Serpentine Sublime in the Derby Cont
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SUNDAY, 5 JULY 2020 LOVE ROMPS IN THE OAKS SERPENTINE SUBLIME IN Already an emphatic winner of the G1 1000 Guineas, THE DERBY Coolmore=s Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) entered elite territory on Saturday with a nine-length romp in the G1 Investec Oaks at Epsom. While not quite in the arena of the 12-length 1983 heroine Sun Princess (GB), this winning margin equalled that of the 1996 heroine Lady Carla (GB) (Caerleon) and there have been only four fillies in this race=s history to have won by further. Settled behind a duo among the main six-strong group racing adrift of the runaway pacemakers Tiempo Vuela (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) early, the chestnut moved forward to swamp stablemate Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) approaching two out. Powering clear from there, she led home another one-two for Ballydoyle as Ennistymon held off Frankly Darling (GB) (Frankel {GB}) by 3/4 of a length for the runner=s-up spot. Cont. p5 Emmet McNamara looks back and sees no challengers to Serpentine in the Investec Derby | Racing Post By Tom Frary IN TDN AMERICA TODAY It was a clear-record eighth G1 Investec Derby at Epsom on VEKOMA RISES IN RUNHAPPY MET MILE Saturday for Aidan O=Brien, but not necessarily with the Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg} goes wire-to-wire in Belmont’s July expected one as Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) went off on his 4th feature race, the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. Click or tap own under Emmet McNamara and did a ASlip Anchor@ to score here to go straight to TDN America. by 5 1/2 lengths. Always clear at the head of affairs, the previous Saturday=s nine-length Curragh maiden winner was still dangerously out of reach swinging around Tattenham Corner and kept grinding to lead home a shock trifecta. Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}), Andrew Balding=s second string behind the fourth-placed 5-2 favourite Kameko (Kitten=s Joy), held on for second at 50-1 by a half length from Ballydoyle=s 66-1 shot Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Derrick Smith=s son Paul summed up the bizarre turn of events in the most bizarre of years. AWhen you=ve got Galileo and you=ve got Aidan, anything is possible,@ he said. AThey let him go and he just ran for fun. It was an incredible race to watch and once they=d left him alone I thought >this is going to be interesting=. Galileo is the holy one and long may it last.@ Aidan O=Brien was back at base and said, AIt=s unbelievable really. He has some pedigree and we always thought he would stay well. Wayne [Lordan] won on him over a mile and a quarter at The Curragh last week and he galloped straight through the line.@ Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 26 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 5 JULY 2020 Serpentine Sublime In The Derby cont. from p1 AThis horse has a little bit of knee action and on his pedigree, he AHe went an even pace and Wayne said he couldn=t pull him would handle slower ground in something like an Arc.@ up. We were happy he wasn=t going to stop and go an even Just over a week previously, Serpentine was a twice-raced pace. He wasn=t going to come back. He=s another homebred by unplaced maiden very much on the fringes of the stable=s Galileo. He always had the candidates for this 241st renewal. Derby pedigree. He took a bit In the opener on the Irish Derby of time to come last year and card, the chestnut had put himself just had the one run. There in the picture with a dynamic was no doubt with his front-running display under performance the last day he Wayne Lordan and there had had to take his chance. I=m been a quiet word that he was absolutely delighted for fancied to outrun his odds here. Emmet. He gave him an For McNamara, the race was as incredible ride, so I=m over the straightforward as it gets and he moon. They all run on their was able to play Steve Cauthen in merits and we give them the isolation as the great Kentuckian best instructions for each horse had when catching his peers by to win the race. He stayed well Serpentine gives them the slip | Racing Post surprise in 1985. Hitting the first and there was no point waiting left-hand turn, the eventual first with him with no pace. We are always delighted if one of them three home were in those positions which suggests the track wins.@ was playing very much to front-runners on the day. Serpentine was given a quote of 9-2 for the G1 St Leger post- Much of the race was uneventful, but running downhill to race and 14-1 for the G1 Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe. Tattenham Corner Khalifa Sat was at full stride trying to stay "He stays very well,@ O=Brien said. AI don't think he would have within hailing distance of Serpentine and all the fancied horses a problem with soft ground in the autumn in an Arc. were already struggling to make any inroads. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 26 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 5 JULY 2020 Just as Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had in last year=s G1 Irish Derby in these same grey Susan Magnier silks, Serpentine kept rolling and by the half-mile marker it was clear from McNamara=s body language that his mount was still comfortable. A furlong from home, the result was settled with the wall of favourites unable to even get past Khalifa Sat. Finishing in a heap behind the runner-up and the Rosegreen Senior Vice President maiden Amhran Na Bhfiann, the riders of Kameko, English King Gary King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Russian Emperor Twitter: @garykingTDN (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will [email protected] perhaps be inflicting self-incriminations for letting the winner + 1.732.320.0975 go. International Editor Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry Twitter: @collingsberry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Emmet McNamara and Serpentine | Racing Post Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen According to Andrew Balding, Oisin Murphy was already [email protected] castigating himself in the immediate aftermath. AOisin is cross with himself, but I don=t know why,@ the master of Kingsclere Contributing Editors said. AKameko ran well to a point and Oisin just felt he emptied Alan Carasso out a little bit late on. He will certainly be dropping back in trip Christina Bossinakis and that=s his last run over a mile and a half. We had to give it a Cafe Racing go and Sheikh Fahad is a proper sportsman, so he=ll take it on Sean Cronin the chin. I=m thrilled with Khalifa Sat, he=s a very nice horse for Tom Frary the future and ran a great Leger trial. Fair play to Aidan, he=s got [email protected] the ammo and he knows how to use it.@ Ed Walker said of the fifth-placed English King, AThe way the Irish Correspondent race panned out was frustrating, purely and simply. I am thrilled Daithi Harvey with everything--proud as punch of the horse, Frankie did well Regular Columnists from a difficult draw. I have got no excuses, it was just a Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake frustrating race. A Derby with no pace--there is no such thing Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele these days, really--and we needed pace. He has hit the line hard and in another 50 yards he might have been second.@ Aidan O=Brien=s eight Derby winners have been ridden by seven different jockeys and the precedent was there for McNamara to cause an upset. AI think I got a little bit of a freebie,@ commented the rider, who had gone so close on Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Saturday=s Irish equivalent. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 26 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 5 JULY 2020 AI had a huge amount of confidence in the horse, having spoken to Aidan during the week. He said he was a horse that is going to stay a mile and six well, he said >jump, go your own tempo and just from halfway, from the six to the five, give him a breather=. He said >he=ll keep going= and he was right. All I could hear was the horse breathing. He was in a good rhythm, he was relaxed and I couldn=t hear a thing around me. I wasn=t sure, but I knew I was a few clear all right. It=s a bit surreal. I can=t believe it.@ Pedigree Notes Serpentine, who was beaten a total of 16 lengths when 10th of 11 on debut in a maiden over an extended mile at Galway in September and fifth at The Curragh on June 12 before he turned his fortunes around so dramatically, is no surprise winner of this on pedigree at least. His dam is the Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. winner Remember When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who was third before being latterly awarded the runner-up spot in the 2010 G1 Epsom Oaks. Her progeny are all by Galileo and are the G2 Kilboy Estate S. winner and G1 Nassau S. runner-up Wedding Vow (Ire), the G3 Blue Wind S.