U S Navy Flag impresses in the Dewhurst Stakes
Two-year-olds
The rapidly progressive U S Navy Flag (2 c War Front – Misty For Me by Galileo) ran out an impressive winner of the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) at Newmarket on Saturday, leading home an Aidan O’Brien-trained and US-bred 1-2-3-4.
The victory of U S Navy Flag also moved O’Brien to within one Group / Grade One winner of Bobby Frankel’s record for 25 top-level winners in a calendar year.
The colt, who took out the Middle Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) on 30 September, was quickly away under Ryan Moore and set an even tempo on the front end as the odds-on favourite and previously unbeaten Expert Eye (Acclamation) raced keenly in the hands of Andrea Atzeni.
Moore was still sitting quietly on the colt as he led the field into the final two furlongs, and he quickened clear once asked for his effort to beat his running-on stablemate Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) by two and a half lengths.
Group Two winner Seahenge (Scat Daddy) ran on to take third, while Threeandfourpence (War Front) took fourth to complete a clean sweep for the O’Brien-trained team.
The previous day, Laurens (2 f Siyouni – Recambe by Cape Cross) held on bravely in the closing stages of the Fillies’ Mile (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket to score a first top-level success under an excellent ride from P J McDonald.
The Karl Burke-trained filly, who fetched £220,000 at the Goffs UK Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale last year, has now won three of her four starts, including a last-gasp victory in the May Hill Stakes (Gr 2, 1m) at Doncaster last month.
She raced in a four-way share of the lead in the early stages under McDonald, who began to increase the pace three furlongs from home, and he quickly had the short-priced Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite Magical (Galileo) in trouble.
However, it was another O’Brien inmate in September (Deep Impact) who came from out of the pack to throw down a strong late challenge, but the winning post came just in time for Laurens who scraped home by a nose, with the well-bred and very promising Magic Lily (New Approach) a close third.
Earlier on the same card, the Declan Carroll-trained Abel Handy (2 c Arcano – Belle Isle by Pastoral Pursuits) held on gamely to win the Cornwallis Stakes (Gr 3, 5f).
The colt was second to Sound And Silence (Exceed And Excel) in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes (Listed, 5f) at York last time but he reversed the form with his Godolphin-raced rival, showing a good attitude to win by a neck, with Mokaatil (Lethal Force) a further half a length behind in third.
The weekend’s Newmarket fixture, billed as the Future Champions Festival, also saw Altyn Orda (2 f Kyllachy – Albanka by Giant’s Causeway) win the Oh So Sharp Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) on Friday.
The Roger Varian-trained filly raced apart from her rivals on the near side in the closing stages under Andrea Atzeni and lunged late to collar Gavota (Bated Breath) by a neck, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained I Can Fly (Fastnet Rock) a further length behind in third.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Ghaiyyath (2 c Dubawi – Nightime by Galileo) ran out a comfortable winner of the Autumn Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Godolphin-raced colt was produced to challenge approaching the final furlong by William Buick and quickened clear to beat Dream Today (Dream Ahead) by a length and three quarters, with Purser (Mizzen Mast) a further two and a half lengths behind in third.
In Maisons-Laffitte on Friday, the Harry Dunlop-trained Fighting Irish (2 c Camelot – Quixotic by Pivotal) held on bravely in the closing stages to land the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte (Gr 2, 1200m).
The two-year-old had no problems with the step up in class having come into the race off the back of a win over six furlongs in a handicap at Yarmouth, and he showed a good attitude to defeat the Charlie Hills-trained Nebo (Kodiac) by a head with a break of three lengths back to French Pegasus (French Fifteen) in third.
The victory of Fighting Irish provided Coolmore first season sire Camelot (Montjeu) with his second individual stakes winner.
The Markus Klug-trained Erasmus (2 c ex Enora by Noverre) ran out a wide-margin winner of the Preis des Winterfavoriten (Gr 3, 1600m) in Cologne on Sunday, giving Westbury Stud shuttler Reliable Man (Dalakhani) his third stakes winner.
The progressive colt quickened clear impressively to beat Salve Del Rio (Rio De La Plata) by eight lengths, with Wild Max (Maxios) a further length and a quarter behind in third.
On the same afternoon in Italy, the progressive Sweet Gentle Kiss (2 f Henrythenavigator – Cronsa by Martino Alonso) took out the Prix Dormello (Gr 3, 1600m) at San Siro in Milan.
The two-year-old filly, who has now won her last four starts including the Premio Coolmore (Listed, 1500m) at the same course last month, beat Binti Al Nar (Areion) by half a length, with Dancer Cross (Cape Cross) a further two and three quarter lengths behind in third place.
Three-year-olds
The improving Monarchs Glen (3 g Frankel – Mirabilis by Lear Fan) continued to show the benefits of his mid-season gelding operation when running out a convincing winner of the Darley Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1m1f) at Newmarket on Saturday afternoon.
The John Gosden-trained gelding, who won the Foundation Stakes (Listed, 1m2f) at Goodwood at his last start, was always travelling strongly towards the tail of the field under Frankie Dettori.
He was switched around runners at the two furlong marker and quickened up well to win going away from Robin Of Navan (American Post) by a length and a quarter, with Spark Plug (Dylan Thomas) a further length behind in third.
The Tom Dascombe-trained Eartha Kitt (3 f Pivotal – Ceiling Kitty by Red Clubs) won the Boadicea Stakes (Listed, 6f) at Newmarket on the same afternoon.
The filly raced in behind the leaders in the early stages and quickened up well close home to beat Marie Of Lyon (Royal Applause) by three quarters of a length, with Pixeleen (Pastoral Pursuits) a nose further behind in third.
Eartha Kitt is the first foal out of Ceiling Kitty (Red Clubs), who won the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot in 2012 for Dascombe.
The Nicolo Simondi-trained Anda Muchacho (3 c Helmet – Montefino by Shamardal) continued his good run of form when taking out the Premio del Piazzale M Enrico Camici (Gr 3, 1800m) at San Siro in Milan on Sunday.
The Irish-bred colt, whose sole defeat in six career starts came when he ran third in the Derby Italiano (Gr 2, 2200m) in May, backed up his last start victory in the Premio Marchese Ippolito Fassati (Listed, 1800m) with a decisive win under Dario Vargiu.
He quickened clear inside the final 200 metres to beat Voice Of Love (Poet’s Voice) by a length and a quarter, with Red Label (Dubawi) a further two lengths behind in third.
At Dundalk in Ireland on Friday, the Jim Bolger-trained and China Horse Club-raced Goldrush (3 f Frankel – Alexander Goldrun by Gold Away) took out the Carlingford Stakes (Listed, 1m2.5f).
The well-bred filly, who was purchased for €1,700,000 at the 2015 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale and is now unbeaten in two career starts, beat Marshall Jennings (Lawman) by three quarters of a length under Kevin Manning, with Johann Bach (Oratorio) a further half a length behind in third.
Goldrush’s brilliant dam Alexander Goldrun (Gold Away) won five times at Group One level, including the 2004 Hong Kong Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) at Sha Tin.
Older horses
Dual Group One winner Limato (5 g Tagula – Come April by Singspiel) regained the winning thread when taking out the Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) in impressive fashion at Newmarket on Friday.
The Henry Candy-trained five-year-old had not tasted success since landing the Prix de la Foret (Gr 1, 1400m) in October last year, but he was always travelling strongly in behind the leaders under Harry Bentley.
He quickened up well to lead approaching the final furlong and shot clear to win comfortably by three and a half lengths from Massaat (Teofilo), with the evergreen nine-year-old Gordon Lord Byron (Byron) running on well to finish a further length and a half behind in third place.
Following the race, Candy said Limato was likely to be spelled for the remainder of the season and that he was to be aimed at Group One races over a mile next campaign.
The Nicolas Clement-trained Traffic Jam (4 f Duke Of Marmalade – Place De L’Etoile by Sadler’s Wells) won the Prix du Conseil de Paris (Gr 2, 2400m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The filly, who was fourth in the Prix Vermeille (Gr 1, 2400m) last month, was sent straight into the lead by jockey Stephane Pasquier, who set modest fractions in the four-runner field.
He increased the tempo at the top of the straight and the filly kept on strongly to beat Akihiro (Deep Impact) by a length, with One Foot In Heaven (Fastnet Rock) a further two and a half lengths behind in third.
Distain (5 m Champs Elysees – Market Forces by Lomitas) ran out a comfortable winner of the Premio Verziere Memorial Aldo Cirla (Gr 3, 2000m) at San Siro in Milan on Sunday.
The Sarah Steinberg-trained mare tracked the front-running Alambra (Shamardal) throughout and ran down her tiring rival inside the final 200 metres to win going away byu by two and a half lengths, with Lorenzetta (Mastercraftsman) a further length and a quarter behind in third place.
The smart Ed Walker-trained Stormy Antarctic (4 g Stormy Atlantic – Bea Remembered by Doyen) regained the winning thread in the Prix du Ranelagh (Listed, 1600m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The four-year-old, who is owned by Hong Kong-based P K Siu, was having his first start since a gelding operation and had not tasted success since landing the Craven Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Newmarket in April last year.
He proved a cut above his rivals at the weekend, beating Blessed Silence (Siyouni) by four lengths under Christophe Soumillon with Skalleto (Kendargent) a further two lengths behind in third.