FRIDAY, 19 JULY 2019 IRIDESSA HEADS IRISH OAKS TEN PIVOTAL HALFWAY TO Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez=s G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Iridessa MEETING MILESTONE (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) will face nine rivals as she bids to become the first filly since Peeping Fawn (Danehill) in 2007 to bring up a unique double in Saturday=s G1 Kerrygold Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Staging an emphatic return to form when beating Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the re-opposing Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 2 1/4 lengths and 1 1/4 lengths in that June 28 10-furlong contest at the same venue, last year=s G1 Fillies= Mile winner tries a mile and a half for the first time. If successful, she will be the first Irish-trained scorer outside of Ballydoyle since 2003 and Joseph O=Brien is taking after his father in making his own rules. AIridessa has come out of the Pretty Polly S. well and she didn=t look like she was stopping that day, so we are looking forward to it,@ he said. Cont. p2 IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Pivotal | racingfotos.com HEAT WAVE FORCING RACING CANCELLATIONS With a heat wave gripping the US East Coast, tracks along the By John Boyce Atlantic Seaboard have canceled racing Saturday, including Last year, Cheveley Park Stud's Pivotal (GB) set a new record Saratoga in upstate New York. Click or tap here to go straight for the number of Northern Hemisphere-foaled Group 1 winners to TDN America. by a broodmare sire in a single year. By season's end his daughters has amassed no fewer than 10 individual Group 1 winners. To put his achievement in context, the best previous score was seven by Danehill in 2011. True, Pivotal has struck up a very fruitful partnership with the great sire of the day Galileo (Ire), but that alone does not account for all his success, which has continued unabated this year. So far in 2019, Pivotal mares have already produced five Group 1 winners, which equals the joint-fourth best total ever and we still have half a season ahead of us. Appropriately enough, it was Cheveley Park's >TDN Rising Star= Frankel (GB) filly Veracious (GB), winner of the Falmouth S. at Newmarket, that put Pivotal one ahead of Galileo in the 2019 race. Moreover, all things being equal we can probably expect Raffle Prize (Ire), by Slade Power (Ire) out of Pivotal mare Summer Fete (Ire), to join the ranks of Group 1 winners in the near future, following her impressive victories in the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 19 JULY 2019 Pivotal Halfway To Meeting Milestone cont. from p1 choice Pink Dogwood. Dermot Weld is represented by Moyglare Just to prove that Pivotal's prowess as a broodmare sire Stud Farm=s Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was doesn't all rest with Galileo, his daughters are also responsible second to Trethias (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the June 26 for Defoe (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire), a Group 1 winner over 12 Listed Naas Oaks Trial over 10 furlongs. furlongs, and Advertise (GB), a Group 1 winner over six furlongs Trethias=s trainer Jessie Harrington is another Irish trainer by Showcasing (GB). Last year Dutch Art (GB) (Mab's Cross {GB}), hoping to buck trends and she also has the firepower to do so. Fastnet Rock (Aus) (One Master {GB}), Holy Roman Emperor There was much to admire about the way Stonethorn Stud (Ire) (Glorious Empire {Ire}) and King Kamehameha (Jpn) (Mikki Farms= bay went about her business in dealing out a 2 3/4- Rocket {Jpn}) also had Group 1 winners from Pivotal mares. length beating to Search For a Song at Naas and her trainer is expecting her to make her presence felt. AWe=ve always thought a lot of Trethias and you=re finally getting to see what we all hoped she could do,@ she told the Racing Post. AShe=s getting Iridessa Heads Irish Oaks Ten cont. from p1 stronger all the time and she put it all together at Naas. It=s been O=Brien continued, AWe think going further this weekend will a slow process this season, but she=s making up for lost time. probably be fine for her, but it is always a bit of an unknown She=s a lovely filly and is bred to improve, as she=s from the how they will get the extra two furlongs.@ same family as Dar Re Mi. I don=t know whether she can win or With eight of the last 10 renewals heading overseas, there is a not and I would be delighted if she places.@ keen focus on the John Gosden-trained G2 Ribblesdale S. winner On Friday, Kevin Ryan saddles >TDN Rising Star= Repartee (Ire) and >TDN Rising Star= Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in a strong-looking renewal of the Listed Ralph Beckett=s pair of Antonia de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Rose Bowl S. over six furlongs at {Ire}) and Manuela de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while the Newbury. Deliberately saved for this despite the lure of Royal five-times winning trainer Aidan O=Brien has the G1 Epsom Oaks Ascot and Newmarket=s July meeting, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid third and Ribblesdale runner-up Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Al Maktoum=s five-length May 16 York maiden winner Peach Tree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as back-up to Ryan Moore=s encounters another who scored on the Knavesmire. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 19 JULY 2019 Irish Oaks cont. MOHAWK IN COMMAND IN THE MELD That is Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum=s Al Aakif (Ire) Freshened up since running seventh in the G1 Prix du Jockey (Acclamation {GB}). AHe was impressive at York and we=ve given him plenty of time,@ Ryan said of Repartee. AThis was always the Club, Mohawk (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) returned in rude health at plan to come here afterwards. He=s in good form and we=re all Leopardstown on Thursday to stamp his class on the G3 Meld S. looking forward to seeing him run again.@ Saddled with a five-pound penalty as a result of his success in Newmarket=s G2 Royal Lodge S. in September, the 9-4 favourite was comfortable playing the waiting game under Donnacha O=Brien with two behind early. Sweeping wide to gain control with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, the bay was soon in the clear as fellow 3-year-old Up Helly Aa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) took up game pursuit and there was two lengths between them at the finish. AThings went smooth and when I asked, he quickened and put it to bed well,@ the winning rider said. AHe=s a high-class horse whose form is just underneath Group 1 level, but he=s run well in them and is solid. He deserves a lot of credit.@ Mohawk was winning a race that has proven tough for the Classic generation, which is not a great surprise given that his juvenile form also featured a third in the G2 Futurity S. and fourth in the G1 Vincent O=Brien National S. at The Curragh. Second to Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) giving him five pounds in Chester=s Listed Dee S. on May 9, he had run eighth in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas back at The Curragh on May 25 before his fair effort from a wide draw in the June 2 Chantilly Iridessa | racingfotos.com Classic. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 19 JULY 2019 Pedigree Notes The dam Empowering (Ire) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) was effective at up to a mile, winning the seven-furlong G3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial at this venue and the Listed Sweet Mimosa S. over six and finishing runner-up in the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. She is a daughter of Blue Cloud (Ire) Vice President, International Operations (Nashwan), a half-sister to the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero Gary King Bigstone (Ire) (Last Tycoon {Ire}) who captured the Listed Prix Twitter: @garykingTDN Imprudence and was third in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. She [email protected] also threw the listed-placed Blue Angel (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) who + 1.732.320.0975 in turn produced another Dee S. winner in Viren=s Army (Ire) (Twirling Candy). The family features a clutch of notable North International Editor American graded-stakes winners in Keep Quiet (Fr) (Elusive Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN City), Little Treasure (Fr) (Night Shift), More Chocolate (Malibu [email protected] Moon) and Rhythm of Light (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}) and it could be that Mohawk adds to that tally before the year is out. European Editor Emma Berry Twitter: @collingsberry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen [email protected] Contributing Editor Alan Carasso Twitter: @EquinealTDN Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Mohawk | Racing Post Tom Frary [email protected] Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland MELD S.-G3, i60,000, Leopardstown, 7-18, 3yo/up, 9fT, Irish Correspondent 1:54.98, g/f. Daithi Harvey 1--MOHAWK (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire) Regular Columnists 1st Dam: Empowering (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $151,953), Chris McGrath | Andrew Caulfield | John Berry by Encosta de Lago (Aus) Kevin Blake 2nd Dam: Blue Cloud (Ire), by Nashwan 3rd Dam: Batave, by Posse O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O=Brien; J-Donnacha IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY O=Brien.