Europe
Justify’s City Of Troy: the next Frankel?
The horse that doesn't get tired. The most unusual of all the Rosegreen “unusuals”. By the time TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) hit the line with his trademark force in Saturday's G1 Dewhurst S., we were dealing with a colt who prompts excitable talk. The kind not heard in these parts since 2010, when a certain local legend continued his irresistible trajectory in this very prize. After Frankel (GB) put an unreachable star in racing's heavens, here we have one who can at least feed the impossible dream during a winter of longing.
“Let's hope he is as popular as Frankel was,” said Michael Tabor. “He will only get that popularity as time goes on. And hopefully, as time goes on, he will win all those big races and get those accolades given to him. It is easy to talk. But I like to talk before they achieve and that is what we believe.
“Maybe down the line we will have egg on our face. But I really believe it: this horse could be anything.”
While the master of Ballydoyle, Aidan O’Brien told the media, “You always see the bottom somewhere, but we've not seen it with this fellow,” he remarked with the kind of almost breathless excitement that all who were present on one of Newmarket's true glorious autumn afternoons understand.
“You always see the bottom somewhere, but we've not seen it with this fellow (City Of Troy).” - Aidan O'Brien
A typically reserved Ryan Moore broke face for a moment, “For me, Frankel was the best racehorse I ever saw and stupidly I said privately on the July Course that I hadn't seen another horse do what this horse (City Of Troy) had since. That was a silly comparison to make, but he's a very rare horse,” he stated. “He is as exciting a 2-year-old as I have ever ridden.”
In the next few moments, he was to say “very, very good” twice. You get the picture.”
It is now nine years since City Of Troy’s dam, Together Forever, saw off the future dams of Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Fillies' Mile at this meeting and she was always going to be one of the operation's premier broodmares. Her yearling filly is by Uncle Mo (USA), while she also has a filly foal by Dubawi (Ire) and was bred to Into Mischief (USA) this year.
City Of Troy is the fifth individual Group 1 winner sired by Justify (USA).
Dubawi double
Godolphin's €2-million (AU$3.85 million) Arqana August 'TDN Rising Star' Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran third to subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagradere victor Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in July's Listed Pat Eddery S., came back off a 77-day sabbatical to trounce his six-strong opposition in Saturday's Emirates Autumn S. at Newmarket.
“We were disappointed that we were beaten at Ascot, but that race worked out so well you couldn't really be disappointed in it,” commented Charlie Appleby. “I've probably mismanaged him running him back at Newmarket. He broke his maiden at Haydock Park and I went to Newmarket thinking I could try and get a bit more experience. He is a Dubawi and I was probably forcing him a bit too much so, after Ascot, we said collectively we will give him a break and we toyed with this and the Zetland. I told William (Buick, jockey) he is a horse that will travel for fun stepping up a furlong and also the conditions out there were going to suit him.
“I said to ride him with mega confidence, to sit up there and travel in the van as he will pick up for you, and he has duly obliged. He is a horse next year that will be a middle-distance type. He is a horse that I do feel a mile-and-a-quarter will be well within his compass and I personally think he will appreciate going a mile-and-a-half. He is a Dubawi and, as we know with those middle-distance Dubawis, you can't force them too much in the spring of their 3-year-old career, so therefore something like the Dante might be a target for him. We will see where we are in the spring, but we have a long winter ahead of us now. It is nice to be able to put these horses to bed on the back of an impressive victory.”
It was a successful Saturday, for the super sire Dubawi (GB) following on from Ancient Wisdom, his stablemate Arabian Crown (Fr) scored the G3 Zetland S.
“It was a big weekend for us in respects that the three horses we were confident about were the filly Dance Sequence yesterday and the two today and they have all gone and won impressively,” Appleby said of his third straight winner of this Derby pointer. “This horse, as it stands, on what he has achieved and on his pedigree has more of a Derby profile. We will be going down more of that route and he could be a Dante horse or one for one of the other Derby trials.
“He is a very hard horse to assess, as he is not a work horse and we have always said that,” Appleby said. “James (Doyle, jockey) rode him in work last week and he was out at the back of the gallop, whereas Ancient Wisdom does travel and he has a bit more natural pace. To be fair, this horse picked up and quickened. I will put him away now for the year. He has a pedigree that suggests stepping up to the mile and a half as a 3-year-old will suit him. He is an exciting horse–there is no doubt about it.”
United States of America
Guineas winner Mawj triumphant in QE II Challenge Cup
Flight delays kept one of Europe's leading jockeys, Oisin Murphy, from piloting Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify {USA}) in last weekend's Woodbine's GI E. P. Taylor S. Thankfully for the connections of 'TDN Rising Star' Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel), he experienced no such issues this weekend–arriving in time to guide the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas S. winner to victory in Keeneland's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S.
Making her first start across the pond, the Irish-bred filly entered on a three-race win streak, having crossed the wire first in every start this calendar year culminating with her half-length win over Newmarket's straight mile in May's 1000 Guineas S. Despite being unraced since that spring effort, Mawj did little to dissuade the wagering public who dispatched her as the 6-5 favorite.
“Thank God,” said the winning trainer Saaed bin Suroor when asked about his result. “This is great (for me) to win 500 (Grade and) Group (races) and a Group 1 with the filly Mawj, a Classic winner. To come to America, to Keeneland, to win is a great result for everybody.”
When asked about a next start in the either the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile against males or the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Suroor said: “It looks to me she has plenty of speed as a miler and she made it today nine furlongs. But we'll see. The mile might be the best for her, sure, but I want to decide closer to the race.”
“(Trainer) Saeed (bin Suroor) was delighted with her work at home and he asked me to sit on her last week just before she flew (to the US) and she felt brilliant,” added Murphy. “She felt back to her best. We did quite quick sections (fractions) in the first half of the race, but she is a superstar filly. She found plenty. She's got a great heart and mind. I'm delighted to win for (owner) Godolphin and Saeed here; it's his 500th Group winner, so for me to ride it for him means the world.”
Godolphin, Spencer, Appleby double up in Sands Point
A rain-soaked Saturday at a New York racetrack with a scratched-down field tackling a less-than-firm turf course. In this edition of NYRA's Groundhog Day, Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) repeated her performance in last month's G3 Jockey Club Oaks with another win over Neecie Marie (USA) (Cross Traffic {USA}) in the G2 Sands Point S.
“She's very genuine,” said winning jockey Jamie Spencer. “She had a better break today and obviously a shorter trip, so I had to maximise her stamina. She was very brave from the half-mile pole because I was just lacking a little bit of speed and I was getting pressure from the outside. She fought her corner on the turn and in the straight, I always knew I was going to win because she's an English turf horse and horses were starting to get tired. She was always going to keep going, and that's what she did in the end.”
Turf Champion Channel Maker retired
2020's Eclipse Champion Turf Male Channel Maker (USA) (English Channel {USA}) has been retired from racing, his connections said Saturday.
The announcement came one day after the 9-year-old gelding finished next to last in the G3 Sycamore at Keeneland.
“It's time,” part-owner Adam Wachtel said.
Channel Maker ran a record six times in the Breeders' Cup.
“I've never had a horse that's run at the highest level against the toughest competition from two (years old) through nine (years old),” Wachtel said. “I love what Bill had to say about him after the Bowling Green; he said he's the happiest horse in the barn.”
Wachtel said it is hoped that Channel Maker will take up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions in Lexington.
