Ireland
Friendly another winner for Rafha
Rafha’s (GB) (Kris {GB}) granddaughter Friendly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gave the illustrious family its newest stakes winner on Friday with a win in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cooley Fillies' S. at Dundalk.
The experienced daughter of Massarra (GB) (Danehill {USA}) was securing her second win in 18 starts when pulling away to win by 2.5l over the multiple stakes-winning 8-year-old Surrounding (Ire) (Lilboruen Lad {Ire}).
She is the sixth stakes winner for the Listed-winning Massarra, who not only is the grandam of late Australian runner Kilimanjaro (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) but is also a half-sister to Australian broodmare Acts of Grace (USA) (Bahri {USA}). She also hails from the family of Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry {Ire}). Acts of Grace had a Pride Of Dubai filly last year and wasn’t served for 2021.
Wootton Bassett tops Coolmore 2022 roster
With the death of Galileo (Ire) earlier this year, Wootton Bassett (GB) takes over as the leader of Coolmore Stud’s 2022 roster with a fee of €150,000 (AU$234,000).
The roster, released on Friday, sees No Nay Never (USA) following up the Coolmore Australia shuttler at a fee of €125,000 (AU$195,000) with Camelot (GB) the third most expensive at €75,000 (AU$117,000). Starspangledbanner has had an exceptional year with his Northern Hemisphere juveniles and is priced at €35,000 (AU$55,000). A notable name missing from the roster is Coolmore Australia stalwart Fastnet Rock, who has shuttled to Ireland from 2010 to 2020 exempting 2015.
Wotton Bassett (GB) | Standing at Coolmore
The roster also includes new recruit St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), who won five straight Group 1s and will stand for a previously announced €65,000 (AU$101,000). Others of note are Australian shuttlers Calyx (GB) at €12,500 (AU$19,500), Churchill (Ire) at €25,000 (AU$39,000), Highland Reel (Ire) standing for €10,000 (AU$15,500), Magna Grecia (Ire) priced at €17,500 (AU$27,000), and Saxon Warrior (Jpn) standing for €20,000 (AU$31,000).
New Zealand visitor Circus Maximus (Ire) will stand for €12,500 (AU$19,500). He is joined on the yearly plane to New Zealand by U S Navy Flag (USA) at €12,500 (AU$19,500).
United States
Fastnet Rock gets first Breeders’ Cup winner with Pizza Bianca
Fastnet Rock has had an incredibly worldwide stallion career and on Friday hit another major milestone when his daughter Pizza Bianca (USA) gave him his first Breeders’ Cup winner in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf with a 0.5l win over Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).
Also the first Breeders’ Cup winner for her trainer Christophe Clement, Pizza Bianca wove her way through traffic to go from near last to first as the 42nd Group 1 winner for her sire. The filly has now won two races in three starts with a second last out in the G1 Natalma S. as her prep for this race.
“For some reason on the second turn I ended up farther back than I wanted to be,” said jockey Jose Ortiz. “So, I kept going in, going in and finally I got in at the quarter pole. At the eighth pole, I got a perfect split. I had a lot of horse.”
Now also one of 114 Group winners for her sire, Pizza Bianca is out of a half-sister to G1 Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and a three-quarter sister to the Group 3-winning dam of this year’s Group 3 winner and multiple Group 1-placed juvenile Ancient Rome (USA) (War Front {USA}). The filly’s grandam is a half-sister to former Australian broodmare Capability (Fr) (Nashwan {USA}), whose granddaughter is G3 Hobart Cup winner Pretty Punk (Rebel Raider).
Godolphin homebred wins Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Godolphin’s Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made easy work of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf to win by 1.5l but there was plenty of drama involved in getting the win.
Before the race started, the colt’s stablemate and race favourite Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) flipped in the gate next to Modern Games and was a scratch. A communication error saw second-choice Modern Games also scratched momentarily before stewards allowed him to run for prizemoney only.
His status as a non-betting entity meant that though he won by 1.5l, second-placed Tiz The Bomb (USA) (Hit It A Bomb {USA}) was paid out as the winner with the two horses finishing behind him – Mackinnon (USA) (American Pharoah {USA}) and Grafton Street (USA) (War Front {USA}) - named the second and third-place finishers for betting purposes.
“He does everything in his stride and not at any stage was I worried that he was not focused. He remained calm,” jockey William Buick said of Modern Games handling the incident. “He remained focused. He didn't change complexion at all. And that makes it much easier.”
It was the fourth win in six starts for Modern Games, who became the 47th Group 1 winner for Dubawi (Ire) with his victory. Modern Games is the first stakes winner out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) and two other stakes performers out of the Nashwan (USA) mare Epitome (Ire). Modern Game’s dam is also a half-sister to the dam of Lackeen (GB) (Shamardal {USA}), who was imported to Australia in late 2020 and is in training with James Cummings, most recently winning at Flemington on November 2.
Speedway Stables’ Corniche makes easy work of Juvenile
The US$1.5 million (AU$2.1 million) Speedway Stables paid for Corniche (USA) (Quality Road {USA}) earlier this year looked like a deal when their star 2-year-old colt was hustled to the lead early and went all the way in his 1.75l G1 TVG Breeder’s Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance victory over Pappacap (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}).
The colt hasn’t taken a step wrong since debuting in September with his three victories including two Grade 1 wins. The victory is the fifth for trainer Bob Baffert in the race, dating back to Vindication (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}) in 2002.
“The only thing I was worried about was that he got hotter (before the race) than he ever had,” said jockey Mike Smith. “It just made me get calmer. I don’t think I have ever been so calm in a big race. I just sat really still, he caught a flyer leaving the gate and I just left him alone.”
Out of multiple Graded stakes winner Wasted Tears (USA) (Najran {USA}), the colt is a half-brother to Medaglia D’Oro’s (USA) stakes-placed Coffee Crush (USA). The colt is the first Grade 1 winner in his first five generations, though there are nine stakes winners in his first four generations.
Echo Zulu confirms her dominance in Juvenile Fillies
Echo Zulu (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) didn’t even give the other fillies a chance in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies when she shot to the early lead and never looked back to win by 5.25l over Juju’s Map (USA) (Liam’s Map {USA}) in a perfect juvenile campaign.
Echo Zulu all but confirmed that she is this year’s U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly with the in-hand victory that has seen her win three straight Grade 1s in her undefeated four race campaign.
“The level of proud is just unbelievable, with her being in the first-crop of Gun Runner, what he’s done for us,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, who also trained her sire. “A filly that came through mom and dad’s program in Laredo. She’s just brilliant. She’s faster than they are. It’s as simple as that. We’re just so fortunate to be around her.”
From the first crop of Horse of the Year Gun Runner (USA), US$300,000 (AU$400,000) yearling purchase Echo Zulu is one of two Grade 1 winners for her Grade 3-winning dam Letgomyecho (USA) (Menifee {USA}). The mare’s other runners include G1 H. Allen Jerkens S. winner Echo Town (USA) (Speightstown {USA}), G3 Gotham S. winner J Boys Echo (USA) (Mineshaft {USA}) and two other stakes performers.
National Defense registers first crop Breeders’ Cup winner
Already a stakes winner for Widden’s young shuttle stallion National Defense (GB), Twilight Gleaming (Ire) went even better when becoming his first Group winner in the G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
As can always be expected from a Wesley Ward-trainee, Twilight Gleaming went straight to the lead and the race was all but over from there. She won by 0.5l over Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) to give Ward his third consecutive win in the race in its four runnings.
“Barbara Banke, (the filly’s owner) has been a loyal supporter of ours and she really got the itch to go over to England,” Ward said. “We got some good horses and Ben McElroy got this filly for her and we bought some others for next year to go to Ascot with and I’m excited to see those. She’s just such a great lady and she loves the sport. We are really excited.”
Also second in the G2 Queen Mary this year, Twilight Gleaming is out of a half-sister to G1 Winx S. second Invictus Prince (GB) (Dansii {GB}) and from the family of The Queen’s former Australian runner Bold Sniper (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). National Defense stands for $9900 (inc GST) at Widden Victoria this year with his first Southern Hemisphere yearlings hitting the ring in January.
