Europe
Fastnet Rock's Via Sistina survives inquiry to win the Pretty Polly
Connections of Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) had an anxious wait to learn whether their star mare would keep Saturday's G1 Yulong Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh, but ultimately the inquiry accepted that Becky Hillen's uber-bargain 5,000gns (AU$10,000) Tatts December Yearling purchase was clear best despite causing significant interference. So impressive on her favoured rain-deadened ground in last month's G2 Dahlia S. at Newmarket, the George Boughey-trained 5-year-old, who had also captured the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air in the autumn, was confidently supported into 6-4 favouritism despite racing on a livelier surface than ideal.
Held up in the last pair early by Jamie Spencer, she had to employ her lethal acceleration to get to Above The Curve (USA) (American Pharoah {USA}) in the straight and while she delivered that, she also darted right and cut across Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Stay Alert (GB) (Fastnet Rock) in the process. Swooping on the lead a furlong from home, she stayed on powerfully to make the stewards' decision easier, with her 2l winning margin over Stay Alert a fair reflection of her superiority. Above The Curve held on to third, 1.25l further away, ending Ryan Moore's weekend winning streak.
“I had a plan to jump smartly, get up behind Ryan in third or fourth, but she didn't, and so the first thing was to get out and not to get stuck down the fence–I was on about Plan E at that stage,” Spencer explained. “She leaned in a bit early in the straight and obviously halfway down the straight, but she was much the best. I only had to give her one flick, and she had her ears pricked for the last furlong. I wasn't very comfortable for the first six furlongs, but she came alive when she passed one and I was in business then. She's not hung before, and you'd rather win more smoothly, but she's obviously a high-class filly. You pinch yourself after Newmarket and think, 'Can she do that again?' but she has.”
While this ground was against her reproducing her amazing final three-furlong split of 36.76s which was significantly faster than the following 1000 Guineas, Via Sistina proved that she is able to handle top company even in adversity. “It doesn't happen like that very often,” Stephen Hillen said. “That ground is probably as fast as she wants to run on. Jamie said they went really quick, he said he missed the break and was a bit far out of her ground but when she comes good, she's just much better than them. She's taken time to come and has been minded–she's 17 hands, but that cross is close to 10 per cent Group 1 winners and stats don't lie.
“She's very versatile, I think she can go a mile to a mile and a half,” Hillen added. “She likes going in a straight line as well, so she could come back to a mile for the (G1) Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket. After that, there is the (G1) Nassau, and she'll be in most of the big races. She's in the (G1) Yorkshire Oaks and the (G1) International at York. You wouldn't be risking her on anything with 'firm' in it, but when she gets soft ground again, I can see her doing something special.”
Via Sistina's unraced dam Nigh (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is kin to the G1 Golden Jubilee S. and G1 Nunthorpe S. hero Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujadil {USA}) and to the stakes-placed Vanishing Grey (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}) who is, in turn, the dam of the Listed Prix Millkom winner and G2 Zabeel Mile runner-up First Contact (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). The third dam La Pellegrina (Ire) (Be My Guest {USA}), is a half-sister to the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Las Meninas (Ire) (Glenstal {USA}) from the family of the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). Nigh's 2-year-old colt is by Ten Sovereigns (Ire).
Buick set to partner Eclipse favourite Emily Upjohn
John and Thady Gosden had some of their star fillies on the July Course early on Saturday morning, with their former stable jockey William Buick replacing Frankie Dettori on Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for the first time ahead of their engagement in next Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S.
The Coronation Cup winner was joined by her fellow Epsom heroine, the Oaks winner Soul Sister (GB) (Frankel {GB}), and they were led in their mile-long gallop by last season's G2 Park Hill Fillies' S. winner Mimikyu (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Emily Upjohn, whose sire Sea The Stars (Ire) won the Eclipse in 2009, will aim to become her stable's fifth winner of the race. John Gosden said of the statuesque 4-year-old, “She is very laidback in the mornings, but I'm very happy with her, and William was happy with her. I was pleased with all three fillies' work.”
Justify's City Of Troy a new TDN Rising Star
The Curragh's seven-furlong Barronstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden has proved a font of high-class performers down the years, and it could be Saturday's race played host to another as Ballydoyle's City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) justified 6-4 favouritism in style to join the ranks of TDN Rising Stars. Withdrawn from his intended debut here in May, the son of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner was quickly at the fore alongside the experienced Instant Appeal (GB) (Advertise {GB}). Asserting from the two pole, the full brother to his London Gold Cup-winning stablemate Bertinelli (USA) finished off strongly to hit the line with 2.5l to spare over the Joseph O'Brien-trained newcomer Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), with 1.25l back to Instant Appeal in third.
United States of America
West Will Power holds off Rattle N Roll in Stephen Foster
Gary and Mary Wests' homebred West Will Power (USA) (Bernardini {USA}) punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a half-length victory over the streaking Rattle N Roll (USA) (Connect {USA}) in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Stephen Foster S. at Ellis Park.
The Stephen Foster, originally slated for Churchill Downs, is the first Grade I race in history to take place at Ellis Park.
“I think he can handle a mile-and-a-quarter in the Breeders' Cup Classic,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “I was much more confident with him getting a target to track off in this race. We'll see how the figures come back, but I'm very proud of the way this horse has developed. It's a credit to the Wests and this horse to have the patience to improve with age. It's taken him a while to get to this level. It's really cool to go down in the history books by winning the first Grade I in the history of Ellis Park.”
West Will Power, second in last year's GI Clark S., posted a powerful victory with a career-high 109 Beyer Speed Figure in the G2 New Orleans Classic S. on March 25. He entered off a third-place finish as the favourite in the G2 Alysheba S. on May 5.
