Europe
Scandinavia too tough for his elders in the G1 Goodwood Cup
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
In a renewal of the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup marred by a fatal injury sustained by the veteran stayer Trueshan (Planteur), Ballydoyle finished on top with the one-two led home by the 3-year-old Scandinavia (Justify). While the race heralded the arrival of a new staying star, it was the loss of the 2021 winner of this prize, Trueshan, who suffered a fractured pastern six out that echoes out of this sad renewal.
In terms of the end result, the illustrious homebred Scandinavia who had burst onto the scene with an 8 1/2-length success in Newmarket's G3 Bahrain Trophy earlier this month had the advantage of the weight-for-age allowance gained from stablemate and 7-4 favourite Illinois (Galileo) to edge it in the last half furlong for a 3/4-of-a-length verdict under Wayne Lordan.
“He's a typical Justify–they will not lie down, no matter where they are or how tired they get and that big open stride keeps going and their heads keep down. That pure genuineness that Galileo had is there, but they have that little more class,” Aidan O'Brien said.
“He's (Scandinavia) a typical Justify–they will not lie down, no matter where they are or how tired they get and that big open stride keeps going and their heads keep down.” - Aidan O'Brien
“The lads backed him for the Derby a long time ago, so he's probably very classy and always has been. He looks Leger-made, he's very straightforward and he handled an ease in the ground today.”
Scandinavia, who took part in the Frankel/Motivator Newmarket maiden in August of his 2-year-old campaign, will renew rivalry with his Queen's Vase conqueror Carmers (Wootton Bassett) at Doncaster in September having made great strides since his close-up fifth in that Royal Ascot contest. Whether the half-brother to American Pharoah's G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Above The Curve supplants the yard's dual Derby winner Lambourn (Australia) in that Classic remains to be seen, but high-class problems continue to abound in this stable and here is another.
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
O'Brien sees Illinois as holding potential still, despite two misses now in the Gold Cup and here. “We went to the Gold Cup with Illinois without a preparation and I know we haven't seen the best of him,” he added. “The Gold Cup was a little bit hard on him, so there is more to come from him next year–he's not finished yet but I'd say the winner is just very classy. Illinois could go to the Irish Leger with Jan Brueghel.”
Pedigree Notes: Scandinavia is the sixth foal out of the unraced Fabulous (Galileo), a daughter of the renowned Mariah's Storm (Rahy) who needs no introduction as the dam of the stable's Iron Horse Giant's Causeway. His full-sister You'resothrilling (Galileo) also scored at Newmarket's July meeting in the G2 Cherry Hinton Stakes before going on to establish herself as one of Coolmore's leading broodmares.
Producing top-class progeny of Galileo year upon year, she was responsible for the Classic winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Joan Of Arc, as well as the fellow Group 1 performers Happily, Taj Mahal, Coolmore and Toy. Another of Mariah's Storm's daughters, another Galileo in Butterflies, is responsible for War Front's G2 Balanchine Stakes runner-up Yet who is the dam of the yard's juvenile sensation Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett).
Galileo | Image courtesy of Coolmore
Also connected to Galileo's Irish Champion-winning sire Decorated Knight, Fabulous who along with the aforementioned Above The Curve is also responsible for another smart daughter of American Pharoah in the dual Group 3-placed Thinking Of You has a yearling colt by No Nay Never to come.
Zavateri brave and tough in the Vintage Stakes
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Insulted at 8-1, Zavateri (Without Parole) stepped up again as he had at Newmarket to make light of a three-pound penalty in Tuesday's G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. Impressive in the G2 July Stakes, Mick and Janice Mariscotti's great-grandson of Zarkava (Zamindar) was again forced to race wide without cover but once more produced that emphatic turn of acceleration for Charles Bishop to swamp the leaders a furlong out and hold Morris Dancer (Palace Pier) by a short head. Do Or Do Not (Space Blues) was in the frame for the third time in a Group race, 1 3/4 lengths away in third.
Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton was impressed. “He had to win his race twice, he amazes me, what a dude he is,” she said. “He is so straightforward at home, through the race and is not a hard ride so touch wood long may it last. We had to go somewhere with a Group Two penalty and I thought if he was beaten here it would be because of that, but it didn't beat him. He cut through the pack like a knife through butter and was going again at the end.”
“He (Zavateri) cut through the pack like a knife through butter and was going again at the end.” - Eve Johnson
All roads lead to the Dewhurst now in October and an attempt to follow Fulke Johnson Houghton's example in 2002. “Dad trained Tout Seul when I was around and he was brilliant, but this one would be better, I think,” the trainer added. “I had it in my mind he would have a nice break until the Dewhurst, so we'll have to wait for that.”
John Gosden said of Morris Dancer, “We are thrilled with him–he had a little niggle and cough after winning at Haydock and has come here off the minimum work and run a great race. The winner is by an old friend of ours in Without Parole and Morris Dancer is by Palace Pier, so it is nice to see your old pals in Group Two races like this. William (Buick) said don't be frightened to step up to a mile with him and we will do that somewhere.”
Ed Walker quipped of the third, “Do Or Do Not doesn't! I am probably more frustrated than I have been the other times when he was placed because, watching it, I actually thought he was going to come and win his race and he still didn't quite. He is a really solid horse and we are throwing the kitchen sink at him. He keeps answering. We might just try to find a slightly lower race–not a maiden because there isn't any point–to give him some confidence.”
Pedigree Notes: The Aga Khan Studs may be ruing letting go of the unraced Zeroua (Siyouni), a granddaughter of the mighty unbeaten champion Zarkava whose six top-level victories include the pinnacle Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and both the domestic fillies' Classics. Bought by Mark McStay's Avenue Bloodstock for €90,000 at the 2021 Arqana December Sale, this already-valuable juvenile machine is only her first offering.
Ed Walker | Image courtesy of Ed Walker Racing
Her dam was the similarly unraced Zerkaza (Dalakhani), who produced one Stakes performer in Sea The Stars' dual Australian Group 3 winner Zeyrek and who is a half to Dubawi's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Zarak and the G1 Prix Vermeille-placed Zarkamiya by Without Parole's sire Frankel. The latter is in turn the dam of this year's promoted Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner and Coronation Stakes runner-up Zarigana by Zeroua's sire Siyouni. Zeroua's second foal is a yearling filly by Ghaiyyath and a colt foal by Baaeed.
Witness Stand causes upset in a dramatic Lennox at Goodwood
By Sean Cronin, TDN Europe
Former Tom Clover trainee and dual Listed winner Witness Stand (Expert Eye), now representing the training partnership of Jamie Insole and Richard Newland, was let go at 25-1 for Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and made a mockery of his extended odds with a stunning victory in a dramatic renewal of the seven-furlong contest. The well-supported dual winner Kinross (Kingman) was withdrawn at the start after receiving a kick from eventual third Audience (Iffraaj).
“I have been involved in a lot of big winners and to actually train one myself is pretty special,” said Jamie Insole after overseeing a first Group success for the stable. “My grandad was a jockey and a trainer, and my uncle Will Kennedy was a National Hunt jockey, so racing is in the blood and I did them all proud today.
“I have been involved in a lot of big winners and to actually train one myself is pretty special.” - Jamie Insole
“We bought Witness Stand for 100,000gns at the horses-in-training sales. He went under the radar and we immediately had offers of more money for him. I already had this race in mind and he ran a great race at Chester last time, when they broke the track record. The bit of ease in the ground helped him and he looked pretty good. I wouldn't have run him if we didn't think he had a good chance. The Chester run gave us confidence to come here and it's lucky that I put him in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret this morning.
“That is looking like a pretty good idea now. He is in the G2 Hungerford Stakes, but will have to carry a penalty in that now, so we will see. We have had an amazing season and that is 27 winners now. We have a really good team and, hopefully, we can keep going and keep getting these big winners.”
The outsider broke in second and was positioned third behind Quinault (Oasis Dream) and Audience after the initial exchanges as the leading trio stole a march and raced clear of the rest of the field. Easing to the fore soon after passing the quarter-mile pole, Witness Stand was not for catching thereafter and came under a Hollie Doyle drive to comfortably hold the late flourish of Golden Eagle victor Lake Forest (No Nay Never) by 2 3/4 lengths for a career high. Audience, who raced down the centre of the track in the straight, kept on well to finish 2 1/4 lengths back in third.
Pedigree Notes Witness Stand is the sixth of eight foals and one of four scorers out of a full-sister to G1 King's Stand Stakes hero Prohibit (Oasis Dream). The January-foaled bay's dam Respondez (Oasis Dream), who also produced the once-raced 2-year-old colt Clipstone (Ardad), is also kin to Listed Prix Amandine-winning G3 Prix du Pin and G3 Prix de Lieurey placegetter Emergency (Dr Fong) and Listed Prix Montenica and Listed Prix Sigy victor Prior Warning (Barathea).
