Order Of St George Lands Third St Leger Trial
Two-Year-Olds
There were plenty of important two-year-old stakes races across Europe over the past seven days.
Yorkshire-based trainer Karl Burke saddled the first and second home in the Prix Morny (Gr 1, 1200m) at Deauville on Sunday as Unfortunately (2 c Society Rock – Unfortunate by Komaite) ran down his front-running stablemate Havana Grey (Havana Gold) in the €350,000 feature.
The son of the late Society Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar) survived a stewards inquiry and an appeal to win the Prix Robert Papin (Gr 2, 1100m) at his last start, but this was an altogether more straightforward victory.
He travelled strongly into contention under Tony Piccone and quickened clear inside the final 100 metres to score by a length and a quarter from Havana Grey, with the previously unbeaten filly Different League (Dabirsim) a further short-head adrift in third.
At the Curragh on the same day, Magical (2 f Galileo – Halfway To Heaven by Pivotal) made all the running to win the Debutante Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) in convincing fashion.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly galloped on relentlessly on the front-end under Donnacha O’Brien to beat her better-fancied stablemate Happily (Galileo) by a length and a quarter, with the same distance back to Mary Tudor (Dawn Approach) in third.
The previously unbeaten September (Deep Impact) travelled strongly on her first outing since Royal Ascot but tired close home to finish fourth. Magical is a sister to Rhododendron, who won the Debutante Stakes 12 months ago.
Champion Irish trainer O’Brien enjoyed further big race success when Rostropovich (2 c Frankel – Tyranny by Machiavellian) led in the final strides to win the Futurity Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at the Curragh.
The colt, who fetched 1,100,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and is a half-brother to Zoffany (Dansili), was delivered with a perfectly-timed run by Ryan Moore to lead home his stablemates Coat Of Arms (Galileo) and Berkeley Square (Galileo) by a short-head and a length and three quarters respectively.
The colt is likely to head to the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) over the same course and distance on 10 September at his next start.
The Qatar Racing-owned Treasuring (2 f Havana Gold – You Look So Good by Excellent Art) made virtually all the running to win the Curragh Stakes (Gr 3, 5f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Ger Lyons-trained filly stretched clear approaching the final furlong under Colin Keane and held on well from the fast-finishing Goodthingstaketime (Canford Cliffs) to score by half a length, with the same distance back to Sirici (Choisir) in third place.
The exciting Freddy Head-trained Polydream (2 f Oasis Dream – Polygreen by Green Tune) preserved her unbeaten record when landing the Prix du Calvados (Gr 3, 1400m) at Deauville on Saturday.
The two-year-old filly, who has now won both of her career starts having won at the track on debut last month, beat Laurens (Siyouni) by a length and three quarters with another two and a half lengths back to Bonita Fransisca (Pedro The Great) in third.
An Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) half-sister to Polydream sold for €400,000 to David Redvers and Meridian International on Monday at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.
The Dean Ivory-trained Eirene (2 f Declaration Of War – Za Za Zoom by Le Vie Dei Colori) ran out a ready winner of the St Hugh’s Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Newbury on Friday afternoon.
The two-year-old filly broke her maiden at Doncaster in June, and she showed a good attitude to beat Sankari Royale (Epaulette) by a length and three quarters with the same distance back to Mrs Gallagher (Oasis Dream) in third.
Three-Year-Olds
At Newbury on Saturday, the progressive Roger Varian-trained Defoe (3 c Dalakhani – Dulkashe by Pivotal) took out the Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Gr 3, 1m5.5f) in good style.
The three-year-old colt, who has now won his last four starts, was dropped out towards the tail of the field by Andrea Atzeni and travelled powerfully into contention.
He eased into the lead just over a furlong out and ran on strongly under a hand ride to beat Wall Of Fire (Canford Cliffs) by three quarters of a length, with the Godolphin-raced Frontiersman (Dubawi) a further three and a half lengths adrift in third.
The promising colt is now a general 6/1 chance for the St Leger Stakes (Gr 1, 1m6.5f) at Doncaster next month.
The Fozzy Stack-trained Alexios Komnenos (3 c Choisir – Alexiade by Montjeu) put in an impressive performance to win the Desmond Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Leopardstown on Thursday evening.
Part-owned by Australian bloodstock investor Neil Werrett, the three-year-old colt had shown good form as a juvenile, most notably when he finished a narrow second to multiple Group One winner Churchill (Galileo) in the Tyros Stakes (Gr 3, 7f).
He travelled strongly into contention under Chris Hayes and quickened clear inside the final furlong to beat Music Box (Invincible Spirit) by a length and a half with another short-head back to Custom Cut (Notnowcato) in third.
The Mario Hofer-trained Real Values (3 c Rip Van Winkle – Rosey de Megeve by Efisio) took out the Furstenburg-Rennen (Gr 3, 2000m) at Hannover on Sunday.
Having won his two most recent starts, the colt had no problems stepping back up into stakes company, staying on strongly to beat Ming Jung (Kallisto) by a length and a half with another two lengths back to Amigo (Lord Of England) in third.
The Richard Fahey-trained Queen Kindly (3 f Frankel – Lady Of The Desert by Rahy) bounced back to form to take out the Flying Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 6f) at Pontefract on Sunday.
The filly, who won the Lowther Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at York 12 months ago, moved into the lead approaching the final three furlongs and dug in bravely to score by a neck from the fast-finishing Eartha Kitt (Pivotal), with Classical Times (Lawman) and Raven’s Lady (Raven’s Pass) finishing in a dead-heat for third.
Older Horses
The Roger Varian-trained Ajman Princess (4 f Teofilo – Reem Three by Mark Of Esteem) made virtually all the running under an excellent ride from Andrea Atzeni to take out the €250,000 Prix Jean Romanet (Gr 1, 2000m) at Deauville on Sunday.
The four-year-old, who had finished third in the Lancashire Oaks (Gr 2, 1m4f) at her penultimate start, set steady fractions on the front-end before increasing the tempo around 500 metres from home.
She moved clear approaching the 300 metres and was always doing enough to score thereafter, fending off the attentions of Siyoushake (Siyouni) by a length and a quarter, with the fast-finishing Left Hand (Dubawi) a further short-head behind in third.
British raider Marmelo (4 c Duke Of Marmalade – Capriolla by In The Wings) made most of the running to win the Prix Kergorlay (Gr 2, 3000m) at Deauville on Sunday as the Australian Bloodstock-raced Red Cardinal (Montjeu) came fifth in a tactical race.
Christophe Soumillon moved the Hughie Morrison-trained Marmelo through to lead after 400 metres and set steady fractions thereafter, slowly increasing the pace approaching the home straight.
He quickened clear approaching the final 300 metres and never looked in any danger, beating the running-on Desert Skyline (Tamayuz) by a length and a quarter, with Holdthasigreen (Hold That Tiger) a further length adrift in third.
Classic placegetter Massaat (4 c Teofilo – Madany by Acclamation) made a winning reappearance on his belated return to action in the Hungerford Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at Newbury on Saturday.
The Owen Burrows-trained and Shadwell-raced colt chased home Galileo Gold (Paco Boy) when second in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) last season, but he was having his first start since finishing last in the Sovereign Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Salisbury over 12 months ago.
The son of Teofilo (Galileo) travelled strongly in behind the leaders under champion jockey Jim Crowley and galloped clear in impressive fashion to register a length and three quarters victory over the favourite Librisa Breeze (Mount Nelson), with Nathra (Iffraaj) a further half a length behind in third.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Order Of St George (5 h Galileo – Another Storm by Gone West) regained the winning thread when taking out the Irish St Leger Trial (Gr 3, 1m6f) for the third successive season at the Curragh on Saturday.
The Lloyd Williams part-owned five-year-old, who has won twice at Group One level during his career, was pushed along in the early stages by Ryan Moore but picked up the bridle and moved strongly into contention around three furlongs out.
He moved into the lead two furlongs from home and quickly put the race to bed, running on strongly to beat the Williams-raced Rekindling (High Chaparral) by four and three quarter lengths, with Twilight Payment (Teofilo) a further two and a half lengths behind in third.