It’s another Classic card full of potential updates for Australian-based horses on Sunday when the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas headlines three stakes races at The Curragh. From Australian stallions having runners to Australian residents seeing family members line up, it won’t be a surprise to see a few Southern Hemisphere families with major updates once the last race is run.
Australian pages set for updates in Irish 1000 Guineas
A half-sister to the dam of Australian runners Kilimanjaro (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Mawaany Machine (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Friendly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will be trying to break her maiden in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. There are plenty of Australian connections in this pedigree with her grandam the successful broodmare Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}). Rafha’s daughter Acts Of Grace (USA) (Bahri {USA}) is an Australian resident and Rafha’s half-sister Al Anood (Danehill {USA}) is the dam of Pride Of Dubai with Al Anood’s dam imported to Australia in 2002.
A stakes winner last out, Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) became the seventh stakes horse from seven runners out of You’resothrilling (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}) that day. In addition to Champions Gleneagles (Ire) and Happily (Ire), the filly is also a full sister to multiple Australian Group winner Taj Mahal (Ire). Another Group 1-winning sibling is the dam of stakes winner and Australian runner Blue Soldier (USA) (War Front {USA}), who is currently spelling for trainer Annabel Neasham. This is also the family of one-time Australian runner Storm The Stars (USA) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
One of two granddaughters of Mariah’s Storm (USA) (Rahy {USA}), American Pharoah’s (USA) multiple Group-placed Thinking Of You (USA) is out of a Galileo (Ire) three-quarter sister to Joan Of Arc. Named Fabulous (Ire), that dam’s half-sister You’resothrilling is the dam of the aforementioned Taj Mahal and grandam of Blue Soldier.
Dark Angel’s (Ire) Fantasy Lady (Ire) is out of a half-sister to the dam of Australian stakes winner Abdon (GB) (Cacique {Ire}). Trained by Chris Waller, he made his Australian debut in early 2018 and was retired in March 2020. Another one of the runners under Fantasy Lady’s second dam is Australian-bred Singapore stakes winner Emperor’s Banquet (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). That runner’s late dam came to Australia in 2006 and foaled three Australian-breds.
Zoffany’s (Ire) Sense Of Style (Ire), is one of two stakes horses for a half-sister to one-time Australian visitor Forgotten Voice (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). That gelding finished fourth in the 2013 G3 Queen Elizabeth S. and fifth in the G3 Geelong Cup the race before that. This is also the family of Australasian stakes winners Annenkov (Ire) (Danehill {USA}) and Dame Claire (NZ) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
The regally bred Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full sister to European Horse of the Year Minding (Ire) out of a dual-Group 1 sister to former Australian runner Count Of Limonade (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}). Imported to Australia from France in 2013, the gelding raced until late 2017 with his last runs coming under the charge of Karen Byrnes.
Set to run last weekend, Miss Amulet (Ire) scratched and now runs in the Irish 1000 Guineas for Australia’s Sir Prancealot (Ire). The filly shares a family with one-time New Zealand runner and Singapore Champion Mexican Rose (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}). That late mare moved between Australia and New Zealand, as a broodmare and has a yearling colt by American Pharoah and a weanling colt by Spirit Of Boom as her final two foals.
Shalaa’s (Ire) Group 3 winner No Speak Alexander (Ire) makes her first start since that win three weeks ago in this spot. The filly is the first out of a stakes-winning full sister to Hong Kong Champion Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and Group 3-placed Safari Sunset (Ire) (Fayruz {GB}).
Pride Of Dubai’s stakes winner Zaffy’s Pride (Ire) is one of six winners from seven to run out of her stakes-placed Singspiel (Ire) dam. That mare is a full sister to stakes winner Zayn Zen (GB), who is also the dam of stakes winner Ennaadd (GB) (King’s Best {USA}).
Tattersalls Gold Cup
OTI co-owned True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) is looking for her third straight victory after wins in Australia and Saudi Arabia over the last six months. The 8-year-old travelled to Australia for last year’s Spring Carnival and found no luck in the G1 Caulfield Cup but came back only a few weeks later to win the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. by 1l. The mare’s first start of 2021 was another impressive victory, this one coming by 1.25l in the Neom Turf Cup on the Saudi Cup card.
Coming into this race off of three straight wins this season, Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) looks to get his first Group 1 win in this spot. The entire’s third dam is Galaxie Dust (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}), whose granddaughter Tyranny (GB) (Machiavellian {USA}) is the dam of active Australian racehorse Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and former shuttle stallion Zoffany (Ire).
One day after Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) tries to add another Group 1 win to his record in Australia, relative Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) tries to do the same thing in Ireland. The filly’s great-grandam is Allegretta (GB) (Lombard {Ger}), who is also the fourth dam of Sir Dragonet.
Dual G1 Irish St. Leger winner Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is making her second start of the year in this race. In addition to being a three-quarter sibling to former shuttler Free Eagle (Ire), she is a half-sister to Australian stakes-winning half-brother Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {GB}), who is in training with Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes and won a steeplechase in early May.
Pride Of Dubai runner among entries in Gallinule
In the first stakes of the day, Pride Of Dubai sees his son Flying Visit (Ire) line up in the G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule S. over 2000 metres. The gelding’s grandam is a full sister to US Champion Chief’s Crown (USA) (Danzig {USA}) and half-sister to duel Group 1 winner Classic Crown (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}).
Galileo’s Arturo Toscanini (Ire) is out of a full sister to multiple Group winner Carribean Sunset (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). That mare was imported to Australia in 2011 and is the dam of Group 3-placed Lovani (Lonhro) and multiple stakes-placed Holbien (Pierro). Owned by Kia Ora Stud, Carribean Sunset also has a 2-year-old American Pharoah colt named Always Hapi, a yearling full brother to Lovani, and she visited Pierata last year.
A winner by 4.25l in his last start earned Max Mayhem (GB) (New Bay {GB}) a spot in this race. The colt is out of a half-sister to G1 Metropolitan H. winner Magic Hurricane (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who was imported to Australia in 2015. The gelding trained by John O’Shea retired in early 2017.
Former Australian runner Sour Mash (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) is a half-brother to the dam of Gallinule runner Earlswood (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). The stakes-placed colt was third in the Listed Dee S. last out and is looking to give his Group 2-placed dam Field Of Miracles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) her first stakes winner from three foals.
Almanzor filly among juvenile maiden runners
The first race of the day at The Curragh on Sunday delivers another group of interesting 2-year-olds trying to break their maidens with plenty of freshmen sires to keep an eye on.
Popular Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Fr) sends out Dissociate (Ire) for her debut. The filly is out of a half-sister to G3 Easter Cup winner Observational (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was retired from racing last September. The extended family also includes multiple Australian Group winner Assign (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Caravaggio’s (USA) Agartha (Ire) is the first foal out of the stakes-winning Arya Tara (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), who also finished third in a Group 3. Arya Tara is out of a half-sister to the dam of European Champion and former New Zealand shuttler Azamour (Ire). Azamour is also a half-brother to the dam of Australian Champion and Arrowfield stallion The Autumn Sun with another one of Azamour’s half-siblings being former Australian runner Surveyor (Ire) (Muhtarram {USA}).
Hailing from the family of Australian Group 3-placed Zarzali (Hussonet {USA}) is Dawn Approach (Ire) filly Pepsiwithacap (Ire). Zarzali’s dam was in Australia from 2008 to 2019 where she had six foals before moving back to France in 2019. Zarzali was sent to Germany in 2016 and has a 3-year-old Iffraaj (GB) colt named Zion (Ger) and a juvenile Fastnet Rock colt named Zacapo (Ire).
