FRIDAY, 05 APRIL 2019 CUNNINGHAM--A REBEL PIVOTAL=S SIYARAFINA STREAKS TO RISING STARDOM IN THE RANKS Backed down to second favoritism for this one-mile firsters= test, His Highness The Aga Khan=s Siyarafina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) dominated late proceedings after exhibiting an impessive turn of foot to justifiably earn >TDN Rising Star= status at the first attempt. The homebred bay broke in mid division and employed patience throughout, settling under cover off the pace in eighth. Inching ever closer in the straight, the 29-10 chance eased into a clear path with 350 metres remaining and quickened smartly for minimal persuasion inside the final furlong to easily account for Wishfully (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) by an impressive two lengths. Siyarafina, who holds entries in the May 26 G1 Prix Saint-Alary and June 16 G1 Prix de Diane, is the second foal and scorer for MGSP Listed Prix de Bagatelle victress Siyenica (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}). Cont. p4 Click to view an interview with Phil Cunningham on Rajasinghe IN TDN AMERICA TODAY TAKING STOCK: HOW WE GOT HERE Sid Fernando discusses the evolution and future of the American by Alayna Cullen dirt horse in his latest Taking Stock column. Click or tap here to Phil Cunningham, owner and founder of Rebel Racing, has go straight to TDN America. enjoyed success at the top level since getting involved in racehorse ownership. In 2014 he founded Rebel Racing and is now embarking on the hard task of making a stallion as G2 Coventry S. winner Rajasinghe (GB) (Choisir {Aus}) gets his new career underway. Phil recently sat down with the TDN=s Alayna Cullen to discuss his passion and the support he is throwing behind Rajasinghe. TDN: Phil, firstly, why horse racing? How did you get involved in it? Phil Cunningham: Seems such a long time ago now. I'm 50 the next year, so I think I probably got involved when I first left college. Dad had had a few horses before that. And then when I first started work, I got a few mates together and we bought our first horse as a syndicate, a great way to get involved with racing. The horse was called Cool Temper (GB), trained by Jack Banks, So yeah, it all seemed a long time ago, and obviously things, very fortunately for me, have gone well since. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 8 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 05 APRIL 2019 TDN: You mentioned winning the Coventry S. Of course that was with Rajasinghe who is now standing at The National Stud. Why did you decide to stand him there? PC: I've always had quite a close affinity to the Stud. Obviously, Cockney Rebel stood here when he first started his stud career. I With Phil Cunningham Cont. From p1 love the place, it's local, and so we get to continue to see the horse. But it really came from meetings with Tim Lane who's TDN: You have been quite a lucky owner. It's fair to say that been very supportive of our organization, a great friend of you've enjoyed success at the top level. Just tell us a little [trainer] Richard [Spencer]'s, and I think he's done a about the success you've had. tremendous job. PC: Yeah, a very luck owner. Obviously, the big horse would be TDN: And just to go back to his Coventry win, what impressed Cockney Rebel (Ire) (Val Royal you most about it? {Fr}), he won the English and the Irish Guineas in 2007, a super, PC: Well, I think from a very, super horse. But prior to that, in very early stage, Richard picked 2005, we had the second in the him out as the one that looked a Guineas with Rebel Rebel (Ire) bit special. I think at only 28, I (Revoque {Ire}). The Guineas think Richard is, I believe one of, was always my favorite race as a if not the, youngest trainer of a racing fan and we had the fourth Royal Ascot winner. Which was in Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire})=s absolutely brilliant and Guineas with Slim Shadey (GB) well-deserved for all of his hard (Val Royal {Fr}) which was the work. But the way in which the first horse I ever bred. Flat horse did it, he got checked at racing is my passion, but I've the start, didn't have the Phil Cunningham leading in Cockney Rebel | Racing Post obviously lived the dream of a clearest sort of run through and Cheltenham winner with Cinders And Ashes (GB) (Beat Hollow pretty much had to run up the middle of the track on his own, {GB}) as well. which probably wasn't the fastest part of the track as it proved Then, obviously, I got more involved and, I suppose, lived the throughout the whole of that meeting and to beat the track dream in setting up our own training operation. Richard record, it was a dream, an absolute dream. (Spencer) joined us only three years ago and we won the Molecomb last year, the Coventry the year before and this TDN: You've announced a rather interesting incentive program year's team look like they could be even more promising. for breeders using Rajasinghe. Can you tell us a little more Definitely larger, so if the law of numbers applies, then yeah, about it? we're in for a good year. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 8 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 05 APRIL 2019 TDN Q&A With Phil Cunningham Cont. PC: I think the interesting part from not coming from a racing background myself gives us the ability to look at things a little bit differently and from speaking to the guys, Tim, Joe, and Mark, that are involved in managing the horse for us, the issue that breeders are facing at the moment, especially at the level of the Vice President, International Operations Gary King market that we're looking at, is that some people are concerned Twitter: @garykingTDN about the future economy in and outside of the bloodstock side [email protected] of things. So I thought, >Well if we can balance that with what + 1.732.320.0975 we're trying to achieve, which is obviously in our first season get as many runners on the ground as possible, why not give them a International Editor guarantee of the money back should the horse not reach a price Kelsey Riley in commercial sales at the at the foal or the yearling stage?= So Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN what we're trying to do is encourage breeders to come in and [email protected] support our confidence. A little bit different I believe. We'll see European Editor what comes from it, and hopefully we'll have a super success Emma Berry story behind us in years to come. Like Kodiak, which would be Twitter: @collingsberry the similar sort of dream to what we're trying to obtain from [email protected] Rajasinghe. Associate International Editor TDN: You mentioned you have a breeding operation, are you Heather Anderson sending any mares to him? Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager PC: Yes, I'm breeding some mares myself. I've got 10 or 12 Alayna Cullen mares myself, of which eight of them are going to the horse and Twitter: @AlaynaCullen we're going to, hopefully, obtain the best progeny that he [email protected] produces for ourselves. So we'll be viewing them all at the sales ring with the tremendous team that we have that includes Contributing Editor Richard and Bobby [O'Ryan]. Alan Carasso Twitter: @EquinealTDN Cont. p4 Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Tom Frary [email protected] Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | Andrew Caulfield John Berry | Kevin Blake IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY IDENTIFYING THE BEST AT EASTER John Boyce examines the prices versus their racetrack performance of recent Inglis Easter Sale graduates. Click or tap Thrilla in Manila | Racing Post here to go straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 8 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 05 APRIL 2019 The well-bred Siyarafina became the newest >TDN Rising Star= on Thursday, with a two-length win at Saint-Cloud. | Scoop Dyga TDN Q&A With Phil Cunningham Cont. TDN: Earlier you said that you are hoping this year will be a good year for the team and one of the headline acts should be Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). How is he and what are his targets this year? PC: He's a magnificent hose, I've never seen a horse with such a Siyarafina New Rising Star Cont. from p1 great temperament. He really was the flag bearer for us last She is a half-sister to a 2-year-old filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire) year. Obviously now that we're in partnership with Cheveley and a yearling colt by Golden Horn (GB). Siyenica, herself out of Park, who are fantastic people to deal with, the final decision a stakes-winning half to MG1SW sire Slickly (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), is will be with them, but I think the G1 Commonwealth Cup has kin to three black-type performers headed by G1 Prix Jean-Luc always been on the agenda and he will probably have one of Lagardere-winning sire Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) and MG1SW two prep runs. British and French highweight Siyouma (Ire) (Medicean {GB}). (Return to p1) TDN: Finally is there any other horse we should be looking out for this year? PC: I think Thrilla In Manila (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who's entered in the G1 2000 Guineas, really could be anything.