Cover image courtesy of Scoop Dyga
The G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe field is taking shape with a couple of strong winners on Sunday giving their connections much to think about in relation to the season's big race. In Ireland, two 2-year-old Group 1 events showcased the current crop.
France
Bluestocking wins G1 Prix Vermeille, maybe added to Arc
Showing that her recent travails had left no mark on Sunday, Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) instead relished a heavyweight clash with a younger rival up the ParisLongchamp straight to edge the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille from Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Hard at it when second in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and when fourth in the G1 Juddmonte International in the previous weeks, Ralph Beckett had considered leaving the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner at home so was a relieved trainer in the hallowed winner's enclosure afterwards.
John and Thady Gosden trained Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) ran her best race for a while to get on the premises late and finish half a length away in third, with some serious fillies and mares adrift of the main trio.
This was Bluestocking’s second Group 1 win and took her record to four wins from 12 starts. Her sire Camelot (GB) has 62 stakes winners, including 12 at Group 1 level.
“She worked really well last weekend–she's been working exceptionally well lately, but I wasn't convinced that coming was the right decision,” Beckett revealed. “There were a couple of things in the week that I just wasn't happy with. It wasn't the race or the circumstances, more her, but she really loves it and that showed that today. She seemed beaten, but she's simply very tough.”
Bluestocking is not entered in the Arc and would need to be supplemented, but Beckett seemed to be leading towards a return trip over Ascot's Champions Day. “She is entered in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, but she got beaten there last year and she's proven that she loves this course so if she's in good shape and if her connections are all in agreement I'd be very tempted to supplement her for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.”
Bluestocking's dam Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who captured six black-type races over seven furlongs and a mile including the G1 Matron Stakes, is a full-sister to the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron winner First Sitting (GB) and the Listed Criterium de Vitesse winner Daring Diva (GB). The latter is in turn the dam of the G2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes winner Brooch (Empire Maker), whose son Mandaloun (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) captured the G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Haskell.
Ireland
St Leger double for Galileo as Kyprios wins Irish version
Aidan O'Brien is always on edge when Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is at the races, but the mighty stayer proved yet again that there is no real cause for concern with a typically straightforward success in Sunday's G1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh. Back in peak form as he had been when first capturing this in 2022, the Moyglare homebred and colour-bearer was the 2-5 favourite to erase the memory of his runner-up placing 12 months ago when not fully recharged following his major injury.
Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) was 2.25lengths away in second, with the surprisingly non-threatening Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) 0.75 length further behind in third. The success also constituted one of the last great tributes to his late sire, who was completing a notable St Leger weekend double having had the one-two in Saturday's G1 St Leger at Doncaster with Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire).
Intriguingly, on a weekend when several threads were weaved into the enthralling tapestry of the 2024 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, O'Brien revealed that connections are pondering a belated tilt at the ParisLongchamp monument. “We knew that, at any time, he could run in an Arc, but it's important to mind him and do the right thing for him and let him tell us how he is and where he wants to go at that time of the year,” he said, before hinting that it is more than 50-50 that the chestnut forms part of the star cast in three weeks' time. “There is only one Arc and he has a serious engine,” he added. “He looks very fresh there. He just doesn't get tired, he keeps going.”
Kyprios has one of those unique pedigrees and as the last foal out of the illustrious Polished Gem (Ire) (Danehill {USA}) he has provided a fitting culmination of a life's work. As well as this remarkable performer and his aforementioned dual Irish Leger-winning full-sibling Search For A Song, she has produced six other black-type runners including High Chaparral's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes-winning sire Free Eagle (Ire), the multiple group scorer Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}) and the G2 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}). Polished Gem is a full-sister to the GI Matriarch Stakes winner Dress To Thrill (Ire) and daughter of the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Trusted Partner (Affirmed), who is also the third dam of the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes hero Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and the G1 Criterium International winner Vert De Grece (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}).
G1 National S. for 2-year-olds won by Scorthy Champ
Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at The Curragh had a more open look to it than the betting suggested beforehand and that proved the case as the Joseph O'Brien-trained outsider Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) stepped up to earn the bragging rights. Sent forward by Dylan Browne McMonagle to reel in the British raider Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) approaching the furlong pole, the flashy chestnut who races for Rectory Road Holdings Limited, Barry Fowler and Anne Marie O'Brien stayed on to score by 3/4 of a length from the 5-6 market-leader Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), with Seagulls Eleven the same margin behind in third. Scorthy Champ has now won two of his three starts and it was his first stakes win. Mehmas now has 32 stakes winners and five Group 1 winners.
O'Brien, who had sent out Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) to win this in 2020 and 2022, was not surprised by the outcome. “He's a very talented horse,” he said. “He's still learning and is still a big baby. I knew he'd stay well and he went through the gears nicely from halfway, was good and tough in the last furlong and got to the line strong.”
“He's going to have no problem getting further, as he relaxes good and he's got a really good temperament,” he added. “It was a fantastic ride by Dylan and I'm so delighted for Barry Fowler, who's in the partnership with Sam McCauley, who's been such a huge supporter of ours for the last number of years and it's so special to win a group 1 for them. We knew whatever happened the last day, we were going to be better for the run after his lay-off and I thought he was really impressive. Dylan felt that he idled in front. He's top-notch. “I see him more as a miler, so I suppose he could go for the Lagardere or the Breeders' Cup.”
Three of Fidaaha (Ire) (New Approach {Ire})'s first four foals have now won at group level, with her first being the winner's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and G3 Prix Imprudence-winning full-sister Malavath (Ire) who was also and runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and G1 Prix de la Foret. She was followed by Mehmas's G3 Horris Hill Stakes-winning Knight (Ire), who was also second in the G2 Celebration Mile, while Fidaaha is a full-sister to the G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes winner Ceisteach (Ire) and a half to the dual group 3 winner and dual group 1-placed Steip Amach (Ire) (Vocalised {USA}).
G1 Moyglare S. goes to O’Brien’s Frankel filly but not the favourite
Most were expecting that Aidan O'Brien would be welcoming back a 10th winner of The Curragh's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on Sunday and that it would be an unbeaten daughter of Frankel (GB), but few would have predicted that it would be 2-year-old filly Lake Victoria (Ire) and not Bedtime Story (Ire). Lake Victoria is now unbeaten in three starts.
Anchored in last early by Wayne Lordan, the daughter of the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and G1 Commonwealth Cup heroine Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) benefitted from the overly-fast pace carved out by the yard's number one. Bedtime Story was going to have to be every bit as good as she had looked at Royal Ascot to maintain the stern gallop she set, but by the time the 4-5 favourite had reached the furlong pole it was starting to look ominous.
With all four others striving to the line as that market-leader caved in, it was the 11-2 shot Lake Victoria who came over the top 100 yards out and prevail by 1.25 lengths from Al Shaqab Racing's G2 Prix du Calvados winner Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). The other Ballydoyle trainee Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was another short head back in third as Bedtime Story wound up a tired last of the quintet in this 'Win and You're In' GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf qualifier.
Aidan O'Brien was not completely surprised by the outcome. “When she won here the first day, she got to the front and was very green and she won very impressively at Newmarket, so she's a very classy filly,” he said. “It's a possibility she could go to the Cheveley Park. We ran her here with the thought in our head that she could be a Cheveley Park filly–that was the plan. We wanted to take our time on her, let her relax and not give her a tough race and Wayne gave her a brilliant ride. She's fast, she's by Frankel but she's made like a sprinter.”
Lake Victoria's aforementioned dam Quiet Reflection, who also captured the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes and G3 Cornwallis Stakes, produced as her first foal the stable's G2 Dante Stakes-placed Bluegrass (Ire) by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire). A granddaughter of the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy winner Clare Hills (Ire) (Orpen) from the family of Fear And Greed (Ire) (Brief Truce) who was second in this and the Kentucky Derby hero and leading sire Alysheba (USA).
Bradsell adds another Group 1 and franks Asfoora form
Backing up his success in last month's G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Victorious Racing's Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) proved he is a sprinter to be reckoned with by doubling up in Sunday's G1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh. Australian Asfoora (Flying Artie) was fourth in the Nunthorpe S.
Prominent throughout under Hollie Doyle, the Archie Watson-trained 2-1 favourite was committed two out and stayed on strongly to score by 1.25 lengths from compatriot Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to bring his group 1 win tally to three having also conquered last year's G1 King's Stand Stakes. Another Brit Makarova (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) was the same margin back in third, with the first six home all hailing from England. With the victory, Bradsell has punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November.
“I thought he was by far the best sprinter around and I hope he's showing people that he is,” trainer Archie Watson declared. “He's so fast and so tough and just a pleasure to have anything to do with. At the beginning of last year we were going down the Commonwealth Cup route as he had won a Coventry over a stiff six and I didn't even have him in the King's Stand, but he wasn't really finishing off over six. Luckily, we were able to supplement him for the King's Stand and it's been five since then.”
“I wouldn't mind trying an easy six, but I don't see why. He's so good at five, there are plenty of group 1s to run in and the two more obvious races–the Abbaye and the Breeder's Cup in Del Mar. I wouldn't want it to be horrible ground and the draw stupid at Longchamp, so the Breeder's Cup should be right up his street. One or both of those would be the plan.”
Bradsell's dam Russian Punch (GB) (Archipenko {USA}), who captured the seven-furlong Listed Radley Stakes, hails from the family of the G1 Middle Park Stakes hero Mister Majestic (Ire) and the G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Homme De Loi (Ire).
