The Weekly Wrap: Japan Carrying Classic Generation

[Wandering Eyes]

It has been a tricky old year for the Classic generation. Hermosa (Ire) is the only winner of a Classic in Britain, Ireland or France to have gone on to win another race—in her case she won Irish 1000 Guineas after claiming the English version. Magna Grecia (Ire), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire), Persian King (Ire), Castle Lady (Ire), Anthony Van Dyck (Ire), Anapurna (GB), Sottsass (Fr), Channel (Ire), Sovereign (Ire) and Star Catcher (GB) have all either been beaten in subsequent runs or are yet to race again. Furthermore, the highly talented Too Darn Hot (GB) has succumbed to a career-ending injury. All in all, it has been a muddling year for the 3-year-old generation. Japan (GB), who went so close in the Derby when third to stablemate Anthony Van Dyck, is the colt to have carried the torch for his peers with three consecutive wins coming in the G2 King Edward VII S., G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Juddmonte International.

Fortunately, with the older horses to have remained in training this year having included Enable (GB), Crystal Ocean (Ire), Battaash (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Stradivarius (Ire), Coronet (GB) and Romanised (Ire), it doesn’t feel like we’ve been short-changed on stars. Even so, it would be encouraging to see one or two of those 3-year-olds mentioned above returning to competitive form for some of the key autumn races—and even better for a number of them to remain in training next year.

It is an unfashionable view to take but my favourite Classic of the season will be run this weekend. I love this time of year: top-class maidens for the emerging juveniles who could be next year’s Classic hopes, a little hint of a chill in the early morning until autumn’s golden light warms the day and, best of all this Saturday, the combination of the St Leger and the Last Night of the Proms. With the British government in freefall, it’s hard to raise the enthusiasm, let alone a flag, to sing along to Land of Hope and Glory. Right now I’d settle for a land returned to something nearing sanity, but such turbulent times make the great triviality that is horse racing even more appealing. So I live in hope of witnessing a St Leger akin to that which was run two years ago, when Capri (Ire) led home Crystal Ocean, Stradivarius, Rekindling (GB) and Coronet. Glorious indeed.

Mission Accomplished
The St Leger was at one time under consideration for Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) after his victory in the G3 Bahrain Trophy in July, but a far more ambitious plan was hatched by owners Team Valor and the Hon. Earle Mack to return the David Simcock-trained colt to the land of his birth to compete in the inaugural $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. at Belmont Park on Saturday.

A late swoop by the colt and Jamie Spencer ensured that the trip from Newmarket to New York was a highly successful one, with fellow Europeans Pedro Cara (Fr) (Pedro The Great) and San Huberto (Ire) (Speightstown), respectively trained in France by Mauricio Delcher Sanchez and Fabrice Chappet, filling the minor placings.

Finche (GB) became the first Melbourne Cup runner for Frankel (GB) when finishing fourth to Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) last year and Spanish Mission may eventually do the same for Frankel’s Kentucky-based brother. Team Valor’s Barry Irwin indicated that both he and Mack are keen on Australia’s great staying race as the colt’s longer-term aim for 2020, with a return to Newmarket next on the agenda.

European raiders plundered the two valuable races at Belmont on Saturday but both had at least been foaled in America. Edisa, winner of the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. for Alain de Royer-Dupre, is the sole runner by Kitten’s Joy for her breeder the Aga Khan. The winner was chased home by Wonderment (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), victrix of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last season for Nicolas Clement.

From Autumn To Spring
The weights for this year’s Melbourne Cup will be revealed today (Tuesday) and with 152 horses nominated for 24 places, there will be anxious perusal of the list order for those hoping to travel from overseas. The first three home last year—Cross Counter, Marmelo (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) and Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger})—are all set for a return, and the latest name to be added to the list of potential European shippers is OTI Racing’s Haky (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}). Bred by Shadwell, the 5-year-old was trained for Sheikh Hamdan by John Hammond and then returned to his Chantilly stable under the ownership of Jim Paltridge—who has retained a share with OTI—after he was bought from the Shadwell draft for £14,000 at Goffs UK last August. Since then he has won twice and been group-placed in his last two starts in the G2 Prix Kergorlay and Sunday’s G3 Prix Gladiateur, in which he was second to Called To The Bar (Ire) (Henrythenavigator).

One of the most exciting visitors to Australia for the Spring Carnival this year is the Japanese mare Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), the easy winner of the GI Takarazuka Kinen on her last start, which earned her an invitation to the G1 Cox Plate. Bred by Northern Farm, she hails from a family which has been in the news frequently over the last few seasons as Lys Gracieux is a descendant of Miller’s Lily (Fr) (Miller’s Mate {GB}), whose family has been hugely successful for Antoine Lepeudry’s Normandy-based Elevage de Tourgeville.

Miller’s Lily’s listed-winning daughter Liliside (Fr) (American Post {GB}) raced for Katsumi Yoshida in France before retiring to stud, and he is now the owner of her half-sister Lily’s Candle (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}), who won the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac for Martin Schwartz before being sold to Yoshida for €1.1 million at the Arqana December sale. Another example of American Post working well with the family is found through the stallion’s four-time group winner Robin Of Navan (Fr), who has Miller’s Lily as his third dam.

Japanese runners famously pulled off a one-two in the Melbourne Cup of 2006, when Delta Blues (Jpn) (Dance In The Dark {Jpn}) beat Pop Rock (Jpn) (Helissio {Fr}), and the ill-fated Admire Rakti (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) followed up eight years later by winning the G1 Caulfield Cup. A Cox Plate would be a worthy addition to the country’s haul of major overseas races.

Notebook At The Ready
The aforementioned juvenile maidens have really started to heat up as the weather cools down. Heart Reef (Fr) (Australia {GB}), out of a Gold Away half-sister to Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), was one to catch the eye in a good week for Qatar Racing, who were also represented by Kempton winner Riot (Ire) (Kingman {GB})—the top-priced colt when sold for €850,000 at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale—and as part-owner of Enemy (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}). The latter, who is raced in partnership with his co-breeder Lady O’Reilly, was a €420,000 Arqana August yearling and is a half-brother to Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Enemy’s first-season sire Muhaarar is now building up a good tally of winners ahead of the yearling sales after a slowish start. Last week he was also represented by the optimistically named Star In The Making (GB), a winner for Alan and Mike Spence at Salisbury. The filly played her part in a good week for her trainer Clive Cox, who also landed the G3 Sirenia S. with the offspring of another freshman sire, Streamline (GB) (Due Diligence).

Whitsbury Manor Stud has been home to War Front’s son Due Diligence since he embarked on his second career and the resident Harper family is responsible for both of the stallion’s stakes winners to date as they also bred listed Marygate S. winner Good Vibes (GB), who was third in the G2 Lowther S. The pattern doesn’t end there as both Streamline and Good Vibes are out of mares by another former Whitsbury Manor resident, Compton Place (GB).

We witnessed a pinhooking triumph for Luke Barry and his team at Manister House Stud, which sold a Maxios (GB) colt for £170,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Sale having bought him as a foal for 15,000gns. Not all pinhooks work out so well, as Barry himself would know having bought Streamline as a foal for 40,000gns before retaining him for €16,000 when he failed to find a buyer as a yearling. Streamline’s appeal as a breezer was also not obvious but Philippa Mains took the plunge at £13,000 on behalf of Mainline Racing, and Barry’s initial judgement has now been vindicated by Streamline winning three of his four starts and becoming a group winner.

Alruccaba Dynasty Still Thriving
Lanwades’ Alruccaba (GB) family has long been noted as one of the most productive in the stud book, with a long line of top-class winners descending from the daughter of Crystal Palace (Fr).

In this year alone the black-type winners to emanate from the clan include Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Shine So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Private Secretary (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Aloe Vera (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire) and My Nordic Hero (GB) (Archipenko), who formerly raced as Algonquin before being sold to Australia.

In the past week another four victories have been notched by members of the family led by the juvenile Wyclif (GB) (Archipenko), who recorded his second win in three starts for Quantum Leap Racing when winning the Matchbook EBF Future Stars Novice S. at York, a race won on debut two years ago by Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The useful Ebury (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) won at Ascot off a mark of 90 on his first start for 140 days, while Hope Is High (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) landed her sixth win and Alma Linda (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won for the second time in the colours of Kirsten Rausing, who bred the quartet as well as three of the five stakes winners named above.

 

 

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