Europe
Esquire gives Harry 12
The David O’Meara-trained Esquire (GB) provided Darley’s Harry Angel (Ire) with his 12th stakes winner worldwide when he emerged on top in the G3 Greenham S. However, the Cheveley Park Stud homebred is a gelding and is excluded from the upcoming G1 2000 Guineas.
“I wasn’t sure he would stay the 1400 metres today, but this victory has opened that option,” O’Meara said.
“We loved him (Esquire) before he won his maiden which was only at Hamilton and then he finished second in a Listed race at York, but he disappointed at Doncaster on heavy ground at the end of last season. I thought he could come here (Greenham S.) and maybe finish fourth or fifth, but I wasn’t sure he would win.”
Esquire is from the Listed-winning Ladyship (GB), a daughter of Oasis Dream (GB). Ladyship is also the dam of the G3 Criterion S. victor Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Ladyship is a daughter of the dual Group 1 victress Peeress (GB), a daughter of Pivotal (GB). Ladyship has a 2-year-old filly by Mehmas (Ire) named Kinswoman (GB).
Folgaria stays perfect
Folgaria (Ire) (Due Diligence {USA}) took her unbeaten record to five with a hard-fought triumph in the G3 Dubai Duty Free S. (Fred Darling S.) at Newbury. Purchased and trained by Stefano Botti as a juvenile, Folgaria has since transferred to Stefano’s brother, Marco Botti.
She won the G2 Milano Premio Dormello, the G3 Milano Premio Primi Passi and two Listed races as a juvenile before the Dubai Duty Free.
There could not have been a more poignant winner on the day of Stefano Cherchi's funeral, with the young jockey’s loss having a heavy impact on the Botti stable.
The trainer’s wife Lucie was on hand and commented, “You couldn't write this, Andrea Atzeni winning the Sydney Cup with Stefano's parents there and now this filly bringing Italian racing to life again. It is quite special. Marco went to Stefano's funeral and obviously his brother trained this filly in Italy.
“Everyone is going to be so pleased, especially in the yard. The winter can be so hard for everyone, so it's always so good to have such beautiful horses and those animals just bring us to life. It's very hard to translate the form into English form, but she did nothing wrong in Italy and won all her races fairly easily last year.
“She's been pleasing us at home since she joined us and is very straightforward. We absolutely love her, hopefully she can do much better things in the future. The immediate plan is likely to be the French 1000 Guineas and after that the sky's the limit. She could be an international filly and hopefully not sold too soon for us. She's very talented, she's the champion Italian filly and she has shown now she is good enough everywhere else.”
Folgaria was a £10,000 (AU$19,300) purchase by Stefano Botti at the 2022 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. She is the fourth of five foals and lone winner out of Full Moon Fever (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), a full sister to the Listed winner Glorious Protector (Ire).
Romanised off the mark
Haras de Bouquetot resident Romanised (Ire) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Philippe Sogorb-trained son O Sole Mio (Fr) shed maiden status at the first time of asking, in Saturday morning's Prix Jacques Boutier at Tarbes.
O Sole Mio is from the Intello (Ger) mare Vera Blue (Ire). She won over 2100 metres and is from the family of the G2 Sha Tin Trophy victor Landfall (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and raced under the moniker Sunshine Rising in Australia, placing in the G3 Neville Sellwood S.
Romanised (Ire) | Standing at Haras de Bouquetot, France
Romanised, a son of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), won the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois and the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.
United States of America
Medoro shows tenacity in Providencia
C R K Stable’s Medoro (USA) (Honor Code {USA}) showed her tenacity to outbattle an equally courageous Mistress (USA) (Vino Rossa {USA}) in the G3 Providencia S. at Santa Anita. The victory took Medoro’s record to a perfect four from four and was her first Graded win.
Earlier in her career Medoro claimed the Listed Blue Norther S. and the Listed China Doll S.
“I really like this filly, she's very tough,” winning rider Antonio Fresu said. “Today wasn't an easy spot because she was going a little longer and there was not much speed in the race. I was just trying to get her relaxed and get her into a nice position.
“I was just waiting for the turn to home to ask her to go,” Fresu continued. “She did it, but then she kind of wanted to stay with some company. The other horse was coming to me and she kept fighting to the end. She is just a good filly and she wants to win.”
Medoro is one of 18 stakes winner and the eighth Graded winner for Honor Code (USA), who was expatriated last year to Japan to continue his stud career. She is from the Listed-placed Achira (USA), a daughter of English Channel (USA). Medoro is from the family of the G1 Kentucky Derby victor Giacomo (USA).
Achira has a 2-year-old colt by Speightstown (USA), a yearling full brother to Medoro and was most recently bred to Not This Time (USA).
Kingsbarn back in the winners circle
The talented Kingsbarns (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) was a comfortable victor of the G3 Ben Ali S. at Keeneland on Saturday. The Spendthrift colour-bearer was a winner of the 2023 G2 Louisiana Derby before finishing unplaced in the G1 Kentucky Derby behind Mage (USA).
Kingsbarns returned to Gulfstream Park after a nine-month hiatus in March, flying late to win before returning to stakes grade.
“This is a credit to (trainer) Todd (Pletcher's) management and the fact that Eric Gustavson (owner and President of Spendthrift Farm) made the decision to give him the time (off) that he needed,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “He needed some time after his 3-year-old campaign, he got it, and he's just done so well from 3 to 4 (years old). Hopefully he's going to reward us with a big year.”
A US$250,000 (AU$389,500) Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling turned US$800,000 (AU$1.2 million) 2-year-old purchase for Spendthrift, Kingsbarns is one of his sire's 100 worldwide stakes winners and one of his 50 winners at the Graded level. Kingsbarns is the fourth full stakes winner of 2024 for Uncle Mo (USA), led by recent G1 Apple Blossom H. heroine Adare Manor (USA)– one of Uncle Mo's 15 elite-level scorers–and is his sire's 11th stakes horse during the first 3.5 months of the season.
The colt's Group 3-placed dam Lady Tapit (USA) (Tapit {USA}), a US$675,000 (AU$1 million) buyback at Keeneland September in 2013, is a half-sister to 2009 G1 American Oaks winner Gozzip Girl (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}), now a Group producer in Japan.
Lady Tapit's now 2-year-old Gun Runner (USA) colt was purchased by John Stewart for US$650,000 (AU$1 million) at last year's Keeneland September sale, and the mare foaled a Munnings (USA) filly in 2023 before visiting Not This Time (USA) for this season.
