SUNDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2020 ARMSTRONGS IN LINE FOR PROFITABLE SALE ALKUMAIT BEST IN By Alayna Cullen THE MILL REEF There is a general feeling of relief this year that the yearling sales are taking place at all. While some of the key indices are down on previous years there is comfort to be found in the strong clearance rates experienced at the sales thus far and even more comfort to be taken by some of the results pinhookers have had from their investments of 2019. For siblings Chris and Tara Armstrong this year could be one of the more memorable ones for their young pinhooking operation from Beechvale Stud. At the upcoming Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale they offer two yearling colts. The first is lot 107, a son of Profitable (Ire) whose first crop has been well received in the ring. The second is lot 222, who has arguably received one of the best pedigree updates since catalogue was printed. Cont. p9 Alkumait is another talented son of Showcasing for Sheikh Hamdan and Marcus Tregoning | racingfotos.com IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum=s twice-raced ‘STARSHIP’ BLASTS OFF IN WOODBINE MILE Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) broke through tackling six Starship Jubilee punches her ticket to the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile furlongs in a July 28 Goodwood maiden and continued his when besting the boys in the $1-million Woodbine Mile Saturday. upward path with a decisive victory returning in Saturday=s Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. The February- foaled bay, who had posted a close-up fourth in a July 19 novice heat over Newbury=s straight six in his only other start, was 3/4-of-a-length too good for King Power Racing=s 475,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling Fivethousandtoone (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), with G1 Prix Morny third Rhythm Master (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) 2 3/4 lengths further back and best of the rest. The 8-1 chance was steadied to race within range of the leaders at the tail of the field after breaking to the fore in this black-type bow. Making smooth headway once past halfway, he quickened smartly to launch his bid entering the final furlong and was pushed out from there to comfortably outpoint 5-2 favourite Fivethousandttoone for a career high. AI worked him on some faster ground this week, I could see he was very good on it and it has been one of those nice upward curves with him,@ said Marcus Tregoning with renewed focus following the enforced retirement of stable star Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) last month. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 20 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 20 SEPTEMBER 2020 Alkumait Best In The Mill Reef cont. from p1 Saturday, Newbury, Britain DUBAI DUTY FREE MILL REEF S.-G2, ,60,000, Newbury, 9-19, AHe is not jarred, he doesn=t feel the ground and will progress 2yo, 6fT, 1:09.70, gd. and go on. I knew we had this one coming through and we just 1--ALKUMAIT (GB), 127, c, 2, by Showcasing (GB) had to keep him right. He=s stabled right next door to my house 1st Dam: Suelita (GB), by Dutch Art (GB) and if he moves, like Mohaather did through the night, it wakes 2nd Dam: Venoge (Ire), by Green Desert me up, but it is worth it.@ Looking ahead, the resurgent trainer 3rd Dam: Horatia (Ire), by Machiavellian added, AThere is a lot of speed on the dam=s side, but if we are 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (150,000gns Wlg >18 allowed and everybody agrees, we will try to mould him to at TATFOA; 220,000gns Ylg >19 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin least get seven furlongs and then after that we will see. If you Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Marcus could get him to drop in and settle, like he did today, there is Tregoning; J-Jim Crowley. ,34,026. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, every chance he will get a little bit further. I think that is the way $61,788. *1/2 to The Broghie Man (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), to go. It opens up the game plan a bit and we could always come SW-Ire & SP-Fr; and Gloves Lynch (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}), back to six furlongs. Sheikh Hamdan may want to put him away SP-Fr. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk after today, but I=d be keen to run him in Group 1 company Nick Rating: B+. before the end of the season if there is a suitable race.@ Pedigree Notes 2--Fivethousandtoone (Ire), 127, c, 2, Frankel (GB)--Promised Alkumait, one of four winners and three black-type performers Money (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). (475,000gns Ylg >19 TATOCT). out of Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), is kin to Listed Committed S. O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); victor The Broghie Man (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) and Listed Prix T-Andrew Balding. ,12,900. Herod placegetter Gloves Lynch (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}). He is 3--Rhythm Master (Ire), 127, c, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)--Pastoral Girl also full to a yearling filly and half to a weanling colt by Frankel (GB), by Pastoral Pursuits (GB). (210,000gns Ylg >19 TATOCT). (GB). Suelita, a granddaughter of GIII Matchmaker S. winner O-John Dance; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. Horatia (Ire) (Machiavellian), is a multiple-winning half-sister to ,6,456. G3 Cornwallis S. runner-up Outer Space (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) Margins: 3/4, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 8.00, 2.50, 3.00. and to the dam of last term=s G2 Lowther S. victress Living In The Also Ran: First Edition (Ire), Bahrain Pride (GB), Cairn Gorm (GB), Past (Fr) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). Horatia, who produced G3 Devilwala (Ire), Line of Departure (Ire). Click for the Racing Post Pinnacle S. victrix and GI E.P. Taylor S. placegetter Moment In result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Time (Ire) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), is a half-sister to dual G2 Lonsdale Cup scorer Opinion Poll (Ire) (Halling) from the family of G1 CAN’T WAIT TO GET YOUR Queen Elizabeth II S.-winning sire Markofdistinction (GB) (Known Fact). TDN BREAKING NEWS AND RACE RESULTS? Click Here to sign up for TDN Alerts TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 20 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 20 SEPTEMBER 2020 EPONA PLAYS STRIKES AT GOWRAN Epona Plays | racingfotos.com Coming off a third placing in the G3 Snow Fairy Fillies S. at The Curragh on Aug. 28, Renzo Forni=s Epona Plays (Ire) (Australia {GB}) confirmed her continuing progression as her late flourish proved enough to take Saturday=s G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S. at Gowran Park. Tackling a further 100 yards than last time, the extra distance was ideal as the 9-2 shot was delivered from mid-division in the straight by Billy Lee to oust Etneya (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the last half-furlong and score by a neck. There was a five-length margin back to Cerro Bayo G2 Lowther S. and G2 Queen Mary S. winner Flashy Wings (GB) (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) in third and the winning trainer Willie (Zafonic), who also placed three times in Group 1 company. The McCreery is hoping Epona Plays can go further up the ranks. dam=s 2-year-old colt by Gleneagles (Ire) unfortunately died, but AI thought she was a decent filly last year and she ran a she also has a colt foal by Muhaarar (GB). cracking race in Leopardstown. It=s taken her a while to get going, but she loves it here. She=s progressing well and they Saturday, Gowran, Ireland went a proper gallop. Billy said she was just behind the bit lovely DENNY CORDELL LAVARACK & LANWADES STUD FILLIES S.-G3, all the way and when he asked her she was always going to i50,000, Gowran, 9-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 9f 100yT, 2:02.78, gd. respond. He said she did it snugly in the end. I=m delighted for 1--EPONA PLAYS (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Australia (GB) the owner-breeder Renzo Forni and his daughter Raffaello. 1st Dam: New Plays (Ire), by Oratorio (Ire) That=s the fourth of that family that has won for me and the 2nd Dam: Sagamartha (GB), by Rainbow Quest three fillies have all got black-type. She had a little niggle earlier 3rd Dam: Lovealoch (Ire), by Lomond in the year that we have sorted out and she=s coming on the 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Renzo Forni whole time. She=s a lovely scopey filly and goes on any ground.@ (IRE); T-Willie McCreery; J-Billy Lee. i30,000. Lifetime Record: 9-2-1-3, $58,807. *1/2 to Dolce Strega (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Pedigree Notes GSW-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the Epona Plays, who had broken her maiden on her sixth start at eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. this venue on July 25 and finished fourth in the Listed Hurry 2--Etneya (Ire), 128, f, 3, Siyouni (Fr)--Eytarna (Ire), by Dubai Harriet S. over this track and trip on Aug. 12 prior to her Snow Destination. O-H H Aga Khan; B-His Highness the Aga Khan=s Fairy effort, is out of the unraced New Plays (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) Studs S.C.