American Pharoah Leads Sires At Arqana

In another big result for 2015 U.S. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (USA), the stallion’s son from Tare Green (USA) (Giant’s Causeway) topped the Arqana Breeze Up Sale when selling for €1.1 million to the Broadhurst Agency on behalf of M.V. Magnier on Saturday.

A US$275,000 purchase at Keeneland September last year, he was consigned by Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud at Arqana.

“He’s been bought for the Coolmore partners and we were ordered to get a very nice colt, he’s the best colt of the sale, to go to Andre Fabre,” Broadhurst Agency’s Laurent Benoit said. “He came especially to see him yesterday and he was delighted with the horse. [The colt] coped very well with sales prep, [he has a] lovely mind, and of course his ability made everything easy for him I think. He was very well prepared by Grove Stud, which is a lovely nursery.”

The colt is from an unraced half-sister to U.S. champion and sire Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) (Candy Stripes {USA}), whose dam is a half-sister to top broodmare Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire]) and her full-sister, 2018 British Broodmare of the Year Arrive.

Return to Belmont the charm for Channel Maker

A return to Belmont Park was just what the winner’s circle ordered for Channel Maker (CAN) (English Channel {USA}) on Saturday when the gelding won the Grade 1 Man O’War.

Channel Maker had been off the board in three starts since his first Grade 1 victory at the same track last fall but that all changed when he chased down Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the concluding stages of the 2200 metre race.

Hunting Horn went straight to the front early on and tried to play a game of catch me if you can as the pacesetter Channel Maker took his spot in third, watching the leader open up multiple lengths. It looked as though Hunting Horn may be able to pull off the victory as he still had a sizable lead half-way down the straight but as he began tiring, Channel Maker started closing in.

The gelding collared the leader inside the final 200 metres with Arklow (USA) (Arch {USA}) also closing to finish a narrow second with Hunting Horn’s stablemate Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) finishing just ahead of Hunting Horn for third. It was the second Grade 1 victory in a week for Bill Mott, who won the Kentucky Derby last weekend with Country House (USA) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}) with his other Derby runner Tacitus (USA) (Tapit {USA}) finishing third.

A full brother to Canada’s 2017 Champion Turf Male Johnny Bear (CAN), Channel Maker is out of a stakes winning Horse Chestnut (SAF) (Fort Wood {USA}) mare and comes from the family of 2-year-old French champion Carlotamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr})

Bounding half-brother stamps ticket to Derby

Already a Group 2 winner as a 2-year-old, Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) continued to build his Epsom Derby case when winning the Listed RaceBets Derby Trial Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths with Ryan Moore aboard.

The race favourite was content to run in mid-pack as Severance (GB) (Nataniel {Ire}) set the pace a few lengths ahead of the field. Moore asked his mount to move a bit closer to the leader in the turn and had clear running room as they turned into the straight with Moore waiting patiently until the 400-metre mark to ask his mount to run.

Anthony Van Dyck took over the lead and had to battle Pablo Escobarr (Ire) (Galileo) but in the final 100 metres put the rival away to win with his ears pricked. Galileo sired the first two home in the race and was the grandsire of third placed Nate The Great (GB) through his son Nathaniel (Ire) with another son in Frankel (GB) siring the fourth place finisher.

Anthony Van Dyke is a half-brother to New Zealand Champion Sprinter Bounding (Lonhro) and out of Group 3 winning mare Believe’n’succeed (Exceed And Excel), who is a full-sister to Group 2 winner and sire Kuroshio.

Anapurna flies to Oaks Trial win

It was a big week for Frankel’s (GB) Epsom Oaks hopes when Anapurna (GB) made herself another strong Oaks contender in the Listed RaceBets Money Back All Losers Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes.

Running just behind the pacesetting Cape Islay (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}) throughout the race, Anapurna made her move to take over the lead with 400 metres left to run. Frankie Dettori gave her a few reminders after the filly took the lead but after glancing over his shoulder and seeing the field lengths behind them just let her gallop home with her ears pricked.

It was the second win for Anapurna, who was beaten on debut in December before romping over the Lingfield Polytrack in January. The filly has won her last two starts by a combined 11 lengths for trainer John Gosden. The win comes just days after Emirates Park’s Gosden-trained Mehdaayih won the Listed Arkle Finance Cheshire Oaks for Frankel to also join Oaks talks.

“She showed as good mind, although she was green at times. She handled the bend well and put the race to bed very quickly,” Gosden told Thoroughbred Daily News. “We’re thrilled with her, as she is inexperienced and hadn’t even worked on turf before this. I liked the way she changed her legs coming down the hill and it was a really good trial effort. We’ll see how she is over the next few days and if she takes it well she is in the Oaks. We’ve got some lovely fillies and they all deserve to take their chance, as there is only one Oaks.”

Global Campaign On Belmont Trail

Global Campaign (USA) (Curlin {USA}) took his record to three wins in four starts on Saturday when winning the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes on his way to the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes next month.

In a small field, the colt ran just behind pacesetting Federal Case in second during most of the 1800 metre race, grabbing the lead mid-turn and putting lengths on the field in what looked like it was going to be a runaway victory.

The surprise of the race was Sir Winston, who had been more than 10 lengths back mid-race but who rallied to finish a good second as the second longest shot on the board. Race favourite Intrepid Heart finished third, six lengths behind the leader.

Global Campaign is a half-brother to two-time Grade 1 winner Bolt d’Oro (USA) (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}), who will stand his first season at Spendthrift Australia later this year, and Listed winning Sonic Mule (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) with all three of their dam’s runners to race now stakes winners.

Expressionist first winner for Night Of Thunder

It was a first winner for Darley stallion Night Of Thunder (Ire) on Saturday when Godolphin colt Expressionist (Ire) won on debut at Ascot.

Going off as the favourite, the colt sat just behind the pace in the 1000 metre affair before called upon to move toward the lead with 400 metres left. He moved up easily and joined a three-way battle before pulling away to win by three-quarter lengths over Clan Royale (Siyouni {Fr}).

A 300,000gns 2-year-old purchase earlier this year Expressionist was the fifth runner for his sire with two others placing in their runs. Night Of Thunder shuttled to Australia in 2016 with his first southern hemisphere runners hitting the track next season.