Wings Of Eagles Lands A Shock In The Derby
Two-Year-Olds
The Richard Hannon-trained De Bruyne Horse (2 c Showcasing – Right Rave by Soviet Star) booked his ticket to Royal Ascot with a commanding win in the Woodcote Stakes (6f) at Epsom on Friday.
The progressive colt had broken his maiden by seven lengths at Ripon at his previous start and was well positioned just off the pace by Ryan Moore in the early stages of the race, which was being run for the first time since being downgraded from Listed status.
He came up against strong pressure approaching the two-furlong marker but found plenty for his rider’s urgings to run down Cardsharp (Lonhro) inside the final 150 yards and win going away by two lengths.
De Bruyne Horse will now bid to emulate Buratino (Exceed And Excel), who won the Woodcote Stakes en route to victory in the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Royal Ascot in 2015.
At Musselburgh on Saturday, the Richard Fahey-trained It Dont Come Easy (2 c Kyllachy – Eleganza by Balmont) edged a tight finished to take out the Edinburgh Castle Stakes (5f).
The son of Kyllachy (Pivotal) showed a good attitude under Paul Hanagan to run down the odds-on favourite Rebel Assault (Excelebration) in the last strides, with the pair pulling ten lengths clear of the remainder of the field.
It Dont Come Easy also looks likely to head to Royal Ascot for his next start, with the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) and Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) potential options.
Three-Year-Olds
There was a huge upset in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on Saturday, as the Aidan O’Brien fifth string Wings Of Eagles (3 c ex Ysoldina by Kendor) led in the final strides to win at odds of 40/1, in the process providing 2011 Derby winner Pour Moi (Montjeu) with his second Group One winner.
The colt was ridden with restraint by Padraig Beggy, who was having his first ride in the prestigious Classic, as his stablemates Douglas Macarthur (Galileo) and The Anvil (Galileo) set strong fractions on the front-end.
The pace began to collapse approaching inside the final two furlongs, with Frankie Dettori sending the favourite and previously unbeaten Cracksman (Frankel) for home with around 300 yards from home.
It was then the turn of Cliffs Of Moher (Galileo) to strike the front under Ryan Moore at the furlong pole, with the Sir Peter Vela-raced Eminent (Frankel) short of room when in a challenging position, but the three-market principles had no answer to the late surge of the unfancied Wings Of Eagles, who won by three quarters of a length.
Wings Of Eagles looks likely to head to the Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) at the Curragh on 1 July, while the runner-up Cliffs Of Moher could drop back in trip for the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Sandown next month.
The previous day, John Gosden’s Enable (3 f ex Concentric by Sadler’s Wells) ran out an impressive winner of the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom to give her sire Nathaniel (Galileo) his first Group One winner.
There was pre-race drama with American-trained runner Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) withdrawn after bolting on the way to the start during a thunderstorm, forcing jockey Oliver Peslier to bail out as the mare careered towards the starting stalls.
Pocketfullofdreams (Invincible Spirit) set a searching tempo amid driving rain under Donnacha O’Brien, with the odds-on Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite Rhododendron (Galileo) travelling smoothly into a challenging position at the three-furlong marker under Ryan Moore.
However, once asked to pick up with a little over a furlong and a half to race, Rhododendron could not match the finishing effort of Enable, who galloped on relentlessly under Frankie Dettori to win going away by five lengths.
At Chantilly on Sunday, the classy Brametot (3 c Rajsaman – Morning Light by Law Society) followed up his last start victory in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Gr 1, 1600m) with a last-gasp success in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (Gr 1, 2100m).
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained and Al Shaqab Racing part-owned three-year-old was settled at the tail of the field in an evenly-run race by a confident Cristian Demuro, and the colt still had at least six lengths to make up on the leaders at the entrance to the straight.
Olivier Peslier moved to the lead briefly aboard Recoletos (Whipper) at the 200 metres, but the Group Two winner was swamped by the Andre Fabre-trained Waldgeist (Galileo) before Brametot, who had shown a smart turn of foot down the outside of the field, got up to win by a short-head in the last strides.
The colt could now follow a similar path to his stablemate Almanzor (Wootton Bassett), who took out the Prix du Jockey Club en route to success in the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) and Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f), with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) another possible target.
Tusked Wings (3 f Adlerflug – Tucana by Acatenango) won the Diana-Trial (Gr 2, 2000m) at Hoppegarten in Berlin on Sunday to set up a tilt at the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) (Gr 1, 2200m) on 6 August.
The Jean-Pierre Carvalho-trained filly, who was a three-race maiden heading into the recognised Classic trial, beat the Group Three winner Well Spoken (Soldier Hollow) by a short-head, with the pair pulling four lengths clear of Litaara (Wiener Walzer) in third place.
Older Horses
The globetrotting Highland Reel (5 h Galileo – Hveger by Danehill) made all the running to win the Coronation Cup (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom on Friday, his fifth career victory at Group / Grade One level.
The pre-race build-up was far from straightforward for the entire, with travel problems meaning that he and his stablemates Idaho (Galileo) and US Army Ranger (Galileo) arrived at Epsom just an hour before the scheduled start of the £420,000 race.
He adopted his customary front-running role under Ryan Moore, who set even fractions before quickening around Tattenham corner on the approach to the home straight.
The Godolphin-raced Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) loomed as a major threat approaching the final two-furlongs, but he was turned away by the determined Highland Reel who ran on strongly to beat the improving Frontiersman (Dubawi), also owned by Godolphin, by a length and three quarters.
Highland Reel, who has won at the highest level in England, America and Hong Kong and finished placed in the 2015 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) behind Winx (Street Cry), is likely to target a defence of his King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) title at Ascot next month.
Smart five-year-old Silverwave (5 h Silver Frost – Miss Bio by River Mist) took out the Grand Prix de Chantilly (Gr 2, 2400m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Pascal Bary-tained entire, who won last season’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2400m), was restrained in last place by Pierre-Charles Boudot in a steadily run race.
He was the first of the five runners to come under pressure in the home straight, but he found plenty to run down the Godolphin-raced Talismanic (Medaglia d’Oro) inside the final 100 metres to win by a neck, with Apilobar (Slickly) a further three quarters of a length behind in third place.
Later on the card, British raider Muthmir (7 g Invincible Spirit – Fairy Of The Night by Danehill) regained the Prix du Gros-Chene (Gr 2, 1000m) having won the race by a short-head two years ago.
The William Haggas-trained seven-year-old quickened up in taking fashion between runners to beat Finsbury Square (Siyouni) by a length, with Plusquemavie (Kheleyf) a further length and a quarter back in third place.
The Shadwell-raced Muthmir will now head to Royal Ascot for the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f), a race in which he finished a close third in 2015.
At Epsom on Saturday, the Godolphin-raced Laugh Aloud (4 f Dubawi – Opera Comique by Singspiel) ran out an impressive winner of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 3, 1m ½f).
The John Gosden-trained filly was settled in behind the leaders by James Doyle as Silvestre de Sousa set an even tempo aboard Tisbutadream (Dream Ahead) through the early stages of the race.
Absolute Blast (Kodiac) moved into a narrow lead two furlongs out under Pat Smullen, but her move was covered by Laugh Aloud who quickened clear in taking style to win easily by five lengths, with Tisbutadream keeping on well to hold on to third place.
Later that day, the admirable Sovereign Debt (8 g Dark Angel – Kelsey Rose by Most Welcome) continued his excellent run of form when taking out the Diomed Stakes (Gr 3, 1m ½f) at Epsom yesterday.
The Ruth Carr-trained gelding travelled strongly into contention under James Sullivan and held on bravely in the closing stages to beat Gabrial (Dark Angel) by neck, taking his career record to 14 wins from 53 starts with £752,165 in prize money.