Minding Returns To Action
The colt was settled in behind the leaders in the early stages under Adam Kirby and made smooth headway to launch his challenge approaching the final furlong.
He loomed alongside the Shadwell-raced Dahik (Society Rock) with around 200 yards to run and he knuckled down well to score by half a length, with a break of a length and a half back to Jellmood (Acclamation) in third.
Koditime is the first foal out of the unplaced Footstepsinthesand (Giant’s Causeway) mare Eponastone, who is a half-sister to the Group Three-winning and Group One-placed Unsung Heroine (High Chaparral).
This is also the same family as Group One winner Posidonas (Slip Anchor) and the stakes-winning pair Carry The Flag (Tenby) and Final Verse (Mark Of Esteem).
At Naas on Monday, the Niarchos-bred and raced Alpha Centauri (2 f Mastercraftsman – Alpha Lupi by Rahy) made a winning introduction over six furlongs for trainer Jessica Harrington.
The filly was quickly away from the starting stalls and towed the field along in the early stages under Colm O’Donoghue, who began to increase the tempo approaching half way.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Actress (Declaration Of War) tried to bridge the gap, but Alpha Centauri galloped on strongly to register a two and a half length success, with the Albany Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ascot in June a likely target in the coming weeks.
Alpha Centauri is one of four named foals out of the unraced Rahy (Blushing Groom) mare Alpha Lupi, herself a half-sister to the Group Three winner Moon Driver (Mr. Prospector), making her a half-sister to the stakes-winning and Group Two-placed Tenth Star (Dansili).
Her second dam is the multiple Group One winner East Of The Moon (Private Account), who is a half-sister to the multiple Group One-winning and leading sire Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector) being out of Miesque (Nureyev), while her family can be traced further back to Group / Grade One winners Karakontie (Bernstein), Rumplestiltskin (Danehill), Tapestry (Galileo) and Real Steel (Deep Impact).
Three-Year-Olds
The John Gosden-trained Cunco (3 c ex Chrysanthemum by Danehill Dancer) stayed on dourly under pressure to win the Classic Trial (Gr 3, 1m2f) at Sandown on Friday, providing Juddmonte Farms stallion Frankel (Galileo) with his eighth stakes winner.
The three-year-old colt, whose last victory came on his debut at Newbury 12 months ago, travelled strongly into contention from off the pace under Robert Tart as the favourite and stablemate Monarchs Glen (Frankel) set even fractions under Frankie Dettori.
Monarchs Glen faded under pressure inside the final two furlongs, and Cunco stayed on well inside the final 50 yards to run down Intern (Rip Van Winkle) by a head, with a further length back to Frankuus (Frankel) in third.
Former champion trainer Gosden said after the race that Cunco is likely to be aimed at the Chester Vase (Gr 1, 1m4f) on 11 May with an eye to a potential Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) tilt at Epsom next month.
At Naas on Monday, the Aga Khan-bred and raced Rehana (3 f Dark Angel – Rayka by Selkirk) took out the Athasi Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) in decisive fashion.
The Mick Halford-trained filly, who ran fourth in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) at her final two-year-old start, was sent straight into the lead by jockey Shane Foley, but Rose De Pierre (Dubawi) looked like throwing down a serious challenge when looming alongside at the two-furlongs.
However, once asked to extend, she quickened clear of that rival and ran on strongly to win by two and three quarter lengths, with Summer Icon (Sixties Icon) running on well to finish a further length and a quarter away in third.
Halford nominated the Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) on 28 May as the next assignment for Rehana, for which she is a 5/1 second favourite behind Aidan O’Brien’s Rhododendron (Galileo).
The Andreas Wohler-trained and Qatar Racing-owned Warring States (3 c ex Ciliege by Sakura Bakushin O) ran out a narrow winner of the Bavarian Classic (Gr 3, 2000m) at Munich on Monday, in the process giving Victoire Pisa (Neo Universe) his fourth stakes winner.
The colt ran on bravely in the closing stages to beat Enjoy Vijay (Nathaniel) by a nose to take out the €55,000 feature, with a break of two and a half lengths back to Kastano (Nathaniel) in third place.
Warring States’ main summer target will be the Deutsches Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) in July, and Victoire Pisa’s progeny are headed by the Japanese Grade One winner Jeweler.
In Rome, champion Italian trainer Stefano Botti saddled Mi Raccomando (3 f Poet’s Voice – Maschera d’Oro by Mtoto) to win the Premio Regina Elena (Gr 3, 1600m).
The filly, who has now won twice at stakes level having taken out the Premio Coolmore (Listed, 1500m) at Milan in September, beat Lady Ramon (Ramonti) by a short neck, with Stamp Collecting (Casamento) a further three lengths behind in third place.
Later on the same card, Anda Muchacho (3 c Helmet – Montefino by Shamardal) got up in the last strides to win the Premio Parioli Sisal (Gr 3, 1600m), beating Patriot Hero (Pivotal) by a short-head, with Amore Hass (Azamour) a further length and a half behind in third.
Older horses
The Andre Fabre-trained and Godolphin-raced Cloth Of Stars (4 c ex Strawberry Fledge by Kingmambo) won the first Group One of the European season when holding on for a narrow win in the Prix Ganay (Gr 1, 2100m) at Saint-Cloud on Monday.
The colt, who also provided Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) with his sixth Group One winner, was always travelling strongly in behind the leaders for regular jockey Mickael Barzalona, though he was briefly short of room when attempting to make ground in the straight.
Once in the clear, Cloth Of Stars quickened into the lead at the 300 metres and had enough in hand to fend off the late challenge of Zarak (Dubawi), a son of champion mare Zarkava (Zamindar), by a head, with Silverwave (Silver Frost) a further three quarters of a length behind in third place.
Cloth Of Stars, whose dam Strawberry Fledge (Kingmambo) is a sister to the Oaks-winning and Group Three-producing mare Light Shift, has now won six times at Group level and is likely to be aimed towards a tilt at the Coronation Cup (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on 2 June next up.
Earlier on the card at Saint-Cloud, Fabre’s Jimmy Two Times (4 c Kendargent – Steel Woman by Anabaa) took out the Prix du Muguet (Gr 2, 1600m) in good style.
The colt, who was recently purchased by Godolphin, travelled strongly in midfield under Vincent Cheminaud as pacemaker Toscanini (Shamardal) set steady fractions on the front end.
Toscanini still held a narrow advantage entering the final 200 metres, but Jimmy Two Times edged clear approaching the 100 metres under a hand ride to beat the running-on Kourkan (American Post) by half a length, with the dual Group Two-winning mare Usherette (Shamardal) a further length behind in third on her reappearance.
Fabre hinted after the race that the colt could be supplemented for the Lockinge Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Newbury on 20 May.
The top-class filly Minding (4 f Galileo – Lillie Langtry by Danehill Dancer) returned to action with a comfortable success in the Mooresbridge Stakes (Gr 2, 1m2f) at Naas on Monday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old, whose five Group One victories last season included three Classics, was keen in the early stages as Ryan Moore set about making all the running in the four-runner field.
She was still on the bridle approaching the final two furlongs and quickened clear in ready fashion once shaken up to beat Moonlight Magic (Cape Cross) with the minimum of fuss by three and a half lengths, with Brendan Bracken (Big Bad Bob) a further two lengths behind in third.
Minding is likely to be aimed towards the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) at the Curragh on 28 May next up before the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Royal Ascot.
The Ruth Carr-trained Sovereign Debt (8 g Dark Angel – Kelsey Rose by Most Welcome) ran out a brave winner of the bet365 Mile (Gr 2, 1m) at Sandown last Friday.
The consistent eight-year-old gelding won the valuable All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes (1m) at Lingfield at his previous start on 14 April, which was just his second start for Yorkshire-based Carr having been transferred to her stable from the now-retired David Nicholls.
Sovereign Debt was settled in behind the early leader Kool Kompany (Jeremy) in the early part of the contest by James Sullivan and having been produced to lead approaching the final furlong, he held on well to repel Gabrial (Dark Angel) by half a length, with another length and a half back to Jallota (Rock Of Gibraltar) in third.
Also at Sandown, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ulysses (4 h Galileo – Light Shift by Kingmambo) took out the Gordon Richards Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) taking style.
The Flaxman Stables-raced Ulysses, who won the Gordon Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Goodwood last season and finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr 1, 12f) at his last three-year-old start, travelled smoothly into contention under Andrea Atzeni and quickened up well to beat Aidan O’Brien’s Deauville (Galileo) by a length, with a further three lengths back to Group One winner My Dream Boat (Lord Shanakill) in third.