Skitter Scatter Puts Oxx Back on Classic Trail
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TUESDAY, 30 APRIL 2019 THE WEEKLY WRAP: CLASSIC CLUES SKITTER SCATTER PUTS OXX by Emma Berry BACK ON CLASSIC TRAIL It may be the Guineas in Newmarket this weekend but racing results of the past week have had minds turning to Epsom, particularly those from Sandown last Friday. The G3 Bet365 Classic Trial provided a one-two for breeders David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud as Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) led Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) up the hill. The impressive winner not only gave his young sire another exciting first-crop Derby prospect but continued a fine early season romp for King Power Racing, Silvestre de Sousa and Andrew Balding. That same trio also looks set to be represented by European Free H. winner Shine So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Saturday. In a race so frequently dominated by the offspring of his sire Galileo (Ire), Australia has a clutch of sons going forward for the Derby at this stage, including the impressive Broome (Ire), who brushed his rivals aside with consummate ease when coming from last to first in an eight-length rout in the G3 Ballysax S. Cont. p3 Skitter Scatter with Stephanie Roussel in the irons | Emma Berry by Emma Berry KILDARE, IrelandCIt may be less than a week until Ireland's champion 2-year-old filly of 2018 steps back onto the track for her seasonal debut in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas but at John Oxx's Currabeg Stables there's little hint that this is anything other than an ordinary Monday morning, despite the gaggle of cameramen in attendance. Since taking out his training licence, Oxx has seen 40 Flat seasons come and go, though it's unlikely that the measured horseman was any more ruffled at the start of his career than he is now. Calmness pervades his yard on The Curragh and that atmosphere permeates through to Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), trained last year with some panache by Patrick Prendergast. The Broome | Racing Post only skitter-scattering in the vicinity comes from the young lambs chasing their mothers as the horses pass by on their way out to exercise. Since February, Oxx and Prendergast have worked in tandem, IN TDN AMERICA TODAY the former's name on the licence, and the latter's stable star, BELLAFINA TABBED MORNING-LINE OAKS FAVOURITE owned by her co-breeders Anthony and Sonia Rogers of Airlie MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road) was made the May 3 GI Kentucky Stud, among those horses to have moved from Melitta Stable to Oaks favorite when the race was drawn on Monday. Click or tap join Oxx's string. Cont. p2 here to go straight to TDN America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 13 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 30 APRIL 2019 Skitter Scatter Cont. from p1 appeared, starting with the 2000 Guineas exactly 10 years ago "Patrick is here with me and has given me any information that this Thursday. I need about her and will pass comments as we go along about But all trainers know that the important thing is to keep how she reacts to different things, but I must say she's a pretty looking forward, and no doubt the many racing fans who have straightforward filly," says Oxx as his long-term employee followed Oxx over the years would look forward to nothing Stephanie Roussel warms up Skitter Scatter in the trotting ring. more than cheering home another Classic winner for him this "She's a bit light and she doesn't weigh a lot so we have to be Sunday. With only 16 fillies remaining in the 1000 Guineas at the careful in that regard, to keep her thriving the best we can. All five-day confirmation stage, Skitter Scatter clearly ranks as one Patrick's experience of her last year has been invaluable." of the leading chances, though, in typical fashion, her trainer is Indeed, Skitter Scatter would not getting ahead of himself. not look out of place among this "In Newmarket, a lot depends season's 2-year-olds, though Oxx on the size of the field and the believes she has grown a little draw, and what's drawn close to over the winter. "Patrick tells me you or far away from you,@ he she has, though she has only says. AThat can be a big factor in been here since the end of the Guineas. It's 10 years since January," he says, before listing Sea The Stars so it's nice to come the attributes of the filly who back with a live chance," he progressed from a maiden victory admits. over five furlongs on Dundalk's A relatively mild spring in all-weather surface last April to Ireland has enabled Skitter climb the grades with three Scatter to cast off her winter coat consecutive group victories, and she appears the picture of culminating in her G1 Moyglare contentment as she whips in the Stud S. win at her home track. Oxx string across The Curragh to Oxx adds, "She's 15.2 and a nice John Oxx | Emma Berry an oval sand canter which has the length with a good action. She has a very economical stride. racecourse's magnificent new grandstand as a strikingly modern When you have good horses you're always looking at them and counterpoint to the ancient terrain of the training grounds. wondering 'why are they good?', and in her case she's not a big, "I always find it's tough with 3-year-old fillies in the strong athlete that you could pick out at 100 yards but she has a springtime," says Oxx, who has enjoyed this vista, bar the lot of good qualities. She has a grand temperament and she's a modern architecture, for a lifetime, his father, John Sr. having trier, and she has a fluency in her stride. Horses with ability bought Currabeg in the year his son was born. "For some reason come in all shapes and sizes." they can struggle with it and then when they turn four they sail Oxx would know, as he has had plenty with ability through his through it, but we're pretty happy with her work and her coat hands over the decades, not least the statuesque Sea The Stars has come on well. She was a bit backward for a while but she (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who lit up each of the six months in has really come on in the last month and we're still only in the which he raced in 2009, gathering a Group 1 every time he last week of April." Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 30 APRIL 2019 Vice President, International Operations Gary King Twitter: @garykingTDN [email protected] + 1.732.320.0975 International Editor Kelsey Riley Skitter Scatter with Stephanie Roussel aboard (turquoise jacket) and Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN the rest of the Oxx string at ease near flock of sheep | Emma Berry [email protected] European Editor Skitter Scatter Cont. Emma Berry He continues, "Patrick has always said that she didn't take Twitter: @collingsberry much work, but she ran in March last year so he had her fit and [email protected] then kept her ticking over between her races, which were at regular intervals through to September. It's a little bit different Associate International Editor this time around as she hasn't raced since September and it's Heather Anderson the 1000 Guineas and it's her first run of the season, so she has Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN to work a bit more than he might have worked her last year. Marketing Manager We've had to try to get the balance right but she is an Alayna Cullen experienced horse now so that helps. Sometimes trainers find Twitter: @AlaynaCullen themselves with an inexperienced horse going into the Guineas [email protected] and it's a big task for them, but she is very experienced so we have that in her favour." Contributing Editor Also in her favour is the fact that her trainer has a little Alan Carasso experience of his own, as his 12 Classic winners can testify. One Twitter: @EquinealTDN more would doubtless be welcomed to christen a promising new Cafe Racing partnership. Sean Cronin Tom Frary [email protected] Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey Classic Clues Cont. from p1 Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | Andrew Caulfield John Berry | Kevin Blake While Broome is trained by Aidan O'Brien, Buckhurst (Ire), who made a winning debut that same day at Leopardstown, hails from the Joseph O'Brien stable and has Poule d'Essai IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY des Poulains winner The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo BACKING UP: AUSTRALIA VERSUS EUROPE {Ire}) and Arc winner Solemia (Fr) (Poliglote John Boyce examines the different methods of training {GB}) among his close relatives. Australian and European trainers utilize to suit their local Cont. p4 conditions. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 13 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 30 APRIL 2019 Sparkling Return for Sea Of Faith's family as her full-brother Shraaoh (Ire) won Two years ago, Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi ({Ire}) may have the G1 Sydney Cup a little over a fortnight ago. The 6-year-old caught the Ballydoyle camp by surprise when winning the Derby was the product of the first mating of his dam Jumooh (GB)--by at 40-1 but his half-sister, >TDN Rising Star= Sparkle Roll (Fr) Monsun (Ger) and a great granddaughter of Height Of Fashion (Kingman {GB}) is already a much shorter price for the Oaks as (Fr)--with Sea The Stars after being bought by Ling Tsui for she also graced Sandown's winner's enclosure on a card replete i450,000 at Arqana back in 2011.