Day two of the Irish Champions weekend is headlined by the G1 Irish St. Leger with eight races in all taking place at the Curragh on Sunday.
Kool Kompany brother kicks off card in Bold Lad Sprint
Kool Kompany’s (Ire) (Jeremy {USA}) half-brother Koolasice (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) lines up in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Bold Lad” Sprint H. to start the Sunday card against 21 other horses. Racing in Australia for a year, multiple graded stakes winner Kool Kompany finishing fourth in the G2 Ajax S. during his time in Australia.
Zebedee (GB) 3-year-old Not Now Zeb (Ire) takes on his elders in this affair as he looks for his fourth win in 15 starts. The colt is the one of two runners for his dam, a half-sister to multiple Group winner Definightly (GB) (Diktat {GB}). Zebedee also has 7-year-old Blairmayne (Ire) as first reserve in the race.
Choisir sends out Tide Of Time (GB) here in search of his sixth win. The 6-year-old gelding is out of a half-sister to stakes placed Key Rose (Ire) (Key Of Luck {USA}) and the dam of champion sprinter Slade Power (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}). Sir Prancealot’s (Ire) Half Nutz (Ire) continues his rivalry with Not Now Zeb in this race, that colt beat him in July but he turned the tables on him in their second meeting a few weeks ago. Half Nutz is one of three winners for his dam from four runners.
Blandford kicks off stakes action
G1 Mackinnon S. winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looks to get back to her winning ways on Sunday in the G2 Moyglare ''Jewels'' Blandford S. after two off the board finishes. A victory here would top off a good week for her dam Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), whose yearling colt by Galileo (Ire) also joined the Coolmore stable earlier this week when bringing €2 million (AU$3,253,027) at Arqana’s yearling sale.
Celestial Object (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is from accomplished Australian racemare Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock), who won three Australian Group 1s in her career. Ending her career in Ireland, Sea Siren has visited Galileo every year of her breeding career thus far, last foaling a filly on February 24 of this year.
American Pharoah’s (USA) Elfin Queen (USA) is a half-sister to four stakes winners, including Australian broodmare Ashley’s Kitty (USA) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}). Purchased by James Bester for US$310,000 (AU$425,591) at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, that mare has produced three winners from four to race and had an American Pharoah colt last season. Ashley’s Kitty was covered by Deep Field late last season for a full sibling to two of her winners.
Another half-sister, Heart Ashley (USA) (Lion Heart {USA}) is also located in Australia where she has produced seven foals, including two stakes horses by Fastnet Rock. Heart Ashley’s latest foal is a The Autumn Sun colt born on August 20 of this year.
Amma Grace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could kick off a good day for dam Polished Gem (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), with her full sister Search For A Song (Ire) looking to defend her G1 Irish St Leger victory later on the card. The pair are three-quarter siblings to Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), whose first Australian foals are three this year, and to multiple Australian stakes winner Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Out of a Group stakes winning half-sister to Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar {USA}), Zawara’s (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) dam is also a half-sister to multiple Australian winner Zourkhan (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), who is in training with Brett Campbell and just finished second in a trial on September 4. Another Zourkhan half-sibling named Zarakiysha (Ire) (Kendor {Fr}) was imported to Australia in 2008 and produced Group 3-placed Zarzall (Hussonet) among her runners before being exported to France early last year.
Flying Five attracts 15 runners
The G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. has attracted 15 runners with Shamardal’s (USA) Rapid Reaction (Ire) looking for her first win since September 2018 here. Racing mostly in stakes races since then, the 5-year-old mare has earned multiple stakes placings with two coming this season. She is a half-sister to Australian resident Yulong Knight (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is in training with Graham Payne and raced last week. The mare comes from a family that has been in the news a lot recently with her dam a half-sister to new Coolmore Stud resident Wootton Basset (GB).
Soniyla (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is another representative of the Sinndiya (Ire) (Pharly {Fr}) family running on Irish champions weekend with two racing on Saturday and one other runner on Sunday as well. A great-grandaughter of Sinndiya, Soniyla shares a family with that mare’s Australian stakes winner and Group 1-placed grandson Sikandarabad (Ire) (Dr. Fong {Ire}).
Among other horses to watch are Kuroshio’s Kurious (GB), Dream Ahead’s (USA) Glass Slippers (GB), and Cable Bay’s (Ire) Liberty Beach (GB).
Fillies Battle for Group 1 honours in Moyglare
The G1 Moyglare Stud S. attracted a field of 13 fillies and mares, including a 2-year-old from the family of Sir Prancealot (Ire). Elanora (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Texas Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), whose second dam is a half-sister to the granddam of Cornerstone Stud’s stallion.
A three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner Pablo Esocbarr (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Oodnaddata (Ire) (Australia {GB}) hails from a family that includes Galileo’s G2 Zipping Classic winner Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and multiple Australasian stakes winner Rosina Lad (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}). Southern France is still active in the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace barn, last racing in March.
Also entered on Saturday, Star Image (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is a great-granddaughter of Miesque. The filly’s second dam is a three-quarter sibling to the dam of multiple group stakes winner Captain Cook (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran third in August. A strong international family, it also includes Arrowfield’s former shuttle stallion Real Steel (Jpn).
Among the other runners are Starspangledbanner’s Bubbles On Ice (Ire), Territories' (Ire) Teresa Mendoza (Ire), and Night Of Thunder’s (Ire) Thunder Beauty (Ire).
Battleground leads charge in National
While not finding any Australian runners in his immediate pedigree, G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. favourite Battleground (USA) is an interesting runner for Australians as a son of War Front (USA). That stallion has already made an impact in Australia as the grandsire of Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) and sire of last weekend’s G2 Feehan S. winner Homesman (USA) in addition to Valachi Downs’ young stallion U S Navy Flag (USA).
Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is already one of four stakes winners and five stakes horses out of stakes winner and Group 1-placed Firth Of Lorne (Ire) (Danehill {USA}). Master Of The Seas’ half-sister Falls Of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) is herself already the dam of a stakes winner as well – G3 Doncaster Prelude winner Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). Cascadian is in training with James Cummings for Godolphin and most recently ran fourth in the G1 Memsie S. on August 29.
One of four Ballydoyle runners in the race, St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a half-brother to classic winner and Coolmore Australia stallion Magna Grecia (Ire). The pair hail from a Group 3 winning half-sister to Hong Kong stakes winner Ho Choi (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and are grandsons of Listed placed Witch Of Fife (USA) (Lear Fan {USA}).
A half-brother to stakes winner Table Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is a great-grandson of classic winner Trusted Partner (USA) (Affirmed {USA}). That mare’s daughter Polished Gem is the dam of G3 Queens Cup winner Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and shuttle stallion Free Eagle (Ire).
Galileo colt Wembley (Ire) is looking to become his dam’s fourth stakes winner from five runners in this race. He is a full brother to Group 1 winner Johannes Vermeer (Ire), who was second in both the G1 Melbourne Cup and G1 Caulfield Cup, with all four of his dam’s stakes horses by Galileo.
Free Eagle half-sister back to defend St Leger victory
The winner of the G1 Comer Group International Irish St. Leger last year, Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is back again this year. One of two runners on the card for Polished Gem (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), the 4-year-old filly is a full sister to G2 Blandford S. runner Amma Grace. Also a three-quarter sibling Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), her biggest Australian connection comes through multiple Australian stakes winning half-brother Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who is currently spelling for Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes.
One of four in this eight horse race by Galileo, Zhang Yuesheng’s stakes placed Barbados (Ire) is a full brother to champion racehorse Maybe (Ire). That filly is also the dam of Coolmore Australia’s classic winning stallion Saxon Warrior (Jpn), whose first foals arrive this year. This is also the family of Group 1 winner Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock) and Group 3 winner I’m Feeling Lucky (Bletchley Park) among others.
One of two stakes horses for his dam, Raa Atoll (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is out of a full sister to the Group 2-winning dam of Kooringal Stud’s The Brothers War (USA). That stallion has nine winners from 28 starters in his first two crops.
One of the highest weights in the G1 Caulfield Cup, last year’s G1 Irish Derby winner Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is making only his third start since that win here. The 4-year-old has also been given the second highest weight in the G1 Melbourne Cup at 57 kg, 1.5kg less than stablemate and topweight Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Lloyd Williams’ Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is entered here on a similar path to the Irish St. Leger/Melbourne Cup path he followed last year when finishing 11th in Australia. He is coming into this race off two straight victories and was given 55.5kg in the G1 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup weights this year, tying him for the seventh highest weight in the Melbourne Cup.
Al Galayel relative among 2-year-olds in Super Auction Sales S.
Two-time winner Night On Earth (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) faces 19 other 2-year-olds in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale S. directly after the Irish St. Leger on Sunday. The colt is out of a half-sister to the Group 3-placed dam of Listed winner Orderofthegarter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who races for Danny O’Brien and was recently second at Caulfield.
Starspangledbanner’s Cocobanana (Ire) is a half-sister to Hong Kong Group 2 winner Endowing (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and a winning gelding by Starcraft (NZ). The filly is also from the family of G3 Sky High S. winner Master Of Wine (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) and G1 Caulfield Cup third Cliffsofmoher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
For the second day running, the Rekindled Affair (Ire) (Rainbow Quest {USA}) family will be represented in Ireland with both Star Of Orion (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Supershock (Ire) (Ivawood {Ire}) from the family.
Supershock is out of a half-sister to Australian winner Al Galayel (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who is trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace – last winning on August 29 at Caulfield. Al Galayel is out of a half-sister to both Rekindled Affair and Designs On Rome’s (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) dam.
Star Of Orion is the first foal for Harpest (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose granddam is a half-sister to the dam of Designs On Rome and a half-sister to Rekindled Affair. A successful Australian broodmare, Rekindled Affair’s foals are led by Group 2 winner Rekindled Interest (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 2-placed Rekindled Alliance. The mare is also the granddam of Group 1 winner and Yulong Investments’ stallion Alabama Express.
Street Boss’s (USA) Street Kid (Ire) is looking for his second win when lining up in this race. The colt’s family already received an update last weekend when Pixelate (USA) (City Zip {USA}) won the G2 Del Mar Derby. The runner is out of Street Kid’s dam’s half-sister with Street Kid’s third dam Nastique also the third dam of New Zealand Champion Stayer Sir Charles Road (Myboycharlie {Ire}).
Buratino’s (Ire) The Blue Panther (Ire) shares a family with a recognisable Australian figure in Alverta (Flying Spur) and her three stakes performing siblings. Alverta’s granddam is The Blue Panther’s third dam with two other Australian winners also under his third dam outside of that family. Alverta’s final foal is an unnamed Dundeel (NZ) 2-year-old.
Australian connections closes out card in ‘Northfields’ H.
Lloyd Williams co-owned Degraves (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is among the main contenders in the 2000 metre Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Northfields" H. to close out Sunday’s card. The 3-year-old colt has entries in races in both Europe and Australia this spring, including the the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Melbourne Cup. He is searching for his first win of the year after two fourth place finishes.
Dawn Approach’s (Ire) stakes placed son Bold Approach (Ire) is out of a half-sister to the dam of Australian Group 3-placed Aashiq (General Nediym). That gelding’s dam was bought at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2016 by Cornish Group T/A for US$250,000 (AU$343,218) and imported to Australia. The mare had four foals after Aashiq with her youngest being a 5-year-old Denman mare named Nooks And Crannies, who was bred to Divine Prophet last year.
One of two runners on the card from this family, Simsir (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is a half-brother to three other stakes horses while his dam Simawa (Ire) (Anabaa {USA}) is a half-sister to Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge {USA}) and more notably to Australian connections, Sinndiya (Ire) (Pharly {Fr}). Sinndiya’s successful descendants include her grandson, Australian stakes winner and Group 1-placed Sikandarabad (Ire) (Dr. Fong {Ire}).
Coolmore’s Keats (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a son of champion mare Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}). The 3-year-old colt’s siblings include Australian runner Orator (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Meow (Ire) (Storm Cat {USA}), the dam of Coolmore Australia stallion Churchill (Ire).
Other horses to keep an eye on in this race are Power’s (GB) Helvic Dream (Ire) and Sonnyboyliston (Ire), Zhang Yuesheng’s Tauran Shaman (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), Epaulette’s Insignia Of Rank (Ire); Helmet’s Sky Seven (Ire), and Fastnet Rock’s first reserve Hamley (Fr).
