Guineas Double For Churchill And Winter
Two-Year-Olds
The Jessica Harrington-trained Brother Bear (2 c ex Hurricane Emma by Mr Greeley) preserved his unbeaten record when he won the Marble Hill Stakes (Listed, 6f) at the Curragh on Saturday, in the process providing his sire Kodiac (Danehill) with his 32nd stakes winner.
The two-year-old, who made a winning debut at Leopardstown on 7 May, travelled strongly just off the pace under Colm O’Donoghue and showed a smart turn of foot approaching the final furlongs to stretch three lengths clear of Would Be King (Lethal Force) in second, with U S Navy Flag (War Front) a neck further behind in third.
The colt now looks highly likely to head to the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Royal Ascot on 20 June at his next start, for which he shares 6/1 favouritism with the unbeaten Richard Hannon-trained Denaar (Acclamation).
At Sandown last Thursday, first season sire Havana Gold (Teofilo) sired his first stakes winner courtesy of Havana Grey’s (2 c ex Blanc de Chine by Dark Angel) gate to wire victory in the National Stakes (Listed, 5f).
The Karl Burke-trained colt, who won by five lengths at Ayr at his previous start, was quickly away and sent straight into the lead by PJ McDonald, battling on well close home to deny the late thrust of Frozen Angel (Dark Angel) by a length with just a neck back to Haddaf (Dawn Approach) in third.
After the race, the North Yorkshire-based Burke confirmed that Havana Grey would also head to Royal Ascot later this month, with the Coventry Stakes and Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) potential targets.
Three-Year-Olds
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Churchill (3 c Galileo – Meow by Storm Cat) backed up his recent victory in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket with a convincing win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at the Curragh on Saturday.
The three-year-old colt, who has now won four Group One races, was away from the stalls cleanly and was settled in fifth position in the early stages under regular rider Ryan Moore.
The former champion jockey asked Churchill for his effort approaching the final two furlongs and the colt effortlessly closed the gap on his front-running stablemate Lancaster Bomber (War Front).
He cleared away in terrific style to register a two and a half length success over the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Thunder Snow (Helmet), who was having his first start since performing a bucking bronco routine in the Kentucky Derby (Gr 1,10f), with Irishcorrespondent (Teofilo) a further four and a half lengths behind in third.
The colt may now head to Royal Ascot for the St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) on 20 June, where a potential rematch with 2,000 Guineas runner-up Barney Roy (Excelebration) lies in wait.
Winter (3 f Galileo – Laddies Poker Two by Choisir) continued her trainer Aidan O’Brien’s dominance of the three-year-old Classics when she ran out a wide-margin winner of the Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at the Curragh on Sunday, leading home a trifecta for the Irish Champion trainer.
The grey filly, who won the 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket on 7 May, breezed into contention from midfield under Ryan Moore, who remained motionless in the saddle as she loomed at the two furlongs.
Once shaken up she quickened clear for an impressive victory, drawing away from the fast finishing Roly Poly (War Front) by four and three quarter lengths, with just a head back to Hydrangea (Galileo) in third.
The Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Royal Ascot is a potential target for the daughter of champion sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells).
The Clive Cox-trained Harry Angel (3 c Dark Angel – Beatrix Potter by Cadeaux Genereux) also looks bound for the Royal meeting after storming clear for a stunning success in the Sandy Lane Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Haydock on Saturday.
The three-year-old won the Mill Reef Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Newbury last season, and finished second first up to the Godolphin-raced Blue Point (Shamardal) in the Pavilion Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ascot on 3 May.
Jockey Adam Kirby allowed the colt to stride on at the head of affairs shortly after the start, and, despite taking a fierce hold through the first half of the race, he had plenty in reserve and quickened clear inside the final two furlongs, beating Second Thought (Kodiac) by four and half lengths with Mubtasim (Arcano) back in third.
Harry Angel is now the general 7/2 second favourite for the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot on 23 June behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) (11/10 favourite).
In Milan on Sunday, the Stefano Botti-trained Folega (3 f Oasis Dream – Rosa del Dubai by Dubai Destination) took out the Oaks D’Italia (Gr 2, 2000m) at San Siro.
The British-bred filly was ridden patiently by Nicola Pinna, who delivered her with a perfectly timed run inside the final 100 metres to beat her stablemates Paiardina (Casamento) and Alambra (Shamardal) by half a length and four lengths respectively.
Older Horses
A stallion career now beckons for Decorated Knight (5 h Galileo – Pearling by Storm Cat) after he secured his second Group One win in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Roger Charlton-trained five-year-old, who got up in the last strides to win the Jebel Hatta Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) at Meydan on 4 March, broke well under Andrea Atzeni and was settled in fourth position in the early stages.
He cruised into a share of the lead around two furlongs from home, and, having quickened into a two length lead, he ran on gamely to fend off the late challenge of Somehow (Fastnet Rock) by a length and a quarter, with Deauville (Galileo) a further two and a quarter lengths adrift in third.
The entire shares a page with the likes of multiple Group One-winning and producing stallion Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) and multiple Group One winner Gleneagles (Galileo), whose first crop will be yearlings next year.
Gilltown Stud-based Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) sired his seventh Group One winner when the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Mekhtaal (4 h ex Aiglonne by Silver Hawk) won the Prix d’Ispahan (Gr 1, 1800m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The four-year-old entire, who won the Prix Hocquart (Gr 2, 2000m) at Deauville in May last year, was delivered with a strong challenge approaching the final 200 metres as the front-running Robin Of Navan (American Post) looked to hold on for an unlikely win.
However, Mekhtaal found plenty for pressure and got up in the last strides to win by a neck, with the Andre Fabre-trained Usherette (Shamardal) a further half a length behind in third place.
At Haydock on Saturday, Priceless (4 m Exceed and Excel – Molly Brown by Rudimentary) gave trainer Clive Cox and jockey Adam Kirby a feature race double, following the impressive success of Harry Angel, when winning the Temple Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) in good style.
The four-year-old mare, who won the Lansdown Stakes (Listed, 5f) first up at Bath this season, was quickly away and was settled just in behind the leaders in the early part of the £100,000 contest.
As the runners entered the final furlong, Kirby produced the mare into the lead with a smart turn of foot, and she was always doing enough to fend off the fast-finishing Goldream (Oasis Dream), who had been slowly away, by half a length with a neck back to Alpha Delphini (Captain Gerrard) in third.
At the Curragh on Saturday afternoon, Creggs Pipes (5 m Rip Van Winkle – Sophie Germain by Indian Ridge) made all the running to win the Lanwades Stud Stakes (Gr 2, 1m).
The five-year-old set a steady tempo in testing conditions under Declan McDonogh, and when challenged in the home straight she found plenty to win going away by three and three quarter lengths from English raider Opal Tiara (Thousand Words), with Turret Rocks (Fastnet Rock) a further length behind in third.
At Sandown last Thursday evening, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Autocratic (4 c Dubawi – Canda by Storm Cat) ran out a decisive winner of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f).
The four-year-old colt came with a strong late burst under Ryan Moore to beat Algometer (Archipenko) by a length and a quarter, with a further length back to Steel Of Madrid (Lope De Vega) in third.
Earlier on the same card, the Michael Bell-trained Big Orange (6 g Duke of Marmalade – Miss Brown to You by Fasliyev), who placed in the Zipping Classic (Gr 2, 2400m) at Sandown in November after a midfield finish in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), made all to win the Henry II Stakes (Gr 3, 2m) in ready fashion under Frankie Dettori.