France
Angel Bleu confirms French dominance in Criterium International
Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) made it clear he is the best 2-year-old to race in France this year after securing his second straight Group 1 in the country on Saturday in the G1 Criterium International.
Racing over 1600 metres for the first time, the juvenile showed that distance is still in his wheelhouse with a head victory over Ancient Rome (USA) (War Front {USA}). It’s been a busy season for the Dark Angel (Ire) son, who has scored five wins in eight starts – including three Group events between England and France.
“He really is extraordinary and you don't get horses like this very often,” trainer Ralph Beckett told Thoroughbred Daily News. “We haven't had one like him and I'd say the softest part of him is his tooth enamel. He's danced every dance and I thought (racing manager) Jamie McCalmont summed it up very well earlier in the week when he said it's a privilege to be involved with him."
The regally-bred Angel Bleu could prove to be an interesting shuttling prospect as a speedy grandson of G1 Australasian Oaks third Hveger (Danehill {USA}). His dam Cercle de la Vie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full sister to Swettenham Stud’s seven-time Group 1 winner Highland Reel (Ire) in addition to G1 Caulfield S. winner Cape of Good Hope (Ire). A well-known Australian family, Angel Bleu’s third dam is the G1 Australian Oaks winner Circles of Gold (Marscay), whose other runners include champions Elvstroem (Danehill {USA}) and Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}).
El Bodegon secures first Group 1 for James Ferguson
A multiple Group winner in France this season with three career wins from five starts, El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) secured an all-important Group 1 win in Saturday’s G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
It was an all-the-way victory over 2000 metres for the British-based James Ferguson-trainee, who has now won two straight Group races in France.
“His full-brother Best Solution got better with age,” Ferguson told Thoroughbred Daily News. “This horse is not overly big, but there's a lot of presence about him and it's very exciting to wonder what we might have next year as I can't see him not improving.”
El Bodegon is another with Australian connections as a full brother to Australia’s 2018-2019 Champion Stayer Best Solution (Ire). They are out of the Kingmambo (USA) mare Al Andalyya (USA) and come from the family of G2 Herbert Power S. winner Sea Moon (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}) and Australian runner Emissary (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Now trained by Michael Moroney, Emissary made his Australian debut at in early September of this year.
Magny Cours 82nd Group winner for Medaglia d’Oro
Medaglia d’Oro’s (USA) Magny Cours (USA) has been a consistent stakes winner for his sire through the years but hit a new milestone Saturday with a first Group win in the G2 Prix Perth.
The race continued to show that the Godolphin-owned and -bred gelding is in top form this year with Magny Cours finishing top three in all but one of his seven Stakes attempts this year, including the G1 Dubai World Cup in March. Cutting back to 1600 metres for the first time since May, Magny Cours finished .5l ahead of Century Dream (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) with the rest of the field over 3l behind.
A six-time winner, Magny Cours became the 86th Group winner for former shuttler Medaglia d’Oro.
The well-bred gelding is one of three Stakes performers out of the Grade 1 winner Indy Five Hundred (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}). That mare’s siblings include Group 1 winner Biondetti (USA) (Bernardini {USA}) and Group 3 winner Delta Princess (USA), who is the dam of three-time U.S. champion Royal Delta (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}), and Grade 1 winners Delta Prince (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) and Crown Queen (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}).
Great Britain
First stakes winner for Ribchester
Experienced juvenile Flaming Rib (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) gave his shuttle sire a first stakes winner on Saturday with a 1l length win in the Listed Virgin Bet Doncaster S. over 1200 metres.
Winning five of his nine starts this year, the Ribchester son was making his second career start at the level with his first coming at Royal Ascot in June. Two starts later Flaming Rib went on a winning tear and was winning his fourth-straight race in the Doncaster. Flaming Rib is out of a half-sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Savoir Vivre (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}).
“He's been straightforward and has improved as the year has gone on,” assistant trainer Colin Gorman told Thoroughbred Daily News. “He's rated 108 now and it takes a fair bit to get a 2-year-old to that rating. He's very tough and, as (jockey) Pierre-Louis Jamin said after the Chester run, he manages to pick up twice in a race. In our book, the horses that do that are good horses.”
He was one of two winners for Ribchester on Saturday with Gisburn (Ire) winning his second race at Newbury.
Ribchester has had two top four finishers in Stakes from his first Northern Hemisphere crop with Garachico (GB) finishing fourth in the G3 Prix de Conde in September.
Luxembourg stays undefeated in Vertem Futurity
The lightly raced Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) emulated his sire on Saturday with a victory in the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. with just one more race under his belt than Camelot (GB) had 10 years ago.
Sticking to the 1600 metres the colt has run at in all three starts this year, Luxembourg did just enough to hold Sissoko (Ire) (Australia {GB}) off by 1.75l. That one had more worries than the win near the line with Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) only a nose behind him.
“We're delighted with what he's done and he's an exciting horse to look forward to,” jockey Ryan Moore told Thoroughbred Daily News. “It couldn't have gone smoother and there's more improvement to come.”
Now the winner of two Group races in his three starts, he joins Group 2 winner Leo de Fury (Ire) (Australia {GB}) as stakes winners for Attire (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Bred 3 x 4 to Danehill (USA), Luxembourg's dam is a sister to Australian Group-placed Forgotten Voice (Ire). The colt’s third dam is Group 2-placed runner and influential broodmare Albertine (Fr) (Irish River {Fr}), whose descendants include G3 Christmas Cup winner Significance (Frankel {GB}) and G1 Railway S. winner Annenkov (Ire) (Danehill {USA}).
Ilaraab newest stakes winner for Wootton Bassett
Ilaraab (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) added a Group win to his record on Saturday with a win in the G3 Virgin Bet St. Simon S. at Newbury.
It was the seventh victory in 12 starts for Ilaraab, who had finished third in his last two Stakes starts before securing this one by 1l over Max Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).
Ilaraab is out of a half-sister to Group 3 winner Census (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}) and from the family of Italian champion and Group 1 winner Leadership (GB) (Selkirk {USA}) and Group 3 winner Havant (GB) (Halling {USA}).
Jumbly wins Radley
Australian Group winner McCreery (GB) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) saw his half-sister’s daughter Jumbly add more black-type to the family on Saturday with a victory in the Listed Galloping To Give 10 Years With A Transplant Stakes S. at Newbury by 4.75l.
It was the third win for the 2-year-old filly Jumbly, whose only career bump came when fourth in the G2 Univet Rockfel S. last out. She more than put that loss behind her with the runaway win over Breeze Easy (USA) (Bated Breath {GB}). Samsa (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) was another 3.25l back in third.
Jumbly is out of Irish champion and Group 1 winner Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk {USA}). Other than McCreery, the family also includes European champion Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and Group 2 winners Fabulous Hostess (USA) (Fabulous Dancer {USA}) and Blek (Fr) (Chichicastenango {Fr}).
Japan
Titleholder romps home
The Toru Kurita-trained Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was a dominant winner of the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger), powering away to win by 5l.
Ridden by Tekeshi Yokoyama, Titleholder led all the way, striding away to defeat Orthoclase (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), with the filly Divine Love (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), in third.
Bred by Okada Stud out of the imported mare Mowen (GB) (Motivator {GB}), he is a winner of three of his eight starts, having win the G2 Yayoi Sho in March.
Ireland
Star of India earns Rising Star title in debut
The late Galileo (Ire) registered another Thoroughbred Daily News Rising Star on Saturday when Star of India (Ire) gave Galileo the top half of a Leopardstown quinella on debut by 2.25l.
Taking charge inside the final furlong, Star of India won over the Joseph O’Brien trained Sir Antonino (Ire) (Galileo) with Rene Artois (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) a head back in third.
The colt is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Sudirman (USA) (Henrythenavigator {USA}) and a full sister to Group 3-placed Roman Empire (Ire). The family also includes Starspangledbanner’s Group 2 winner Anthem Alexander (Ire).
USA
Tapit leads Gainesway roster
Gainesway's perennial leading sire Tapit (USA) will once again head the farm's stallion roster and stud fees for the upcoming 2022 season.
Tapit will remain at US$185,000 (AU$248,000). Currently among the top five North American stallions on the leading sires list of 2021, Tapit has three year-end leading sire titles and is North America's leading sire of Grade 1 winners with 27, Grade 1 performers with 58, stakes winners with 92, stakes horses with 177, and stakes performers with 284.
Four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie (USA), who bred 214 mares in his first book in 2021, will also hold at his fee of US$30,000 (AU$40,200) for 2022. McKinzie won Grade 1 races at two, three, and four.
Also slated to see his first foals in 2022 is G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun To Run (USA), who gets a fee reduction to US$10,000 (AU$13,400) in 2022.
Previously announced as new to Gainesway for 2022 is Raging Bull (Fr), who will make his final career start in the November 6 G1 Breeders' Cup Mile. He will stand for US$10,000 (AU$13,400).
Caramel Swirl newest stakes winner for Frosted family
Darley shuttle stallion Frosted’s (USA) family got even stronger on Saturday when his half-sister’s daughter Caramel Swirl (USA) dug deep for the G2 Lexus Raven Run S. win at Keeneland.
Now the 16th stakes performer under her first three dams, the Raven Run is the third victory for Caramel Swirl in her last five starts since breaking her maiden in April. The Godolphin homebred finished a head in front of Joy’s Rocket (USA) (Anthony’s Cross {USA}) with Cilla (USA) (California Chrome {USA}) 2l back in third.
“She is just very honest,” said jockey Junior Alvarado. “She’s a very classy filly. She does everything you need to do in the race. Today we were in a little tough spot on the backside, and I needed to get a little bit out of that spot because I wasn’t really comfortable there, and she helped me to get out of there. Then at the same time, when I decided to pick it up a little bit to stay in contention, she was there for me. Like I say, she just really makes my job easier.”
Frosted isn’t the only horse with Australian connections in Caramel Swirl’s family. Among the others under her first three dams is G2 Sires’ Produce S. winner Running Tall (Stratum), G1 Flight S. second Sensibility (Redoute’s Choice) and The Phoenix winner Commander (Pierro).
