Frosted sires impressive first winner
Frosted’s (USA) first winner made big waves on Saturday when 2-year-old filly Inject (USA) scored a 6l victory on debut over 1000 metres.
Breaking strongly, Inject was among the leaders before racing just a length off Quick Munny (USA) (Munnings {USA}). The filly had a few lengths to make up in the turn but that was no worry for Julien Leparoux. As they entered the stretch, she drew even with the leader then was gone in the final 200 metres without ever feeling the whip.
A US$390,000 (AU$543,781) Keeneland September purchase, Inject is a three-quarter sister to Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (USA) (Tapit {USA}) and half-sister to Grade 2 winner Ride a Comet (USA) (Candy Ride {USA}).
The trio is out of 2-year-old Grade 1 winner Appealing Zophie (USA) (Successful Appeal {USA}) with Canadian Champion Roxy Gap (Can) (Indian Charlie {USA}), Peruvian champion Ryans Charm (USA) (Heatseeker {Ire}) and Venezuelan Horse of the Year My Own Business (Ven) (Voyageur {USA}) all in the filly’s extended family.
Swiss Skydiver makes easy work of Alabama
Bouncing back from a good second against males last out, Swiss Skydiver (USA) (Daredevil {USA}) made stretching out to 2000 metres look like a walk in the park with a runaway victory in the G1 Alabama S.
Making her maiden Grade 1 appearance, the filly broke strongly and went to the early lead with Crystal Ball (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}). The heavy favourite was happy to give her the lead early on and race about 0.5l behind in second with the rest of the pack close behind them. Under Tyler Gaffalione, Swiss Skydiver galloped easily around the track and took over with 500 metres left to run.
The race was all but won from that point as Gaffalione sat silently while his mount coasted home under what amounted to a paid workout. Eased down late, she won by 3.5l over Bonny South (USA) (Munnings {USA}), who was 1.5l in front of Harvey’s Lil Goil (USA) (American Pharoah {USA}).
"She's just really special,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “Every time we take her over there, she does what you ask her to. She seems to be getting bigger and stronger as the year goes. She's just a very special filly to be around. I'm so happy for [owner] Peter Callahan. He's given me opportunities to buy his horses for him for years now and this one makes up for a lot of average ones I've bought. She's sturdy and that's what you need in a good one. If she had backed out of the feed tub or acted like she had wear and tear on her, we would have hesitated and probably waited or gave her some space in between, but she just loves what she does.”
Qualified for the G1 Kentucky Derby thanks to her second in the G2 Blue Grass S. last month, McPeek said that while the Derby will be discussed, they will likely take their chance in the G1 Kentucky Oaks the day before that race. While not able to ride her today, regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will be aboard if they go for the Oaks.
“Tiz the Law's race here last week was ultra-impressive and if you hold the two against each other; I'm not sure we want to be up against him yet,” the trainer said. "She's unbelievably special to be around. No matter where you take her or who rides her, it's just a real honour to have a filly like this. Everyone is already asking where we're going next and I'm pretty sure it will be the Oaks. I love the fact that Tyler geared her down and didn't make her work too hard today. She just breathes different air. Everything we've asked her to do, she says no problem."
Swiss Skydiver is one of two stakes horses for Expo Gold (USA) (Johannesburg {USA}) alongside stakes-placed Miss Hot Legs (USA) (Verrazano {USA}) with Expo Gold out of Grade 3-placed Clouds of Gold (USA) (Strike The Gold {USA}).
A US$35,000 (AU$48,800) purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by McPeek for Callahan, Swiss Skydiver has won five of her nine starts with three other top-three finishes for over US$950,000 (AU$1,324,595) in earnings.
Donjah scores maiden Group 1
On Saturday in Germany, Donjah (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}) became her sire’s 18th Group 1 winner with a win in the G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne.
Bouncing back to her winning ways for the first time in her last three starts, the 2400 metres over soft ground suited the filly spectacularly. Racing at the back of the field with just one horse beat, it wasn’t until the stretch where she did her best running.
Swung out by jockey Clement Lecoeuvre as they exited the turn with Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) leading, Donjah had to put in a top effort to get to the lead before the line. She was motoring with 400 metres to run but it wasn’t until the final 200 metres that she found another gear to head late leader Kaspar (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}) and win by a neck with Dame Malliot in third.
“She worked well as usual on Monday, though she is generally hard to rate at home,” trainer Henk Grewe told Thoroughbred Daily News. “She definitely needed the race in Hamburg and thankfully we skipped Munich. She has achieved everything and has done us really proud and, although there are some nice races abroad in the autumn, anything on top of this is a bonus.”
One of 93 stakes winners and 48 Group winners for Teofilo (Ire), it was the third stakes victory for Donjah who won last year’s G2 Gran Premio del Jockey Club as her former career headline.
One of three stakes horses for stakes-placed mare Dyanamore (USA) (Mt. Livermore {USA}), she is the only Group 1 winner under her first two dams. Her stakes-winning third dam Coast Patrol (USA) (Cornish Prince {USA}) is also the matriarch of the family that produced Group 1 winners Earl Of Tinsdal (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy {Ire}) and Patriot (Per) (Fregy’s {USA}).
Mishriff takes streak to three at Deauville
Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) showed that Frankie Dettori’s decision to go to France and skip racing in England for the next few weeks was a smart one with a victory in Saturday’s G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.
Coming off a win in last month’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club, Mishriff was facing only three others in Saturday’s 2000 metre race. Breaking well from the gate, he was more than happy to run in third alongside rival The Summit (Fr) (Wootton Basset {GB}) with Dream Works (Fr) (Wootton Basset {GB}) setting the pace about 1l ahead of them.
Having an easy run early on, Dream Works was about to have to work to keep his lead with Mishriff easily pulling up alongside him with less than 600 metres to run. Turning into the stretch, Dream Works was the only horse to stay on the inside fence as Dettori piloted Mishriff to the outside along with Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) with The Summit taking the midtrack route.
The move worked brilliantly for the winner with Mishriff easily pulling away to win by 4.5l. Behind him, a battle was raging between The Summit and Victor Ludorum for second with The Summit again filling the runner up spot as he’d done in the Prix du Jockey Club.
“He hasn’t stopped improving and he feels like a real nice one,” Dettori told Thoroughbred Daily News. “The ground is really heavy and it made it much more than a mile-and-a-quarter race, so I would say I think he’ll stay a mile and a half. I walked the course and it’s quicker against the hedge, but he likes soft ground and finishes off his races strong. With a question mark over Andre Fabre’s horse on the ground, it was a case of catch me if you can and I made sure it was a true test. I think there’s a possibility he might stay in training, but if they wanted a go at the Arc I’m not going to put them off.”
While the colt isn’t entered in the Arc, Prince Faisal’s racing manager Ted Voute told Thoroughbred Daily News there will be a discussion about supplementing him in the race after Saturday’s victory.
“Everything is up in the air and is all to be decided between the Prince and John,” Voute said. “He’s not in the Arc, we’d have to supplement and we’ve got the prizemoney now to be able to do that. I think a serious conversation will happen between the Prince and John. They will decide at the appropriate time whether to do that or go for the Champion S. John’s the master and the Prince is an experienced owner. They will thrash out the next spot for him.”
Mishriff is a half-brother to Listed winning Orbaan (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Group 3-placed Momkin (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}). A great-grandson of Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}), the dam of Invincible Spirit (Ire) and a half-sister to the dam of Pride Of Dubai, Mishriff is a grandson of Group 3 winner Acts of Grace (USA) (Bahri {USA}).
Sent to Australia in early 2016 and living at Newgate Farm, Acts of Grace has three Australian foals and returned to Pride Of Dubai last season on a September 13 cover.
Dream Of Dreams makes easy work of Hungerford
A close second in the G1 Diamond Jubilee in June behind Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) a drop to Group 2 company in the Unibet Hungerford S. was a huge confidence booster for Dream of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead {USA}) on Saturday.
Racing over 1400 metres with Oisin Murphy aboard, Dream of Dreams broke near the back of the field but was quickly on the leaders’ heels. With 600 metres to run, Dream of Dreams moved toward the gap between the two and was quickly aside Breathtaking Look (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the front.
Murphy didn’t have to touch his stick, just giving his mount a hand ride as they raced away from the others. With his ears pricked, Dream of Dreams easily won by 7l over Breathtaking Look with that mare 4.5l ahead of Symbolize (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) at the line.
A Sir Michael Stoute trainee, Dream of Dreams is a half to two stakes horses with his dam Vasilia (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a half-sister to champion Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}), the dam of Group 3 winner Aloof (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Listed winners Orator (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Meow (Ire) (Storm Cat {USA}), who is also the dam of champions Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
The victory was the first Group win for the 37,000gns weanling purchase, who also has two Listed wins to his name and two seconds in the Diamond Jubilee.
