Winter Watch: Southwell Taking Centre Stage

[Wandering Eyes]

When City Of Troy (Justify) and his entourage descended on Southwell for a racecourse gallop on that feel-good afternoon back in September, it was commented on that the number of racing fans there to see him–thought to be 700-plus–was larger than would usually turn up for a typical day of racing there. The Nottinghamshire track traditionally staged low-grade fare which offered no real prospect of seeing a horse with talent even remotely comparable to that of the Derby winner.

It was also commented on that the test provided by the track at Southwell shared no resemblance with that he would encounter when he lined up in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, especially since the changes to the surface which saw the old fibresand being replaced with Tapeta. That work was completed in 2021, with the first meeting on the new surface being staged in December of that year.

Only time will tell whether Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners deemed it a worthwhile exercise. The litmus test will come the next time they have a possible Breeders' Cup contender and whether they choose it repeat it at Southwell, or one of the other all-weather tracks in Britain and Ireland.

And even if they choose not to, don't despair Southwell fans, not now that we're witnessing a sea change among Britain's leading trainers and in their attitude towards having runners there in the Tapeta era.

Rewind the clock to 2020, the final full year of racing on the fibresand at Southwell, and you had a racecourse that was generally shunned by Britain's best. John Gosden, crowned champion trainer in 2020, saddled only six runners at Southwell all year. William Haggas had three, Sir Michael Stoute had one, and the likes of Charlie Appleby and Roger Varian didn't have any at all.

Compare those figures with those for 2024, however, and it's all change. John and Thady Gosden, for example, are operating at a 41% strike rate with 11 winners from 27 runners at the Nottinghamshire track this year, while Haggas has saddled 25 runners, Appleby has had 11 and Varian has had 27. Andrew Balding and Karl Burke, both of whom occupy a top five spot in the trainers' championship, have had 63 and 37, respectively.

History was also made in February when the G3 Winter Derby, won by Appleby's Military Order (GB) (Frankel {GB}), became the first Group race to be staged at Southwell, while this year's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is another notable graduate of the track's winter programme, having impressed when making a winning debut in November last year.

True, there's no guarantee of a City Of Troy coming to town every year, but there's more reason now than ever to try your luck on one of those cold winter evenings in the hope of seeing something special, such as a blue-blooded Frankel (GB) colt taking his first steps on the path to future stardom…

 

Damysus Delivers for Wathnan on Debut

The latest winner at Southwell for the Gosdens was said Frankel colt, Damysus (GB), who became the fourth two-year-old from Clarehaven to make a successful debut in the space of a week when coming clear of his rivals in the second division of the seven-furlong novice on Tuesday's card.

Bred in partnership by Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud, Damysus became the eighth winner from 11 runners out of the G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Legerete (Rahy), with the others including the Listed winners Esquisse (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Pilote (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). The latter also filled the runner-up spot in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano.

That pedigree goes some way to explaining why it cost 460,000gns for owners Wathnan Racing to secure him at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. It's a significant sum, no question, though he would almost certainly cost them more today as another of their in-training purchases, with the immense promise of his Southwell debut on show for all to see.

Sent off the 8-11 favourite, the flashy chestnut occupied a prominent position through the first half of the contest, before being pushed along entering the final two furlongs. The response wasn't exactly immediate, just taking a few strides to organise himself, but when the motor kicked in he was quickly away and gone, impressing with his strength at the finish as he hit the line two and a half lengths clear of his closest pursuer.

That striking display was the second in quick succession at Southwell after that of the Harry Charlton-trained Tremolo (GB) when he opened his account at the third attempt in the first division, for which the final time recorded was 1:30.69, around 2.6 seconds slower than that of Damysus's race.

It would be easy to take an even more positive view of Damysus's effort through that comparison, but the difference is that they went no gallop in the early stages of the race won by Tremolo, who was then 0.9 seconds quicker than Damysus through the final three furlongs as he sprinted clear of his rivals to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Whereas Damysus has a pedigree which suggests he'll be seen to best effect over middle-distances as a three-year-old, Tremolo seems unlikely to stay too far beyond this trip, being by Bated Breath (GB) and out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Harmonica (GB), who was Listed-placed over a mile for Sir Mark Prescott. That said, Harmonica's three-parts sister, Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}), is a strong stayer at a mile and a half, last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern.

Either way, Tremolo looks another promising homebred for the Elite Racing Club to campaign next year, with a quick switch to handicaps likely to be on the agenda now that he's qualified for a mark.

 

Winning start! Pricey Frankel colt Damysus delivers in style first time up at @Southwell_Races for @the_doyler, the Gosdens and Wathnan Racing! pic.twitter.com/qk48B8b34M

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 10, 2024

 

Saddadd Kicks Off Saturday Card in Style

It was a low-key card that Southwell hosted on Friday, featuring a 0-75 nursery as the only two-year-old contest, but it was a different story the next day when both divisions of the one-mile novice threw up winners of significant potential.

The first of them was Saddadd (Ire), who represents the same connections as the aforementioned Elmalka and holds a Classic entry of his own in next year's Irish 2,000 Guineas.

The trainer in question is Roger Varian, who also masterminded the career of Saddadd's dam, the Listed scorer and GI E. P. Taylor Stakes runner-up Talmada (Cape Cross {Ire}), an increasingly valuable broodmare to owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. This colt is her third runner after the Listed-placed Saleymm (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Listed scorer Almaqam (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who also pushed the ill-fated Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) all the way when bringing the curtain down on his three-year-old campaign in the G2 Prix Dollar.

It's surely just a matter of time before Almaqam makes the breakthrough in Group company, while the ease of Saddadd's debut success, quickening clear in the final furlong to win by two and three-quarter lengths, suggests he too should be capable of holding his own at a higher level next year. One of 22 winners in Europe from the first crop of Darley stallion Pinatubo (Ire), he is potentially as exciting as any of the others we've seen so far.

The overall time clocked by Saddadd was around 2.9 seconds quicker than that of Pinhole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the winner of the second division, but again that is more likely a function of the funereal gallop they went in the latter contest, rather than one horse being massively superior to the other.

Juddmonte homebred Pinhole, a full-brother to the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Quadrilateral (GB), was making his second appearance on a racecourse, having been held back by his inexperience when making his debut at Newmarket in October. In the interim he'd moved from Sir Michael Stoute to Ralph Beckett, so when he ran out an authoritative winner at Southwell, by two and a quarter lengths, he became the 45th individual juvenile from Kimpton Down Stables to win at least one race in Britain in 2024. It's quite the training achievement and the only challenge for Beckett will be trying to chart different paths for them all next year.

There's also a question mark surrounding what Pinhole's optimum distance will prove to be given that Quadrilateral was unraced beyond a mile, whereas another sibling by Frankel, Cadogan Place (GB), ran his best race when recently filling the runner-up spot in a Kempton handicap over two miles. He certainly didn't look short of pace at Southwell, anyway.

 

Smart debutant!

Saddadd – a half-brother of Almaqam who holds an Irish 2,000 Guineas entry – moves towards the stands-side and scores easily for @varianstable and @Mitchelljack77… pic.twitter.com/lPs9bcZkFe

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 14, 2024

 

Treble Tee Gets Triple Form Boost

Simon and Ed Crisford saddled the runner-up in both divisions of that one-mile novice at Southwell–one of whom features as a 'Winner In Waiting' a bit further down the page–but they'd enjoyed better luck at Kempton on Wednesday when Jolly Roger (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) confirmed the promise of his Newmarket debut with a clear-cut win in the second division of the seven-furlong novice.

The race probably didn't have as much depth to it as the first division won by Happy Banner (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), but Jolly Roger appeals as perhaps the better long-term prospect, very much the type to go on improving as he gains in experience. His pedigree is an ongoing recommendation, too, as the second foal out of the G2 Lowther Stakes winner Threading (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).

Incidentally, the victories of Pinhole and Happy Banner, as well as the runner-up finish of Hidden Secret (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) when he chased home Damysus at Southwell, all paid a handsome compliment to the form of another juvenile from the Crisford yard in Treble Tee (Ire) (Persian King {Ire}).

A €55,000 purchase at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, Treble Tee had that trio in his wake when making a winning debut in a seven-furlong novice at Newmarket in October, travelling strongly throughout and gradually asserting in the final furlong to win by two and a quarter lengths. It's clearly a strong piece of form and Treble Tee will be one to look out for when he makes his return to the track as a three-year-old.

 

5 winners in just 8 days by #PersianKing !!!

Bred at Etreham, the debutant TREBLE TEE wins the @astonmartin Novice Stakes over 1400m at @NewmarketRace A great result to cap off an exceptional week! Congratulations to all @edcrisford @SimonCrisford @the_doyler pic.twitter.com/pVsOkTKHGM

— Haras d'Etreham (@Haras_d_Etreham) October 23, 2024

 

O'Brien Dominance at Dundalk

Another trainer who has assembled a formidable squad of three-year-old prospects for 2025 is Joseph O'Brien, who continues to juggle life as a dual-purpose trainer expertly, albeit he has significantly reduced his string of National Hunt horses in recent years.

The undoubted star among them, Banbridge (Ire) (Doyen {Ire}), has a big day on the horizon as he prepares to line up in the G1 King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, but in the meantime O'Brien continues to rack up the two-year-old winners at Dundalk, having celebrated a brace on Wednesday's card before Honeysuckle Rose (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) made it three for the week with a dominant victory on Friday.

Honeysuckle Rose was well on top at the finish of that seven-furlong fillies' maiden, passing the post two and a quarter lengths clear of her closest pursuer, six weeks on from her debut in a big-field maiden at the Curragh. This was a big step forward on that effort and it's unlikely that she's reached her ceiling yet for the team at Cayton Park Stud, who bought her dam, the G3 Prix des Reservoirs heroine Melesina (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), for 400,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Honeysuckle Rose is a graduate of the barrier trials staged at Dundalk earlier in the year, along with stable-mate Sweet Illusions (Get Stormy), who similarly put that experience to good use as she ran out a determined winner of the one-mile fillies' maiden on Wednesday, digging deep to get the verdict by a neck.

A $28,000 buy at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, from the family of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Mubtaker (Silver Hawk), Sweet Illusions sports the silks of Bronsan Racing, who own her in partnership with American bloodstock agent Justin Casse. The Bronsan Racing team have had a handful of horses in training with O'Brien over the last couple of years, headed by the talented dual-purpose performer Nurburgring (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the winner of the prestigious Galway Hurdle back in August.

Last but not least, Spycraft (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was the other juvenile winner for the team at Owning Hill last week when justifying short odds in the seven-furlong maiden on Wednesday, kicking his career off in the best possible fashion as he asserted close home to win by half a length.

Spycraft is the second foal out of the unraced Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Joie de Vivre (Fr) who, in turn, is out of a Galileo (Ire) full-sister to the multiple Group 1 winners Magical (Ire) and Rhododendron (Ire). Rhododendron, who is also the dam of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), of course, gained her first top-level success in the 2016 Fillies' Mile, a race won four years later by Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), the best horse O'Brien has trained until now for owner John Oxley.

It won't be easy for Spycraft to surpass her achievements, but he certainly looks an exciting addition to the team. Purchased for 310,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, he was a successful pinhook for Grangemore Stud's Guy O'Callaghan, who picked him up as a foal for €78,000 at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale.

 

Mission achieved

A double for @JosephOBrien2 as Declan McDonogh guides 310,000gns purchase Spycraft (Siyouni) to a debut success @IrishEBF_ | @DundalkStadium pic.twitter.com/SaSuutVVos

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 11, 2024

 

Winner In Waiting

Dixieland Blues (GB)
Invincible Spirit (Ire)–South Sister (GB), by Sakhee
Runner-up to Pinhole at Southwell on Saturday, Dixieland Blues was ultimately no match for that rival, but it was to his credit that he pulled five lengths clear of the sole previous winner in the line-up who finished third. It was certainly an encouraging start to his career and he's from a family that the Crisfords know well, having trained his half-brother, Jadoomi (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), to win the G2 Celebration Mile and G2 Boomerang Mile. Bought for €170,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, Rabbah Racing's Dixieland Blues looks banker material for a similar event next time.

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