Amazing Almanzor Reigns Supreme
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SUNDAY, 16TH OCTOBER 2016 EBN EUROPEAN BLOODSTOCK NEWS FOR MORE INFORMATION: TEL: +44 (0) 1638 666512 • FAX: +44 (0) 1638 666516 • [email protected] • WWW.BLOODSTOCKNEWS.EU START TALKING | STALLION TALK | SALES TALK | STAKES FIELDS TODAY’S HEADLINES RACING REVIEW AMAZING ALMANZOR REIGNS SUPREME The Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club and Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes hero picture courtesy of RACINGFOTOS.COM Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) [pictured right] confirmed himself as the best of his generation yesterday at Ascot with a devastating performance in the Gr.1 Champion Stakes, the feature race at Ascot on British Champions Day, for master trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. Settled on the rail in around fifth position by Christophe Soumillon with Midterm (Galileo) for company and being tracked by the Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Found (Galileo), he sliced through the field the straight and showed “He’s a super horse. I would rank him very highly against all the excellent acceleration, bursting to the lead in the final furlong horses I have ever trained. It’s fantastic to win this race and fantastic and beating the admirable Found into second again by two to win a Gr.1 race here. I have won this race before with Literato, but lengths. Jack Hobbs (Halling) returned after 168 days off the that was when it was run at Newmarket. I love to come here and I track to take third and My Dream Boat (Lord Shanakill) returned love to win races here.” fourth of the ten runners. Bred by Haras d’Etreham, the winner is out of the unraced Rouget confirmed that he will return to training next year after Darkova (Maria’s Mon) and was purchased by his trainer for his winter break and said: “I love this horse. It was always the plan to €100,000 as a yearling at Arqana. His second dam, Darkara (Halling), come here since the summer. I didn’t change my mind on what I was is a Listed-winning half-sister to the Gr.3-placed Zilzal mare going to do and I’m glad I didn’t. Darinska, dam of the multiple Gr.1 victrix Darjina. The third dam “The pace of the race was a bit too slow to begin with but, at the Daralbayda (Doyoun) is a Gr.3-placed half-sister to the Gr.3-placed four-furlong post, the race started to get faster. It’s not like in France dam of the sire Darsi, who also won the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club. because sometimes you are blocked because the pace is so slow but Darkova has a yearling colt by Falco, catalogued as Lot 4 in the here it is easier to find a gap at the important time. Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, selling on Tuesday. CALL: +44 (0) 1638 66 65 12 1 RACING REVIEW EBN: SUNDAY, 16TH OCTOBER 2016 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES Three-year-old Minding gained her seventh Gr.1 and became the first filly since 1987 to capture the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Le Havre yesterday. The Aidan O’Brien-trained daughter of Galileo was B. (Ire) 2006 - Noverre - Marie Rheinberg sent off as hot favourite under Ryan Moore as she stepped back to a mile for the first time since the Guineas. She broke well on the far side and followed the pacesetter Barchan (War Front), who is trained by Roger Varian for Godolphin. He was attacked on either side by the Gr.1 Prix Jacques Le Marois winner and fellow Godolphin runner Ribchester (Iffraaj) and the filly entering the final furlong and, as soon as the latter hit the front, she stayed on gamely to win by half a length from that rival, with Lightning Spear (Pivotal) a length away in third. The victory was the first on British Champions Day for Moore and it gave O’Brien his 21st Gr.1 win this year. She has now won eight of her twelve starts and been placed in all the others. Her previous Gr.1 wins this year were the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Pretty Polly Stakes and the Nassau Stakes, and she was third behind Almanzor and Found in the Gr.1 Irish Champions Stakes on her last start. O’Brien said: “I can’t say enough about her. I’d imagine that would be it now for her for the rest of the year. The plan was to come here and try and win, and maybe the lads will now bring her back to race again next year. They’ll sit down and talk about that now, but hopefully she can race again. She’s an incredible filly. A filly who can get a mile and a half, and then go and do that over this sort of trip is very special.” Bred by Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt, she is the second foal of the Gr.1 Coronation Stakes and Gr.1 Matron Stakes winner Lillie Langtry (Danehill Dancer), whose first is last season’s Irish PROVEN CLASSIC SIRE Gr.3 winner Kissed By Angels and whose third, two-year-old How, has been placed in three maidens and was last seen Sire of 2 CLASSIC winners finishing sixth in the Gr.3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot. The in the last 3 years three are all by Galileo, who is also the sire of her yearling, another filly. A half-sister to the Listed winner Count Of Limonade (Duke (conceived at €5,000 fee) Of Marmalade), Lillie Langtry is out of the unraced Darshaan mare Hoity Toity, whose dam is a half-sister to the Group winners 2016 Yearlings have sold up to and sires Lead On Time and Great Commotion, both by Nureyev. €520,000 FILLIES & MARES Second last year in this race on good to soft ground, Journey (Dubawi) gained her first victory at the highest level when running away with the British Champions Fillies & Mares for John Gosden and owner/breeder George Strawbridge. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, she tracked the pacesetter Pretty Perfect (Galileo) and took it up in the final furlong. She showed an excellent turn of foot to pull an impressive four lengths clear of the dual Gr.1 winner Speedy Boarding (Shamardal) and Queen’s Trust (Dansili), who were split by a neck on the line. The favourite, Seventh Heaven (Galileo) met trouble in running when caught on the rail early doors, but did not have the speed when given daylight in the final furlong to make an impact and returned fifth LA CRESSONNIÈRE of the 13 runners. Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Gr.1 Prix de Diane in 2016 A quirky filly, she ditched William Buick before entering the stalls on her racecourse debut and did not break her maiden until her fifth outing. The penny has dropped since last summer and LA CAUVINIÈRE she has not been out of the first three in seven starts, which SYLVAIN VIDAL +33 (0)6 20 99 10 15 • [email protected] includes three Listed successes, victory in the Gr.3 Pinnacle Stakes MATHIEU ALEX +33 (0)6 26 59 19 18 • [email protected] and her second here last year. Gosden said: “I said to Frankie, ‘just try to settle where you can’ 2 CALL: +44 (0) 1638 66 65 12 RACING REVIEW EBN: SUNDAY, 16TH OCTOBER 2016 and she’ll tell you when she’s happy, and he rode her beautifully. She LONG DISTANCE CUP showed great acceleration; she was just caught out last year when The opener went to seven-year-old Sheikhzayadroad (Dubawi), the ground was just too soft, but it was a marvellous effort given that who followed up his Gr.2 Doncaster Cup victory last month with a she was beaten by the St Leger winner, Simple Verse. thrilling victory in the Gr.2 Long Distance Cup for David Simcock “She’s a fabulous filly and has beaten an exceptional filly in Speedy and Mohammed Jaber. Boarding, who won the Prix de l’Opera just 13 days ago. She is a bit Ridden by Marin Harley, he tracked the pace which was set by quirky at home - she’s one of those fillies that you don’t argue with. Nearly Caught (New Approach) and Quest For More (Teofilo), She’s got her mind set on what she wants to do and you go with her. who was a nose second to him at Doncaster last time and went on If you try and impose your will upon her she will quickly tell you what to win the Gr.1 Prix du Cadran. Quickening in the final half-mile, to do.” he pressed the leaders at the furlong marker and, with three in a It was confirmed after the race that Speedy Boarding will be line, he forged clear to win by half a length from Quest For More, retired and will look to book a date with Dubawi for next year. while the filly Simple Verse (Duke Of Marmalade) finishing well Journey is out of the Gr.1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Montare for third. The Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-third and favourite (Montjeu), a half-sister to the Listed Prix Isonomy-third Destare Order Of St George (Galileo) was settled towards the rear by (Desert Prince), from the family of the European Group winners Ryan Moore and, although he was pulled wide to challenge Feu De Guerre and Wizard King, as well as the Champion Two- around the home turn, he drifted back in and, when sent about Year-Old filly Sovereign.