Cover image courtesy of Scoop Dyga
Mother Earth wins another Group 1 in Rothschild
Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was back to her Group 1-winning ways on Tuesday when she dug in to win the G1 Prix Rothschild in France.
Racing over 1600 metres on soft turf, the filly was kept in the middle of the pack with plenty of cover by jockey Ryan Moore for nearly the whole run. It wasn’t until they entered the final 500 metres that he even hinted at letting her move and she immediately entered a battle for the lead. A battle it was with four fillies having a chance for the win and Mother Earth just getting the advantage inside the final 75 metres to win by a head over Sagamiyra (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) with Speak Of The Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) a nose behind for third and Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) another nose behind in fourth.
“I didn't have the best trip and had to move a little bit earlier than I wanted, so she had to be very brave to win,” Moore told Thoroughbred Daily News.
The winner of this year’s G1 1000 Guineas in addition to finishing second or third in five other Group 1s in her career, the 3-year-old is one of two stakes winners out of stakes winner Many Colours (GB) (Green Desert {USA}) alongside Group 2 winner Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). This is also the same family that produced Starspangledbanner’s G2 Queen Mary S. winner Anthem Alexander (Ire).
Mother Earth (Ire) | Image courtesy of Scoop Dyga
Penja spoils The Blue Brilliant’s party in Psyche
Fastnet Rock’s The Blue Brilliant (Ire) joined her full sister Asama Blue (Ire) as stakes placers by Fastnet Rock out of Butterfly Blue (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) when she was denied a stakes win by Penja (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) by a short nose in the G3 Prix de Psyche Sky Sports Racing at Deauville.
Penja raced just behind her rival for much of the 2000-metre race as Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) was given pacemaker duties on the front end. The Blue Brilliant confronted the leader with 400 metres but it took Penja more time to pick up. The Brilliant Blue looked like she’d hold off the late closer as Penja slowly made up ground in the final 150 metres and it took a photo to separate them with Penja just getting up at the line. The pair were 1.25l ahead of Mystery Angel, who held off Harajuku (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by 0.75l.
Penja is a half-sister to Toronado’s (Ire) stakes winner Taos (Fr) with the pair the only two runners out of a full sister to Group 2 winner Frankyfourfingers (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}). The family has crossed well with Sunday Break (Jpn), the stallion’s Group 1 winner Never On Sunday (Fr) also features on the winner’s page.
