Enable returns a winner in Coral-Eclipse
Making her first start since winning last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) was primed for a victory in the G1 Coral-Eclipse on Saturday when she ended a drought that last saw a filly or mare win the race 27 years before.
Enable had an easy run of it as Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) set the pace in front as she galloped just in front his stablemate Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in second during the early parts of the 2000 metre race. She started putting a little pressure on the pacemaker with 900 metres left to run but was still galloping easily with jockey Frankie Dettori sitting quietly on the mare.
The race was over with 400 metres left to run when Enable headed Hunting Horn and Dettori let her run. Magical tried to go after the race favourite but it was no good with Enable never looking in doubt of the victory. Just like the last time they met in Enable’s seasonal swansong last year, Magical finished three quarters of a length behind her rival with Regal Reality (GB) (Intello {Ger}) third.
Australian Bloodstock and Clive Washbourn’s Cox Plate hope Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice) was fourth, a month after winning the Group 3 La Coupe in France to give Redoute’s Choice a 1st – 3rd finish in that race.
“It’s been a long time since Kooyonga won for the fillies and with two fantastic mares being one-two here it’s put that one to rest,” John Gosden told the Thoroughbred Daily News. “We had never intended to go early with her and we talked about Ascot but we had some rain two weeks ago and she clicked into mode at home. As I said at Saint-Cloud last week, we could not have been happier with her and I judged it at about 85-90%, as you don’t run in the Eclipse too short of work.”
The victory keeps her connections’ plan in place with the 5-year-old now aiming at the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 27 before the August 21 G1 Juddmonte International. Not surprisingly, the ultimate goal for the mare is a third run in the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 6.
Enbihaar latest group winner for Redoute’s
Enbihaar (Ire) became Group winner Number 109 for Redoute’s Choice on Saturday when the 4-year-old mare won the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks in England for her third victory and fourth top three finish in six starts.
The Shadwell owned runner galloped in second early on in the 2400 metre race and bided her time as Dramatic Queen (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}) went to the lead in the six horse field. Not much changed during the middle stages of the race with jockey Dane O’Neill sitting comfortably on Enbihaar. With 500 metres left to run O’Neill asked her to go but the mare took some time to go for the lead. When she did she had to fight off the leading Dramatic Queen, who refused to let her take over without a fight.
In the final 100 metres it was a battle as Enbihaar took over the lead and had a half-length advantage but Dramatic Queen made another late rush to close the margin down to a neck at the line with the rest of the field more than four lengths behind the leader.
A €500,000 yearling purchase by Shadwell France at the 2016 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, Enbihaar one of seven Northern Hemisphere-born Group winners by the stallion and his first Group 2 winner from those crops. She is a half-sister to two stakes placed runners and from a half-sister to Group 1 winner Amonita (GB) (Anabaa {GB}).
Free Eagle brother becomes a stakes winner
Lightly raced Falcon Eight (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gave jockey Frankie Dettori a treble at Sandown when the 4-year-old entire won the Listed Coral Marathon in a gutsy display.
Owned and bred by Moyglare Stud, Falcon Eight was happy to gallop close behind the leader during much of the 3200 metre race. As the race heated up when the field turned into the straight Dettori had his mount positioned to the outside of the field as they raced down the straight in the final few hundred metres. Mekong (GB) (Frankel {GB}) took the lead as the field entered the final 350 metres but Falcon Eight was hot on his heels.
It was a battle to the line with Falcon eight gaining on the leader with every stride and came down to a photo between the pair with Falcon Eight just edging him by a head. It was the first stakes victory for the horse in his third stakes attempt and fifth career start overall.
Falcon Eight is a three-quarter brother to European Champion Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who regularly shuttles to Cornerstone Stud, and Irish Champion Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}).
Back-to-back stakes for Kuroshio’s Kurious
Three weeks after giving her sire a first stakes winner, Kurious (GB) (Kuroshio) added another milestone when becoming his first group winner by winning the Group 3 Coral Challenge to kick off the card at Sandown.
The filly went straight to the lead in the 1000 metre race and was joined by Caspian Prince (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) with 600 metres left to run. It was a battle until they hit the final 100 metres when Kurious found another gear to pull away from a late running Garrus (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) by three quarters of a length with Caspian Prince a length back in third.
Kurious is a half-sister to French Champion Tangerine Trees (GB) (Mind Games {GB}) and Group 1 winner Alpha Delphini (GB) (Captain Gerrard {Ire}). Her sire Kuroshio sired 20 winners from his first Australian crop with 3-year-old Kurious one of eight winners from 19 runners sired by the stallion during his first trip to Europe.
First winner for European Champion Tiggy Wiggy
Europe’s 2-Year-Old Champion Filly Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who was sold to Coolmore for 2,100,000 guineas in 2015 produced her first winner on Saturday when Year Of The Tiger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won in his third start.
Running seventh in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, the colt settled to the outside of Sailing South (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) just behind the leaders in the 1400 metre race. Given an easy ride by Donnacha O’Brien, Year Of The Tiger joined the leaders inside the 400 metres mark and with just a bit of urging at the 200 metre mark, the colt galloped away with his ears pricked to win by 4 ½ lengths.
The Galileo son is the first foal from his champion dam and led home a 1-2 finish for his sire and Ballydoyle. Third placed finisher Free Solo (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) is out of a Galileo mare as well and is from a full sister to Australian Group 2 winner Yucatan (Ire), who hails from the family of Miesque (USA) (Nureyev {USA}).
Henley’s Joy pulls upset in G1 Belmont Derby
A stakes winner last December, Henley’s Joy (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}) had been close to nabbing another stakes win in 2019 but he broke the drought in a big way on Saturday in the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational.
The second longest shot on the board, Henley’s Joy was always near the front of the field in the 2000 metre race, sitting in third as Moon Colony (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) and Blenheim Palace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) battled a few lengths in front of the field. As the field entered the far turn the field closed in on the duellers and real race began. Social Paranoia (USA) (Street Boss {USA}) took over as Moon Colony faded in the straight but Henley’s Joy was close behind.
In the final 100 meres it was obvious that the victory would come down to one of those two with the rest of the field behind them. Henley’s Joy grabbed a short advantage 50 metres from the line and it was over from there as he pulled away to win by three quarters of a length. Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) made a late run with the line coming just in time to keep Social Paranoia in second, half a length over that rival.
"It's such a big race to win and it's so important, but for this particular horse, he's had the worst racing luck and he's just been so honest, so many rough trips, it was just so gratifying to see him be able to show everybody how talented he is," said co-owner Jeffrey Bloom. "He's had so many near misses in situations where things didn't go right and he answered the call today in a big spot."
The colt is the 12th Group 1 winner by Kitten’s Joy (USA), whose son Roaring Lion (USA) joins Cambridge Stud in 2019, while second placed Social Paranoia is by Darley’s shuttle stallion Street Boss (USA).
Concrete Rose adds Grade 1 to impressive resume
Winning her fifth race in six career starts, Concrete Rose (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) saved her finest performance for her first Grade 1 victory in the Belmont Oaks.
The 3-year-old filly was happy to put herself in second behind Japanese invader Jodie (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) with keen race favourite Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) close behind as jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. struggled to find cover right behind Concrete Rose in the 2000 metre race.
While Newspaperofrecord started to fade, Concrete Rose ranged up beside Jodie with 200 metres left. She didn’t have to deal with much of a fight as Jodie yielded the lead easily and Concrete Rose continued to pull away. Just Wonderful (USA) (Dansili {GB}) came flying late with Cambier Parc (USA) (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}) but there was too much work to do to catch Concrete Rose, who crossed the line 2 ¾ lengths in front. Aidan O’Brien’s Just Wonderful won a photo over Cambier Parc for second with Jodie finishing fourth.
Concrete Rose has won all three of her starts last year with her only defeat coming in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November. The filly had never run beyond 1700 metres before Saturday’s race but handled it with no problems.
"[I was concerned] I rested her too much," trainer Rusty Arnold said. "Everyone had run and we hadn't run in two months and a couple of days and I was a little worried. Her training went smooth, her works went smooth and everything went well. Sometimes your plan works and sometimes it doesn't work, but this one worked."
This is the first year of the New York Racing Association’s Turf Tiara for fillies with the Belmont Oaks the first leg of the series. Arnold said that the filly will now be aimed at the second leg, the Saratoga Oaks on 2 August.
Concrete Rose is from the extended family of U.S. Horse of the Year Ferdinand (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}) and two-time Australian Group 1 winner Zacheline (Zabeel).
Champion Jaywalk adds Delaware Oaks to resume
Last year’s U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Jaywalk (USA) (Cross Traffic {USA}) had struggled to find the winner’s circle this term but a drop in class was just what she needed to romp in the G3 Delaware Oaks.
The Cross Traffic (USA) filly took the lead straight out of the barriers in the 1700 metre race and there was no looking back. She controlled every step of the race and Joe Bravo had to take her under a strong hold to set a sensible pace. She finally relaxed a bit more down the backstretch and it was clear Bravo would have more than enough horse under him for the straight.
Fashion Faux Pas (USA) (Flatter {USA}) challenged Jaywalk 400 metres out but the filly brushed her off and put nine lengths between her and second placed Fashion Faux Paus at the line with a further four lengths behind that filly to the rest of the field.
By last year’s Champion Freshman Sire Cross Traffic, Jaywalk is a half-sister to Listed winner Danzatrice (USA) (Dunkirk {USA}) and from the family of Group 2 winner Forest Camp (USA) (Deputy Minister {USA}) and Mission Impazible (USA) (Unbridled’s Song {USA}).
Kentucky Derby second returns a winner
Continuing a big day for Lane’s End stallion Noble Mission (GB) that saw his son Buffalo River (USA) win his third straight race in Australia, Code Of Honor (USA) added a G3 Dwyer Stakes victory to his resume at Belmont Park in the United States.
Skipping final two legs of the Triple Crown after his Kentucky Derby second, Code Of Honor was primed for the run and went off as the race favourite. He dropped back to his customary last place position soon after the break of the 1600 metre race, six lengths off the leaders. He was in no hurry to run under John Velazquez, still sitting in last as the field turned for home.
At the 350 metre mark, Velazquez found his mount a path through the field and Code Of Honor showed a big burst of speed to catch up to the leading Final Jeopardy (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) in only 100 metres. In the final 200 metres, the only question that remained was how far Code Of Honor would win by as the colt built his margin with every stride. In the end, he hit the line 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Final Jeopardy to throw his name back into the hat in a wide open 3-year-old division.
"He is a pretty classy horse," said trainer Shug McGaughey. "I was just talking to Johnny. We were talking about how quiet he was in the paddock and then when I gave Johnny a leg up, he gets on his toes, goes to the post that way and then he breaks and he was there. I think that's exactly the way he wants to run; to just drop back out of it a bit and, depending on the pace, making one run like that. I thought he was a pretty easy winner today. Hopefully, we have a horse to come back with and we'll see what happens down the road."
Code Of Honor has won three of his seven career starts and only finished off the board once with two stakes victories as a 3-year-old in addition to a third place finish behind Maximum Security (USA) (New Year’s Day {USA}) in the G1 Xpressbet Florida Derby.
