Godolphin Raider Polarisation Captures The Sydney Cup
Relishing the Heavy 8 track under his light weight of 51.5 kilograms, Polarisation was ridden much the same way by jockey Corey Brown in both versions of the race but new player, three-year-old filly Lasqueti Spirit (Beneteau), injected more front running speed into last Saturday’s race before beginning to fade approaching the final turn.
Race time was 3:29.16 with the final 600 metres run in 38.02 seconds. If there was an unlucky runner it was third placed Big Duke (Raven’s Pass) whose rider Glen Boss perhaps let the leaders gain too big a break early on his mount, which made up many lengths in the straight to be beaten three quarters of a length.
This was the fifth consecutive Sydney Cup won by a horse bred in Great Britain or Ireland following the successes of Gallante (Montjeu) in 2016, Grand Marshal (Dansili) in 2015, The Offer (Montjeu) in 2014 and Mourayan (Alhaarth) in 2013 and the winner is likely to return in the spring to attempt to win the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), a same year double last achieved in 2004 by the peerless stayer Makybe Diva (Desert King).
Polarisation, a plain, light framed type, was bred by Darley, which purchased his sire Echo Of Light (Dubai Millennium) for a high price as a yearling, stood him at stud in England / Ireland after his successful racing career. They also bred his dam Concordia (Pivotal) from Snow Bride (Blushing Groom), who was made winner of the 1989 Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) after the controversial drug disqualification of the Aga Khan’s Aliysa (Darshaan), thus providing Sheikh Mohammed with a classic victory before becoming an exceptional producer at stud.
Echo Of Light, by Sheikh Mohammed’s short lived champion racehorse Dubai Millennium (Seeking The Gold), won five Group races in Britain and France before retiring to Kildangan Stud in Ireland where he was put down in 2012 after breaking a hind leg. Polarisation is his first and only stakes winner from five crops of racing age.
Concordia, Polarisation’s dam, was a winner over 2250 metres in France but does not rank highly among Snow Bride’s seven winners which are headed by unbeaten champion Lammtarra (Nijinsky), winner at two of the Washington Singer Stakes (Listed, 7f) before a remarkable three-start campaign at three years in 1995 when he won the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f), the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m). Sadly, Lammtarra’s subsequent career as a sire in Britain and Japan proved a major disappointment.
Polarisation is Concordia’s second foal and she has also produced winners in Britain by Exceed And Excel (Danehill) and Dubawi (Dubai Millennium). Still to come for her are unraced fillies Clearly (Invincible Spirit) and Mountain Lake (Dubawi) while she recently foaled a colt from the first crop by champion Golden Horn (Cape Cross).
In addition to Lammtarra, Snow Bride left two other stakes winners, Kammtarra (Zilzal) and Saytarra (Seeking The Gold), not surprising as her dam Awaasif (Snow Knight) was a champion filly on the track, a very good producer and a daughter of the impeccably bred Royal Statute (Northern Dancer).
Bred in Canada by E.P. Taylor and purchased by Sheikh Mohammed as a yearling, Awaasif was rated the champion three-year-old filly in Britain in 1982 when she won the Yorkshire Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) and finished third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
As a four-year-old Awaasif, Polarisation’s third dam, was an impressive winner of the Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2400m) before retiring to stud to produce seven winners and, in addition to Snow Bride, among them are stakes winners Ibn Al Haitham (Zafonic) and Jarraar (Mr. Prospector).
Polarisation’ fourth dam Royal Statute bred eight winners. As well as Awaasif, these included stakes winners Royal Lorna (Val de l’Orne), herself a good producer, and Konafa (Damascus), runner up in the 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and dam of stakes winners Proskona (Mr. Prospector), Keos (Riverman), Korveya (Riverman) and Carnet Solaire (Sharpen Up). Korveya bred champion Hector Protector (Mr. Prospector) and other important winners while another of Royal Statute’s daughters, unraced Royal Stance (Dr. Fager), became the dam of stakes winners Majuscule (Majestic Light), Royal Cielo (Conquistador Cielo) and Luhuk (Forty Niner), a leading sire in South America.
In the centre of his pedigree Polarisation is linebred to the famous three-quarter relations Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) and Nureyev (Northern Dancer) and he carries two other lines of Northern Dancer (Nearctic) in his fifth generation.