Danehill Kodiac showcases top-class staying potential in seasonal reappearance
However, the virtue of patience reaped its just rewards last week with five days of good-quality and informative action at Newmarket and Newbury and a number of horses caught the eye with a view to the Australian spring, not least the Richard Hannon-trained Danehill Kodiac (Kodiac), who finished second in the John Porter Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) on his seasonal reappearance at Newbury.
With an official rating of 112, Danehill Kodiac ran virtually to the pound of that figure on Saturday – proving no match for comprehensive winner Defoe (Dalakhani), who was highly progressive as a three-year-old and returned looking better than ever – but fending off the 108-rated course specialist What About Carlo (Creachadoir) for the runner-up spot by a head, despite shouldering a 3lb penalty for his Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) victory at Ascot last season.
There are a number of reasons to be positive about this form. The early gallop was solid despite the small field, with the six runners racing virtually in Indian file leaving the back straight, and the winner was sent off third favourite for the St Leger (Gr 1, 1m6.5f) in the autumn, looking a colt with legitimate Group One aspirations this season, while the fourth, Call To Mind (Galileo), was well found in the market but was readily beaten off in the closing stages.
Danehill Kodiac suffered a truncated campaign as a four-year-old in 2017, making his seasonal reappearance in August, but he improved through the ranks in his six starts, winning a Newmarket handicap (1m6f) on his return before triumphing at Pattern level at Ascot in October. He made all on that occasion, receiving a fine ride by Sean Levey and proving more resolute than runner-up Waldgeist (Galileo), showing a straightforward attitude and looking well suited by the short run-in.
Out of a Green Desert (Danzig) mare and a relative to winners over 1000 metres and 1200 metres, Danehill Kodiac stays much further than his pedigree implies, but his tactical versatility at the 2400 metre trip marks him down as a legitimate Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) contender, while his strength at the finish over this distance — he stayed on stoutly at the weekend — suggests the marathon test of the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) would not be beyond his stamina capabilities either.
Furthermore, the level of form he has already shown in Britain is comparable to last year’s European challengers at both Caulfield and Flemington. Johannes Vermeer (Galileo), who finished an unlucky-in-running third in the Caulfield Cup prior to his fine second in the Melbourne Cup, had recorded an RPR of 113 as four-year-old when winning the International Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) at the Curragh in July, just 1lb below the figure notched by Danehill Kodiac at Ascot in the autumn and within the likely touching distance of his reappearance effort.
The owners of Danehill Kodiac – Davies, Smith, Carr, Brown, Govier – have already proven themselves to be a sporting bunch by allowing their horse to take his chance in the Hong Kong Vase (Gr 1, 2400m) at Sha Tin in December (he finished tenth having been draw wide, while he was perhaps feeling the effects of five quite quick races in Britain through the second half of the season).
If connections were to plan Danehill Kodiac’s campaign with a view to the Australian spring, the five-year-old looks just the sort to reward their endeavours and he could potentially board the plane alongside the Ronnie Arculli-owned Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid), who finished fourth in the AW Marathon Championships Final at Lingfield (2m) on Good Friday, and William Haggas’ Dal Harraild (Champs Elysees), who was well held in the Dubai Gold Cup (Gr 2, 3200m), given connections of both horses have mooted a tilt at the Melbourne Cup in recent public discussions.
At Newmarket, the Kevin Ryan-trained Brando (Pivotal) secured back-to-back successes in the Abernant Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) on Thursday and given the riches on offer in Australia’s sprint programme, he could be considered a contender for the second renewal of The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October.
A winner of the Prix Maurice De Gheest (Gr 1, 1300m) last year, running to an RPR of 120, Brando was not far shy off this form on his return, moving smoothly into contention despite the steady pace and the prevalence towards forward-going tactics that played out across the course of the meeting.
While he has yet to sprint around a bend, he’s a strong-traveller who is well-suited by a truly-run race and he has the profile of a sprinter with more to offer, particularly given this start was his first following a wind operation.
Focussing on the three-year-olds, the trials for both the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas (both Gr 1, 1m) seemingly lacked strength in depth beforehand and while the Charlie Appleby-trained Masar (New Approach) produced the most imperious performance with a nine-length demolition in the Craven Stakes (Gr 3, 1m), perhaps the most interesting winner was his stable companion Soliloquy (Dubawi), who readily accounted for Oh So Sharp Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) winner Altyn Orda (Kyllachy) when securing the Nell Gwyn Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Newmarket by one and three quarter lengths.
The daughter of Dubawi (Dubai Millenium) is out of Dysphonia (Lonhro), who started her career in the hands of Peter Snowden, winning the Scone Cup (Listed, 1600m) in 2011 prior to finishing third in the Myer Classic (registered as Empire Rose Stakes) (Gr 1, 1600m) later that year. While Soliloquy does not hold an entry in the 1,000 Guineas, connections will surely choose to supplement her on the back of this success.
The worth of the Classic trial form will come under closer scrutiny in the coming weeks and it would be no surprise if a number of impressive maiden and novice winners prove themselves better than plenty of those horses to have already dipped their toe into Pattern company.
Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) hasn’t made the impact in Europe that some might have expected but his John Gosden-trained son, Sevenna Star, looked a fine prospect when romping away with a Windsor novice (1m2f) on his reappearance, his third career start and the first following a breathing operation. Heavy ground sounds a note of caution to the merits of that performance, but he holds an entry in the Classic Trial (Gr 3, 1m2f) at Sandown on Friday and he is surely a stakes horse of some description.
The reverse is true of High Chaparral’s (Galileo) stallion credentials in Australia, the former Coolmore Stud resident siring ten-time Group One winner So You Think and this year’s Melbourne Cup victor Rekindling, and he appears to have produced a smart son from his final crop in the shape of Raymond Tusk, who won division two of three-year-old maiden (1m) on debut at Newbury on Saturday.
In beating the twice-raced He’s Amazing (Fastnet Rock) by four and a half lengths, Raymond Tusk achieved above-average form for the grade and his overall time was more than two seconds faster than the preceding division. Owned by Middleham Park Racing, the colt doesn’t hold any forward entries but he looks an exciting prospect for both this summer and beyond.