Misty For Me’s Sister Unleashed at The Curragh
A full-sister to Misty For Me (pictured) debuts at The Curragh on Sunday | Racing Post
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday’s Insights features a full-sister to Classic heroine Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
1.40 Newbury, £6,400, 2yo, c/g, 6fT
MUJBAR (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) debuts for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and Charlie Hills with more than an outside chance that he could be another sprinting star for the combination who enjoyed so many red-letter days with his sire. A half-brother to the G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Eqtidaar (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and to the G2 Hungerford S. scorer Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the March-foaled bay meets nine rivals including the Richard Hannon-trained Pure Dreamer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a granddaughter of the G1 Irish and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Pure Grain (GB) (Polish Precedent) who sports the famed Barnett silks.
2.00 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 7fT
APRIL SHOWERS (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) represents the Donnacha O’Brien stable and is a full-sister to the four-times Group 1 winner and Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Misty For Me (Ire) who is now the dam of the high-class War Front duo U S Navy Flag and Roly Poly. Carrying Susan Magnier’s colours, the March-foaled bay meets nine rivals including Ballydoyle’s Snowfall (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) , the relative of Found (Ire) who was unlucky here last month. (by : TDN)
Expert Pick of the Week: Haskell Stakes
An excellent field of seven will travel 1 1/8 miles on the dirt at Monmouth Park in Saturday’s $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1). The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby series event will offer qualifying points to the first four to cross the wire on a 100-40-20-10 basis.
Trainer Bob Baffert has a record eight wins in the race and will send out morning-line choice Authentic as the one to beat. But I will side elsewhere in the marquee race of the meeting.
St. Elias Stable’s Dr Post has made quite the impression on me from a trio of outings in 2020. The Todd Pletcher trainee exits a fine runner-up showing in the Belmont S. (G1) behind the mighty Tiz the Law, and the lightly-raced colt could take another step forward in the Haskell. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.
Dr Post broke his maiden in smart fashion going seven panels at Gulfstream Park in March when earning a 104 Brisnet Speed number, and he has progressed in a pair of races going a route of ground since.
The $400,000 Quality Road colt made his black-type debut in the Unbridled S. at Gulfstream on April 25 and overcame an awful trip to win going away late. In the subsequent Belmont, the colt traveled wide throughout but was easily second best in his first attempt at the 1 1/8-mile distance.
The Monmouth main surface doesn’t always play to contenders that come from off the pace, but this year’s edition will offer a fast early tempo with a few contenders knocking heads in the early stages. I think Dr Post will save ground early under Joe Bravo while keeping touch with the leaders, prior to wearing them down inside the final furlong.
Camelot’s Even So Wins the Irish Oaks
Even So | Racing Post
By Tom Frary
It was Ger Lyons again celebrating on a Classic Saturday at The Curragh as Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) carried Susan Magnier’s pink silks to glory in the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. Placed into the Coolmore armada after her battling success in the Listed Naas Oaks Trial over a mile and a quarter last time July 4, the 10-1 was settled behind the leading quartet early by Colin Keane with the pace generous. Travelling best on the turn into the straight, the bay who is part-owned by Linda Shanahan stayed on past Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) to gain the advantage a furlong from home and beat that 2-1 favourite by two lengths. Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) did best of the Ballydoyle four, half a length away in third. “If we’d got third it would have been great and anything else was a bonus, so it means everything for them to put that faith in us and send us these fillies,” jockey Colin Keane said. “It was pretty smooth, I followed Shane Foley [on Cayenne Pepper] the whole way and it didn’t take much riding from me. I couldn’t believe how well I was travelling. Between the two and the one when I really went for her she really put her head down and really galloped the whole way to the line. She has just thrived for her racing and looked a million dollars walking around like she owned the place beforehand. I can only imagine she’ll keep on improving.”
Introduced over an extended seven furlongs at Tipperary in August, Even So was an encouraging third on that occasion, finishing off her race in the manner of a middle-distance prospect. Benefitting from more positive tactics when scoring by 3 3/4 lengths over a mile at Gowran Park the following month, she was brought back pre-lockdown for the G3 Park Express S. also at that trip at Naas Mar. 23 and was third behind stablemate Lemista (Ire) (Raven’s Pass). By the time she had finished fifth in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas here June 13, it was time to move up to a more suitable trip and she relished the extra test of stamina to keep Laburnum (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at bay in a battle royal in the Naas Oaks Trial.
While some fillies may have backtracked after such a gruelling encounter, Even So is hewn from tough material and this examination was exactly what was going to bring out her best. Always travelling supremely easily despite the attempt by the G3 Munster Oaks winner Snow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to drag her rivals into the red from the front, she was able to enter into the most pressurised section of the contest still racing within herself and when it came down to a slog Cayenne Pepper was already weakened by having subdued Ballydoyle’s front-runner.
“She is just a queen–she is there taking it all in and was like that beforehand and that’s the difference between a good one and a bad one,” Lyons said. “I love the Camelot fillies and I liked her from the very get-go. Did I think she was an Oaks filly then? No, but she earned the right to come here at Naas and watching her today I don’t think it was ever in doubt. I was adamant that my fillies be ridden where they were happy and to hit the line strong. She’s a lovely filly and she has just thrived week on week. I was disappointed with her in Naas when she got beaten by Lemista, but Lemista has turned out special. They were spoiling Aidan, this thing is easy when you get this type of horse.”
“I didn’t know what an Oaks filly was, but I said if we had one this was her,” he added. “I genuinely didn’t think she was good enough to win an Oaks. Now I have to pay her her dues and train her accordingly. It was different to Siskin. I couldn’t breathe watching Siskin, but with this one I enjoyed it all the way up the straight. There is no pressure from the owners and they are straightforward to work for. They’ve been around a long time and know more than I do. They’ve picked us for a reason and let us do our job which makes life so much easier. Paul Shanahan is a lovely guy and a good judge and I had said to him ‘if you want to send me something send me something’ and he did. Whatever happens, happens–what’s meant for you won’t pass you.”
Even So is out of Breeze Hill (Ire) (Danehill), a maiden of average ability trained by David Wachman for the late Robert Sangster. She is kin to four stakes winners, headed by the G1 Epsom Derby hero Dr. Devious (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}) and the G3 Greenlands S. winner Archway (Ire) (Thatching {Ire}), as well as to Rain Flower (Ire) by Ahonoora’s son Indian Ridge (Ire). She produced the G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 Preis der Diana heroine Dancing Rain (Ire) from a mating with Danehill’s son Danehill Dancer (Ire) as well as the Listed St Hugh’s S. scorer Sumora (Ire) to a mating with Danehill. Sumora was responsible for the G1 Moyglare Stud S.-winning juvenile champion Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who in turn is the dam of the G1 2000 Guineas hero Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Breeze Hill also has a yearling filly by Footstepsinthesand (GB).
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS-G1, €250,000, Curragh, 7-18, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:39.54, g/y.
1–EVEN SO (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Breeze Hill (Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Rose of Jericho, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Rose Red, by Northern Dancer
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Susan Magnier & Linda Shanahan; B-Lynch Bages (IRE); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €145,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-2, $223,021. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cayenne Pepper (Ire), 128, f, 3, Australia (GB)–Muwakaba, by Elusive Quality. (195,000gns Wlg ’17 TATFOA). O-Mrs S Kelly; B-GHS Bloodstock & JC Bloodstock (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €50,000.
3–Passion (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Dialafara (Fr), by Anabaa. (800,000gns Ylg ’18 TATOCT). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €25,000.
Margins: 2, HF, 1HF. Odds: 10.00, 2.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Laburnum (Ire), Snow (Ire), Yaxeni (Fr), New York Girl (Ire), Ennistymon (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. (by TDN)
Kingman’s Guru a New Rising Star On Debut At Newbury
By Tom Frary
Newbury’s bet365 EBF Novice S. at Saturday looked the type of race to throw up something special beforehand and the feast of fancy pedigrees duly delivered as Lady Bamford’s newcomer Guru (GB) (Kingman {GB}) denied Juddmonte’s Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in a photo. Settled off the pace as Adam Kirby found a lead throughout the early stages of this seven-furlong contest, the 8-1 shot had to surrender first run to the eventual runner-up inside the final two furlongs but picked up in style to reel in that rival in the final stride. At the line, the homebred son of the high-class Dream Peace (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) had prevailed by a nose from the son of Joyeuse (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), with three lengths separating them and Legend of Dubai (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). That first foal out of the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and G1 Prix de l’Opera heroine Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal) was making it a one-two-three for the blueblooded newcomers in a race that could be talked about for some time to come.
John Gosden’s son Thady was on hand to discuss the winner and said, “He did everything right in the race and is a pretty laid-back horse at home. He was taking everything in today on this first day at school and he may be one to treat gently and take in a novice rather than going straight into a group race. Sir Michael Stoute’s horse [Maximal] looked a lovely horse in the paddock, so we were pleased to be there with him at the end.”
Guru looks as if he could be the best progeny so far out of Dream Peace, who was bought for 2.7million gns at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Initially with Robert Collet, the Kilfrush Stud-bred mare captured the G2 Prix de la Nonette and was third in the GI E.P. Taylor S. and runner-up in the GI Diana S. before joining Chad Brown and placing in the GI Flower Bowl Invitational and the E.P. Taylor and Diana again. The second dam is Truly a Dream (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) who captured the E.P. Taylor when it was staged as a grade II and also the G3 Prix de Royaumont before producing the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains runner-up Catcher In the Rye (Ire) (Danehill). Also connected to the top-class trio of L’Ancresse (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), Dream Peace’s yearling colt is by Frankel (GB).
2nd-Newbury, £6,400, Novice, 7-18, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.93, gd.
GURU (GB) (c, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Dream Peace (Ire) (GSW-Fr, MGISP-Can, MGISP-US, $815,242), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Truly a Dream (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Truly Special (Ire), by Caerleon
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $5,203. O/B-Lady Bamford (GB); T-John Gosden. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. (by TDN)
