Winter Wins Third Successive Group One
Two-Year-Olds
There were plenty of informative two-year-old stakes races in Europe last week, particularly at the five-day Glorious Goodwood festival which ran from 1-5 August.
Former champion trainer Sir Michael Stoute looks to have unearthed a potential star in Expert Eye (2 c Acclamation – Exemplify by Dansili), who ran out an emphatic winner of the Vintage Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at Goodwood last Tuesday.
The Juddmonte Farms-raced colt made a winning debut over six and a half furlongs at Newbury on 15 June, and he took a huge step forward on just his second career start in the £200,000 Group Two.
He cruised through the race under Andrea Atzeni and shot clear in the closing stages to beat the Godolphin-raced Zaman (Dutch Art) by four and a half lengths, with Mildenberger (Teofilo) a further three quarters of a length behind in third.
The son of Acclamation (Royal Applause) is now the 4/1 pre post favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m).
The promising Barraquero (2 c Zebedee – Chica Whopa by Oasis Dream) stretched clear in fine style to win the Richmond Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Goodwood last Thursday.
The Brian Meehan-trained colt came into the race off the back of an impressive first win over six furlongs at Chepstow, and he was always travelling noticeably strongly in the hands of William Buick.
The seven-runner field fanned out across the track approaching the final furlong and Barraquero picked up best to win comfortably by a length and a quarter from Nebo (Kodiac), with the Group Two-winning favourite Cardsharp (Lonhro) a further two and a quarter lengths adrift in third.
The previous day, the Karl Burke-trained Havana Grey (2 c Havana Gold – Blanc De Chine by Dark Angel) made all the running against the stands rail to land the Molecomb Stakes (Gr 3, 5f) at Goodwood.
The progressive colt, who had won twice at Listed level previously, forged clear in the closing stages under P J McDonald to beat Invincible Army (Invincible Spirit) by a length and three quarters, with To Wafij (Kodiac) a nose further behind in third place.
On Saturday, the Richard Hannon-trained De Bruyne Horse (2 c Showcasing – Right Rave by Soviet Star) made a successful raid across the English Channel when landing the Prix des Jouvenceaux (Listed, 1400m) at Vichy.
The two-year-old was able to put his last start failure in the Prix Robert Papin (Gr 2, 1100m) behind him and beat Red Line (Sageburg) by a neck with another length and a quarter back to Fastidious (Zanzibari) in third.
Three-Year-Olds
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Winter (3 f Galileo – Laddies Poker Two by Choisir) ran out a comprehensive winner of the Nassau Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Glorious Goodwood on Thursday, her fourth straight victory at Group One level.
The dual 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner was tackling a mile and a quarter for the first time, and she was always travelling best in the six-runner field in behind the leaders the hands of Ryan Moore.
She was produced to lead around a furlong and a half from home, and she ran on strongly to win by a length and a half from the running-on Blond Me (Tamayuz), with Godolphin’s Sobetsu (Dubawi) a further neck behind in third.
The daughter of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) was last sighted winning the Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) on fast ground at Royal Ascot, but she showed her versatility over a new trip on stamina-sapping ground to land the £600,000 feature in good style.
She could now head to the International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) at York on 23 August at her next start.
The John Gosden-trained three-year-old Stradivarius (3 c Sea The Stars – Private Life by Bering) kept on strongly to run down the favourite Big Orange (Duke Of Marmalade) in the Goodwood Cup (Gr 1, 2m) on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood.
The colt, who won the Queen’s Vase (Gr 2, 1m6f) at Royal Ascot at his last start, was delivered with a sustained run approaching the final furlong by Andrea Atzeni to land the £523,000 feature.
Stradivarius, who was receiving 13lb from the Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m4f) winner Big Orange on the weight-for-age scale, was a length and three quarters ahead at the line, with fellow three-year-old Desert Skyline (Tamayuz) a further three and a half lengths adrift in third.
Stradivarius will now be aimed towards the final Classic of the British season, the St Leger Stakes (Gr 1, 1m6.5f) at Doncaster on 16 September.
The Peter Schiergen-trained Lacazar (3 f Adlerflug – Laey Diamond by Dai Jin) produced an impressive performance to win the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) (Gr 1, 2200m) at Dusseldorf on Sunday.
The three-year-old filly, who won the Preis der Mitglieder des Hamburger Renn-Clubs (Gr 3, 2200m) at her previous start, was restrained in midfield in the early stages by jockey Andrasch Starke before she was produced to lead approaching the 200 metres.
She quickened up in pleasing fashion to beat Megara (Motivator) by three quarters of a length, with the Godolphin-raced Group One winner Wuheida (Dubawi) a further four lengths adrift in third.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Crystal Ocean (3 c Sea The Stars – Crystal Star by Mark Of Esteem) ran out an impressive winner of the Gordon Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday, in the process providing Stoute with his tenth win in the race.
Sent off the well-supported 6/4 favourite, Crystal Ocean came into the race off the back of two good performances at Group Two level, running third behind Permian (Teofilo) in the Dante Stakes (Gr 2, 1m2.5f) at York in May and most recently finishing third behind the same horse in the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) at Royal Ascot.
The Sir Evelyn De Rothschild-owned colt travelled strongly throughout the race and, after being ridden to lead just over a furlong out, he quickened away in decisive fashion to beat Khalidi (High Chaparral) by three and a half lengths with Mount Moriah (Mount Nelson) a further length away in third.
Older Horses
High class sprinter Brando (5 g Pivotal – Argent Du Bois by Silver Hawk) secured his breakthrough Group One victory in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr 1, 1300m) at Deauville on Sunday afternoon.
Brando, who had won twice at Group Three level previously, finished third behind Harry Angel (Dark Angel) in the July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Newmarket last month and also ran third in last season’s British Champions Sprint Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Ascot.
The Kevin Ryan-trained gelding cruised through the race under Tom Eaves and showcased a smart turn of foot to beat Aclaim (Acclamation) by half a length with another length and three quarters back to Tupi (Tamayuz) in third.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained dual Group One winner Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) ran flat and could only manage a disappointing sixth, with plans to tackle The Everest (1200m) in October shelved as a result.
The seven-year-old Here Comes When (7 g Danehill Dancer – Quad’s Melody by Spinning World) caused a huge shock when landing the £1,000,000 Sussex Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) on testing ground at Glorious Goodwood last Wednesday
Persistent rain in the south of England during last week turned conditions soft during the five-day meeting, and the mud-loving son of the late Danehill Dancer (Danehill) relished the rain-affected surface to score at odds of 20/1.
The Godolphin-raced favourite Ribchester (Iffraaj) towed the field along under William Buick, but he was swamped approaching the final furlong and it was Here Comes When who prevailed in a bunched finish under Jim Crowley, with Ribchester rallying to finish a neck behind in second.
The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Bateel (5 m Dubawi – Attractive Crown by Chief’s Crown) ran out a ready winner of the Haras Firmamento Prix de Pomone (Gr 2, 2500m) at Deauville on Sunday.
The five-year-old mare was most recently seen taking out the Pinnacle Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Haydock on 10 June, and she stayed on strongly on the approach to the line to beat Traffic Jam (Duke Of Marmalade) by a neck with another length and a half back to the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Abingdon (Street Cry) in third.
Bateel is likely to return to England in October for a tilt at the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Ascot.