “She was outpaced throughout, but I knew when she hit the rising ground she would stay and she enjoyed that nice ground,” Foley said. “She has been having to make her own running in Ireland as there has been nothing fast enough for her and she loved that brisk pace to gallop at. I needed a clear run, because I wasn’t going well enough to go between them and she’s really motored.”

One of the race’s less-considered runners, Millisle had enjoyed a dynamic debut when successful by 4 3/4 lengths on debut over five furlongs at a Bellewstown track not accustomed to launching future group 1 winners July 4. Runner-up to the subsequent Listed Roses S. fourth Think Big (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a conditions race over that trip at another circuit not known for showcasing this kind of talent in Down Royal July 26, the chestnut kept progressing to take the Aug. 16 Listed Curragh S. on soft ground again over five before tackling the Dick Poole. Denied a short-head by Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) on that first attempt at this trip Sept. 5, she was running on strongly at the death and so connections threw their hat into the ring here knowing that they have several yardsticks to measure her against at home.

Raffle Prize was a touch sluggish from the gates and Frankie Dettori had to wait to let her impose herself on the event, but despite travelling kindly on the front end there never seemed to be as much gusto in the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. winner as there had been earlier in the season. After mastering the G2 Lowther S. winner Living In the Past (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {Ire}) running down into the “dip”, the Mark Johnston runner failed to truly get away from the remainder which gave Millisle a target as she found her second wind. Had the G3 Prix Six Perfections and G2 Prix du Calvados winner Tropbeau enjoyed a clear run inside the final two furlongs, she may have put it up to the winner but her momentum was stopped twice at crucial stages and Millisle had a clear passage up the stand’s rail to build a head of steam.

“She got beat at Salisbury, but was coming back at the end as she had to do all the donkey work that day,” Harrington said. “We just thought the rising ground here would suit her. Shane said the further she was going, the better she was going. She is bred to get a mile easily, as I actually trained a half-sister of hers that got a mile and six, so there is plenty of stamina on the dam’s side. You would probably give her an entry in the 1000 Guineas, but the ground would have to be good. I know she has won on soft ground, but you would have to start questioning the trip on soft ground.”

“We were very frightened in March, as we couldn’t find a bad one among them so either they were all useless or good,” she added. “I thought early on in the spring she would be our first two-year-old, then she started to grow and got a bit weak on me but she showed a lot of speed early on. She is a lovely filly and is home bred by Francis Jennings. She is the last foal out of one of his old mares. She is finished for the year now, that is her fifth run and she hasn’t done badly.”

Raffle Prize’s trainer could not hide his disappointment. “I think that is our seventh second in a group one this year, although it could be eight. It is at least seven, so it is pretty sickening,” Johnston said. “Frankie said she did everything right, but in the last 50 yards that one has come from the clouds and he didn’t know where she came from. She has not had a day off all year and there are not many horses we can say that about. She has been perfectly straightforward. That would be it for the season, as I don’t think there is anything else. Frankie got off and said she is my Guineas filly for next year. That would normally be my attitude with these sort of horses, as if they don’t get the trip they can come back in trip later.”

Millisle’s dam Green Castle (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) produced a total of nine winners and four black-type performers including the Listed Braveheart S. winner Ithoughtitwasover (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). Her fastest progeny before Millisle was the listed-placed Greenisland (Ire) by the speed influence Fasliyev and she is herself the dam of the Listed Prix Valleee d’Auge scorer Shamshon (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the Listed Feilden S. third Boerhan (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). The half-sister that Harrington spoke about post-race was Glenmayne (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), who was third in the 14-furlong Listed Stanerra S.

The second dam is the listed winner Green Lucia (Green Dancer), who was also placed in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks and is a half-sister to the dual Derby-winning sire Old Vic (GB). Her descendants include the G3 Matron S. winner and stakes producer Tadwiga (GB) (Fairy King), while the family also features the G1 2000 Guineas hero and leading sire High Top (Ire).

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE CHEVELEY PARK S.-G1, £291,580, Newmarket, 9-28, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:09.39, gd.
1–MILLISLE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Green Castle (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
2nd Dam: Green Lucia, by Green Dancer
3rd Dam: Cockade (GB), by Derring-Do (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Stonethorn Stud Farms Ltd (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. £165,355. Lifetime Record: SW-Ire, 5-3-2-0, $259,071. *1/2 to Ithoughtitwasover (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), SW-Eng, $121,297; Greenisland (Ire) (Fasliyev), MSP-Eng & SP-Ger; and Glenmayne (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Raffle Prize (Ire), 126, f, 2, Slade Power (Ire)–Summer Fete (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £62,690.
3–Tropbeau (GB), 126, f, 2, Showcasing (GB)–Frangipanni (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (60,000gns Ylg ’18 TAOCT; €180,000 2yo ’19 ARQMA). O-Lady Bamford; B-Lord Margadale (GB); T-Andre Fabre. £31,374.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 2. Odds: 16.00, 0.90, 4.50.
Also Ran: Tango (Ire), Living in the Past (Ire), Nurse Barbara (Ire), Dark Lady (GB), Etoile, Lil Grey (Ire), Moon of Love (Ire), Nina Bailarina (GB). 

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

fonte : TDN

 

ARC COUNTDOWN ARC FIELD

 

Enable heads 16 runners left in the Arc after first forfeit stage on Monday

 

Enable: winner of the last two Arcs.   Edward Whitaker

 

The likely field for Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe became a little clearer on Monday after 16 runners, including dual winner Enable, were left in contention for Europe’s richest race following the first forfeit stage.

The opposition standing in the way of Khalid Abdullah’s superstar mare and her bid for a historic third win in the race has been reduced, although there is a supplementary stage on Wednesday.

Irish Champion Stakes winner Magical has chased home Enable three times in the last year, most recently in last month’s Yorkshire Oaks. She is one of three left in the race for Aidan O’Brien, with Juddmonte International winner Japan and Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck completing his trio.

The last time a French-trained horse won the Arc was Treve in 2014 and Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass heads the home challenge this year for Jean-Claude Rouget, with last year’s fourth Waldgeist, Musis Amica, French King and Silverwave also in the frame.

Wide-margin Grosser Preis von Baden winner Ghaiyyath has been kept in the race by Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, while Enable’s trainer John Gosden could also be represented by Mehdaayih.

The winner of the Arc has never been trained in Japan and their challenge consists of Kiseki, Blast Onepiece and Fierement.

Czech sensation Nagano Gold, who finished second in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, and German raider Matchwinner complete the 16 after the first forfeit stage.

Enable is the general 8-11 favourite with Japan and Sottsass next best at 6-1.

Arc betting (general):

8-11 Enable
6 Japan, Sottsass
10 Magical
12 Ghaiyyath, Waldgeist
25 Fierement
33 Anthony Van Dyck, Blast Onepiece
50 French King, Mehdaayih, Musis Amica, Nagano Gold
66 Kiseki
100 Matchwinner, Silverwave

fonte : RacingPost