Cover image courtesy of Goodwood
Registering his fifth Group 1 win in succession, the son of Sea The Stars (Ire) perhaps lacked that touch of brilliance he served racing fans when taking out the G1 Lockinge S. or G1 Queen Anne earlier in the season.
Minimal fuss
However, brilliance wasn’t needed from the 4-year-old this time and he was able to register his ninth straight win with minimal fuss, effortlessly sweep past the field and come away with a facile 1.8l victory over Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Last-start G1 July Cup winner Alcohol Free (Ire) ran another game race to finish the same distance away in third.
A relieved Haggas said a step up in trip would be next on the agenda for Baaeed, with the Newmarket trainer setting his sights on the G1 Juddmonte International at York and a trip to Ascot on British Champions Day at the end of the season is likely to be last start of Baaeed's so far flawless career.
"He's got speed and he's got class and I'm really looking forward to it [stepping up in trip], and I think he'll enjoy it. We've got him for two more races so let's make the most of him and enjoy him, because he's very likely to go to stud at the end of this year. That will be it and then and I'll spend the rest of my training career trying to find the next one,” said Haggas.
Go the distance
Winning jockey Jim Crowley said the performance was easier than the winning margin suggests and was looking forward to seeing what the horse can do when he is stepped in trip.
"He just does what he has to like his sire [Sea The Stars] did," said Crowley. "Just before the winning line he flicked his ears and completely shut down with me. It's a pleasure to be part of the journey.
"He's never going to be exuberant and win by ten lengths but the feeling I got from him between the three and the two [furlongs], no horse can give you that sort of feel. He's got everything. Good horses like that tick all the boxes.
"It will be really interesting when he goes a mile and a quarter next time and I'm really looking forward to it."
Wearing a brooch bearing the image of her late father pinned to her robe, Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum greeted the horse who has become, for her, so much more than just the best racehorse in the world. “[He's in] every conversation, every conversation. He's part of my life now. My father bred him. It's a 40-year, even longer, process so it just feels very homey and it's nice to have a horse like him. I'm very lucky.”
Bred and raced by the Shadwell Estate company, Baaeed is out of the French Listed winner Aghareed (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}), making him a brother to fellow Shadwell Stud-bred and raced colt Hukum (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and he added further prowess to the pedigree when he took out the G1 Coronation S. at Epsom earlier in the season.
The Sea The Stars / Kingmambo (USA) cross is one of the very best in the book, with Baaeed one of four elite-level winners produced on the nick and with all 20 of the runners bred on his cross winners, including eight stakes scorers it means it fires at an extraordinary stakes winners to runners strike-rate of 40 per cent.
Sea The Stars (Ire) is the sire of 17 other Group 1 winners and they include G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Sea Of Class (Ire), who, like Baaeed, was also prepared by Haggas.
Oscula puts it all together in the Oak Tree
Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) added a second Group 3 to her record when she landed the G3 Oak Tree S. at Goodwood on Wednesday and in the process handed trainer George Boughey another high-profile race to his already glowing CV.
A winner of Listed Eternal S. in June, the daughter of Galileo Gold (GB) has been a model of consistency since that win placing on her three occasions, including most recently when she finished second in the G3 Valiant S. at Ascot on July 23.
However, that jaunt a mere four days ago seemed to leave no ill-effects on the filly as she showed tenacity in spades to clinch victory in the shadow of the winning post, beating Internationalangel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) by 0.1l.
“Oscula is a real flagbearer for Nick Bradley who is a big supporter of the yard,” said Boughey.
“She just keeps trying. My girlfriend Laura rides her out so it is a special success. She has run four times in July and I think she is peaking here. To have run four days ago, she is a remarkable horse.
“I sent a video to Nick and William Buick of Oscula charging round the paddock yesterday evening, she is a remarkable horse. She puts her weight on within 24 hours and she is a real star.
“It was a tough watch, but William is a huge part of the team so it was great. I’ve put her in a race in France in 10 days’ time so we might go there.”
Purchased by Michael Aguiar for 4000gns (AU$6954) at Book 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Oscula is by 2016 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (GB), who stands at Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland for a fee of €7000 (AU$10,200).
Another exciting juvenile for No Nay Never
It was a case of deja vu in the G3 Molecomb S. on Wednesday, as talented filly Trillium (GB) handed her trainer Richard Hannon and her sire No Nay Never (USA) with back-to-back triumphs in the Goodwood Group 3.
A fourth length winner of her second start at Newbury on July 15, Trillium emerged out of the pack inside the final furlong and quickened away to post a 1.4l victory over the George Scott-trained Rocket Rodney (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and become the first filly to win the Group 3 since Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) in 2019.
Hannon, who sent out Armor (GB) (No Nay Never {USA}) to victory in the race 12 months ago, said the Breeders’ Cup or G1 Prix Morny in France could be on the agenda for the filly.
“Trillium has always been a lovely filly and I was amazed she did not win here first time. She probably did not know enough and was a bit keen,” said Hannon.
“She won her maiden very nicely at Newbury. We have come back from six furlongs to five and she is starting to look like a very nice two-year-old. She came in late and is a credit to Rockcliffe Stud [owner-breeder]. We have been extremely lucky with these colours, Sky Lantern and Snow Lantern, and it is lovely.
“We will look at the Prix Morny and Ed Sackville mentioned the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. I did not put her in the Lowther as she was not showing this much speed then. She does not have to sprint, and six furlongs won't be a problem.
“She looks like a very tall, strong two-year-old, kind of in the Happy Romance mould, although she is not as 'long' as Happy Romance. I would love to think she is a filly for next year, but she is a Group winner now and that would be a bonus.
“I did want to run her in the Alice Keppel, and that is worth nearly as much money… but if we had won that and then thought we might have won the Molecomb with a homebred, we would have slipped up there slightly!”
Bred and raced by Rockcliffe Stud, Trillium is out of the Group 1-placed mare Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was also bred and raced by Rockcliffe Stud and she is also the dam of stakes-placed Mohawk King (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).
In winning the race, Trillium joins Group 2 winner Blackbeard (Ire) and Group 3-winning pair Meditate (Ire) and Little Big Bear (Ire) as the stallion’s other stakes-winning juveniles this season. No Nay Never (USA) shuttled to Coolmore’s Australian base for four seasons but did not return in 2020 and his total global stakes haul stands at 40.
