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CLASSIC SCENE HOTS UP By Sarah
Whitelaw |
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Aiden O’Brien must have been disappointed by Johannesburg’s defeat but after this weekend all will be well at Ballydoyle. His Sadler’s Wells colt, High Chaparral, outclassed his field in the Ballysax field despite giving weight around as the sole Group One winner in the field. The colt won by seven from his stablemate, the Lure gelding Twentytwoandchange. He gave seven pounds to the runner up and as much as ten pounds to the last three home. This race was contested in the last two years by Galileo, who won from subsequent St Leger hero Milan, and Sinndar, who suffered his one loss to another Sadler’s Wells colt, Grand Finale. This means that not only the great Coolmore sire has sired the last three winners, but runners from this race went on to win the last two Epsom Derbies. High Chaparral, whose win in the Racing Post Trophy was boasted by Castle Gandolfo’s facile win next time out, is out of the Darshaan mare Kasora. O’Brien won both Guineas trials in Ireland with the useful Danehill Dancer filly, Lahinch easily accounting for her field and the expensive Century City winning the colts version comfortably. Despite a shock defeat on his seasonal debut, the son of Danzig and the late Canadian Horse of the Year, Alywow, Century City won comfortably from Indian Ridge colt, Sights on Gold. The only two year old colt to win a european Group One last year not trained at Ballydoyle was Act One. The son of In The Wings won the inaugural running of the Criterium International from Coventry Stakes winner Landseer and was well fancied to land his season debut in the group two Prix Greffuhle. This race has seen the likes of Arc winners Montjeu and Peintre Celebe triumph and Act One was most impressive in winning by two and a half lengths from useful Danehill colt, Caesarion. Trained by Spinning World’s trainer, Jonathan Pease, Act One is a half brother to Fillies Mile runner up Summer Solstice and from the family of Bosra Sham, Hector Protector, Shanghai and Lammtarra. The colt was bred by Gerald Leigh who also bred the second favourite for the English 1000 Guineas, Gossamer, amongst others. The Ballydoyle band wagon had mixed fortunes with the talented Danehill colt, Landseer, beaten in the Prix Fountainbleu behind the Irish River colt, Bowman but the well bred Sophisticat thrashed her field in the group three Prix Grotte, the trial for the French 1000 Guineas. Sophisticat was impressive and gave a compliment to ruling 1000 Guineas favourite Queen’s Logic, who beat the daughter of Storm Cat and champion Serena’s Song by an easy seven lengths in the Cheveley Park Stakes last year. Bowman is a well bred colt as dam, Cherokee Rose, won the Haydock Park Sprint defeating champion Lake Coniston and is a half sister to successful sire Volksraad. This is the family of Restructure, as well as Halling. The colt beat the talented son of Machiavellian, Medecis into second with Landseer back in third. The Nell Gwyn Stakes was won by the Alhaarth filly, Misterah. The Marcus Tregonig trained filly won from Prix Robert Papin runner up Massara, a daughter of Danehill and Prix de Diane winner Rafha. The nicely bred filly, who was third in the Rockfel last year - which got an additional boast when runner up Lahinch won, by a length from Massara with Hiddendale back in third. Further back was the unlucky Alasha, a daughter of Barathea for Sir Michael Stoute. |