Europe
Blue Point’s Rosallion reigns supreme in Irish 2000 Guineas
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Rosallion (Blue Point {Ire}) tasted Classic glory overnight, saluting in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh for Richard Hannon. The son of Darley’s shuttler Blue Point (Ire), was runner-up in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but with Sean Levey in the saddle, Rosallion came under a perfectly timed run to deny his stablemate Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) in the Classic, while Ballydoyle’s River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) finished third in his seasonal bow.
“Rosallion was a bit keen early and Haatem is such a brave horse, he's run such a lovely race and I've never known a horse to have as many supporters as he has,” Hannon said. “He probably didn't deserve to get beat, but his day will come.”
“Rosallion took a bit of time to pick them up. He's such a hyped horse and he's not going to please everybody,” Hannon added. “He proved he got the trip today and that was the pleasing thing. We'll go to the G1 St James's Palace S. and try our best to beat the horse that beat us last time. It will be hard.”
Levey gave the lowdown on the way the race unfolded. “I thought Haatem would be hard to beat today and he has dragged me to the line, so my horse has had to work hard to get by him. My lad can get a bit generous if you put him in a position where he has to be competitive, so the only thing I could do was take him out of it.”
Of Haatem, Hannon said, “I love the second horse, he's such a smashing horse and it's a pleasure to have him. I think he'll get further and will discuss it with the Sheikh and the team and see where we go, but there are a lot of lovely days in him.”
Trainer Aidan O'Brien might be thinking of doing a “Mozart” with River Tiber. “I would probably have preferred if it was a more end-to-end gallop, we'd have learned about the mile better,” he said. “We still don't know if he really gets a mile or not. We have a choice to make now in Ascot, do we go back to six, do we go seven or do we go to the St James's Palace. Ryan wants to go to the Jersey because he wants Henry (Longfellow) for the St James's Palace, he's trying to divide them all!”
“I would probably have preferred if it was a more end-to-end gallop, we'd have learned about the mile better.” - Aidan O' Brien
“He probably has loads of speed, which we knew he had. He never ran beyond six before and it was hard to ride him any more forward. He did what we thought, he was better than Unquestionable. Unquestionable will improve plenty because he got tired, which we thought he would as well. It's going to be interesting if they all meet in the St James's Palace, it's whether he goes to that or the Jersey.”
Rosallion is the first Classic winner for the exceptional Blue Point (Ire). The colt is one of five stakes winners and one of two individual Group 1 winners for the son of Shamardal (USA). Rosallion had previously tasted Group 1 glory in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Blue Point will return to Darley, Northwood Park and stand the upcoming season for $44,000 (inc GST). Rosallion is out of the unraced New Approach (Ire) mare Rosaline (Ire), who is a full sister to the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Ostilio (GB). Their dam is the Listed-placed Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), a remarkable producer, and dam of the G1 Queen Anne S. hero Triple Time (Ire), a son of Frankel (GB), who will also shuttle to Darley, Australia this season.
Rosallion with jockey, Sean Levey | Image courtesy of Connelly's Red Mills
Triple Time will stand his debut Southern Hemisphere season at Darley, Kelvinside for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
Asfoora fourth, as Kerdos springs surprise in Temple S.
Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora (Flying Artie) representing Australia was fourth in her European debut in the G2 Temple S. as the Clive Cox-trained Kerdos (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) sprung a surprise in the valuable sprint feature.
The improving 4-year-old, had previously claimed the Listed Bullet Sprint S. in September and caught the eye staying on into fifth in Newmarket’s G3 Palace House S. three weeks ago but still had a jump to make to get to this level. Finishing second was Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}), while Seven Questions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) finished third ahead of Asfoora.
“We thought he'd improved from last year and we also thought he was better than he'd shown this year,” Jockey Richard Kingscote said. “I got a nice lead into it, through the first furlong I wanted a bit of cover but once I did he dropped his head nicely. There are still things we can work with on him, but he's a nice horse going forward. He's the type of horse Clive does really well with.”
Asfoora | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Part-owner Alan Spence added, “It's the third time we've won this race as we won with his sire, Profitable and also with Priceless so we've had three Temple S. winners, all with Clive which takes a bit of doing. The faster they are, the better Clive likes them! We were a bit worried about the ground today, but they haven't used the straight course and it's not as heavy, if anything it's only soft. Royal Ascot is the plan, it was before today.”
Kerdos is one nine stakes winners for Profitable (Ire), a son of Invincible Spirit (Ire). He is the first foal out of the Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) mare The Mums (GB). Kerdos is a half-brother to the dual Listed-placed Dark Vintage (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Shamardal’s Inisherin dominates the Sandy Lane
Despite being no longer with us, the influence of Darley’s late Shamardal (USA) continues to go from strength-to-strength. His son Inisherin (GB) bounced from the G1 2000 Guineas to declare himself the leading sprinter of his generation with an impressive performance in the G2 Sandy Lane.
Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, who celebrated success on Saturday with Shamardal’s grandson Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas was given further cause for celebration with the victory of Inisherin.
The Kevin Ryan trainee, ridden by Tom Eaves, defeated Orne (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and the heavily favoured Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}).
“I was always in my comfort zone,” Eaves said. “He's run really well in the Guineas, that was a solid run, and you always think dropping back to sprinting will he be quick enough, but Kevin was always very confident he was. He's only had four starts, so we're only just getting to know him and he's only finding his feet.”
Kevin Ryan's daughter Amy added, “He's got a great mind on him and that opens up so many more options. He'd have to be supplemented for the Commonwealth Cup, but I haven't spoken to anyone yet so I don't know what the plan is. We just need to get him home and make sure he's okay and see how he comes out of the race. We've always thought loads of him, but he's just so laid-back. We could have started him off over seven earlier in the year and he ran a blinder in the Guineas, but he's just got so much natural speed and having gone and done that today, he's got options. Physically I thought he stood out today and he's got such a fantastic attitude.”
Trainer Ed Crisford said of Vandeek, “It looked like he was a bit fresh early on. He travelled super in the race, but he just got tired in the last furlong in the ground. All these horses had already run, the winner had run well in the Guineas so was super-fit but on that ground, James (Doyle) just felt the last furlong was a long way home. But, we've got him out now, we'll keep going with the plan, see how he is and as long as he's okay, we'll head for Ascot.”
“He's (Inisherin) just got so much natural speed and having gone and done that today, he's got options. Physically I thought he stood out today and he's got such a fantastic attitude.” - Amy Ryan
“It was a shame he's been beaten obviously, but these things happen, and we'll keep on pointing towards Ascot and I'm sure he'll come on a hell of a lot for the race today. It's testing, sticky ground and even if you've gone on it before, it was his first run of the year and James didn't want to give him a very hard race.”
Inisherin is the 85th Group winner and the 172 stakes winner for the late Shamardal (USA). He is the second foal out of the G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who is half-sister to the G1 Queen Anne S. winner Triple Time (Frankel {GB}) among five other black-type winning siblings. Additionally, Ajman Princess is a half-sister to Rosaline (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), the dam of Saturday’s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Rosallion.
Ajman Princess has a 2-year-old colt by Dubawi (Ire) named King Of Cities (Ire) and has a yearling filly by Lope De Vega (Ire).
First Group winner for young sire Sergei Prokofiev
Whitsbury Manor Stud’s promising young sire Sergei Prokofiev (Can) celebrated his first Group winner as a sire courtesy of AMO Racing and Giselle De Aguiar’s Arizona Blaze (GB). The colt outstayed Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), while Midnight Strike (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) finished third.
“The plan was to drop him out and come from behind, but there was no pace early on and he had choice but to go on,” trainer Adrian Murray said. “He stuck at it very well. He's still not the finished article, there is more improvement in him between now and the Coventry. He was an early horse, but we gave him an easy time of it after that to give him time to grow into himself. The last day he got beat here, he wouldn't have been 110 per cent. He had a right little bit of a blow after that race, so he'll come on again.”
Arizona Blaze's dam Liberisque (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) is a daughter of the Listed Finale S. winner Jane Austen (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a full sister to the Listed-placed Acapulco (Ire) from the family of the G3 Prix des Chenes-winning sire Evasive's First (Fr) (Evasive {GB}) and the G1 Derby Italiano winner Houmayoun (Fr) (Shernazar {Ire}). Liberisque also has a yearling colt by Harry Angel (Ire).
