Alcohol Free defeats the boys in Sussex
Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) faced a tough test when taking on the males and her elders in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. on Wednesday at Goodwood but in the end, the 3-year-old filly came out the winner.
Racing in midpack for much of the 1600-metre race, she was asked to start picking off horses as they entered the final 600 metres. She took over the lead from short-time leader Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) as they took on the final 200 metres and held that one at bay by 1.75l in the end with Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) that distance back in third.
“I won my first Sussex S. 37 years ago – I had jet-black hair and no worries in the world! I thought it was very easy and that I would come back and do it again,” said owner Jeff Smith. “This filly is something else. The way she has won is simply incredible, I am thrilled to pieces. What a wonderful job Andrew (Balding, trainer) and the whole team have done.”
Alcohol Free was one of two Goodwood stakes winners on the day for former shuttle stallion No Nay Never (USA). Alcohol Free is a half-sister to stakes winner Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and out of the winning Hard Spun (USA) mare Plying (USA). The family includes G3 San Domenico S. second Sniplaz (Zaha {USA}).
Amor kicks off No Nay Never double in Molecomb
Juvenile colt Armor (GB) (No Nay Never {USA}) broke his maiden on debut in April and two starts later added a Group 3 to the resume with a win in the Markel Molecomb S. on Wednesday.
Racing on soft turf over 1000 metres, he made it clear from the first that he planned to be a major force in the race when among the leaders. Jockey Ryan Moore asked him to make his bid inside the final 300 metres and he took control a little over 200 metres later before pulling away. Fearby (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) was close to the winner at the line when 3.25l back with Boonie (Ire) (Brazen Beau) giving his Australian sire a placing in the race when third with No Nay Never also having the fourth place finisher in Nymphadora (GB).
“I've not made too many flash entries for him but we'll look at something like the Prix Morny now, maybe the Flying Childers,” trainer Richard Hannon said. “He's not a big horse. This is his year and, if he makes a 3-year-old, then great, but he is good enough now. He will get six furlongs and we'll have to have a go at a Group 1 race over that trip now."
Armor is one of two winners from two to race out of the winning High Chaparral (Ire) mare Hestia (Fr). Hestia is the daughter of a half-sister to French Champion Pinson (Ire) (Halling {USA}) among six winners for that duo’s dam.
Last Empire wins Oak Tree
It was a first Group victory for Last Empire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) on Wednesday when the 5-year-old won the G3 Whispering Angel Oak Tree S. over 1400 metres.
Keen to get on with the running, Last Empire tracked the leaders for much of the race until given her cue to go with 400 metres left. She soon had the lead but proved she didn’t want to be a flashy winner when holding Onassis (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) off by 0.5l with Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) 0.25l back in third and Belardo’s (Ire) two runners finishing close behind in fourth and fifth.
“I was always confident,” said jockey Daniel Tudhope. “She was travelling good two and a-half furlongs out and picked up well. The ground is drying out. It's hard work but she loves this sort of stuff and handles it better than most of them."
Last Empire is one of two stakes performers for her dam alongside Exceed And Excel’s stakes-placed Thesme (GB). Her stakes-placed dam is a full sister to the Group 3 winner Castelletto (GB) (Komaite {USA}) and a three-quarter sister to the stakes winner Proud Boast (GB) (Komaite {USA}).
Nagano gives Fastnet Goodwood win
Fastnet Rock’s 3-year-old son Nagano (GB) stayed nearly perfect on Wednesday in the Goodwood opener over 2400 metres.
Looking to bounce back from his only career loss last out, Nagano wasn’t in a hurry to make the lead and raced in the rear of the field until David Egan asked him to pick it up as they entered the final 800 metres. The gelding wasn’t a clear threat for the lead until the final 400 metres and didn’t take it until the closing furlong. In the end, he finished 0.75l in front of Godolphin’s Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with Recovery Run (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) 2.25l adrift to those two in third.
“Nagano has proven to be quite versatile and is learning on the job. That is only his fifth career start,” said trainer Roger Varian. “His best days are still ahead of him. He's a very laid-back horse, he's got a wonderful attitude and is a very easy horse to train.”
Bred on the successful Fastnet Rock x Galileo (Ire) cross, Nagano is a half-brother to the Group 3 winner Nausha (GB) (Kingman {GB}). His second dam Brigid (USA) (Irish River {Fr}) is a notable producer of producers as the dam of Champions and Group producers Listen (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) and Sequoyah (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}). Sequoyah is the matriarch of a family that includes Australian Group winner Francis Of Assisi (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and G1 Caulfield Cup third Cliffsofmoher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
