Rugby

Karl Burke trainee Convergent (Fascinating Rock), who had hit the board in a stellar edition of May's G3 Chester Vase and July's G1 Deutsches Derby, gained his black-type breakthrough in the G3 Kilternan five weeks ago and climbed another rung up the ladder with a career best in Sunday's G3 Prix du Conseil de Paris at Longchamp. “The race panned out exactly how I wanted it to,” said winning rider Clifford Lee. “It was a strong gallop, but he's one of those that doesn't want being in front too soon. He was fresh and keen in Ireland last time, but he was a lot more relaxed today. I was in a lovely position just behind the leaders and he travelled really well into the straight. I held onto him for a little bit longer than usual and, when I went for him, he really picked up. He's not short of speed, he quickened up nice and to do it in this grade means he's obviously above average.” The 22-5 fifth choice settled into a smooth rhythm, positioned in a handy fourth, after an alert getaway from stall six of seven. Last to come off the bridle when cruising into contention in the straight, he was shaken up to go second passing the furlong pole and kept on strongly under a late drive to deny globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Dubai Honour (Pride Of Dubai) by a short neck. Qatar Racing's pacesetting Yellow Jersey (Dubawi) did not surrender tamely when headed and kept on in resolute fashion to finish a neck back in third.       Pedigree Notes Convergent, the lone pattern-race winner by his sire, is a full-brother to G3 Fritz Henkel-Preis runner-up Molton Rock. He is out of a half-sister to stakes-winning G3 Stanerra Stakes third Naughty Or Nice (Fastnet Rock) and G3 Give Thanks Stakes runner-up Dark Crusader (Cape Cross), with the latter being the dam of G1 Caulfield Cup hero Duke De Sessa (Lope De Vega). Another half-sister, Cailini Alainn (Danehill Dancer), is the dam of this year's Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes victrix Floresta (Waldgeist). Convergent's third dam Mosaique Bleue (Shirley Heights), kin to Group 1-winning duo Mersey (Crystal Palace) and Muncie (Sadler's Wells), produced GI Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap hero Subtle Power (Sadler's Wells). Convergent's dam Monty's Miracle (Shamardal), who hails from the family of G1 Prix de Diane heroine Madelia (Caro), has a yearling filly by Dark Angel to come.   Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX DU CONSEIL DE PARIS-G2, €119,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-19, 3yo/up, 11fT, 2:17.02, g/s. 1–CONVERGENT (IRE), 122, c, 3, by Fascinating Rock (Ire)                 1st Dam: Monty's Miracle (Ire), by Shamardal                 2nd Dam: Monty's Girl (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)                 3rd Dam: Mosaique Bleue (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB) O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm; T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. €67,830. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, G1SP-Ger & GSP-Eng, 6-4-1-1, €285,148. *Full to Molten Rock (Ire), GSP-Ger & SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Dubai Honour (Ire), 128, g, 7, Pride Of Dubai (Aus)–Mondelice (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). (110,000 gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Suc. Mohamed Obaida; B-Macha Bloodstock & Meridian International SARL; T-William Haggas. €26,180. 3–Yellow Jersey (Fr), 122, g, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Psara (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€400,000 Ylg '23 ARQAUG). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Ecurie Skymarc Farm, Langlais Bloodstock, Laurent Dassault & Ecurie des Monceaux; T-Andre Fabre. €12,495. Margins: SNK, NK, 2HF. Odds: 4.40, 3.60, 2.20. Also Ran: Bay City Roller (Ire), Junko (GB), Path Of Soldier (Ger), Casapueblo (Ire). The post Newtown Anner’s Convergent On The Rise With Conseil de Paris Triumph appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Qipco British Champions Day should be one of those occasions when some of the stallions of next year go out in a blaze of glory on the track. Richard Fahey's Powerful Glory did indeed enhance his future stallion credentials when delivering a 200/1 shock success in the British Champions Sprint, but the other major winners of the day were geldings, bar of course the dual Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes winner Kalpana (Study Of Man). The upside of that scenario is that we can look forward to some returning heroes and, after conquering Paris and Ascot in his three Group 1 triumphs this year, the Aga Khan Studs' mighty flagbearer Calandagan (Gleneagles) heads east next to take on Tokyo. “Are you getting worried? We're coming!” joked racing manager Nemone Routh to the group of Japan Racing Association representatives on course, in reference to Calandagan's next outing in the Japan Cup on November 30. In conquering the hitherto top-rated Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) in the Champion Stakes on Saturday, the four-year-old Calandagan will have improved his position in the world rankings and victory in Japan could seal Horse of the Year honours.  We arguably saw the two best horses in the world racing on Saturday. In the Everest at Randwick, which is worth £3.46m to the winner, the outstanding Hong Kong-based sprinter Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) just turned up and did what he does best in beating off the opposition by more than a length to claim the 15th win of his 17-race career.  Of the top horses competing at Ascot on Saturday we will say farewell now to Delacroix (Dubawi) and his movie-star looks as he joins Camille Pissarro on the new boys' list at Coolmore. Rosallion (Blue Point), too, is a likely retiree, though it appears that Ombudsman will remain in training with the Gosdens. Whether or not Field Of Gold (Kingman) also stays at Clarehaven for a four-year-old season in training remains to be seen. We hope so. We do know that the Arc winner Daryz (Sea The Stars) is set to return to training next year, which means that the Aga Khan Studs team can look forward to plenty more high-level international outings with him and Calandagan.  Of the latter, Routh said,  “I'm sure he will be back here for the King George but then we've got Daryz now as well, so it will be interesting. First we'll go to Japan and then maybe Dubai and I imagine he'll keep travelling, but he's an amazing horse and it's really exciting to have him.” Calandagan's victory gave his trainer Francis Graffard his twelfth Group 1 win of the year, and clearly he may not be finished yet. In some respects it also brought a sense of relief after Powerful Glory became a 200/1 winner of the Champions Sprint and Cicero's Gift took some major scalps in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at 100/1. The latter, appropriately for his trainer Charlie Hills, is by his former stable star Muhaarar, who was an altogether shorter-priced favourite when winning the Champions Sprint at the same meeting a decade ago. The joy Cicero's Gift's victory brought to his trainer in a tough year in which he has lost his father, and the evident thrill it gave jockey Jason Watson, made it more special to behold, however unexpected it might have been considering the eight Group 1 winners he had in opposition in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The day had started with a proper staying champion in Trawlerman, an Ascot specialist through and through and the star performer for his sire Golden Horn. Like Kalpana, the seven-year-old was winning on Champions Day for the second time. His first victory in this same race came in 2023 and he was third last year behind Kyprios. For the first time this year the British Champions Long Distance Cup was run as a Group 1, making it the first race day in the country to stage five Group 1s on the same card.  On an afternoon when geldings ruled, they also filled the first three slots in the newly introduced Qipco British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, in which the first two home, Mission Central (No Nay Never) and Ardisia (Ardad), were respectively been by the O'Leary brothers, Michael and Eddie.  The winner had previously won the G3 Round Tower Stakes and the runner-up is an admirable juvenile with five wins to his credit, including Redcar's Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy. This race is, however, a strange addition to the Champions Day card. With 31,257 racegoers in attendance at Ascot on Saturday – over 50 per cent more than the 19,715 who attended both days of the Irish Champions Festival combined, the atmosphere throughout the afternoon was electric. They came to see the best, and even with some big-price winners, they were served up a treat.   Sir Mark Prescott with John Gosden and Prince Ahmad bin Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud | Emma Berry   Champions of the past were remembered too, as the late, great trainer Major Dick Hern was inducted into the British Horseracing Hall of Fame along with the 11-time Group 1 winner Enable. Prince Ahmad bin Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud, the son of Enable's late owner-breeder Prince Khalid, was on hand to receive her medal from Hall of Fame panelist Sir Mark Prescott, along with Enable's trainer John Gosden. The only thing missing from Champions Day was a proper celebration from the inimitable Con Marnane, breeder of Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Powerful Glory. We can only guess at the revelries which ensured at Bansha House on Saturday night.  International Opposition for Calandagan? Oaks winner Minnie Hauk (Frankel) and Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) feature among the 14 overseas entries for the Japan Cup which were revealed last week. Aidan O'Brien's quintet of entries includes Los Angeles (Camelot) and Stay True (Galileo), while his son Joseph has entered Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett), who is one of the favourites for the Melbourne Cup. Along with Calandagan, his stable-mate Goliath (Adlerflug) could also be in for a return visit to Tokyo, while the British-trained trio of Dubai Honour (Pride Of Dubai), Rashabar (Holy Roman Emperor) and Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) are also on the list. The two potential Australian-trained runners, bred respectively in Britain and France, are Sir Delius (Frankel), who was recently ruled out of the Spring Carnival in Melbourne following an unsatisfactory scan, and OTI Racing's Deakin (Australia). Teofilo's Influence Spreads Via Caulfield Cup Sire St Jean The action is heating up in Victoria ahead of the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, and last Saturday's G1 Caulfield Cup continued a theme which has been somewhat prevalent in Group 1 contests in Europe this year in that the five-year-old winner Half Yours – a gelding – is a son of a relatively under-the-radar sire. The stallion in question is St Jean (Teofilo), who was bred in Ireland by Hadi Al Tajir, a great friend of Sheikh Hamdan, and trained initially by Kevin Prendergast. A winner at three, he was sold at the end of that season for 65,000gns to race on in Australia, where he won once for Aaron Purcell before a tendon injury curtailed his racing season in 2014. St Jean reemerged in New Zealand several years later to win the G3 City of Auckland Cup before embarking on a stallion career at Brackley Park.  While his racing career is not quite up there with the best of them, St Jean does represent a family of the best of them as his third dam is the great Height Of Fashion, meaning that he emanates from the family of Nashwan, Deep Impact and Baaeed among others. And of course his sire Teofilo has made quite an impact on the Melbourne Cup – for which Half Yours is now co-favourite – in recent years as the sire of Cross Counter, Twilight Payment and Without A Fight, winner of the race between 2018 and 2023. According to Arion's statistics, Half Yours was one of only 11 foals in St Jean's second crop. There had been 17 in his first crop and 13 and 10 in subsequent years. He may be a little busier this season now that his son has carried off one of Australian Racing's most coveted prizes. Incidentally, a little piece of history was made in this year's Caulfield Cup as Jamie Melham (née Kah) became the first female jockey to win the race.   A First for Racing in Mauritius Mauritian trainer Shawn Seabaluck called in to Tattersalls on Friday and though he wasn't there to buy yearlings, he had just completed an important equine shopping trip which will see the arrival later this week of the first shipment of British horses to the island.    Shawn Seabaluck and Richard Kent | Emma Berry   With the help of Mickley Stud's Richard Kent and trainer David Evans, Seabaluck has bought a batch of 12 horses, ranging in age from two to four, to be trained at Mauritius's Champ de Mars racecourse, which was founded in 1812, making it the oldest southern hemisphere track and one of the oldest in the world.  “At any meeting you can have 20,000 to 50,000 people wanting to go horseracing,” said Seabaluck, a trainer of 30 years' standing.  “Normally our horses come from South Africa. You buy them in one lot but you don't know what you're buying. This is history now, because it's the first time that British horses have been to Mauritius. It's a 12-hour flight. We are dealing with IRT (International Racehorse Transport) and we are scheduled to fly on 22 October. So far, we're doing good. Our target is buy something like 30 to 40 horses.” The post Seven Days: Ascot Shines in the Season’s Gloaming appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Ortiz had high hopes for Brightwork long before she set foot in his barn. His father, Carlos Ortiz, had broken the daughter of Outwork in Ocala and told him the filly was a standout mentally, taking everything that was asked of her and doing it effortlessly. But what surprised Ortiz, when Brightwork stepped off the van at Keeneland, was how striking the filly was physically as well. “She walked in like she owned the place,” Ortiz recalled. “You'd confuse her for a colt early on. She was really stout, had good muscle tone and was very well balanced. She always had a nice body on her.” Brightwork continued to excel as a standout pupil in her training at Keeneland, prompting Ortiz to send her to an April debut. Despite getting a bit pinched on the rail, the 2-year-old dominated the four and a half-furlong contest with a three-length win over Stonestreet's Barbtourage (Into Mischief) and future G2 Queen Mary S. winner Crimson Advocate (Nyquist).       “That day we knew that she was special,” said Ortiz. What followed was a juvenile campaign beyond anything he could have imagined. Brightwork reeled off three consecutive stakes wins, culminating in Ortiz's first Grade I score in the Spinaway Stakes. “For a horse to break their maiden as early as April at the Keeneland meet and then put in six high-quality races speaks volumes to her ability and how rare she is,” he explained. “You don't see that often. It was a journey and she's a tough cookie for it. We understand how special she really is.” Picked out by bloodstock agent Jared Hughes at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Brightwork was one of the first shining success stories for the partnership of Ortiz and Bill and Tammy Simon's WSS Racing. Ortiz, who took his trainer's license out in 2016, started out training claimers at Oaklawn Park for the Simons, but after continued success in that arena, they began purchasing young stock to take their stable to the next level. Their first breakout horse was Barber Road (Race Day), who placed in three graded stakes on the Kentucky Derby trail and ran sixth on the first Saturday in May in 2022. Brightwork came into the barn the following year. After her winning debut and another score in the Debutante Stakes, Brightwork took Saratoga by storm as she reeled off a five-length win in the GIII Adirondack Stakes and then bested future Grade I winner Ways and Means (Practical Joke) in the Spinaway. Brightwork bests Ways and Means in the GI Spinaway Stakes | Sarah Andrew For Ortiz, winning his first Grade I in Saratoga surrounded by his family and friends marked a day he will never forget. “I felt like I was holding my breath the whole race,” he recalled. “When I saw her come down the stretch, put her fight on with Ways and Means and then once she took control of the race, it was just a sigh of relief. Once she crossed that finish line, we looked around and everybody had teary eyes. Our emotions were on our sleeves that day, but it was a great day to celebrate. This filly has brought a lot of joy into this barn, but also within my family and our connections with Bill Simon and Miss Tammy.” Brightwork returned a winner at Saratoga in her 3-year-old debut, claiming last year's GIII Prioress Stakes. She made four more starts over the next year, including a third-place effort in the GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes. Over the past few years, Brightwork has become more than just a talented racehorse to Ortiz and his team. She's been the heart of the barn. During busy mornings in Saratoga, she was often seen with her head poking out of her stall, a flower tucked into her forelock and a few admirers gathered around her. “She's a sweetheart slash diva,” Ortiz explained. “She knows that Mr. Simon is the carrot man and Miss Tammy is the peppermint lady. She's kind in the stall. She likes to nuzzle up to you. But she's all business on the track.” The next chapter of Brightwork's story will begin when she goes through the ring at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton 'Night of the Stars' Sale. Selling as Hip 199, the 4-year-old will be consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. John Sikura said the Grade I winner has all the makings of a collector's item in someone's broodmare band. “Brightwork was really the talking filly of Saratoga her 2-year-old year,” he said. “She has the complete package. She was very fast and she's a beautiful physical–well balanced and well muscled. Pretty leg, good bone and just a standout physical specimen. The ultimate goal is to sell a horse out of a Grade I winner that looks the part. If she has offspring that look like her, she'll certainly be a smashing commercial success. Really if you look at any points of merit, be it physicality, performance or pedigree, she has it all.” Brightwork's dam Clarendon Fancy (Malibu Moon) has produced two other stakes horses and is a full-sister to Catch the Moon, the dam of four graded stakes winners including the promising young sire Girvin. Brightwork poses with Bill and Tammy Simon and John and Daniel Ortiz | Sarah Andrew “You're talking about quality runners throughout the pedigree,” said Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning. “We've seen how good a start Girvin is off to. His first crop of Kentucky-breds will be 2-year-olds next year and he's already the sire of two Grade I winners. The whole pedigree is filled with durable, consistent, top-class runners and it's a great opportunity for someone to acquire a filly of this type. The most dangerous qualities that everyone wants in terms of a broodmare is speed and precocity and she clearly possesses those at a very high level.” Ortiz said the quality he believes will make Brightwork excel in her next career is the same one he'd heard about long before she ever arrived in his barn. “For as beautiful as she is physically, I think with her mental beauty you're going to be looking at a very successful broodmare,” he predicted. “She's going to produce a lot of early horses.” As Ortiz parts with Brightwork, he can't help but feel proud of all they've accomplished together and excited for the bright future that awaits his star trainee. “Seeing her walk away from my barn to start a new career, it means a lot,” he said. “For whoever buys her, just know that she does love attention and you're going to have to invest in a lot of carrots. So be prepared for that.” The post Bright Future for Spinaway Victress at Fasig-Tipton November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Still on a high from Ka Ying Rising’s historic victory in Saturday’s Group One The Everest (1,200m) at Randwick, David Hayes capped a magical weekend with a thrilling Sha Tin triumph from a horse he hopes will figure in the Classic Series this season. Hayes and champion jockey Zac Purton barely had a chance to soak in Ka Ying Rising’s phenomenal success Down Under before making a quick return to Hong Kong for Sunday’s meeting, which featured a special ceremony in the parade ring to honour what...View the full article

Relief was the overwhelming emotion for Matthew Poon Ming-fai after he ended an exasperating drought of 141 rides with a breakthrough win at Sha Tin on Sunday. Winless since booting home Keefy at Happy Valley on June 4, Poon finally got the monkey off his back when Gracious Express overcame barrier 14 to score a gutsy win in the Class Three Wo Che Handicap (1,400m). “I’ve been looking for this win for quite a long time,” Poon said. “I didn’t expect that today, so now I’ve got a winner, I hope...View the full article