Tdn Europe • Page 2 of 7 • Thetdn.Com Wednesday • 30 December 2020
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WEDNESDAY, 30 DECEMBER 2020 RACING REVIEW OF ADDITIONAL COVID ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS ANNOUNCED IN UK THE YEAR: PART I As there is currently an increased rate of transmission of COVID-19 in the UK, British racing leaders have agreed with the UK Government to impose more stringent racemeeting restrictions beginning on Jan. 1, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Tuesday. Under the new restrictions, no owners will be permitted to attend Tier 4 race meetings and essential staff only are allowed at meetings in Tier 4 areas. In addition, no owners living in Tier 4 will be permitted to attend race meetings in Tiers 1-3. These restrictions also apply to Scotland in areas which are under Level 4 restrictions. Owners are also encouraged to check with individual racecourses before attending. Owners attending race meetings in Tiers 2 and 3 are reminded that they must comply with the BHA=s protocols, as well as national guidance. Cont. p5 In the year of COVID, Aidan O=Brien watches from Ballydoyle with his wife Annemarie as Serpentine wins the Derby | Racingfotos.com IN TDN AMERICA TODAY By Tom Frary TDN DERBY TOP 12 FOR DEC. 30 The Classic Generation The first edition of the TDN Derby Top 12 will kick off in At the start of June, with France and Germany having already Wednesday’s TDN from T.D. Thornton. Click or tap here to go crept cautiously back into play after the COVID full-stop, Britain straight to TDN America. joined in with the beginning of a flourish of catch-up fare. In under a week of racing, we had a new star to gaze at, and time experts were in awe of Bjorn Nielsen's English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). While he looked super-slick in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, he was to be given the justifiably dreaded number one draw at Epsom and gave up any chance in the first handful of yards in the blue riband itself. His tardiness was punished by a performance of front-running power rarely seen in the Derby from Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose rise from obscurity to the sacred heights was astonishing even given that he emanated from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stable. Neither English King nor Serpentine were able to finish in the first three again, while the other main players at Epsom also disappeared almost without trace, giving the Coronavirus renewal a shabby look in general. Arguably the best horse to come out of the Classic was Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), whose finest hours came in the international tests of the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Hong Kong Vase. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 7 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • 30 DECEMBER 2020 Racing Review of the Year Cont. from p1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp to another high-class son of Beaten convincingly by Kingman in Persian King (Ire). Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch None of the first three home in the {Ire}) in York's G2 Great Voltigeur Guineas will be with us next term S., the classiest member of the for varying reasons and that millionaire offspring of Shastye situation was confounded with the (Ire) (Danehill) shot up the recent announcement that the G1 rankings on Sunday and it will be St Leger hero Galileo Chrome (Ire) fascinating to witness the clashes (Australia {GB}) has also been between the prides of Ballydoyle retired. and Willie Muir's Lambourn base Aidan O'Brien will have much to in 2021. If the Derby was a look forward to over the winter, disappointing affair, the G1 2000 however, as Love (Ire) (Galileo Guineas, held four weeks earlier, {Ire}) will be back after a brief but at least stood up where the electrifying campaign which saw juvenile form was concerned as her become the latest and possibly Qatar Racing's Kameko (Kitten's the easiest 1000 Guineas-Epsom Joy) held off the ill-fated Wichita Oaks double act. Denied a run in (Ire) (No Nay Never) and 2019 the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe champion Pinatubo (Ire) Love stretches clear in the Oaks | Racingfotos.com as the ground began to deteriorate (Shamardal) at Newmarket. rapidly across Europe from the Pinatubo came up short again next time in Royal Ascot's G1 St end of September, she was spared the ordeal faced by the likes James's Palace S. behind Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) before of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the landing the G1 Prix Jean Prat and finishing runner-up in the G1 Stars {Ire}) at ParisLongchamp. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 7 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • 30 DECEMBER 2020 Racing Review of the Year Cont. It was Gestut Schlenderhan's G1 Deutsches Derby hero In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) who ended up in the mix of the year's best European Classic winners as he earned second in the Arc. In France, the John Gosden-trained Mishriff (Ire) (Make Senior Vice President Gary King Believe {GB}) upstaged the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Twitter: @garykingTDN Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club garyking@thetdn.com on the day that Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) denied the + 1.732.320.0975 G1 Coronation S. winner Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo International Editor {Ire}) in a strong edition of the G1 Prix de Diane. The Niarchos Kelsey Riley Family's Alpine Star, who had the misfortune to run up against Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN Palace Pier in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, and Tarnawa (Ire) kelseynriley@thetdn.com (Shamardal) in the G1 Prix de l'Opera, where the G1 Prix Jean European Editor Romanet and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Emma Berry Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was back in third, could Twitter: @collingsberry prove to be the most intriguing of all the French Classic players emmaberry@thetdn.com to emerge next season. Associate International Editor Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen alaynacullen@thetdn.com Contributing Editors Alan Carasso Christina Bossinakis Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Tom Frary Mishriff | Scoop Dyga caferacing@thetdn.com Of Ireland's Classic winners, there is a sense that they Irish Correspondent operated below the usual level in 2020. Khalid Abdullah's G1 Daithi Harvey Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin (First Defence), the aforementioned Peaceful, the Oaks heroine Even So (Ire) Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake (Camelot {GB}) and Derby scorer Santiago (Ire) (Authorized Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele {Ire}) all failed to win again. That underlines a general weakness in Classic form throughout the year, with all the customary patterns and staging posts disturbed or wiped out by the Spring lockdown. The last-named was unable to subdue his compatriot IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY Galileo Chrome in the Leger, but he is being trained with the staying "Cup" races in mind in 2021 and looks tailor-made for 2020 RAPID REFLECTIONS WITH CRAIG ROUNSEFELL the division Aidan O'Brien has reaped such rich dividends in. Boomer Bloodstock’s Craig Rounsefell shares his quick take on Cont. p4 2020. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. $30.5M SAUDI CUP DAY 2021 THE SAUDI CUP 1800 metres / 9 furlongs - Dirt, Total Race Value: $20,000,000. THE LONG DISTANCE TURF HANDICAP 3000 metres / 1 mile 7 furlongs - Turf, Total Race Value: $2,500,000. THE OBAIYA ARABIAN CLASSIC 2000 metres / 10 furlongs - Dirt, Total Race Value: $2,000,000. THE RIYADH DIRT SPRINT 1200 metres / 6 furlongs - Dirt, Total Race Value: $1,500,000. THE SAUDI DERBY 1600 metres / 1 mile - Dirt, Total Race Value: $1,500,000. THE MIDDLE DISTANCE TURF CUP 2100 metres / 10½ furlongs - Turf, Total Race Value: $1,000,000. THE 1351 TURF SPRINT 1351 metres / 6¾ furlongs - Turf, Total Race Value: $1,000,000. Closing date for entries: 5 January 2021 Free to Enter, Free to Run. Free stabling & shipping. Free travel & accommodation for connections in accordance with the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia rules. Find out more at www.thesaudicup.com.sa or contact saudicup@irbracing.com TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 7 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • 30 DECEMBER 2020 designed to showcase the breed. Stradivarius, whose tame exit from the action in the G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup gave cause for concern, will be back at the track in June hoping for better ground as he bids for a fourth Gold Cup. Champions Day saw the continued rise of Hollie Doyle, who was nominated for the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and already the recipient of the Sports Journalists' Association Sportswoman of the Year among others. At this stage, she is almost guaranteed to become the first female champion jockey in her native country with her momentum set to continue at a relentless pace. A Classic win in 2021 too, perhaps? Cieren Fallon, Jr., who took the G1 July Cup on Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}), is another young rider on the rise with his style so reminiscent of his oh-so-talented father. Other headline acts in 2020 were Shadwell's high-class miler Ghaiyyath | Racingfotos.com Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who won a G1 Sussex S. which stands up to any recent renewal, the same operation's The Older Horses imperturbable sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and This was supposed to be the year of Enable, as Juddmonte's Peter Brant's Arc hero Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Battaash will monarch returned to her stomping ground, but it actually turned be back again next term, bidding to add to his remarkable tally out to be the year of Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).