Hurricane Lane up late to win Irish Derby
Third in the G1 Cazoo Derby earlier this month, Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) took his record to four-from-five on Saturday with a victory in the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
Representing Godolphin in the 2400 metre Classic, Hurricane Lane was urged to take a position among the leaders and briefly took his spot up there before settling in midfield. Leading Matchless (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) set an honest pace up front and started to fade in the final 800 metres with Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) taking over the lead from there. Lone Eagle had multiple lengths on the field as they entered the final 400 metres and it looked like he wasn’t for catching but Hurricane Lane was just getting into his best gear at that point. The colt closed over 4l to get up to beat Lone Eagle by 0.25l with Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 7l back in third.
One of no less than five winners for Frankel (GB) on Saturday, Hurricane Lane is also a full brother to Frankel’s stakes-placed Frankel’s Storm (Ire).
Their stakes-winning dam Gale Force (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) is a half-sister to Champion Seal Of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) with G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) also in the family. That colt is also a half-brother to Australian stakes winner Haripour (Ire) (Shamardal {Ire}).
Hurricane Lane (Ire) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Back-to-back for Chrono Genesis
Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) has successfully defended her G1 Takarazuka Kinen title at Hanshin, claiming the fourth Group 1 success of her career.
The Takashi Saito-trained 5-year-old mare surged late under Christophe Lemaire to stride clear of Unicorn Lion (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) by 2.5l, with the previously unbeaten Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) finishing third, a short margin away.
Lemaire settled Chrono Genesis just behind the pace set by Unicorn Lion and secured a run with around 300 metres to go. The leading pair had shot clear at that point, but the star mare had too strong a finish, winning with ease.
It was her first run in Japan this year, having travelled to Dubai in March to contest the G1 Sheema Classic, where she finished second behind Mishriff (USA) (Make Believe {USA}). She has now won eight of her 15 starts.
Maxfield wins Stephen Foster for Godolphin
Maxfield (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) won his seventh race in eight starts on Saturday with an easy victory in the G2 Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs.
Racing over 1800 metres on the dirt, Maxfield was comfortable in midpack a few paths off the rail as two longshots fought for the lead. Maxfield looked like he was out for a gallop instead of in a Graded stakes, racing around the turn as he easily circled the field and had an easy lead down the stretch. The colt was never asked for his best as he galloped home by an easy 3.25l over Warrior’s Charge (USA) (Munnings {USA}) with Sprawl (USA) (City Zip {USA}) 2l behind the runner-up in third.
One of two winners from two to race out of Bernardini (USA) mare Velvety (USA), Maxfield’s dam is a three-quarter sister to Grade 1 winner and successful sire Sky Mesa (USA) and a half-sister to multiple Graded stakes winner Golden Velvet (USA) (Seeking The Gold {USA}). In all, there are 11 stakes performers under Maxfield’s first two dams.
Quick turnaround gives Go Bears Go Railway win
A close second at Royal Ascot nine days ago, Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) went one better on Saturday in the G2 GAIN Railway S. at The Curragh.
Stretching to 1200 metres for the first time in his three race career, Go Bears Go took the lead early but conceded it to The Acropolis (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and closely attended him throughout. With less than 400 metres to run Go Bears Go took command of the race back and never yielded again, finishing 1.25l ahead of Castle Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) with Masseto (GB) (Territories {Ire}) another 1.25l back in third.
“We were so positive that he'd stay six furlongs and it was a big toss-up before Ascot between the Norfolk and the Coventry,” jockey Rossa Ryan told Thoroughbred Daily News. “(Trainer) Dave Loughnane took a massive risk coming here a week later, so we're glad it's paid off. He's a top-class sprinter in the making, I think.”
Go Bears Go’s dam is a half-sister to the dam of G1 Caulfield Cup winner Benbatl (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who also finished second in the G1 Cox Plate. He also has multiple family members residing in Australasia as broodmares with Clerio (GB) (Soviet Star {USA}) the dam of New Zealand stakes winner Alamer (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) and grandam of Group 1 winner Our Rokkii (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) and her sister producing the dam of stakes winner Noogoora Burr (Royal Academy {USA}) and Group 1-placed Fleur Royale (Royal Academy {USA}).
Set Piece wins third straight in Wise Dan
It was a first Graded stakes victory and third straight victory overall for Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) when the 5-year-old gelding made a late run to take out the G2 Wise Dan S. over 1700 metres.
Spending much of the race as the back marker, as they reached the stretch, Set Piece found another gear. Weaving through the traffic between him and longtime leader Somelikeithotbrown (USA) (Big Brown {USA}), Set Piece raced up the hedge in the closing strides to win by 0.5l with Ride A Comet (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) in third behind Somelikeithotbrown.
The Juddmonte homebred is from the family of G3 Newcastle Gold Cup winner Disclaimer (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who earned $168,285 during his time running in Australia. The family also includes Michael and Luke Cerchi-trained Australia Group winner Midterm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), G2 Herbert Power H. winner Amralah (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), and G3 Maurice McCarten H. winner Easy Eddie (Super Easy {NZ}) among Australian performers in the family.
Glorious Journey back in winner’s enclosure
Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) gave himself an added challenge in the G3 Close Brothers Criterion S. over 1400 metres on Saturday and in the end was a 1l winner of the race.
Rearing at the start, he hurried to the lead from there but quickly dropped back to the rear of the field. It wasn’t until over half-way through the race that he started to make an impact on the race when making his way through the group to sit just behind the leader entering the final 400 metres. He took over the lead soon after and though he drifted, he was able to win by 1l over Motakhayyel (GB) (Heeraat {Ire}) in the end with Duke Of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) 0.5l back in third.
From the family of Fastnet Rock’s New Zealand Group 1 winner Age Of Fire, his dam is a half-sister to the dam of Loving Home (GB) (Shamardal {USA}). In training with Tess Wilkes, Loving Home last ran yesterday when finishing fourth.
Outbox another stakes winner for Frankel
Out of a three-quarter sister to G3 Geelong Cup winner Qewy (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), Outbox (GB) was the second stakes winner of the day for Frankel with a win in the Listed Close Brothers Fred Archer S. over 2400 metres.
Tracking the leading Winter Reprise (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), Outbox was asked to take command inside the final 600 metres and readily complied. Drifting left 400 metres later, he let Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) get within 1l of him at the line but in the end led home the Frankel exacta with Pablo Escobarr (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 3.75l back in third.
Outbox’s Group 2-winning dam Emirates Queen (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) is also a half-sister to Champion racehorse and sire Dubawi (Ire) and three other stakes performers. They are all out of Champion and G1 Oaks d’Italia winner Zomaradah (GB) (Deploy {GB}).
Frankel (GB) has sired the Epsom and Irish Derby winners this year | Image courtesy of Juddmonte Farms
Keeneland changes Book 1
The Keeneland September Yearling Sale will see a change this September when yearlings offered the first day of the Sale will have a chance to be re-offered if they aren’t sold their first time through the ring.
Those horses from the first day of Book 1 will be re-offered the following day with Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy citing consignors’ longtime worries of being early in the Sale.
“This is not being imposed on people,” Lacy told Thoroughbred Daily News. “It has been circulated among a core group of people who supported it heavily and wanted to try it. Not everything works, but we've got to try. It's an idea I've had for two or three years now; after hearing people say, `I'm okay with Book 1 as long as it's not day one.’ It's an anxiety that I want to recognise and that Keeneland wants to recognise. If there's something we can do to offset the potential problematic aspects of that, we want to try to approach it.”
Horses who again leave the ring unsold will not incur any additional costs for being offered twice. Lacy also said there will be parameters around the reserve the second time through the ring so sellers aren’t able to make large adjustments if they go through the second time.
Book 1 takes place during the first Monday and Tuesday sessions of the Keeneland September Sale kicking off on September 13 with the Sale’s “Dark Day” taking place that Wednesday.
