Al Shaqab, Palmer Strike Guineas Gold
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SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 MAURICE, CHAUTAUQUA CENTER STAGE AL SHAQAB, PALMER Japan=s Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) STRIKE GUINEAS GOLD and Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), in line for a similar honor in his home country for the 2015-2016 racing season, are the marquee names for the G1 Champions Mile and G1 Chairman=s Sprint Prize, respectively, Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong. Just one foreign raider, South Africa=s Variety Club (SAf) (Var) in 2014, has managed to defeat the always-tough locally based milers, while the Chairman=s Sprint Prize has been upgraded to Group 1 status for the first time and fills the gap created by the cancellation of the G1 KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore. AThe Champions Mile and Chairman=s Sprint Prize have attracted sensational fields,@ commented Anthony Kelly, the executive director, racing business and operations for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. including super stars of world renown in Maurice, Chautauqua and Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), and, in an exciting sub-plot, we have some of Hong Kong=s most prodigious rising stars pitching in to test their mettle against those world heavyweights.@ Cont. p19 Frankie Dettori punches the air after winning the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas aboard Galileo Gold | Racing Post MORE DERBY WORKERS AT CHURCHILL With Air Force Blue (War Front) putting in a no-show in Brody=s Cause (Giant=s Causeway) and Exaggerator (Curlin) Saturday=s G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, it was left to turned in works ahead of next Saturday=s GI Kentucky Derby. Al Shaqab Racing=s Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) to record a Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. commanding success at 14-1 and provide the operation with a first British Classic victory. Initially taking the far-side group along in exuberant fashion under Frankie Dettori before accepting a lead, last year=s G2 Vintage S. winner--who was last seen finishing third in Longchamp=s G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-- regained the advantage with two furlongs remaining. Despite drifting across to the stand=s rail, the chestnut--who holds an Epsom Derby entry and was also registering a landmark win for trainer Hugo Palmer--comfortably beat Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) by 1 1/2 lengths, with Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) two lengths away in third. The 4-5 favourite, Air Force Blue, only beat one home, the G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), after looking in trouble after halfway. AIt=s such a great team effort and Hugo is a young trainer who has trained this horse brilliantly,@ Al Shaqab=s Harry Herbert commented. AThis is very special--the greatest thrill of all.@ QIPCO 2000 Guineas cont. p2 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 2 of 23 $ THETDN.COM SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 Saturday, Newmarket, Britain Like five of the last 10 winners of this Classic, Galileo Gold ran QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS S.-G1, ,500,000, NEW, 4-30, 3yo, 8fT, over six furlongs as a 2-year-old and began with a second at that 1:35.91, g/s. trip at York at the end of May before breaking his maiden in 1--&GALILEO GOLD (GB), 126, c, 3, by Paco Boy (Ire) convincing style over the same distance at Salisbury in June. 1st Dam: Galicuix (GB), by Galileo (Ire) Upped to seven on good-to-soft ground in a conditions event at 2nd Dam: Clizia (Ire), by Machiavellian Haydock in early July, he readily doubled his tally, and was 3rd Dam: Cuixmala, by Highest Honor (Fr) bought privately by Al Shaqab before swooping late to capture (7,500gns RNA Wlg >13 TATFOA; i33,000 Ylg >14 TISEP). O-Al the Vintage on rain-softened conditions at the Glorious Shaqab Racing; B-Brian O=Rourke (GB); T-Hugo Palmer; Goodwood meeting later that month. Not seen until finishing a J-Frankie Dettori. ,283,550. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 6-4-1-1, staying-on third to Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) in the Lagardere $651,546. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. on ground that could have been faster than ideal on Arc day, he Werk Nick Rating: A+. was due to take in the French equivalent of this race until 2--Massaat (Ire), 126, c, 3, Teofilo (Ire)--Madany (Ire), by Dettori called for a change of plan after partnering him in a Acclamation (GB). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; recent gallop. B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Owen Burrows. Breaking smartly from the outside one draw to lead until ,107,500. joined and headed by the outsider Zhui Feng (Ire) (Invincible 3--Ribchester (Ire), 126, c, 3, Iffraaj (GB)--Mujarah (Ire), by Spirit {Ire}), Galileo Gold continued to take the eye whereas Marju (Ire). (i78,000 Wlg >13 GOFNOV; i105,000 Ylg >14 attention focused on Air Force Blue became increasingly anxious GOFORB). O-Godolphin; B-A Thompson & M O'Brien (IRE); as Ryan Moore=s body language became less assured. As T-Richard Fahey. ,53,800. Massaat struck for home with the pace collapsing ahead, Dettori Margins: 1HF, 2, HF. Odds: 14.00, 9.00, 33.00. was alive to the threat and sent his mount upsides to challenge Also Ran: Air Vice Marshal, Kentuckyconnection, Zonderland with just over a quarter-mile to race. Veering across to the rail, (GB), First Selection (Spa), Herald The Dawn (Ire), Buratino (Ire), his mind was concentrated when he had that to guide him and Zhui Feng (Ire), Stormy Antarctic (GB), Air Force Blue, Marcel he pulled away from the Shadwell representative with zest in (Ire). the closing stages. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 3 of 23 $ THETDN.COM SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 QIPCO 2000 Guineas cont. He=s a big horse, he=s 16'2 and developing all the time. They AI had a lot of faith in him and I knew we=d be in the first say this is the last 2-year-old race, but he=s not unfurnished--he=s three,@ his rider said 20 years on from his first win in the Classic there now and the world=s his oyster.@ on Mark of Esteem (Ire). AHe had galloped brilliantly, but I had Massaat=s trainer, Owen Burrows, said of the runner-up, AI=m the worst draw and it shows what a good horse he is to do it on very pleased, as he=s run a blinder and there are no excuses. I his own. His main forte is that he stays and he galloped out can=t be disappointed with second in a Guineas. Paul [Hanagan] really strong--he=ll get a mile and a quarter.@ said he=ll get a mile and a quarter, but we=ll have a chat with the Palmer was understandably overwhelmed after greeting his team and make a plan for the rest of the season. Two out, we first British Classic winner and added, AHe=s quite a horse and thought it would take a good one to pass him, but one did.@ Frankie rode the most masterful race on a willing partner. I=ve Ribchester=s trainer Richard Fahey commented, AHe is still a never believed in a horse quite like I believe in this one. I don=t weak horse, who is still maturing. I think he is going to get better know what makes him different, he just keeps getting better. and better as he gets older. He will have a bit of a break now He=s quirky, we have to work with and go straight to Royal Ascot for the [June 14] G1 St James=s him and not against him, but he=s Palace S.@ rewarded us. When we bought From the second crop of the triple Group 1-winning Paco Boy, him, he was out of a sister to a 98- Galileo Gold is the first Classic winner for his Highclere Stud- rated handicapper called based sire. He is the first foal out of Galicuix (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Goldream, but Robert Cowell who as Palmer explained, is a half-sister to the dual Group 1- worked his mastery with that winning sprinter Goldream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Cont. p4 horse and made him a dual Group 1 winner and the fourth dam is Floripedes, the dam of Montjeu. He=s got a real stallion=s page now Galileo Gold & Frankie Dettori and he=s the most gorgeous horse Racing Post physically. I don=t feel that cut in the ground is important to him and it=s no slower than good today.@ His trainer was not ruling out a tilt at the blue riband at Epsom June 4, although he has alternative options. AHe looked like he stayed the mile the best of those that ran there, but none were prominent in the Derby market so I don=t know,@ he said. AHe=s out of a Galileo mare from the family of Montjeu, as I said, and he=s entered in the [G1] Irish 2000 Guineas [at The Curragh, the St James=s Palace S. and the French Derby so we=ll let the dust settle and discuss it. The great thing about racing is that we don=t know until it happens, but we=re Galileo Gold=s Guineas celebration | Racing Post going to have a huge amount of fun finding out. TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 4 of 23 $ THETDN.COM SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 QIPCO 2000 Guineas cont. After winning narrowly at 2-5 in a maiden on Lingfield=s Polytrack later that month, he followed up in a Classified S.