England
Godolphin’s Shadow Of Light makes it a rare double
While the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. was robbed of The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) due to a foot infection, Newmarket's feature produced a thrilling three-way go to compensate as well as a rarity in its winner with Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) completing the Middle Park-Dewhurst double on Saturday. Shadow Of Light now has four wins and a second from five starts.
The William Buick-partnered even-money favourite veered across the track late on to join the stand's-side pair Expanded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Ancient Truth (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Getting on top inside the last 50 yards, he mastered Ballydoyle's Expanded by a neck, with the fellow Charlie Appleby-trained G2 Superlative S. winner Ancient Truth the same margin away in third.
In recent times, since Diesis (GB) completed this tricky double in 1982 those to have tried it include the impressive Middle Park winners Lujain (USA) in 1998 and Dream Ahead (USA) in 2010 before the race was put on the same day as the Dewhurst for a few years. In 2017 U S Navy Flag (USA) pulled it off with the races again split apart by a fortnight, but it remains one of the more difficult feats given the complexity of excelling over six and seven furlongs at such a tender age.
“He's some horse to do what he has done the last few weeks and full credit to the team,” Appleby said. “You have to have total confidence in the team around you to try this and they gave me all the right signals. William felt he was picking up all the time up the hill and once he got company he found again, so he is a horse we will train towards the Guineas and if he doesn't stay he can drop back for a Commonwealth Cup - he's bang in the Guineas picture having done what he's done and hopefully in the spring on a sounder surface he'll be able to travel into it better.”
Shadow Of Light, who had already emulating the Middle Park success of his G1 Prix Morny-winning half-brother Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), is out of Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) who was third in this meeting's G1 Fillies' Mile. She is a half-sister to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}).
Wavering was responsible for the triple Listed scorer and G1 Prix Rothschild runner-up Life In Motion (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Street Cry's Group-placed duo Switching and Flowrider, while the second dam Summertime Legacy (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) was successful in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs and was third in the Saint-Alary.
Champion Tepin’s son wins Group 3
Paying further tribute to his much-missed dam Tepin (USA) (Bernstein {USA}), Ballydoyle's 2-year-old colt Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) showed he had inherited her battling qualities as well as her class to capture the G3 Emirates Autumn S. at Newmarket.
Runner-up over this mile trip in Leopardstown's G2 Champions Juvenile S. last month, the 15-8 favourite travelled with greater zest than on his previous three starts tracking the pace before being committed by Ryan Moore two out. Challenged by the Ralph Beckett-trained Stanhope Gardens (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) from there, the market-leader was always finding a bit extra to prevail by a neck, with 4l back to Juddmonte's Nightwalker (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in third.
“He's improving and learning and he got a bump early which just unnerved him a little bit,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He's progressive and that's why we are racing him and keeping him busy and Ryan was much happier with him today. He's a tough, hardy horse who looks like he's going to get a trip, he's going to get middle distances next year. You have to be very happy with him and Ryan said he could be a Futurity Trophy horse if we want, so we will see how he is and how it goes. I think next year, a mile upwards will be no problem–he's a big horse, he's learning and he's obviously got a great pedigree.”
Delacroix is the fourth foal out of the dual champion Tepin, who captured the G1 Queen Anne S., G1 Breeders' Cup Mile, G1 Just a Game S., G1 First Lady S., G1 Jenny Wiley S. and G1 Woodbine Mile. Her 3-year-old filly Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) first served notice of what we will miss by winning last Sunday's G1 Prix de Royallieu. Her first two foals are unraced.
Tepin is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Vyjack (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}).
Juvenile Group winner for Starspangledbanner
Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan's purple patch continued relentlessly at Newmarket on Saturday as 2-year-old colt Starzintheireyes (GB) (Starspangledbanner) proved the strongest stayer in an attritional renewal of the 10-furlong G3 Palace Pier Zetland S.
Allowed to enter the fray in his own time, the 9-2 second favourite wore down Green Storm (Ire) (Circus Maximus {Ire}) inside the final 100 yards for a length success, with 3.25l back to the 11-10 favourite Shackleton (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in third. He now has two wins from three starts. “He's a big stayer, a big galloping horse,” Ryan said. “I would say this sort of ground or worse are his conditions and he's going to grow up an awful lot from two to three. Physically, he's all there but mentally it's coming slowly–he's nowhere near the final destination.”
“The day he won at Leicester, it took him forever to organise himself,” the in-form rider added. “He's still learning and was a bit gassy to post, so I took it upon myself to drop him in today, just to get him to relax early, which he did well. They went a good honest gallop the whole way and on this ground, I knew he would outbattle everything, I just needed to organise him, hence the sitting into him a little bit earlier than everyone else.”
Starzintheireyes is the second foal out of the Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S.-placed Crystal Hope (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) who is a half to the dual Listed scorer and G3 Hotham S.-placed Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}) and to the G3 Silbernes Pferd runner-up Crystal Estrella (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). The Listed Radley S.-winning third dam Crystal Star (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) proved a huge success in her second career, producing the high-class trio Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
Japan
G1 Shuko Sho won by Cervinia
This year’s G1 Japan Oaks winner Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) made it a Group 1 double in winning Sunday’s G1 Shuko Sho over 2000 metres. Coming off a last start win in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japan Oaks), she came from 25l-last at the turn to fly home through the pack and win by 2l for jockey Christophe Lemaire.
She brought her record to four wins from six starts and won the second and third leg of the Japan Fillies Triple Crown. Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {JPN}) won the first leg and was second in the Oaks and third in this leg. Bond Girl (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) split the pair for second place.
Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, who won last year’s G1 Japan Cup with Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Cervinia may well go there next.
One of 28 stakes winners for Harbinger, Cervinia is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Nocking Point (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) and both are out of Group 2 winner Cecchino (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), while second dam Happy Path (Jpn) (Sunday Silence {USA}) was a dual Listed winner.
France
Group 2 win for unbeaten Sky Majesty
William Haggas had already annexed the Listed Prix Saraca, courtesy of Yaroogh (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), earlier on Chantilly's Saturday card and made it an afternoon stakes double by taking the feature event, the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte, with the hitherto unbeaten Sky Majesty (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who maintained her perfect record over three starts with a gutsy display in heavy conditions.
Coming under pressure soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, she gained an edge entering the final furlong and was ridden out from there to deny G1 Prix Morny third and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) by 1.25l. Marcel Rolland trainee Une Pointure (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) made a bold bid from the front and kept on well once headed to finish 1l back in third.
“She is a gifted filly,” commented winning rider Christophe Soumillon. “She followed the leader very easily and, when I asked her, she responded instantly. There is no doubt that she will stay further, at least seven furlongs for sure.”
Sky Majesty is one of her second-crop sire's four pattern-race winners and one of five stakes performers for her dual-winning dam Majestic Alexander (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}), who also hit the board in the Listed Dragon S. The March-foaled bay is a half-sister to this year's Listed Beverley Bullet Sprint victor Democracy Dilemma (Ire) (Cotai Glory {Ire}), G3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise runner-up Angel Alexander (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and the stakes-placed duo Little Earl (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) and Mighty Spirit (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Sky Majesty's second dam Tshusick (GB) (Dancing Brave) produced five stakes horses headed by G1 Nunthorpe S. third and multiple Group-winning sire Majestic Missile (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}).
