Golden Sixty returns a winner
Hong Kong Derby winner Golden Sixty (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) has stamped himself as one of the top prospects of the Hong Kong season, with an eighth-consecutive victory in the G3 Celebration Cup at Sha Tin (1400 metres).
Having his first start since his Derby success in March, Golden Sixty was sat just off the pace by Vincent Ho, and set upon the leaders at the 300m mark, driving clear to win by 1.75l, with defending champion Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock) dead-heating in second with Champion's Way (Hinchinbrook).
The Francis Lui-trained Golden Sixty has now won 11 of his 12 starts and looms as the horse to beat in whatever races he contests in Hong Kong this season.
Beauty Generation, having his first start for new trainer David Hayes, and looking for a fourth straight win in the race, worked home well. But anchored by top weight, he lacked the turn of foot to go with Golden Sixty and had to be content to share second, with the John Size-prepared Champion's Way.
Southern Legend (Not A Single Doubt) finished fourth ahead of Buddies (So You Think {NZ}), who fought on well having raced wide on the pace early on.
Contrail winning streak stretches
Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) maintained course for the Japanese Triple Crown by winning the traditional warm-up for the G1 Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St Leger, the G2 Kobe Shimun Hai at Chukyo on Sunday.
The unbeaten colt, who won both the G1 Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas) and G1 Tokyo Yushun (Derby) earlier in the year, breezed home by 2l to stretch his winning streak to six.
Yuichi Fukunaga settled him off the pace towards the rail in the 2200 metre race and effortlessly picked his way through the field before cruising away untouched, clear of Weltreisende (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) and Robertson Quay (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}).
His next assignment is the Kikuka Sho on October 25 and the chance to become the first horse since Orfevre to win the Triple Crown.
Alcohol Free leads stakes double for No Nay Never
Alcohol Free (Ire) kicked off a strong Saturday for No Nay Never (USA) when becoming her sire’s third Group 1 winner in the G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. over 1200 metres.
Showing determination in the final 200 metres, the filly held off Sir Prancealot’s (Ire) Miss Amulet (Ire) by 0.5l with Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) a head back in third.
“She relaxes well and acts better with a bit of cover,” said trainer Andrew Balding. “Oisin [Murphy] was intent that he couldn’t see any pace in the race and he didn’t want to be too far back. I’m well past giving him instructions and he did a fantastic job.”
Alcohol Free provided the former shuttle stallion with the first half of an international juvenile double.
In California later in the day, Amanzi Yimpilo (Ire) raced second early on in the 1100 metre race before digging in deep for a stretch duel. She took the lead inside the final 100 metres to win by a head against the males.
“She just broke very well and sat in a great spot which was the spot I was thinking to be in,” said jockey Luis Saez. “When we came down the stretch she fought, she was a fighter and we got there. I had a feeling we would get it.”
Alcohol Free is one of two stakes winners from Hard Spun’s (USA) Plying (USA) and is one of two stakes winners for No Nay Never out of Danzig (USA) granddaughters.
The Wesley Ward-trained Amanzi Yimpilo is one of two stakes winners for No Nay Never out of Galileo (Ire) mares with one of his four winners from that group also finishing fourth in a Group 3. The filly comes from the family of multiple Australian Group 1-placed Dibayani (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) with Redoute’s Choice’s stakes-winning Dabiyr (Ire) also on her page.
Improbable wins third straight in Awesome Again
WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Bloodstock-owned Improbable (USA) (City Zip {USA}) earned his third straight Grade 1 on Saturday at Santa Anita in the G1 Awesome Again S. over 1800 metres.
Uncharacteristically trailing the field early on, Improbable rallied and went to the front at the top of the stretch. The race was over from there with no one able to make a challenge as Improbable galloped to a 4.5l victory over stablemate Maximum Security (USA) (New Year’s Day {USA}) with Midcourt (USA) (Midnight Lute {USA}) 0.5l behind that foe in third.
“I take it a day at a time, and I’m grateful for this win,” said regular rider Drayden Van Dyke. “He showed a different tactic today which he showed before when he was two. He used to come off the pace more than usual.”
Earning his fourth career Grade 1 victory, Improbable was a US$110,000 (AU$142,28) weanling who was then sold for US$200,000 (AU$284,576) at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
He is the first foal out of four-time winner Rare Event (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}). That mare is a daughter of stakes winner Our Rite of Spring (USA) (Stravinsky {USA}), a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and successful sire Hard Spun (USA).
Supremacy provides Mehmas first Group 1 winner
In a year that has seen Mehmas (Ire) dominate the Northern Hemisphere freshman sire ranks by winners, Supremacy (Ire) gave him his first Group 1 winner in the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. over 1200 metres.
Taking the lead from the start, Supremacy had to dig in deep to hold off the hard-charging Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) to win by 0.5l. The race was dominated by Mehmas runners with the stallion also having the third-placed Minzaal (Ire) with Toronado’s (Ire) Tactical (GB) rounding out the top four.
“He is just pure class,” said trainer Clive Cox. “I don’t think we will be stretching beyond six. I don’t think we need to when he shows gears like that. That is precisely what we will be concentrating on and polishing what we have got.”
Supremacy was already one of four stakes winners and six stakes performers for his sire, who has had more than 30 winners this season. He is out of a half-sister to Hong Kong Group 1 winner Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) and the dam of Darley’s champion racehorse and young shuttle stallion Harry Angel (Ire).
Mucho Unusual goes wire-to-wire in Rodeo Drive
Mucho Unusual (USA) (Mucho Macho Man {USA}) took the lead from the gate and never looked back in the G1 Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita to punch her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Winning by 1.25l over 2400 metres on the turf, Mucho Unusual was winning her second career Graded stakes race and has placed in six of her nine Graded stakes attempts.
“It means a lot. It is my first Grade 1, I always wanted to win a Grade 1, I always tried really hard, but I couldn’t, today was the day,” said jockey Juan Hernandez. “To win these races it’s all about opportunity, I want to thank the owners and trainer for this big opportunity.”
The 4-year-old filly is the second Grade 1 winner for her sire. She is also the second stakes winner for her dam alongside Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Big Score (USA) (Mr Big {USA}) with another sibling winning 11 races in his career.
Get Her Number on road to Breeders’ Cup
Get Her Number (USA) (Dialed In {USA}) earned his spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in the American Pharoah on Saturday at Santa Anita while also providing Dialed In (USA) with his first Grade 1 winner.
Pressuring the leader early on, Get Her Number took over the lead 600 metres out and was able to hold on at the wire by 0.75l over Rombauer (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) with SF Bloodstock co-owned Spielberg (USA) (Union Rags {USA}) third.
“We had a good trip; he broke well and he put me in the race. He reacted well on the backside and by that point, I felt in control,” said jockey Flavien Prat. “It is great, Breeders’ Cup is always something we all look forward to so it’s cool.”
A US$45,000 (AU$64,029) 2-year-old earlier this year, Get Her Number is the first stakes winners under his first two dams with his granddam a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Diffident (Fr) (Nureyev {USA}).
Painting breaks bridesmaid streak in Ontario Fashion
Coming into the race with four straight second-place finishes in graded stakes, Painting (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) denied Australian-bred Victory Kingdom (Animal Kingdom {USA}) the victory with her first career graded stakes victory.
Racing near the back of the pack in the 1200 metre race, the filly was set down for a run in the stretch to chase down the pacesetting Victory Kingdom. She was able to get there just in time to win by 0.25l over Victory Kingdom, who was making her second start since moving to the United States.
Painting is out of stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed A.P. Indy (USA) mare Handpainted (USA), who has three stakes horses from six to race. Handpainted’s full sister is Canadian champion Serenading (USA) with their dam the matriarch of a family that includes Grade 1 winner and classic placed Brilliant Speed (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}).
New Mandate leads home New Bay double
First season sire New Bay (GB) saw New Mandate (Ire) become his first group winner on Saturday with a victory in the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. over 1600 metres.
The second winner in the first two races for New Bay at Newmarket, the gelding closed strongly to beat Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 0.75l with Kodi Bear’s (Ire) (Cobh {Ire}) in third.
It was the second stakes victory of the day for a Dubawi (Ire) son after Makfi’s (GB) Attorney (Fr) won a Group 3 at Rosehill.
“He’s a good horse,” jockey Frankie Dettori said. “They went slow and it was a bit of a sprint finish–we’ve got to go to Group 1 level now and try.”
New Mandate is the first stakes winner out of a half-sister to the dam of dual Group 1 winner Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire]) with stakes winner and G1 Caulfield Cup fourth Blue Monday (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) and Listed Winter S. winner Rugged Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) also in the family.
High Definition up late for Beresford victory
Giving Fastnet Rock daughter Palace (Ire) her second G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. winner in two years, High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) enjoyed every inch of ground of the 1600 metre race at The Curragh.
Among the back markers of the field, High Definition made a late run to nab the lead from Monaasib (GB) (Bobby’s Kitten {USA}) just before the wire for a 0.75l victory. The win gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a milestone 10th straight victory in the race .
“I’d say we’ll put him away now,” said O’Brien. “He could start in a Guineas and he looks like he’ll be a middle-distance horse. I was a bit worried about the bend, as he’s never been around one before.”
Two of Palace’s three foals have won the Beresford S. with Innisfree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) winning the race last year. The stakes-winning mare is a half-sister to three other stakes winners, including the dam of Listed winner and multiple Group 1-placed Kingfisher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and a granddaughter of multiple Group 1 winner Sonic Lady (USA) (Nureyev {USA}).
Princess Noor continues undefeated march in Chandelier
Stepping out of her comfort zone early on, Princess Noor (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) proved to be flexible with a win in the G2 Chandelier S. over 1700 metres at Santa Anita Park.
Having to sit behind horses early on, the filly was soon back to her typical romping ways for trainer Bob Baffert. The US$1.35 million (AU$1,920,888) purchase provided Baffert the top half of an exacta with an 8.25l victory over stablemate Varda (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) with third-place finisher Miss Costa Rica (USA) (Hit It A Bomb {USA}) 17.5l behind the winner.
“It’s my job to ride her with confidence because I know she was the best filly in the race and I had to ride her like she was the best filly in the race,” said Victor Espinoza. “She reminds me of other great horses I used to ride like American Pharoah and California Chrome. The talent is there, we just have to let them be happy around the racetrack. "
By first-crop sire Not This Time (USA), Princess Noor is out of Grade 3 winner Sheza Smoke Show (USA) (Wilko {USA}) and is a fourth-generation stakes winner with each of her first three dams winning at least one stakes race while her fourth and fifth dam both placed in stakes.
Omaha City gives Lady Of Harrods first stakes winner
Two-year-old Omaha City (USA) (Temple City {USA}) provided Australian-bred Lady Of Harrods (Dubawi {Ire}) her first stakes winner on Saturday with a victory in the Hollywood Beach S. over 1000 metres.
Running close to the leaders throughout, Omaha City took the lead 100 metres out and proved to be a little green in front but was running easily enough that he was still able to win by 1.25l.
Lady Of Harrods won two Group 3s in her career and was sold twice at the Magic Millions broodmare sales before being exported to the United States in February of 2017. Omaha City is her first US-born foal with the mare having a Lord Nelson (USA) filly this season before visiting Mor Spirit (USA).
Lady Of Harrods’ dam is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Fraud (Belloto {USA}) with Lady Of Harrods' first 10 dams all Australian-breds.
