Galileo’s High Definition Leaves It Late In the Beresford
High Definition | Racingfotos.com
By Tom Frary
In a dramatic edition of The Curragh’s G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. on Saturday, Ballydoyle’s TDN Rising Star High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) produced what is certain to be one of the most talked-about performances of the year as he grasped victory from surefire defeat. In rear early as Seamie Heffernan bided his time, the 9-5 favourite who had also swooped late in a course-and-distance maiden on debut Aug. 22 straightened for home with a yawning gap to close and it was still around five lengths as Monaasib (GB) (Bobby’s Kitten) overhauled Snapraeterea (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}) a furlong from home. Seemingly out of reach moments before, Monaasib came squarely into High Definition’s sights by the time he passed that marker and as he gained some momentum the bay cut back the deficit as jaws dropped in the final yards. At the line, there was a scarcely-believable degree of comfort in the success, which was measured at 3/4 of a length as Snapraeterea surrendered three lengths away in third.
Aidan O’Brien is inclined to wait until next year with the winner, who gave off some of the vibes that Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) had in this in 2017. “He’s lovely and puts away a lot of ground,” he said. “He’s a big rangy horse with a massive big stride and is one to really look forward to. It was the same in his maiden–you would say he’s not going to get there and in the end he’s won easily. I’d say we’ll put him away now. He could start in a Guineas and he looks like he’ll be a middle-distance horse. I was a bit worried about the bend, as he’s never been around one before.”
Providing a 20th success in this important staging post for Ballydoyle, High Definition who at one point traded at 100-1 in-running on the Betfair exchange is a full-brother to last year’s Beresford hero Innisfree (Ire) who went on to finish runner-up in the G1 Futurity Trophy and has yet to be seen in 2020. He was one of the stable’s leading Derby contenders over the winter and it could be that his year-younger full-sibling makes up for his absence in the blue riband next June. High Definition is currently the last known foal out of the Listed Cairn Rouge S. winner and G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial runner-up Palace (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), one of four black-type winners for Lady Icarus (GB) (Rainbow Quest).
Lady Icarus proved a source of class, producing the G3 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial S. scorer Furner’s Green (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who was also third in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the listed-winning G1 Irish Oaks third Lady Lupus (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and the listed-winning and G3 Solonaway S. third Mystical Lady (Ire) (Halling). The latter is the dam of three black-type performers for Ballydoyle, headed by the Listed Dee S. winner and G1 Irish Derby and G1 Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher (Ire) also by Galileo. The third dam is the high-class Sonic Lady (Nureyev), heroine of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Sussex S. and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
ALAN SMURFIT MEMORIAL BERESFORD S.-G2, €80,000, Curragh, 9-26, 2yo, 8fT, 1:45.28, yl.
1–HIGH DEFINITION (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Palace (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Lady Icarus (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Sonic Lady, by Nureyev
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €48,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $67,314. *Full to Innisfree (Ire), GSW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $141,701. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Monaasib (GB), 131, c, 2, Bobby’s Kitten–Mullein (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (£65,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Landmark Racing Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Prendergast. €16,000.
3–Snapraeterea (Ire), 131, c, 2, Buratino (Ire)–Snap Alam (Ire), by Alamshar (Ire). (€15,000 RNA Ylg ’19 GOFSPT). O/B-J P Farrell (IRE); T-Joseph O’Brien. €8,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3, HF. Odds: 1.80, 7.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Sir Lucan (Ire), Reve de Vol (Ire), Southern Cape (Ire), Wuqood (GB), Brazil (Ire), Ides of August, Jack Duggan, Ace Aussie (Ire), Lifetime Legend (Ire), Adakaz (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Mehmas’s Supremacy From Pillar To Post In the Middle Park
Supremacy | Getty Images
Tally-Ho Stud’s first-season sire Mehmas (Ire) had firmly established himself as the leader in the category throughout the summer and one of the first major prizes of the autumn confirmed that status as his son Supremacy (Ire) made all in Saturday’s G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket. Out quickest under Adam Kirby, the 13-2 shot who had gone from a Windsor maiden win July 6 to a four-length success in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood July 30 met his greatest threat late on as the 5-2 favourite Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) gave the expected purposeful pursuit. Keeping that G1 Phoenix S. winner at bay up the rising ground, Jason Goddard’s £65,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling purchase had half a length to spare at the line, with the G2 Gimcrack S. scorer Minzaal (Ire) 2 1/4 lengths behind in third. “He has been amazing really. From the Richmond, I think he has continued developing and strengthening all the time,” trainer Clive Cox said. “He is a complete speedball and likes to get on with it. Adam has ridden him beautifully and got the fractions right.”
Supremacy, who was sixth on his racecourse bow at Windsor June 16, has subsequently made giant strides and his starting price as the outsider of the trio by the son of Acclamation (GB) behind the Listed Rose Bowl S. winner Method (Ire) and Minzaal is not easily explained. Clive Cox has proven time and again that he can work alchemy with these types and still his juveniles continue to be priced more generously than their form suggest they should in the boutique races. The manner of his display in the Richmond had become slightly over-shadowed by the fact that only one of his rivals that day had subsequently won a black-type race, but from the outset he was in dominant mood here and the strong tailwind only added to his position of power. Lucky Vega is as good a juvenile to emerge from Ireland in 2020 and he held every chance, but Supremacy kept rolling as they put clear distance between themselves and the top sprinters of their age group.
“I’m really excited about him next year, as he has got more development and strengthening to do over the winter,” the winning trainer commented. “He is just pure class. I don’t think we will be stretching beyond six. I don’t think we need to when he shows gears like that. That is precisely what we will be concentrating on and polishing what we have got. Golden Horde had a little bit more size and scope at this stage of his career and was second in this race. He is another very good horse, but most importantly they are both talented. He has got that speed and that is what he likes to get on and do. We realised at Goodwood it was certainly not the wrong way to ride him. We’ve had a tremendous season, especially with the two-year-old crop as they have been amazing. It has been a wonderful year for us, in spite of the shenanigans.”
Supremacy’s dam Triggers Broom (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) is a half-sister to one of Cox’s early stable stars in Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), who captured the G2 Vintage S. and was third in the G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Prix Jean Prat before annexing two renewals of the G1 Champions Mile for John Moore in Hong Kong. Another half-sibling Beatrix Potter (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) is responsible for arguably Cox’s finest performer to date in the G1 July Cup and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and also last year’s G2 Mill Reef S. winner Pierre Lapin (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}). Yet another half-sister A Huge Dream (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) was listed-placed before producing the Listed Polonia S. and Listed Lansdown S. winner Mrs Gallagher (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Also connected to the GI Donn H. hero Stephen Got Even (A.P. Indy), the dam’s yearling colt by Cotai Glory (GB) is catalogued in next month’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE MIDDLE PARK S.-G1, £220,000, Newmarket, 9-26, 2yo, c, 6fT, 1:09.73, gd.
1–SUPREMACY (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Triggers Broom (Ire), by Arcano (Ire)
2nd Dam: Great Joy (Ire), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Cheese Soup, by Spectacular Bid
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (£65,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-Jason Goddard; B-Kangyu International Racing (IRE); T-Clive Cox; J-Adam Kirby. £124,762. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $201,007. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lucky Vega (Ire), 126, c, 2, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Queen of Carthage, by Cape Cross (Ire). (€110,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; €175,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Zhang Yuesheng; B-Kilcarn Stud (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. £47,300.
3–Minzaal (Ire), 126, c, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Pardoven (Ire), by Clodovil (Ire). (85,000gns Wlg ’18 TATFOA; 140,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Ringfort Stud (IRE); T-Owen Burrows. £23,672.
Margins: HF, 2 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 6.50, 2.50, 3.50.
Also Ran: Tactical (GB), The Lir Jet (Ire), Lipizzaner, Charterhouse (GB), Method (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Cheveley Park Glory For No Nay Never’s Alcohol Free
Alcohol Free | Getty Images
By Tom Frary
Like last year’s G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. winner Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) beaten in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ S. at Salisbury Sept. 3, Jeff Smith’s Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) made a similar step forward to prove fastest where it mattered in Saturday’s fillies’ feature at Newmarket. Quickly able to head the fast-breaking G2 Lowther S. winner Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), the heavily-supported 7-2 second favourite was there to be shot at on the front end throughout but was able to ward off threats on all sides as Oisin Murphy asked for maximum effort. At the line, the bargain €40,000 Goffs November Foal Sale purchase had half a length to spare over the 5-2 market-leader Miss Amulet, with Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) just a further head away having been well beaten by the runner-up in the Lowther. “Andrew [Balding] has done a top job with her, because he’s had to carefully manage her training regime as she’s very generous at home,” Murphy explained. “We’ve a class of horse in the yard at the moment that we’ve never had before. She certainly fits into the 1000 Guineas category for next year, because she hits the line well and also relaxes. She’s a super filly.”
Off the mark over this trip on debut at Newbury Aug. 15, Alcohol Free was only 3/4 of a length behind the vastly-more experienced Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) from a wide draw when second in the Dick Poole also at this distance. Evidently improved in the interim with the money down on the bay who opened up in the betting at 6-1, she showed why by rapidly mastering her pace rival Miss Amulet who had exited the stalls with remarkable alacrity. Soon after the start, Alcohol Free was the one to aim at and despite her relative inexperience was able to remain there ahead of a strong field. Along with the eventual second and third, she also had in her wake her ultra-game Salisbury conqueror, the previously unbeaten G3 Albany S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. winner Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and the high-class Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).
Balding has had a year to remember and in all reality could have an even better 2021. “She didn’t have a great draw at Salisbury, she showed a bit of inexperience and we knew she would come on for that,” he said. “At the end of the day, Happy Romance was likely to be one of the favourites and we only had a couple of lengths to find on her. We had the option to run in the Rockfel, but Jeff was keen on going for the group one and he was dead right. She has been on a fast-track really, as she only started faster work about three weeks before she ran and we went to the races not knowing quite what to expect as she was the first two-year-old filly we had run. She won very easily there and the next logical step was to go for the Dick Poole and she showed enough there to warrant coming here.”
As far as the 1000 Guineas is concerned, the Kingsclere handler is keeping an open mind. “She should stay, I would have thought,” he opined. “She relaxes well and acts better with a bit of cover. Oisin was intent that he couldn’t see any pace in the race and he didn’t want to be too far back. I’m well past giving him instructions and he did a fantastic job. For the yard, this is fantastic as Jeff has been with us a long time, both with dad and as a big supporter of ours, so it is great to get him a group one winner again. She won’t run again this year. We will see how she does in the spring and we will make a decision nearer the time whether she runs in a Guineas trial. She is obviously good enough to go to the Guineas, so we don’t need to go to a trial to find out–it’s just whether she would benefit for a run in the spring.”
Alcohol Free’s dam Plying (Hard Spun) was a dual winner at slightly further than this trip in the Sheikh Mohammed silks for the Henri-Alex Pantall stable. Initially a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Yearling purchase, she was let go by Darley for just €12,000 to BBA Ireland at the 2013 Arqana December Sale and five years later was the property of Jossestown Farm for €21,000 at the Goffs November auction. Alcohol Free is her second black-type performer alongside the Listed Prix le Fabuleux winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), while the second dam is the Listed National S.-placed Nasaieb (Ire) (Fairy King) who produced the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Princess Margaret S. third Kissing Lights (Ire) Machiavellian). Nasaieb is a half-sister to the G3 Solario S. scorer Raise a Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge) from the family of the champion Numbered Account (Buckpasser). Plying’s yearling daughter of Starspangledbanner (Aus) was bought by Pegasus Bloodstock for €40,000 at this year’s Goffs February Mixed Sale and is due to sell during Thursday’s session of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale @ Doncaster. She also has a colt foal by Dandy Man (Ire).
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE CHEVELEY PARK S.-G1, £220,000, Newmarket, 9-26, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:10, gd.
1–ALCOHOL FREE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Plying, by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Nasaieb (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Atyaaf, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€40,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV). O-J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £124,762. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $172,609. *1/2 to Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Miss Amulet (Ire), 126, f, 2, Sir Prancealot (Ire)–Shena’s Dream (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). (€1,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; £7,500 Ylg ’19 TASAYG). O-Mrs Doreen Tabor; B-Ringfort Stud (IRE); T-Ken Condon. £47,300.
3–Umm Kulthum (Ire), 126, f, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Queen’s Code (Ire), by Shamardal. (£75,000 2yo ’20 GOFARQ). O-Saeed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £23,672.
Margins: HF, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.50, 2.50, 9.00.
Also Ran: Happy Romance (Ire), Dandalla (Ire), Illykato (GB), Zoetic (GB), Sacred (GB). Scratched: Aloha Star (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Half-Sister to Iridessa Earns Rising Star Tag in Curragh Debut
Santa Barbara | Racingfotos.com
By Sean Cronin
Coolmore’s hitherto untested Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}), went postward as a 9-2 chance for Saturday’s Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden at The Curragh and made a mockery of those odds with a taking display to earn TDN Rising Stardom on debut. Breaking in mid division and remaining there through halfway in the one-mile test, she made eyecatching headway on the bridle along the far-side fence to seize control approaching the final furlong and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily account for Kailash (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) by an impressive 2 1/2 lengths. “I’ve won on two of that family [Iridessa and Order of Australia] and I’d say she could be the best,” said winning rider Seamus Heffernan. “I’d rate her highly.”
Santa Barbara is latest foal and fifth winner for Senta’s Dream (GB) (Danehill), herself one of just two foals produced by GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare and GI Matriarch S. heroine Starine (Fr) (Mendocino) and the March-foaled bay is a half-sister to MG1SW GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf victress Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}). Starine, herself a half-sister to G3 Prix Minerve placegetter Pearlescence (Pleasantly Perfect), is out of a half-sister to the dam of Listed Criterium du Bequet third Weld Elven (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}).
1st-Curragh, €25,000, Mdn, 9-26, 2yo, 8fT, 1:43.47, yl.
SANTA BARBARA (IRE), f, 2, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Senta’s Dream (GB), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Starine (Fr), by Mendocino
3rd Dam: Grisonnante (Fr), by Kaldoun (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $17,447. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs A M O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
by TDN
