Enable Demolishes Yorkshire Oaks Rivals
Two-Year-Olds
The Mark Johnston-trained two-year-old filly Threading (2 f Exceed And Excel – Chaquiras by Seeking The Gold) preserved her unbeaten record when impressively landing the Lowther Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at York last Thursday
The filly, who won over six furlongs on debut at Goodwood earlier in the month, was settled off the pace by James Doyle with the Wesley Ward-trained Happy Like A Fool (Distorted Humor) cutting out the early running.
As the field entered the final two furlongs Happy Like A Fool had opened up a healthy advantage on the field, but as soon as Doyle asked Threading for her effort she responded and quickened up well to score decisively.
Madeline (Kodiac) stayed on well to finish two lengths adrift in second, while Mamba Noire (Wootton Bassett) finished a further three quarters of a length adrift in third.
On Saturday, the Richard Fahey-trained Sands Of Mali (2 c Panis – Kadiania by Indian Rocket) powered to an impressive victory in the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at York.
The colt had opened his account over six furlongs at Nottingham earlier this month, having finished seventh on debut at York in July, and he was sent straight into the lead by jockey Paul Hanagan.
He quickened clear around two furlongs out and never looked like being overhauled, finishing two and three quarter lengths clear of Invincible Army (Invincible Spirit) in second at odds of 14/1, with Cardsharp (Lonhro) a length further adrift in third.
The promising Wells Farhh Go (2 c Farhh – Mowazana by Galileo) stretched his unbeaten record to two when landing the Acomb Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at York last week.
The Tim Easterby-trained colt made a positive impression when breaking his maiden on debut at the same track last month, and he was ridden off the pace in the early stages by jockey David Allan.
He moved into a challenging position approaching the final furlong and got his head down on the line to prevail by a nose over James Garfield (Exceed And Excel), with the Phoenix Thoroughbreds-raced Lansky (Dark Angel) a further three and three quarter lengths behind in third.
At Goodwood on Saturday, the Richard Hannon-trained Billesdon Brook (2 f Champs Elysees – Coplow by Manduro) ran out a ready winner of the Prestige Stakes (Gr 3, 7f).
The two-year-old filly, who was most recently seen winning at Glorious Goodwood on 3 August, quickened up well under Sean Levey to beat Whitefountainfairy (Casamento) by three quarters of a length with the same distance back to Miss Bar Beach (Choisir) in third.
US Navy Flag (2 c War Front – Misty For Me by Galileo) gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his fifth win in the Round Tower Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The colt was most recently seen running fourth in the Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at the Curragh earlier in the month and he took full advantage of the drop in class to beat Landshark (Bated Breath) by an impressive six lengths with Ball Girl (Tagula) a further neck away in third.
The William McCreery-trained Liquid Amber (2 f Kitten’s Joy – Pachattack by Pulpit) showed a smart turn of foot to win the Flame Of Tara Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at the Curragh on Sunday.
Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family, Liquid Amber, who was having her second career start, took the lead with 200 yards left to travel and pulled away to score an emphatic five length victory over the Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite Ballet Shoes (Galileo).
Three-Year-Olds
The John Gosden-trained Enable (3 f Nathaniel – Concentric by Sadler’s Wells) secured a fourth successive Group One victory yesterday, with a phenomenal front-running display to land the Yorkshire Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f).
The winner of both the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) and Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) was most recently seen beating dual Group One winner Ulysses (Galileo) in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Ascot, and she was sent to the front early by Frankie Dettori.
The filly always appeared to be travelling comfortably in the lead and, and it was quickly apparent in the straight that she had the race in safe keeping as her rivals struggled to keep up.
Dettori asked her to stretch at the two-furlong marker and she stretched clear to beat Group Two-winning stablemate Coronet (Dubawi) by five lengths, with Queen’s Trust (Dansili) a further three quarters of a length behind in third.
After the race John Gosden confirmed that the Juddmonte Farms-bred and raced Enable would now head to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) at Chantilly on 1 October, for which she is a short-priced favourite.
John Gosden enjoyed further success with his three-year-olds at York last week, as the promising Cracksman (3 c Frankel – Rhadegunda by Pivotal) ran out a dominant winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f).
The progressive colt finished placed in both the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) and the Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) earlier this season, and he relished the drop down in class under Frankie Dettori.
He quickened up impressively between runners around three furlongs out and put the race to bed in a matter of strides, beating Venice Beach (Galileo) by six lengths into second, with the same distance back to Mirage Dancer (Frankel) in a distant third.
Gosden said the colt could be given the rest of the season off, with his four-year-old campaign likely to centre around the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Rain Goddess (3 f Galileo – Where by Danehill Dancer) stayed on well for pressure to win the Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes (Gr 3, 1m1f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The three-year-old filly had not won since making a successful debut at Leopardstown last September, but has performed with credit in some high-class races this season including running second in the Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) and second to Enable in the Irish Oaks.
She showed no ill-effects from her recent trip to America, where she ran eighth in the Beverly D Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f), travelling strongly and quickening well to beat Intimation (Dubawi) by half a length with the same distance back to Dawn Of Hope (Mastercraftsman) in third.
Older Horses
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ulysses (4 c Galileo – Light Shift by Kingmambo) ran out a decisive winner of the £1,000,000 International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) at York last week.
The Niarchos Family-raced four-year-old colt travelled stylishly into contention from off the pace under champion jockey Jim Crowley and he eased clear to beat the three-year-olds Churchill (Galileo) and Barney Roy (Excelebration) by two lengths and a neck respectively.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Cliffs Of Moher (Galileo) cut out the early running but was pestered on the front-end by the Godolphin-raced Barney Roy, and the pair kicked for home around half a mile out.
Churchill gave chase and moved alongside Barney Roy at the two-furlong marker, but Crowley bided his time aboard the progressive son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) and produced him with a perfectly timed run to win going away inside the final furlong.
The Sir Mark Prescott-trained Marsha (4 f Acclamation – Marlinka by Marju) added a second Group One to her CV when she put in an astonishing late run in the final furlong to land the Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at York on Friday.
A winner of last season’s Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (Gr 1, 1000m), Marsha was able to reverse the form with the Wesley Ward-trained Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) yesterday, with the American filly having held the upper hand in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at Royal Ascot.
Lady Aurelia cut out the running in the early part of the contest, showing her usual raw speed to gain a healthy advantage on the field entering the final two furlongs.
However, under a late drive by jockey Luke Morris, Marsha appeared out of the pack to run down the daughter of Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) in the final stride to score a nose victory, with the Charles Hills-trained Cotai Glory (Exceed And Excel) adrift in third.
The Alain Couetil-trained Tiberian (5 h Tiberius Caesar – Toamasina by Marju), who is co-owned by Australian Bloodstock, tuned up for his assault on the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) with a brave victory in Sunday’s Grand Prix de Deauville (Gr 2, 2500m).
Last seen winning the Prix de Reux (Gr 3, 2500m) at the same track earlier in the month, the five-year-old stayed on strongly all the way to the line to beat Doha Dream (Shamardal) by a short-neck with another length back to Travelling Man (Oasis Dream) in third.
Tiberian was settled towards the back by jockey Oliver Peslier in the early part of the contest and the pair began to make their move after the halfway point.
Having improved into third, Peslier asked the entire for his effort with a furlong left to travel and he responded in taking fashion to come away with the victory.
The David Simcock-trained Lightning Spear (6 h Pivotal – Atlantic Destiny by Royal Academy) ran out a game winner of the Celebration Mile (Gr 2, 1m) at Goodwood on Saturday, winning the race for the second successive year.
The son of Pivotal (Polar Falcon) was settled just behind the leaders by jockey Oisin Murphy with the early pace being set by Hathal (Speightstown).
As the field entered the final two Lightning Spear looked to be struggling, but he picked up strongly inside the final 150 yards to run down Zonderland (Dutch Art) in the final strides to win by a nose, with Hathal sticking on well to finish third.
The Andrew Balding-trained Montaly (6 g Yeats – Le Badie by Spectrum) also left it late to the land the Lonsdale Cup (Gr 2, 2m½f) at York on Friday.
High Jinx (High Chaparral) led the field early on, with fancied runners Dartmouth (Dubawi) and Thomas Hobson (Halling) racing prominently, while Montaly found the early pace too sharp and raced at the tail of the field.
Dartmouth, who is raced by The Queen, looked sure to score a brave win when edging ahead inside the final furlong, but Montaly flew home late to collar that rival by a nose, with Melbourne Cup nominee St Michel (Sea The Stars) a further half a length behind in third.