TUESDAY, 6 JULY 2021 THE WEEKLY WRAP: FULL ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS SET TO BE LIFTED FROM ENGLISH COURSES FROM JULY 19 MARK'S FOR TOP COLT England is on course to remove the COVID-19 enforced limit of attendees at sporting events from July 19, according to an announcement from the UK Government. A final decision on easing restrictions, which currently limits attendance to just 4,000 spectators at each race meeting, will be made on July 12. During Royal Ascot, up to 12,000 were allowed to attend through a Government pilot scheme. In addition to ending spectator limits, the one-metre social distancing rule will end, as will the compulsory wearing of masks. AIf we do find another variant that doesn=t respond to the vaccines, if heaven forbid some really awful new bug should appear, then clearly we will have to take whatever steps we need to do to protect the public,@ said Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a press conference in Downing Street on Monday evening.@ Cont. p4 St Mark=s Basilica heading out on to the track ahead of his victory in the Eclipse | Racingfotos.com IN TDN AMERICA TODAY NICE GUY STABLES CONTINUES TO EXPAND By Emma Berry Christie DeBernardis speaks with Steve Spielman, one of the partners A fortnight to go, apparently, until England casts aside all in Nice Guy Stables, on the three yearlings Nice Guy Stables is restrictions following the 16-month weirdness of the pandemic consigning to the Fasig-Tipton July Sale. Click or tap here to go era. >Freedom day', as it has been dubbed by those of Boris straight to TDN America. Johnson's government who are not currently serving time on the naughty step, has unfortunately not come in time for the regular >July week' festivities in Newmarket. There will be racing with a reduced crowd and a sale taking place pretty much as normal, but without any of the parties and stallion parades that have become the staple of the town's midsummer highlight. As long as there's still an ice-cream stall at Tattersalls this week the bloodstock press bench will be happy. It is fervently hoped that Ireland is granted similar freedom by its government before too long, for in our own small world the ongoing uncertainty regarding dates and locations of the yearling sales, in particular the Orby, is not helpful at all. The conflicting press releases of last week first clarified then muddied the situation and as much as it provides ongoing headaches for the sales companies, it can also be no fun for the consignors currently trying to line up staff for the season. The past week's highlight came of course in the Coral-Eclipse, courtesy of the increasingly admirable St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 6 JULY 2021 the Eclipse, puts him to the head of his generation for now, until we see how Poetic Flare fares at Goodwood and Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Ascot, in what could be a King George for the ages. Also of significance for St Mark's Basilica, whose future lies at Coolmore, will be the early stud careers of his aforementioned half-brother and of Sottsass (Fr), who is bred on the same Siyouni-Galileo cross. Full Mark=s For Top Colt Cont. from p1 Sweeping The Board Last season's champion 2-year-old and the second Classic In the mix for the King George among the older brigade is the winner bred by Bob Scarborough from the Galileo (Ire) mare quiet achiever Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who secured a Cabaret (Ire), the colt was apparently oblivious to the lofty, memorable international Group 1 double for Aidan O'Brien over globetrotting reputations of Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) the weekend when landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. The and Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) as he strode past them up the 5-year-old, who became his sire's fourth Group 1 winner, has Sandown hill. A potential rematch in the Juddmonte been a model of consistency this year, winning at each stakes International is a thrilling prospect, as is the potential battle level up to Group 1 since the opening day of the season, as well between Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Poetic Flare (Ire) as being beaten a short-head when second in the G1 Tattersalls (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the Sussex S. Gold Cup and finishing runner-up to Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le It seems crazy to think that up until this weekend there had Havre {Ire}) in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot. been the pervading feeling that Aidan O'Brien was having While Australia's season is gathering a head of steam, credit something of a quiet season. He had by that stage won six must also be given to Broome's dam Sweepstake (Ire), who was European Classics, which is hardly slacking, but the overturning a member of the first crop of of talking horses High Definition Acclamation (GB) and became (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Santa his second black-type winner in Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and a matter of days when landing Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo the Listed National S. at {Ire}), the latter managing just Sandown in May 2007. seventh in the Derby as the lone Though she visited Galileo in Ballydoyle runner, exacerbated 2012, her best results to date that impression. have come from her two We've come to expect the matings with his son Australia, Ballydoyle colts to dominate, but with Broome's full-brother Point so far this year the stable has Lonsdale (Ire) adding further been largely carried by the lustre to the family by winning fillies. Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) the Listed Chesham S. The made a sensational belated 2-year-old is also the most return at Royal Ascot and she is Broome | Scoop Dyga expensive of her yearlings to backed up by a strong Classic have passed through the sales. generation that includes the mightily impressive Oaks winner He was bought at Book 1 last year for 575,000gns, while the Snowfall (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), English and Irish 1000 mare's 3-year-old Malathaat (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was a i500,000 Guineas winners Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Empress purchase by Shadwell from breeder Croom House Stud at the Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and Prix de Diane heroine Joan Of previous year's Orby Sale. Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Acclamation's first crop also included Dark Angel (Ire), who That is, of course, apart from St Mark's Basilica, who emulated became his first group winner and has done more to enhance Shamardal, Lope De Vega (Ire) and Brametot (Ire) in winning the line than any of his paternal half-brothersBBthough he may both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club since yet be challenged for that accolade by Mehmas (Ire). the latter was reduced in distance to 10.5 furlongs in 2005. While his male line is thriving, Acclamation is also enjoying a Beating a pair of seasoned older horses, even in a small field for decent season as a broodmare sire. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 9 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 6 JULY 2021 The Weekly Wrap Cont. In this field he had three winners at Royal Ascot, with Point Lonsdale being joined by Perotto (GB) (New Bay {GB}) and Rohaan (Ire) (Mayson {GB}), who is to be supplemented for Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup. Senior Vice President High On The Hill Gary King The weekend's results also provided the second stakes winner Twitter: @garykingTDN of the seasonBBin fact, in eight daysBBfor Tiana (GB) (Diktat [email protected] {GB}), the pride of Fiona and Mick Denniff's broodmare band. + 1.732.320.0975 Racing in Fiona's own colours, Tiana's 3-year-old daughter Auria (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) landed the Listed Coral Distaff at International Editor Sandown the Saturday after her elder half-sister Chil Chil (GB) Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) had won the G3 Chipchase S. The latter [email protected] will line up again this coming Saturday in the July Cup. The pair are the second and third stakes winners for their dam European Editor following the hugely talented Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy Emma Berry {Ire}), who notched five Group 2 wins as well as a Group 3 and Twitter: @collingsberry listed success among his nine victories for Andrew Balding. He [email protected] was also an important first group winner for his late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha of King Power Racing, who was then Associate International Editor Heather Anderson emboldened to give 500,000gns for Chil Chil at the Tattersalls Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN October Yearling Sale. Tiana was herself also bred by Denniff from the second mare Marketing Manager she purchased, Hill Welcome (GB), back in 2001. The daughter Alayna Cullen of Most Welcome (GB) was bought as a 3-year-old at Doncaster Twitter: @AlaynaCullen having placed just once in seven starts for Barry Hills. Despite an [email protected] underwhelming race record, she owned a decent pedigree as a half-sister to the G1 Middle Park S. winner Stalker (GB) (Kala Contributing Editors Shikari {Fr}), but she was overlooked at the sale by all bar Alan Carasso Christina Bossinakis Denniff, who picked her up for just 3,000gns. The breeder will undoubtedly view that sum as money very well spent. Cont. p4 Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Tom Frary [email protected] Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY NEW GREAT SOUTHERN SALE BROODMARE RECORD SET A new broodmare record was set at the Inglis Great Southern Mick & Fiona Denniff (right and second right) with Adam Hill and Chil Sale by Too Good Too Hard.