SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here ALABAMA SLAMMA STAR TURN This year=s GI TVG Alabama S. at Saratoga features a Having made waves when capturing the G1 July Cup stellar six-horse line-up. GI Acorn winner It=s Tricky on Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}), Britain's flagship female (Mineshaft) faces GI Kentucky Oaks victress Plum jockey Hayley Turner followed up with a major sprint Pretty (Medaglia d=Oro) again after their thrilling battle double in York's G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. on the in the GI CCA Oaks July 24, while Inglorious 3-year-old filly Margot Did (Ire) (Hennessy), the best 3-year-old in Canada of either sex, (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) will attempt to transfer her outstanding Polytrack form yesterday. Ignored at 20-1 after in a return to conventional a latest fourth in the July 2 dirt. There are no slouches G3 Sandown Sprint, the bay in the supporting cast, was drawn on the right side as either. J “TDN Rising the stand's-rail runners Star” J Royal Delta dominated the closing stages of (Empire Maker) confirmed this renewal. Grabbing Hamish her early promise with a McGonagall (GB) (Namid {GB}) sharp win in the GII Black- with a furlong remaining, she Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico in asserted to beat that rival by May, but missed an 3/4 of a length. Her rider was Royal Delta intended start in the still reeling from the Horsephotos GI Mother Goose S. the achievement afterwards. "I can't following month with a believe it--I'm overwhelmed by it Hayley Turner and Margot Did foot bruise. She was a bit too fresh in the CCA Oaks all," she said. "People ask me if Racing Post photo and wound up third. AShe didn=t settle well, she didn=t it was more difficult getting rate well,@ said trainer Bill Mott. AShe was a little strong where I am being a girl, but I think it was more difficult with the rider [Jose Lezcano] early on and I think it for [trainer] Michael Bell to push the owners to put me compromised her finish.@ Well-bred for today=s on the horses. It's brilliant that I can pay him back." 10-furlong distance, the dark bay will go on the block in Cont. p2-3 November as part of the Prince Saud bin Khaled dispersal, and a Grade I victory would add just that little Havre de Grace going to Woodward...........p9 bit to an already strong catalogue page. AShe=s a very nice filly and whoever buys her is going to be very lucky,@ Mott said. AShe=s from a good family. I would think she=s not only a good racing prospect, but a good broodmare prospect.@ Cont. p5 SHOWDOWN AT THE SHORE An well-matched field will line up for today=s GI Del Mar Oaks, with Team Valor International=s Summer Soiree (War Front) getting the narrow nod on the morning line as she invades from the East. The Brereton and Bret Jones-bred bay took the GIII Bourbonette Oaks over Turfway=s Polytrack Mar. 26 by 10 3/4 lengths for her breeders and Wahoo Partners, prompting Barry Irwin=s outfit to purchase her privately and turn her over to Graham Motion. Summer Soiree was a well-beaten 10th in the May 6 GI Kentucky Oaks, but relished the sod in her first try on it, romping by 8 1/2 lengths in Monmouth=s GIII Boiling Spring S. June 25. Show horse Hessonite (Freud) beat the boys in a New York-bred stake at the Spa Aug. 11, and fourth-place finisher Salary Drive (Mizzen Mast) looked good scoring in the Dauphin Miss S. at Penn National July 29. Cont. p6 www.coolmore.com P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 8/20/11 • PAGE 2 of 12 • thoroughbreddailynews.com FEATURE PRESENTATION • G1 NUNTHORPE S. Friday, York, Britain COOLMORE NUNTHORPE S.-G1, ,240,000, York, 8-19, 2yo/up, 5fT, :59.66, gd/sf. 1B@sMARGOT DID (IRE), 132, f, 3, by Exceed and Excel (Aus) 1st Dam: Special Dancer (GB), by Shareef Dancer 2nd Dam: Caraniya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) 3rd Dam: Callianire (Ire), by Sir Gaylord (i16,000 yrl >09 GOFOPN; 10,000gns 2yo >10 TATGNS). O-Tim Redman & Peter Philipps; B-N Hartery; T-Michael Bell; J-Hayley Turner; ,156,066. Lifetime Record: 13-5-3-2, ,263,184. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: C+. 2--Hamish McGonagall (GB), 137, g, 6, Namid (GB)-- Anatase (GB), by Danehill. (15,000gns wnlg >05 TATDEC; 17,000gns yrl >06 DONSEP). O-Reality Partnerships I; B-J P Coggan & Whitsbury Manor Stud; T-Tim Easterby; ,59,168. 3--Prohibit (GB), 137, g, 6, Oasis Dream (GB)--Well Warned (GB), by Warning (GB). (85,000gns HIT >09 TATHIT). O-Dasmal, Rix, Barr, Morley, Mrs Penney; B-Juddmonte Farms; T-Robert Cowell; ,29,612. Margins: 3/4, HF, HD. Odds: 20-1, 28-1, 12-1. Also Ran: Kingsgate Native (Ire), Wizz Kid (Ire), Hoof It (GB), Captain Dunne (Ire), Masamah (Ire), Bated Breath (GB), Swiss Diva (GB), Tiddliwinks (GB), Breathless Kiss, Requinto (Ire), Piccadilly Filly (Ire), Inxile (Ire). Scratched: Sole Power (GB), Invincible Ash (Ire). Click for the Racing Post chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, courtesy Racing UK. For much of last term, it was a case of Margot Didn't, as the consistent hold-up performer kept producing visually impressive efforts from behind, but continued to find one or two too good at the business end. She played the bridesmaid in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot in June and the G3 Princess Margaret S. back there in July. The bay also looked unlucky in the G2 Lowther S. at this meeting when failing by 3/4 of a length to reel in Hooray (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). After a third in the Listed Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury the following month, Margot Did was again behind Hooray when fifth on her final juvenile outing in the G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket in October. Not tempted by a Guineas bid, connections opted to continue down the sprinting route which has proved so difficult for fillies of her age group in the past, and her return third in the Apr. 27 Listed Pavilion S. at Ascot suggested she would also struggle this term. Cont. p3 859.873.7270 www.airdriestud.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/20/11 • PAGE 3 of 12 • thoroughbreddailynews.com Coolmore Nunthorpe S. cont. Margot Did, who had excuses when her saddle slipped as she stayed on for fourth in a conditions race over this track and trip May 12, finally broke through under more aggressive tactics when recording a five-length verdict in the Listed Scurry S. over this trip at Sandown June 11. Following up a week later in the Listed Land o'Burns Fillies' S. at Ayr, she was unable to land a blow from an unfavorable draw in the Sandown Sprint when last seen July 2. This time, her post position proved the key as the pack racing near the stand's side appeared to hold the call throughout the frantic early stages. Always traveling strongly as she tracked Hamish McGonagall, she took on that rival inside the final quarter as Captain Dunne (Ire) (Captain Rio {GB}) briefly threatened against the fence. With her rivals racing up the centre and far side already dead in the water by the furlong marker, she was given the command there, and quickly wrapped up the contest to scamper clear. "I thought a Group 1 would be stretching her, ability-wise, but obviously not," Turner explained. "At the start of the year, I thought I'd stick with her, as she might take me places and she has. It hasn't always gone her way and I've only just figured out that she likes a lot of daylight. We were holding her up before and she has loads of speed, so we decided to keep it simple. She's got one gear at the end, so you just have to save it for as long as you can. She's probably the smallest filly in the field, but she's very tough and just blasted." Michael Bell added, "Last year, Trainer Tim Easterby was delighted with the career- she was unlucky, especially in the Lowther, and in best effort from Hamish McGonagall. "I thought we'd hindsight she may well have been. This year she won got there, but the winner was always with us,@ he told the Listed at Sandown by five lengths and not many PA Sport. We couldn't have asked any more from him sprints are won like that, so she looked good then. In to do what he's just done. We'll go for the Abbaye." that race, because we wanted to take advantage of a Hoof It (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}), who was sent off good draw, we made the running and in doing so found the 11-4 favorite, failed to provide his veteran trainer the key to her by default. We found that she was Mick Easterby with a fairytale win. After being out of happy bowling along and today, from a long way out, his ground a few lengths off the pace in the centre, he she was one of the few on the bridle. I thought it was closed to a respectable sixth at the line.