Europe
Another big sprint for the Quinns as Jm Jungle takes the King George
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
John Quinn seems perennially capable of producing a sprinter to make a mark in Pattern company, and in partnership with son Sean he pulled off the feat again on Friday with Jm Jungle (Bungle Inthejungle) in Goodwood's feature G2 King George Qatar Stakes.
A proven lover of downhill tracks, Epsom's Dash Handicap winner was in his element far side under Jason Hart and asserted from the furlong pole to hold the fillies She's Quality (Acclamation) and Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali) by a neck and half a length respectively.
“He is so good on these tracks, but then he's just a good horse. He's probably not as good going up a hill, but we don't have to worry about that too much,” Quinn Jr said of the 14-1 shot, who adds to the yard's tally here having supplied Liberty Beach to win the 2019 Molecomb and Highfield Princess to capture this two years ago. “He came up against American Affair earlier in the year and it is just very good sprint form.”
Offering a glimpse of what was to come when taking a course-and-distance handicap on soft ground at this Festival two years ago, Jm Jungle had continued to tread the boards in the big Saturday and Festival handicaps ever since. Encountering the King's Stand hero American Affair (Washington DC) on three occasions since September, he had come off worse each time without losing any caste in defeat and reproduced that level of form to enter Epsom's hallowed winner's spot on Derby day. Third last time in the Listed City Walls Stakes at York, like Qirat (Showcasing) and Witness Stand (Expert Eye) earlier at this meeting he was there ready to take advantage should the big guns fail to fire.
“Jason (Hart) said after York last time that he'd love to ride him in the Nunthorpe, where they go lickety-split as that would suit him really well,” Sean Quinn added. “He is a Group Two winner now and we don't have far to go, 20-odd miles, so that is something to look forward to.”
“He (JM Jungle) is a Group Two winner now and we don't have far to go, 20-odd miles, so that is something to look forward to.” - Sean Quinn
Jack Davison said of the consistent bridesmaid She's Quality, “She is a super filly and that is four seconds this year now at a high level, but I think it will all come good in the Nunthorpe. The rain probably didn't help, but I am very proud of her. She is the best sprinter in Ireland.”
Australia's Asfoora (Flying Artie) finished in seventh, with trainer Henry Dwyer saying, “I think she is going really well. We are happy with her. We are just not getting the circumstances at the moment. It's a run in the bank for the Nunthrope. It just wasn't the desired result today.
“She just didn't appreciate the ground. The day is a success in the fact it takes us somewhere. We are two runs here, neither have been good scenarios for us but we've had to have them. Hopefully we have a bit of luck from here."
Pedigree Notes: The dual Listed-placed dam The Shrew (Dansili) is a daughter of the Listed Chesham Stakes winner Whazzat (Daylami) whose second career has been a resounding success highlighted by the foaling of Exceed And Excel's G2 Mill Reef Stakes-winning sire James Garfield. Also responsible for the recent G3 Bahrain Trophy third Hallelujah U (Pinatubo) and for the dam of last year's G2 Royal Lodge Stakes winner Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) who was touched off here in Thursday's G3 Gordon Stakes, she hails from the stellar Rafha (Kris) dynasty which features Invincible Spirit.
In the week that the family's 2-year-old colt Oxagon (Frankel) stormed to TDN Rising Star status at Sandown, The Shrew who is also connected to that sire's dual Group 3 winner and G1 Grand Prix de Paris third Sir Delius (Frankel) and More Than Ready's four-times Grade One-winning Breeders' Cup Mile heroine Uni has added another string to the bow. Her 2-year-old gelding Wonderful Friend, a full-brother to Jm Jungle (Bungle Inthejungle), was a £36,000 purchase by Kevin Ross Bloodstock at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale while she also has a yearling filly by Coulsty.
Seagulls Eleven makes all and eyes Golden Eagle
By Sean Cronin, TDN Europe
Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood was shorn of the Godolphin duo Opera Ballo (Ghaiyaath) and Spectacular View (Pinatubo), and it was the former's Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes vanquished Seagulls Eleven (Galileo Gold) who stepped forward to claim a stakes breakthrough in his eighth attempt at black-type level.
“I have just about recovered from his dad getting beat in the Sussex Stakes,” joked Hugo Palmer. “Ryan Moore came and did us on the line that day with The Ghurka, so to turn the tables with his son is nice. We probably over-faced Seagulls Eleven a bit last year–he danced some pretty big dances–but he is a very generous horse and they weren't getting past him. He is quite a handful, and not an easy horse to train, and gelding him has made a bit of a difference. Plan A was to track Ryan (aboard King Of Cities), but his horse missed the break a bit. We were always quick away and Oisin (Murphy) said that they were walking, so he just went straight to Plan B.
“When Oisin rides for me, I just have such confidence that we're going to win. That's nothing against any of the other fantastic jockeys that ride for us, but he just seems to make what can be quite difficult look so simple.”
“When Oisin (Murphy) rides for me, I just have such confidence that we're going to win. He just seems to make what can be quite difficult look so simple.” - Hugo Palmer
Looking ahead to future targets, the trainer added, “Seagulls Eleven has taken us all around the world and I don't think we are done yet. The Golden Eagle in Sydney has already been mentioned and why not? It is a $10m dollar race and where can you say that in England? Maybe we will have one more run (in the UK) and we could talk about supplementing for the (G1) City Of York or maybe the (G2) Celebration Mile back here. I haven't really thought about it.”
Last term's G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes third and G1 Dewhurst Stakes fourth led on sufferance through the early strides, but soon warmed to his frontrunning role. Coming under pressure when threatened approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 11-4 third favourite refused to surrender his advantage and kept on in resolute fashion under a late drive to hold Diego Ventura (Mehmas) by 3/4-of-a-length. King Of Cities (Dubawi) was a half-length back in third, while TDN Rising Star Cosmic Year (Kingman) was all dressed up with nowhere to go along the fence inside the final quarter-mile and finished 1 1/4 lengths adrift in fourth.
Pedigree Notes: Seagulls Eleven is the fourth of five foals and second pattern-race winner produced by a half-sister to Listed Boadicea Fillies' Stakes third The Gold Cheongsam (Red Clubs). His stakes-placed second dam Fuerta Ventura (Desert Sun) is a half-sister to stakes-winning G2 Mill Reef Stakes and G3 Tetrarch Stakes runner-up Sir Xaar (Xaar). The March-foaled gelded chestnut is a half-brother to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine The Platinum Queen (Cotai Glory) and a yearling colt by Cotai Glory.
