Churchill Impressive In 2000 Guineas
Ridden by William Buick, the two-year-old colt tracked the leaders in the early stages of the race and moved up strongly to lead approaching the final furlong.
The colt was ridden out to maintain his advantage inside the final 100 yards to beat Kit Marlowe (Poet’s Voice) by a neck with another length and a quarter back to Qaaraat (Acclamation) in third.
The colt’s dam La Pelegrina also produced Abernathy (Dubawi), who has won once and in 2016 she foaled a filly by Pivotal (Polar Falcon), and Way Of Wisdom could now be aimed at the Coventry Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot next month.
On Monday evening, Coolmore America’s first season stallion Declaration Of War (War Front) sired his first winner when Declarationoflove (2 c ex Mary’s Daughter by Royal Applause) ran out a ready winner of the British Stallion Stud EBF Novice Stakes (5f) at Windsor.
The two-year-old colt was having his third career start having been last seen finishing third over the same distance at Brighton on 25 April, and he ran on strongly close home to beat Spoof (Poet’s Voice) by a length and a quarter with a further two and a half lengths back to The Love Doctor (Elnadim) in third.
Former shuttler Declaration Of War, whose oldest crop are two-year-olds, stands at Coolmore America for a fee of US$35,000. The win also provided new trainer Tom Clover with his first winner.
Three-Year-Olds
The first Classic of the European season went the way of Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore as the 6/4 favourite Churchill (3 c Galileo – Meow by Storm Cat) won the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) first up at Newmarket on Saturday.
The son of Galileo (Sadler’s’ Wells), crowned the champion two-year-old colt in Europe last season following victories in the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) and the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f), enjoyed a smooth trip just off the pace under Ryan Moore in a race run at a steady early gallop.
His main rivals, the Godolphin-raced Barney Roy (Excelebration) and French raider Al Wukair (Dream Ahead), were forced to deliver their challenges out wide from further back in the field, while Moore took Churchill across to the stands rail to lead approaching the final furlong.
He ran on strongly in the closing stages to beat Barney Roy by a length, with Al Wukair just a neck further behind in third, while the Sir Peter Vela-owned Eminent (Frankel) faded out of contention on the run to the line to finish sixth.
O’Brien said after the race that Churchill’s next target had yet to be determined, though his position at the head of the pre-post betting for the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on 3 June was cemented following this success, with the colt a general 4/1 favourite.
The following day, O’Brien saddled Winter (3 f ex Laddies Poker Two by Choisir) to win the 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m), with the result providing Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) with his 64th Group One winner and 237th stakes winner.
The filly was beaten a head by her stablemate Hydrangea (Galileo) in the Ballylinch Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial (Gr 3, 7f) at Leopardstown last month, but she travelled strongly into contention at the two furlongs under jockey Wayne Lordan.
Meanwhile, her stablemate and short-priced favourite Rhododendron (Galileo) was enduring a tough trip, and she was forced to switch around runners having been denied a clear run shortly after the two furlongs.
Winter sprinted into a clear lead a furlong from home, gaining first run on Rhododendron who stayed on strongly once in the clear, but Winter’s turn of foot was enough to secure a two length success, with Daban (Acclamation) a further neck behind in third place.
The filly looks set to tackle the Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at the Curragh on 28 May next up, while Rhododendron could be aimed towards the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) on 2 June.
The good form of the Aidan O’Brien stable continued at Leopardstown on Sunday, with Douglas Macarthur (3 c ex Alluring Park by Green Desert) running out a game winner of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f), in the process providing Galileo with his 236th stakes winner.
The colt, who is a brother to the 2012 Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Was, tried to make all the running and rallied bravely having been headed to beat his stablemate Yucatan (Galileo) by a head, with Capri (Galileo) just a short-head behind in third to complete and O’Brien-trained trifecta.
Douglas Macarthur is a general 20/1 chance for the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on 3 June.
The Jim Bolger-trained and Godolphin-raced Bean Feasa (3 f ex Speirbhean by Danehill) won the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial (Gr 3, 1m) at Leopardstown on Sunday, providing Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) with his 130th individual stakes winner.
The filly, who is a half-sister to leading sire Teofilo (Galileo), stayed on strongly down the outside of runners in the straight to beat Asking (Zoffany) by two and three quarter lengths, with She’s Ranger (Bushranger) a further length and a half behind in third place.
Bean Feasa, who was still a maiden heading into the Group Three race, will now be aimed towards the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the end of the month, for which she is a 7/1 chance.
At Saint-Cloud on Monday, he Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Recoletos (3 c Whipper – Highphar by Highest Honor) ran out a ready winner of the Prix Greffulhe (Gr 2, 2000m), a key trial for the Prix du Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2100m) at Chantilly on 4 June.
The three-year-old colt, who had won his previous two starts, was settled towards the tail of the field in the early stages by jockey Olivier Peslier.
He moved up smoothly to mount his challenge at the 200 metres and showed a smart turn of foot to quicken clear of Group One winner and odds-on favourite Waldgeist (Galileo) by two and half lengths, with Akihiro (Deep Impact) just a head further behind in third.
Older Horses
Aidan O’Brien’s older horses were also in winning form at Newmarket at the weekend, with Seventh Heaven (4 f Galileo – La Traviata by Johannesburg) a wide-margin winner of the Jockey Club Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) on Saturday.
The filly won both the Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) and the Yorkshire Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) last season and travelled strongly throughout the race under Ryan Moore.
She kicked for home at the two-furlongs and quickly had the race in safe keeping, beating the French raider One Foot In Heaven (Fastnet Rock) by five lengths, with the front-running Pinzolo (Monsun) a further length and three quarters behind in third place.
The £400,000 Coronation Cup (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on 2 June could be next on the agenda for Seventh Heaven.
Somehow (4 f Fastnet Rock – Alexandrova by Sadler’s Wells) gave O’Brien and Moore a Group Two double when comfortably taking out the Dahlia Stakes (Gr 2, 1m1f) at Newmarket on Sunday.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill), a Group Three winner as a three-year-old, travelled strongly into contention from just off the pace, but Moore had to get urgent with her as the front-running Elbereth (Mount Nelson) tried to slip the field approaching the final two furlongs.
However, she quickly made up the ground and stretched clear in impressive fashion, beating Elbereth by three and a half lengths, with a further break of four and a half lengths to Aim To Please (Excellent Art) in third place.
Somehow holds an entry in the Lockinge Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Newbury on 20 May and the Tattersall’s Gold Cup (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) at the Curragh on 28 May, with O’Brien suggesting after the Dahlia Stakes that she could run in the former.
Group One-winning filly Marsha (4 f Acclamation – Marlinka by Marju) made a winning reappearance in the Palace House Stakes (Gr 3, 5f) at Newmarket yesterday.
The Sir Mark Prescott-trained filly, who won the Prix de l’Abbaye (Gr 1, 1000m) at Chantilly at her last start in October, moved smoothly through the race on the stands rail under regular rider Luke Morris.
She quickened up in taking fashion to lead a furlong out and she held on well to repel the late challenge of Aidan O’Brien’s Washington DC (Zoffany) by a neck, with former King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) winner Goldream (Oasis Dream) a further length behind in third.
Marsha is now a general 6/1 chance for the King’s Stand Stakes, due to be on the opening day of Royal Ascot on 20 June.
In Germany on Sunday, the Markus Klug-trained Dschingis Secret (4 c Soldier Hollow – Divya by Platini) ran out an impressive winner of the Gerling-Preis (Gr 2, 2400m) at Cologne.
The colt travelled powerfully in behind the leaders under Adrie de Vries and moved up to take the lead at the 300 metres.
Once asked to extend, he opened up a six length gap on the runner-up Sirius (Dashing Blade) to secure a second stakes success, with Kasalla (Soldier Hollow) a further half a length behind in third place.