Impressive Group Three win for Danehill Kodiac
Two-year-olds
The Freddy Head-trained Luminate (2 f Lawman – Kalandara by Rainbow Quest) continued her good form when she won the Prix De Conde (Gr 3, 1800m) at Chantilly at the weekend.
The two-year-old made a winning debut over 1600 metres at Deauville in August and was the only filly to line up in the Group Three on Saturday.
She proved a class above her five rivals, easing clear under Aurelien Lemaitre to post an impressive three-length success from Kingstar (Evasive), with King Of Camelot (Camelot) six lengths behind in third.
A half-sister to Luminate was purchased for 370,000 guineas by Godolphin at Book Two of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in Newmarket on Monday.
On the same afternoon at Chantilly, the Godolphin-raced Beau Ideal (2 c Exceed And Excel – Lay Time by Galileo) landed the Criterium De Vitesse (Listed, 1000m).
The Andre Fabre-trained two-year-old colt narrowly missed out on a stakes success on his most recent outing, finishing second in the Prix Saraca (Listed, 1300m) at Maisons-Laffitte on 11 September.
He managed to go one better at the weekend, defeating Absolute Cry (Elusive City) by a nose under Pierre-Charles Boudot with another length and a quarter back to Looks A Million (Kyllachy) in third place.
The Richard Fahey-trained Darkanna (2 f Dark Angel – Jadanna by Mujadil) ran out a comfortable winner of the valuable Two-Year-Old Trophy (Listed, 6f) at Redcar on Saturday afternoon.
The filly was eased in class for the £175,000 sprint having previously finished fifth behind Clemmie (Galileo) in the Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Newmarket just seven days earlier.
She was always travelling strongly under Barry McHugh and quickened clear inside the final furlong to beat Flying Sparkle (Fast Company) by half a length with another length and three quarters back to Foxtrot Lady (Foxwedge) in third.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Bye Bye Baby (2 f Galileo – Remember When by Danehill Dancer) ran out an impressive winner of the Staffordstown Stud Stakes (Listed, 1m) at Navan on Sunday.
The two-year-old filly, who is out of the Group One-placed mare Remember When (Danehill Dancer), defeated Coeur D’Amour (Zoffany) by two and a quarter lengths with Ballet Shoes (Galileo) a further length and a half behind in third.
At the same fixture, the Ger Lyons-trained Gobi Desert (2 c Oasis Dream – Household Name by Zamindar) held on bravely to win the Legacy Stakes (Listed, 6f).
The two-year-old made a winning debut at the Curragh in August, and he was able to get the better of Golden Spell (Al Kazeem) by half a length with Brick By Brick (Big Bad Bob) a further length behind in third.
Three-year-olds
The high-class Charlie Appleby-trained sprinter Blue Point (3 c Shamardal – Scarlett Rose by Royal Applause) held on well for pressure inside the final strides to win the Bengough Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ascot on Saturday.
The colt, who was a Group Two winner as a juvenile and was a close third behind Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot in June, travelled strongly on the front-end under William Buick and opened up a break on his rivals with a smart turn of foot approaching the final two furlongs.
He began to tire on the good to soft ground in the closing stages but had enough in hand to fend off the late challenge of Projection (Acclamation) by half a length, with Magical Memory (Zebedee) a further three and a quarter lengths behind in third place.
Blue Point now looks set to clash with Caravaggio and Harry Angel (Dark Angel) in the British Champions Sprint Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Ascot on Saturday week.
Later on the same card, the William Haggas-trained One Master (3 f Fastnet Rock – Enticing by Pivotal) ran out an impressive winner of the October Stakes (Listed, 7f).
The lightly raced three-year-old filly came into the race having broken her maiden at her last start at Yarmouth, and she could be spotted travelling strongly towards the rear of the field in the hands of Martin Harley.
She was delivered with a strong challenge approaching the final furlong and quickly put the race to bed, beating the smart Bletchley (Makfi) by a length and a quarter with another three quarters of a length back to the favourite Eternally (Dutch Art) in third.
The previous day at Ascot, the Brian Meehan-trained Raheen House (3 c Sea The Stars – Jumooh by Monsun) was handed the Noel Murless Stakes (Listed, 1m6f) in the stewards room having originally finished second under Jamie Spencer.
The three-year-old, who won the Bahrain Trophy (Gr 3, 1m5f) at Newmarket in July, looked to be delivering a winning run inside the final furlong when he was bumped by the first past the post Weekender (Frankel).
The winning distance at the line was a nose, with Hochfeld (Cape Cross) back in third, and the stewards found in favour of Raheen House following an enquiry.
In Munich on Sunday, the Godolphin-raced and Henri-Alex Pantall-trained Wild Bud (3 f Dubawi – Wild Wind by Danehill Dancer) took out the Bayerischer Sprint Cup (Listed, 1000m).
The regally-bred filly, who is from the same family as Group One winner Rumplestiltskin (Danehill), the dam of Group One winner Tapestry (Galileo), beat Princess Asta (Canford Cliffs) by three quarters of a length with another half a length back to Daring Match (Call Me Big) in third.
Older horses
The Richard Hannon-trained Danehill Kodiac (4 c Kodiac – Meadow by Green Desert) ran out a game winner of the Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Ascot on Saturday afternoon.
The four-year-old has progressed well through the handicap ranks in Britain this season, and he was allowed to dictate steady fractions on the front-end under jockey Sean Levey.
His jockey began to increase the tempo approaching the home straight, and though the strong-travelling French raider Waldgeist (Galileo) loomed up with a strong challenge inside the final furlong, Danehill Kodiac lifted close home to score by a neck.
The Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Secret Number (Raven’s Pass), who won the Group Three race last season, was back in third.
The Ron Harris-trained Just Glamorous (4 g Arcano – Glamorous Air by Air Express) came roading back to form when making all the running in the Rous Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Ascot on Saturday.
The four-year-old gelding, who won the Prix du Petit Couvert (Gr 3, 1000m) in 2016, had recently undergone a breathing operation and was allowed to bowl along in the lead under Oisin Murphy.
He was challenged by Sir Robert Cheval (Green Desert) in the closing stages but found plenty to win by three quarters of a length, with short-priced favourite Waady (Approve) a further neck adrift in third.
The consistent Jallota (6 g Rock Of Gibraltar – Lady Lahar by Fraam) put in an impressive performance to win the Guisborough Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Redcar on Saturday.
The Charlie Hills-trained six-year-old had not won since he took out the Prix du Pin (Gr 3, 1400m) at Chantilly in September 2016 but he took full advantage when dropped into Listed company at the weekend.
He stretched clear under Dane O’Neill inside the final furlong to beat Von Blucher (Zoffany) by a decisive four and a half lengths with just a nose back to Lahore (Elusive Quality) in third.
The Michael Grassick-trained Texas Rock (6 g Rock of Gibraltar – Vestavia by Alhaarth) ran out a surprise winner of the Waterford Testimonial Stakes (Listed, 6f) at Navan on Sunday.
The result provided the gelding with a second career stakes victory, and he showed plenty of resolve to beat the progressive Son Of Rest (Pivotal) by a neck, with another half a length back to Maarek (Pivotal) in third.