United Kingdom
Mawj lands first Guineas for Exceed And Excel
Frankie Detorri’s farewell G1 2000 Guineas in Newmarket (UK) was followed 24 hours later on Sunday (local) by Oisin Murphy and Saeed bin Suroor's comeback 1000 Guineas victory as Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel) prevailed in a thrilling tussle with Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the QIPCO-sponsored Newmarket Classic.
In front of the group racing up the centre from the outset, Godolphin's half-sister to last year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was joined by The Aga Khan's 6-4 favourite heading into the dip as they began to pull clear of the far-side leader Matilda Picotte (Ire) (Sioux Nation {USA}). Despite minor interference between the first two, there were no excuses as the battle-hardened Mawj held her Irish rival all the way to the line to prevail by 0.5l at 9-1, with 7.5l back to Matilda Picotte in third.
It was a return to the limelight for Murphy, who was banned early last year for 14 months after being found guilty of misleading the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) during COVID travel restrictions and twice failing a breath alcohol test.
“I had a really good start back thanks to lots of different trainers supporting me,” Murphy said. “Just to get back in the big races with a crowd here, it's a great feeling. All the Group 1 winners mean a lot, but I just realise as I've got older that these top-class horses are super hard to find.”
For bin Suroor, it was a first British Classic success since 2009 and a first in this race in 21 years. “I think this my 195th Group 1 winner around the world and it means a lot, as it has been a long time since we won a Classic race in England,” he reflected of his 13th such winner. “Recently, things have been slow with the quality of horses but luckily when I saw this filly start to work, despite her being tiny, she showed her class. She has a big heart and I thought she was going to win when they were close. The Irish 1000 Guineas could be next, we'll see how she is and talk to Sheikh Mohammed.”
Formerly a Darley shuttler to the Northern Hemisphere, Exceed And Excel now resides solely at their Kelvinside base, and was winning his first Guineas in Europe, to add to his G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet and G1 Thousand Guineas winner Guelph.
Boughey's Via Sistina sluices up in Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes
Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) produced a career-best performance to win the G2 Dahlia S. at Newmarket in a style that suggested there could be even bigger things to come from the gigantic 5-year-old mare.
Trainer George Boughey revealed prior to the race that he does not have a bigger horse in his yard and that he had been praying for rain in the build-up to the Group 2 contest.
Those prayers were answered, and in the end Via Sistina pulled 6l clear of Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) with Astral Beau (GB) (Brazen Beau) back in third.
“She's very effective on that ground,” winning rider Jamie Spencer said afterwards. “I was hoping that it would rain enough that it was almost bottomless. She just floats on it and I got into the race very easily at the half-mile pole. I probably got there a mile too soon but, back a furlong, I thought we'd get going early.”
Via Sistina is owned by bloodstock agent Stephen Hillen, who purchased her for just 5,000gns (AU$9800) at the December Sale at Tattersalls in 2019 as a yearling.
Roaring Lion handed second stakes winner in Pretty Polly
The ill-fated Roaring Lion (GB) scored a second stakes winner from his first and only crop at Newmarket on Sunday. Back on the turf since her first-up win at Kempton, 3-year-old filly Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion {GB}) provided the John and Thady Gosden stable with a seventh triumph in the Listed Pretty Polly S. at Newmarket, usually an informative G1 Epsom Oaks pointer.
The 10-3 chance settled into a comfortable rhythm and raced in a midfield fifth through halfway before surging clear of toiling rivals on the final ascent to easily outclass the hitherto undefeated Sumo Sam (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) by 4.5l.
“We brought her down here for a piece of work and Oisin (Murphy) said we should go for the Pretty Polly rather than the 1000 Guineas as she'll need the mile-and-a-quarter, so we've made the right decision,” said John Gosden, before adding that more trials will reveal her as either a French or English Oaks candidate.
Adayar back in style in the Gordon Richards
Waylaid for much of last year, Godolphin’s 2021 G1 Epsom Derby winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) showed he is in a good place this (Northern Hemisphere) spring with a smooth winning return in the rescheduled G3 Gordon Richards S.
Travelling strongly but always under William Buick's control tracking stablemate Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the early stages of the 2000-metre contest, he forged ahead to score by 2.5l.
“He'd been settled at home and they've done a great job with him over the winter,” Buick said of the 5-6 favourite. “He was perfect there and this is a lovely steppingstone race.”
Ireland
Harrington has lively Derby contender with Churchill colt Sprewell
Jessica Harrington has never won the G1 Epsom Derby before but that could change this season judging by the performance Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) posted in winning a key trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Sent to post an 8-1 shot for the G3 Derby Trial S., Sprewell travelled into the race better than anything under Shane Foley, and quickened clear to win by a cosy 3l at the winning line.
It was a taking performance from the Churchill (Ire) colt, owned by Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim, who was cut to 20-1 for Epsom. Churchill, represented by two Group 1 winners in Europe but yet to sire a stakes winner in Australia, is available for the upcoming breeding season at Coolmore Australia for $22,000 (inc GST).
USA
Pizza Bianca retired, in foal to Into Mischief
G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Fillies winner Pizza Bianca (USA) (Fastnet Rock) has been retired and has checked in foal to Into Mischief (USA), according to her owner, Bobby Flay, who said that he would be retaining her to add to his international broodmare band.
Flay purchased her dam, White Hot, for 1.25 million gns (AU$2.46 million) at the 2014 Tattersalls October sale on the advice of his late bloodstock agent, James Delahooke. Pizza Bianca's second dam, Gwynn (Ire) produced the G1 Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire), along with the Classic-placed Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) and Dawn Patrol (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Pizza Bianca (USA) | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Pizza Bianca was offered at last year's Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars, but Flay elected to retain her, and said that he would now consider both international and domestic options for the Breeders' Cup Champion. “A decision to keep her in Kentucky or move her to Europe will be made in the coming months,” he said.
