Wandering Eyes

NEWMARKET, UK—The Tattersalls July Sale is routinely an international affair and among the destinations for some of the leading lights of Thursday’s horses-in-training sessions are Singapore, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Australia and America. After the blue-blooded breeding prospects on offer throughout the opening day, Thursday’s fare was of a less fancy variety but demand remained strong from start to finish and a clearance rate of 96% for the pre- and post-racing sections tells its own story of the lure of European bloodstock for farther-flung racing nations. The second-day figures were almost identical to those posted during the same session 12 months ago. Once again, a total of 171 horses changed hands, accruing an aggregate of 3,483,000gns, a fraction down on last year’s returns. The median was down by 4% at 12,000gns and the average slipped by just 1% to 20,368gns. One horse who will be returning whence he came is the well-credentialed German campaigner Degas (Ger) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), catalogued under a wildcard entry as lot 579A from the stable of Markus Klug for owner-breeder Gestut Rottgen. The 5-year-old was a winner on his last start in the G3 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft on June 24 and he holds an entry in Sunday’s G2 Meilen Trophy at Cologne, in which he will run in the colours of his new owner Eckhard Sauren. “Mr Sauren is a very successful owner in Germany and asked me to try to buy the horse for him,” said Jamie Railton after bidding 100,000gns for the gelding who has also won the G3 Europa Meile and was runner-up in the G2 Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas). Degas is a son of the treble listed winner Diatribe (GB) (Tertullian) , herself a daughter of the German champion 3-year-old filly Diacada (Ger) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). The only other horse to sell for six figures, late in the session, was the George Scott-trained Olympic Odyssey (GB) (Camelot {GB}), whose first handicap victory on June 18 was followed three days later by a narrow runner-up finish which boosted his rating to 70. Sold as lot 626, the 3-year-old, who raced in the colours of Scott’s father-in-law and brother-in-law Bill and Tim Gredley, fetched 100,000gns to a bid from Stephen Hillen and will now switch codes. The agent said, “He’s for a new client, and will be going jumping. He’s a gorgeous horse by Camelot who has such a good stint of things of late. He’ll have an easy month now, and then go to his new base in England.” Heading farther afield is 3-year-old De Medici (Ire) (Makfi {GB}), twice a winner this year for owner-breeder Al Asayl Bloodstock and Archie Watson, who will race on for Yulong Investments after being selected by Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland for 95,000gns. “He might head to Singapore or Australia,” said Donohoe of lot 436. “Yulong is building up quite a big string in Singapore now. This horse is a good-looking type, he vetted well and came highly recommended by Archie Watson. Qatar’s champion trainer Gassim Al Ghazali is one of this sale’s staunchest supporters and on Thursday bought another 18 horses to join his team at Al Rayyan for a total of 936,000gns. Among them was the listed-placed four-time winner Volatile (GB) (Poet’s Voice {Gb}) (lot 517), bought from Jamie Osborne and the Melbourne 10 for 85,000gns, and Shadwell’s recent Beverley winner Alrahaal (GB) (Raven’s Pass) (lot 583), an 82,000gns purchase. Yorkshire trainer Mick Easterby had a productive day and among his purchases through agent Bobby O’Ryan was the Shadwell campaigner Manzil (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) (lot 463), who was formerly trained by Dermot Weld and won a 10-furlong Down Royal maiden at the end of June. “He came highly recommended,” said O’Ryan, who signed the ticket at 85,000gns. “We hope that he’ll be one for the John Smith’s Cup at York next year.” By Bated Breath and with a rating of 85, Manzil looks a progressive type and was sold by Shadwell. The Giant’s Causeway 3-year-old Hinde Street (lot 474), a son of GI Matron S. winner Marylebone (Unbridled’s Song) and brother to stakes scorer Bow Bells, is on his way to Saudi Arabia after being bought by Faisal Bin Mishref al Qahtani for 82,000gns. Formerly trained by John Gosden for Michael Tabor, he will now be campaigned towards the country’s prestigious King’s Cup. View the full article

Goddess, a daughter of Derby winner Camelot out of a half sister to champion Galileo, bolted into contention for next year's classics with a 10-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden at Leopardstown. View the full article

Having run to his hype in earning his first graded stakes win last month, Tom Conway's King Zachary aims to show his class again as the clear standout in a field of nine for the Indiana Derby (G3) at Indiana Grand. View the full article

Headley Bell, managing partner of Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, favors long-sleeved button-down shirts and khakis, is exceedingly polite and gentlemanly, and has the unaffected air of a country squire about him. He has the pedigree to back up this image, as the grandson of Hal Price Headley, one of the founders of Keeneland, an exemplary horseman, and the master of the legendary Beaumont Farm; and as the son of Alice Chandler, now 92, who established Mill Ridge in 1962 on Beaumont land on the death of her father, stood world-class sires Diesis and Gone West, and bred Epsom Derby winner Sir Ivor 53 years ago. If you put the microscope to him, Headley Bell is a fifth-generation horseman and his son Price Bell Jr., who is a part of the Mill Ridge equation as well as a partner in Bell’s noted bloodstock consultancy Nicoma, is sixth generation. Mill Ridge sits on 650 acres–Alice Chandler inherited 286 acres to start the farm–and is home to about 200 head nowadays, including 85 mares, mostly boarders for a group of high-end clients. At the moment it stands one semi-private horse, Keep Up (Unbridled’s Song), and before him stood Johar (Gone West), Commendable (Gone West), and Anees (Unbridled) after the commercially robust era of Diesis and Gone West. The farm has the capability to stand six stallions as a boutique operation. Bell has been managing Mill Ridge since 2008 and in recent years he’d “been navigating the waters, really waiting for the right opportunity” for the next commercial stallion prospect for the farm. Last week, a few days before announcing it to the press, Bell called to say that Mill Ridge had its horse. He is John and Jerry Amerman’s four-year-old homebred Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy–Devine Actress, by Theatrical {Ire}), a multiple Grade I winner at two and three and the sensational winner of the Glll Poker S. on the turf at Belmont in his season debut in mid-June. True to his name, the athletic bay had indeed put up an Oscar-worthy performance by shattering a 20-year track record with a final time of 1:31.23 for the mile. Altogether, Oscar Performance is a winner of seven of 12 starts and $1,967,632 to date, and his notable wins also include the GI Belmont Derby and the GI Secretariat S. at Arlington, both at a mile and a quarter last year, and the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at a mile, a race in which he set fractions of 1:09.44 and 1:21.07 on his way to 1:33.28, in 2016. Bell noted that the 16-hand colt is athletic, attractive, physically correct, and races Lasix-free, aside from being handier and faster than most of the Kitten’s Joys. Back in March in Ocala–yes, at Craig Bernick’s annual crawfish boil at Glen Hill Farm–Bell had mentioned that he was interested in Oscar Performance, but it wasn’t until about a week before the Poker, Bell said, that he and his son had approached the colt’s owner/breeders about tying up the colt for Mill Ridge. Syndication It helped that the Amermans are clients of the farm and that Bell is their pedigree advisor and had played a hand in Oscar Performance’s mating. Also, the Amermans board their mares at the farm–Oscar Performance was foaled at Mill Ridge–and enjoy an excellent relationship with Alice Chandler and her son and grandson. “We are mutually fans of each other, that’s number one,” Bell said. “And when this horse had demonstrated his talents early on, it became a no brainer. He won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf so well and then went on and was the best at three on turf for his age, and his numbers were so strong. I know the only thing you might have contemplated was the turf angle–but we considered that an opportunity. It was fabulous because the Amermans had come in about a week before the Poker, and that’s when we kind of planted the seed, because it had been seven months since he’d run before. Strategically, we felt it if he won the Poker, it was time to be thinking about setting up the structure [of the syndicate]. Little did we know he was going to break the track record. The Amermans are great and the horse is great, in our opinion, so it’s a great marriage. Mill Ridge will be the syndicate manager.” Mill Ridge itself owns only five mares, but Bell noted that his access to a “wide swath of relationships” was an attraction to the Amermans. “We’ve got the best clients. We work with the best, as far as I’m concerned. We love our people. Ultimately, the goal is to make the stallion, and we–and the Amermans–will be working towards that goal. He’s a horse we believe in,” Bell said. To that end, Bell said the horse would be syndicated into 40 shares, with the Amermans retaining 10 shares. At the moment, 15 shares are being offered for $75,000 each with a projected stud fee of $15,000 based on what Oscar Performance has accomplished to date. After Oscar Performance is retired later this year, Bell said the other 15 shares will be offered at market value, which could be as high as $125,000, he speculated, if the colt were to win the Gl Breeders’ Cup Mile and stand for $25,000. The initial offering is a chance to get into the horse at a potentially discounted rate, and the traditional 40-share syndicate structure that was also used for Diesis and Gone West is transparent and a straightforward mechanism designed to attract owner/breeder participation–an important foundation for making a stallion. Bell said the horse would be managed judiciously at stud with a cap of 140 mares, and each shareholder will receive a bonus season the first four years and thereafter will participate in the bonus pool. He also noted that any shareholder that doesn’t initially get a mare in foal on his or her share season would be compensated $15,000 from the bonus pool. Pedigree Bell is a pedigree guy and has an obvious penchant for turf racing and turf sires. For clients, he’s been associated with the matings of Arc winners Trempolino (Sharpen Up {GB}) and Suave Dancer (Green Dancer), Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller (El Prado {Ire}), European champion Rainbow View (Dynaformer), and Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro (Dynaformer), among many others. When he called last week, he was preparing a trip to Belmont to watch Analyze It, a colt he bred with his wife and Nicoma, run second by a head in the GI Belmont Derby. Analyze It is from the first crop of the Phipps-bred turf star Point of Entry (Dynaformer). Likewise, Oscar Performance was bred for turf. His sire Kitten’s Joy (El Prado {Ire}) was a U.S. turf champion in 2004; his dam Devine Actress was a winner on turf and a stakes winner on all-weather; and his broodmare sire Theatrical (Ire) was a U.S. turf champion in 1987. Oscar Performance’s brother Oscar Nominated is, like him, a bona fide turf horse and a graded-stakes winning millionaire. Because horses like Analyze It, Oscar Performance, and Oscar Nominated have flourished in recent all-turf domestic careers– and because a stallion like Kitten’s Joy was able to lead the general sire list in the US in 2013 primarily with turf and all-weather runners–Bell correctly sees future opportunities expanding both here and abroad for horses like Oscar Performance. This turf “revolution” was examined in detail in an earlier column here, and there’s no doubt that the landscape now is better situated to take advantage of turf horses. Kitten’s Joy, in fact, put an exclamation mark to it a few days after the Oscar Performance announcement when his son Roaring Lion won the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown over 10 furlongs. Two years earlier, another son of Kitten’s Joy, Hawkbill, had won the same race. Bell said he was one of the few outside Ken and Sarah Ramsey to initially use Kitten’s Joy, and the reason for his attraction was his sire El Prado, the first son of Sadler’s Wells to make an impact on dirt racing in the U.S., something that continues through his outstanding son Medaglia d’Oro at Darley. Bell’s attraction, however, wasn’t the Sadler’s Wells part of the pedigree as much as it was El Prado’s dam, Lady Capulet. Bell thinks the speedy and precocious El Prado, a champion Irish 2-year-old, took more after his dam than sire, and that might be either insight or sentimentality, if not both, shaping his opinion. Lady Capulet was bred by Claiborne and was by Sir Ivor from Cap and Bells, by Tom Fool. Owned by Robert Sangster and trained by Vincent O’Brien, Lady Capulet remarkably won the Irish 1000 Guineas on her racing debut. Her sire was bred by Bell’s mother from a family long held by Hal Price Headley and traced to Headley’s champion 2-year-old Alcibiades, Sir Ivor’s fourth dam. Tom Fool meanwhile was bred by Headley’s nephew Duval A. Headley and was a champion at two and a champion sprinter, older horse, and Horse of the Year at four for Greentree Stud. Tom Fool, who sired Odgen Phipps’s outstanding Buckpasser, was sired by the Headley-bred Menow, a champion 2-year-old colt by Pharamond ll. The latter had been imported from Europe by Headley to stand at Beaumont, where Menow later stood as well. More importantly, Menow was produced from none other than Alcibiades. Lady Capulet, therefore, was inbred 5×4 to Alcibiades through Sir Ivor and Tom Fool and additionally has Pharamond ll, a precocious two-year-old, 4×4 in her pedigree. That’s a lot of speed and precocity in Lady Capulet’s ancestry and it certainly makes Bell’s theory about El Prado plausible. The construction of Oscar Performance’s pedigree has some interesting inbreeding as well. He has the three-quarter brothers Sadler’s Wells and Nureyev balanced on both sides of his pedigree and is therefore 5×4 to the blue hen Special. He’s also 4×4 to Northern Dancer and 5×5 to Hail to Reason, the sire of Roberto. It has strength in its tail-female lineage as well, tracing back to Ogden Phipps’s Lady Pitt, his seventh dam and the ancestress of a massive amount of high-quality stakes winners. The sires scattered throughout the female family constitute a Who’s Who, too, with Mr. Prospector, Seattle Slew, and Danzig all included. Kitten’s Joy, who’s out of a Roberto-line mare, has enjoyed a successful union with mares that contain Roberto in their pedigrees–there are at least 18 black type winners by Kitten’s Joy that are inbred to Roberto, including six Grade I winners–and Oscar Performance offers breeders this possibility as well. Bell knows this, and as a patron of Roberto-line horses he’s sure to exploit this construct as well as others. He’s a sophisticated analyst and thinker as well as a practical horseman and he has the tools and relationships to make Oscar Performance the next big thing at Mill Ridge. But more importantly, he has the horse he’s been waiting for. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

Here’s a story. With very short paragraphs. To see if the picture touches the featured image. If we have ads. That are close. View the full article

LUTSKY (c, 2, Yes It’s True–Reen, by Forestry) continued a red-hot streak for trainer Jason Servis with a sharp wire-to-wire debut score at Belmont. Sold for $135,000 at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 4/5, the bay was bet strongly throughout in this New York-bred event and broke like he was shot out of a cannon as the 17-10 chalk. Showing the way through a :22.70 quarter, he easily shook loose from his closest pursuers after straightening for home and cruised under the wire to graduate by a geared-down five lengths in a sharp 1:03.68. Stop Me If You Can (Giant Surprise) completed the exacta, just ahead of Trance (Dialed In), who ran sneaky well despite a slow break and considerable greenness. The winner has a yearling half-sister by Verrazano. Sales History: $25,000 Ylg ’17 KEEJAN; $37,000 Ylg ’17 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $37,200. O-Down Neck Stables & Jeffrey Lutsky; B-Pine Ridge Stables Ltd (NY); T-Jason Servis. View the full article

Draft Pick could be well-positioned to capitalize in lucrative stakes races in the East, but first comes a start at home in the $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby (G3) July 14. View the full article

Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), who won the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March, is a possible starter in the Aug. 12 G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, trainer Saeed bin Suroor revealed on Godolphin’s website on Thursday. The 4-year-old, who won the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 in February in between runner-up performances in the Jan. 11 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 and the Mar. 10 Al Maktoum Challenge R3, also tasted Group 1 success at two and three, in the G1 Criterium International and the G1 Prix Jean Prat, respectively. “We are planning to take Thunder Snow to the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, New York, at the end of September, but want to give him a race in Europe first,” said bin Suroor. “That could be the Prix Jacques le Marois. Thunder Snow is fine–he just needed a break. The ultimate target this year is the [Nov. 3 GI] Breeders’ Cup Classic [at Churchill Downs].” View the full article

Godolphin's mercurial homebred Thunder Snow is on track for another North American venture. View the full article

Draft Pick (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of Santa Anita’s GIII Affirmed S. June 10, seeks his third straight victory in Saturday’s GIII Los Alamitos Derby. The streaking bay graduated at sixth asking in his prior trip to the post in Arcadia May 12. Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen), hero of Turfway’s GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Mar. 17 and Belmont’s GIII Peter Pan S. May 12, looks to get back on track after a well-beaten ninth, beaten 51 3/4 lengths, in the GI Belmont S. June 9. Runaway Sir Barton S. victor Ax Man (Misremembered) dueled and tired to finish a distant third as the 1-2 chalk in Churchill’s GIII Matt Winn S. June 16. He has been favored in all five of his career starts. View the full article

Desperately unlucky when ninth on her racecourse bow at The Curragh June 29, Goddess who is part-owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms founder John G. Sikura was sent straight to the front by Seamie Heffernan to avoid a repeat of her unfortunate debut. Opening up in impressive style straightening for home, the 1-2 favourite galloped out strongly despite running green to score by 10 lengths from Munees Gemini (Ire) (Australia {GB}). The winner is a half-sister to the stable’s 2014 G1 Irish Oaks heroine Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and her G2 Rockfel S.-winning sister Wading (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Descended from Urban Sea (Miswaki), she is therefore connected to fellow TDN Rising Star and stablemate Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}). GODDESS, f, 2, Camelot (GB)–Cherry Hinton (GB), by Green Desert. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, €10,780. O-Susan Magnier & John G Sikura; B-Orpendale & Chelston (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. . View the full article

Belmont Park Live will cover the GII Delaware H. and GIII Kent S. Saturday at Delaware Park, airing from 4-6p.m. Saturday will also mark the return of the Cross Country Pick 4, a 50-cent minimum wager that begins with the Kent, followed by race eight at Belmont, the Del ‘Cap and Belmont’s Forbidden Apple S. View the full article

A new award will be given at the 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover for the top-scoring Cal-bred, the Retired Racehorse Project announced Thursday. It is a $2,5000 award sponsored by the Georgia B. Ridder Foundation in honor of After the Finish Line, a California non-profit that funds Thoroughbred retirement and rescue organizations. View the full article

Australian Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) remains on top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings at 130, with U.S. Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) one point below her when the rankings were released on Thursday. Poet’s Word (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) has moved up to a joint-third with Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at 125, after he defeated that John Gosden-trained runner in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot with 121 Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) third. After U.S. Triple Crown hero Justify (Scat Daddy) and West Coast (Flatter) who are tied at 124, Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) sits in a joint seventh with Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}), Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), and Trapeze Artist (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) at 123. Following her Royal Ascot victory, Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is the highest rated sophomore filly in the world at 122 after winning the G1 Coronation S., the same score as MG1SW Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), and Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), as well as Saturday’s G1 Coral-Eclipse S. hero Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) who beat G1 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (121). Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) is ranked a joint 22 with a score of 120 after landing the G1 King’s Stand S., also at Royal Ascot. View the full article

Fresh from delivering Royal Ascot’s most impressive performance in the G1 Coronation S., ‘TDN Rising Star’ Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) takes to Newmarket’s July festival on Friday to continue her dominion in the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. Leaping forward off her prior success in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 27, the Niarchos homebred smashed the track record as she surged to a six-length defeat of Threading (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) at the Royal meeting on June 22 and jockey Colm O’Donoghue said he sees no reason to expect a dropping of her momentum here. “She came out of Ascot well, thank god, and seems in very good form so I’m very much looking forward to it,” he said. “I was always very comfortable throughout the Coronation, it was just a matter of how the race unfolded. She’d always shown us an immense amount of ability so I wasn’t surprised she could travel through it like that. Obviously because of how strong the field that she beat looked, it was really very impressive. She’s very mature now, Mrs Harrington has given her all the time in the world and it has stood her in great stead.” Interestingly, the last filly to win the Irish Guineas and Coronation and attempt to follow up here was Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) in 2004 and she was turned over at 4-5 by Soviet Song (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Her trainer Mark Johnston has no pressure this time as he saddles Threading, whose two below-par career efforts came here when seventh in both the G1 Cheveley Park S. behind Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. on Apr. 19, and also the impressive May 27 G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch). “The Coronation S. was a great run by Threading, bar the fact that one horse absolutely trounced her,” he said. “There is some hope that Threading can improve upon her Ascot effort, but the main reason for declaring her is that one should never run away from one horse. It is obviously a concern that Threading’s two worst runs have been at Newmarket, albeit on the Rowley Mile rather than the July Course, and I have no idea why that might be. I don’t think that the form of Nyaleti’s win in the German Guineas was particularly strong and it may have been overrated. That said, I also think that many of Nyaleti’s other performances have been underrated, such as when she beat the Derby winner, Masar, at last year’s Royal Ascot, or when she finished half a length behind another Classic winner, Laurens. I will not be at all surprised if Nyaleti finishes in the first three on Friday and, in the longer term, this race fits nicely into her schedule en route to the [Aug. 11 GI] Beverly D S.” Supporting Cast… The younger fillies get their turn in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S., with Saif Ali’s unbeaten Main Edition (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) met again by La Pelosa (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) who got closest to her in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot on June 22. That looks the strongest piece of juvenile fillies’ form around and the fourth and fifth Angel’s Hideaway (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) are also in attendance. George Strawbridge’s progressive 3-year-old colt Wissahickon (Tapit), a John Gosden-trained half-brother to Rainbow View (Dynaformer), takes in the valuable 10-furlong handicap at the track, while at York Uncle Mo’s half-sister Could It Be Love (War Front) tries again during an industrious period dropping to six furlongs for the G3 Summer S. View the full article

Former three-time leading rider, Carol Cedeno set the record for most wins by a jockey on a single Delaware Park card by notching seven victories July 11. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo, Fukushima and Hakodate Racecourses, with a couple of nicely bred juveniles facing the starter for the first time. Saturday, July 14, 2018 5th-HAK, ¥13,400,000 ($119k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT CHELSEA LION (c, 2, Malibu Moon–Tashzara {Ire}, by Intikhab), a $180K graduate of last year’s KEESEP sale, is a maternal grandson of Sun Shower (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), whose distinguished produce include treble G1SW and champion Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), recent G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Lancaster Bomber (War Front) and MGSW Mull of Killough (Ire) (Mull of Kintyre). Chelsea Lion’s dam was acquired privately by Spendthrift after being RNAd for $385K in foal to Giant’s Causeway at KEENOV in 2014. B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY) 5th-FUK, ¥13,400,000 ($119k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT LITTLE MONSTER (f, 2, Into Mischief–Pashmina, by Pentelicus) is a half-sister to the talented five-time stakes-winning sprinter Pashito the Che (Flatter) and to MSP Bling (Horse Chestnut {SAf}) and blossomed into a $375K KEESEP yearling after realizing $85K at the OBS Winter Mixed Sale. Her MSW & MGSP third dam Flying Heat (Private Account) produced GISW Pompeii (Broad Brush) and GSWs Ground Storm (Summer Squall) and Omi (Wild Again). B-Off the Hook Partners LLC & Farm III Enterprises LLC (FL) 10th-CKO, ¥28,600,000 ($254k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1900m VIEL SPASS (c, 3, Kitten’s Joy–Mighty Renee, by Maria’s Mon) cost the Maeda family’s North Hills Co. Ltd. $180K as a KEESEP yearling in 2016, broke his maiden at second asking (gate 8) last fall and subsequently finished third to recent Japan Dirt Derby hero Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) in allowance company a couple weeks later. Second in a listed event last October, the half to GSW Mighty Caroline (Stormy Atlantic) and MSW Cyclogenesis (Stormy Atlantic) returned with a solid fourth at that level May 20. The Maedas also campaign Kitten’s Joy’s Japanese GSW & G1SP Gendarme. B-Sierra Farm (KY) Sunday, July 15, 2018 10th-HAK, ¥28,600,000 ($254k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 2600mT Fresh off a 20-1 upset of allowance foes over 1800m at this track June 30 (video, gate 3), HOLIDAY MODE (c, 3, Point of Entry–Ski Holiday, by Harlan’s Holiday) goes right back to work over this staying trip. His SW & GSP dam was purchased by this breeder for $130K carrying this foal in utero at KEENOV in 2014 and his third dam Creaking Board (GB) (Night Shift) was Group 2-placed in France before winning the GI Hollywood Starlet S. in 1992. B-Shimokobe Farm (KY) View the full article

G1 Queen of the Turf S. winner Foxplay (Aus) (Foxwedge {Aus}) has been sold by Star Thoroughbreds to Yuesheng Zhang’s Yulong Investments, which is building up a significant breeding operation Down Under. Trained by Chris Waller for an all- womens’ partnership, Foxplay won the G2 Furious S. and G2 Tea Rose S. in the spring of her 3-year-old campaign. She returned as an autumn 4-year-old to win the G2 Phar Lap S. and the Queen of the Turf, and posted one of her most memorable performances when nearly holding off stablemate Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) when second by a quarter length in the G2 Warwick S. last August. View the full article

Boasting the best form after being second to Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot June 19, Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited’s Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) justified 11-10 favouritism in straightforward fashion under Frankie Dettori in Thursday’s G2 Arqana July S. at Newmarket. Held up with one behind early as Ballydoyle ensured a strong pace, the bay was delivered to lead approaching the furlong pole and readily assert for a two-length defeat of Konchek (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}), with Charming Kid (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) a neck away in third. “He’s a lovely horse and he won with a bit in hand,” his rider said. “He has a turn of foot and I was very impressed–the key to this horse is a strong pace and he got that today.” Trainer Martyn Meade added, “He’s done everything right at home since Ascot, but you never know until they get to the racetrack. He takes a bit of time to get going and we were tossing the idea around about going for the Superlative, as seven furlongs is his trip, but he can cope with this.” ADVERTISE (GB), 126, c, 2, Showcasing (GB)–Furbelow (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (£60,000 Ylg ’17 GOUKPR). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred Ltd 1; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Martyn Meade; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, £84,087. View the full article

It seems Joao Moreira is in an impossible position but Zac Purton knows his rival still has some tricks up his sleeve and won’t rest until it is mathematically impossible for the Magic Man to steal the 2017-18 jockeys’ championship from his grasp. Purton’s double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night pulled him four clear in the championship but because the Australian holds a clear advantage in the number of seconds – which will be used to separate the pair in the event of... View the full article

Fortune Anthem featured heavily in the stewards’ report but he looks like a horse worth following after his debut at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The David Hall-trained three-year-old had shown some gate speed in all four of his barrier trials ahead of his first run, but with an expected strong tempo, connections were keen to find cover early from the outside barrier in the Class Four Kings Falcon Handicap (1,000m). Jockey Sam Clipperton settled towards the tail of the field, finding... View the full article

JAMES DOYLE is firmly established as one of the best and one of the most sought-after riders in the weighing room. The Godolphin jockey already has a string of big-race successes to his name and will be seeking to add more to that list at Newmarket’s July festival, including on Dreamfield in the July Cup on Saturday. We spoke to Doyle about his rides this week and got an update on some of the star names he has been associated with in 2018. The three-day July festival kicks off on Thursday. What is it like riding close to home at Newmarket? It’s handy for us as it’s just up the road and we tend to arrive there nice and fresh as there’s no travelling involved. A lot of the jockeys, trainers and horses are more relaxed during the week as a result. It’s a straightforward course to ride with the Dip not being as big as it is at the Rowley Mile. It’s an easy track and a good meeting to ride at. Your biggest ride of the week is on Dreamfield in the July Cup. He was narrowly beaten in the Wokingham last time as the hot favourite, what did you make of that performance? He was pretty impressive even though he was beaten at Royal Ascot. Both myself and Mr Gosden made it clear we thought he was a ridiculously short price, and he nearly made us look quite silly as he ran a mighty race. He did very well to get so close. He was drawn on the unfavourable part of the track on the far side and he had to race alone for much of the race as he had so much more speed than the other horses around him. He was inexperienced at the end and drifted over for some company, so he’ll have improved for that experience which should help him at Newmarket. It was a helluva run in the Wokingham, I thought. The Wokingham is a handicap, the July Cup is a Group 1. How do you think he will handle the transition? He needs to raise his game, on ratings anyway. Blue Point sets a very high standard and he’s the one we’re all going to have to try and beat. In our favour is the fact Mr Gosden is prepared to pitch him into a race like this. That suggests he’s seen something from him at home. It’s interesting and it’s exciting. On Saturday you are also riding Blown By Wind in the Superlative Stakes. What do you make of his chances? He ran well in the Coventry having got a bit further back than ideal. He was a good second, albeit a distant one, to Calyx on our side. He was okay when he won at Pontefract last time and I’ve spoken to his rider that day, Franny Norton, who felt the quick ground maybe wasn’t what he really wanted. That’s obviously a bit of a worry given we’ve had so little rain in Newmarket. I do think the step up in trip is going to be helpful to him. Main Edition, who you won the Albany on, looks an exciting ride. Do you think she is the one to beat in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on Friday? I’m really looking forward to her. She had to do it all her own way at Ascot and she did it really well. La Pelosa had a good crack at her but we had plenty up our sleeve and won nicely in the end. I thought it was a good performance and I think she goes into Friday’s race as the one to beat. You start the meeting off on Thursday with Caliburn in the Bahrain Trophy. How do you think he will get on? The race fell apart for him the last day but he won really well and he gave me a nice feel in the process. He’s a lovely, straightforward horse and he showed me that he got the trip well that day. It’s a marginal step up so that’ll be fine as all he did was keep galloping on. He needs to step up on what he’s done but I think he can. And of your other rides this week, who are you most looking forward to? I think Roussel’s (3.00) an interesting runner on Thursday. He ran a nice race in the Commonwealth Cup when he was only beaten just over four lengths. He obviously drops down in grade for this so I think I can see him running a very good race. He’s always shown us a good bit at home. While we have you, can we get your thoughts on some of your recent big-race winners – starting with Poet’s Word. What did you make of his Royal Ascot victory? Things weren’t in Cracksman’s favour that day but we both drew a long way clear of Hawkbill in third, and he’s a dual Group 1 winner. I don’t see why he can’t go on and make a real impact in other big races through the rest of the season. He was knocking on the door in those sort of races before the breakthrough and he looks to have stepped forward again, as Sir Michael Stoute’s horses so often do. We have not seen Addeybb since he was beaten in the Lockinge Stakes. How are things with him? The ground was against him at Newbury and there was a massive draw bias against him as well. I’d put a line through that performance and he’s shown how good he can be when the ground has some ease in it. Something like the QEII on Champions Day would be right up his street. And, finally, what is the plan with Young Rascal, who was well-fancied but ultimately well-beaten in the Derby? He wasn’t 100 per cent after the race but there wasn’t enough wrong with him to explain his performance entirely. We were caught quite wide and when you’re three horses wide and the others are close to the rail it makes life pretty difficult. He got stuck and didn’t get his act together, which was a surprise given how professional he was at Chester. I can’t wait to ride him again though. I’m not sure what the plan is with him – whether he goes for the Great Voltigeur next or the St Leger – but he’s a very talented horse. The post James Doyle previews the Newmarket July Meeting appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes is the first black type race on day 2 of the July meeting, where Mark Johnston’s Main Edition looks likely to start favourite. The daughter of Zoffany is unbeaten in three racecourse appearances including when a game winner of the Albany. Charlie Appleby’s Le Pelosa was the victim of Main Edition success in the Albany when going down by a mere neck. Bearing in mind that this was only her second racecourse appearance, with was a run full of merit. The daughter of Dandy Man has also previously clashed with Chaleur who she beat by 3 lengths on debut at Kempton. Ralph Beckett’s Chaleur has since franked the form by comfortably winning a Leicester novice event. It will be intriguing to see if Le Pelosa can frank the form with the well-bred Kalud Abdullah owned filly. Others of note are the Aidan O’Brien trained Gossamer Wings along with Albany fourth and fifth Angel’s Hideaway and Pretty Pollyanna. Selection: Le Pelosa A competitive 1m 2f handicap breaks up the two Group races and once again it’s a race that Mark Johnston has a prolific record in having won three of the last four renewals. It’s hardly surprising given his enviable record with three-year-olds. Poet’s Voice and Communique are his two representatives this year and will have the able assistance of Joe Fanning and Champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa respectively. Both disappointed when last seen at York and in truth need to show improved form to feature. The ante-post mover in the race has been Sir Michael Stoute’s Zaaki, he finished a close up third behind Hunting Horn when last seen in the Hampton Court Stakes at the Royal meeting. Hunting Horn didn’t hurt the form when running well in Belmont last weekend and he must be a threat to all concerned. Wissahickon is the current favourite for the race and John Gosden’s inmate justifiably heads the market. The American bred colt is three from four on his career and seems to be on a real upward curve following a snug victory last time out at York. Selection: Zaaki The Group 1 Falmouth Stakes is the feature race and has been won by some Queens of the turf over the years including dual winner Soviet Song, Goldikova and more recently Roly Poly. Seven horses are set to emulate some of these greats, with the field headed by Godolphin’s outsider Arabian Hope. The red-hot favourite for the race is Jessica Harrington’s 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Alpha Centauri. The manner in which she won the Coronation Stakes was so impressive and she broke the track record in the process. She has her favoured quick underfoot conditions again on Friday and it’s very hard to see past her. Threading who was trailing in the wake of Alpha Centauri in the Coronations Stakes re-opposes here but I really can’t see her over-hauling a six-length margin. In reality, the biggest threat to Jessica Harrington’s stable star could come from Clemmie. Aidan O’Brien’s filly was the Champion European two-year-old last season following victory in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes. She’s been beaten on both starts this season behind Alpha Centauri but if she could recapture some of the top tier form that she showed last season, she may just be the surprise package. Selection: Alpha Centauri The post Newmarket July Meeting Preview – Day 2 appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Draft Pick could be well positioned to capitalize in lucrative stakes races in the East, but first comes a start at home in the $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby (G3) July 14. View the full article

No Horseshoe luck at the barriers for Le Grange View the full article