Europe
'When you say go, it's over': O'Brien hails Delacroix after stable's 13th Irish Champion
Capping another red-letter day for Coolmore and Team Ballydoyle and a memorable one for Christophe Soumillon, Delacroix (Dubawi) justified favouritism in style in Leopardstown's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. He also punched his ticket to the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 1. Sent off the well-supported 2-1 market-leader, the Eclipse hero sat a way off the strong pace before delivering a jaw-dropping killer kick between the three and the two as if he had just jumped in.
“He's some horse–an incredible horse,” O'Brien said of Tepin's (Bernstein) final foal, who was putting the deflating experience of his Juddmonte International second firmly behind him. “When you say go on him, it's over. It's unusual, but we saw it at Sandown and we saw it again today. He's so quick.
“He's like a big tiger. He's a hardy boy, a big, powerful strong horse and what he did at Sandown, you don't see horses do that–I don't think I've ever seen a horse do what he did,” he added. “York was just an exercise canter really, only a sprint down the straight and in two strides it was over today. He looked like he wasn't in the picture and next thing he was in front.”
“He's (Delacroix) like a big tiger. He's a hardy boy, a big, powerful strong horse and what he did at Sandown, you don't see horses do that.” - Aidan O'Brien
At the close of play on a momentous Saturday, O'Brien could boast the St Leger and Champagne at Doncaster, and this card's Champions Juvenile and Ingabelle as well as the feature. Undoubtedly, Delacroix was the one that really mattered and connections can ponder a plethora of opportunities from here until season's end or even instant retirement a la St Mark's Basilica.
“He has all the options open to him,” his trainer said. “He could go back to a mile, but I'm afraid to say in case the lads say 'that's the end', which is very possible.”
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pedigree Notes: Delacroix is the last foal out of the incredible five-time top-level-winning G1 Breeders' Cup Mile and G1 Queen Anne heroine Tepin, who also provided the operation with the G1 Prix de Royallieu winner Grateful (Galileo). Tepin's dam Life Happened (Stravinsky) is also responsible for the four-time Graded stakes winner Vyjack (Into Mischief).
Justify's Classic clean sweep complete as Scandinavia wins the St Leger
There was a moment in the closing stages of Doncaster's G1 St Leger on Saturday that summed up the state of affairs at Coolmore in this pivotal era. As Galileo's final Classic runner Stay True loomed to Justify's Scandinavia, the Classic briefly looked in the balance but it was ultimately the son of the operation's heir apparent and not of the departed giant who earned the statement win.
At the line, Tom Marquand had secured a neck success for Aidan O'Brien's third in succession and ninth overall in this prize from the latecomer Rahiebb (Frankel) with Stay True a length back in third. Justify has now sired the winners of the 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger from his initial offerings at Stud in what is an unprecedented success story.
O'Brien is thinking of another high-profile staying test this year for the winner.
“He's in the Melbourne Cup and that's a possibility,” he said. “He has to go and get scanned to see if he's eligible, but there's every chance the lads might want to go down there with him. He's a typical Justify, very, very genuine and the drier the ground the better, you'll see him, and I think there's plenty more to come. Every week he's getting better.
“He (Scandinavia) has to go and get scanned to see if he's eligible (for the G1 Melbourne Cup), but there's every chance the lads might want to go down there with him.” - Aidan O'Brien
“He's hardy and Tom gave him a great ride–we were a little worried when the ground went on the slow side, but we're over the moon. Stay True ran a stormer and is going to improve and Lambourn ran an okay race–he's had a tough season.”
“He's got the most beautiful temperament–speaking to Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan, the thing they all said was just how straightforward he was,” explained Marquand said after steering his second Leger winner, after Galileo Chrome five years ago. “The ground is hard work and they all came to have a go at him, but he covered them all.
“He stays extremely well, as he showed at Goodwood, but I thought today was a real show of his tenacity on that ground. He's a beautiful mover and it's probably fair to say he's still got that little bit of innocence, if not immaturity. It's special to be aboard today–I'm privileged.”
“It's special to be aboard (Scandinavia) today–I'm privileged.” - Tom Marquand
Pedigree Notes: Scandinavia's pedigree is one for the big occasions, with his unraced dam Fabulous (Galileo) being one of the progeny out of the renowned Mariah's Storm (Rahy). Her two stakes performers prior to this Classic hero were American Pharoah's G1 Prix Saint-Alary, G2 Blandford Stakes, and G2 Prix Corrida winner Above The Curve and the dual Group 3-placed Thinking Of You.
Mariah's Storm's seven Storm Cat offerings included six Stakes performers headed by one of Aidan O'Brien's earliest greats in Giant's Causeway. His Group 2-winning full sister You'resothrilling excelled in her second career, producing Galileo's Classic winners Gleneagles, Marvellous, and Joan Of Arc, as well as the fellow Group 1 performers Happily, Taj Mahal, Coolmore, and Toy.
Wathnan's Fallen Angel battles to Matron glory
Wathnan's Fallen Angel (Too Darn Hot) loves nothing more than a trip overseas for a big prize and the grey was in the winning mood again on Saturday in Leopardstown's G1 Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes.
Fresh from regaining her mojo in Deauville's G1 Prix Rothschild last month, the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and G1 Irish Guineas winner, who had been second to Porta Fortuna in this race 12 months ago, outstayed Exactly (Frankel) in the run to the line to prevail by 0.5l. Atsila (Phoenix Of Spain) was 0.75l away in third. The Matron is a “Win and You're In” for the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November.
“She's so tough and very honest,” Karl Burke said of the 9-4 favourite, who was completing a double on the card for the yard after the Kilternan win of Convergent. “You can't pull her around and it's taken a few rides for James (Doyle) to get to know her–you've just got to let her go. She had got very lackadaisical at home and the sheepskins have sharpened her up. She loves it in Ireland–maybe we should leave her here!”
“She (Fallen Angel) loves it in Ireland–maybe we should leave her here!” - Karl Burke
Fallen Angel's defeat in this last year was her first outing for Wathnan and it wasn't until the Rothschild that she regained the winning thread for new connections. Fourth in Paris Longchamp's 10-furlong G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc day, she is destined to remain at his trip now.
“She should be racing at a mile and a quarter really, but you are better off being aggressive at a mile,” Burke added. “She'll probably go for the Sun Chariot if she's okay and then we could take on the boys at Ascot on Champions Day.”
Pedigree Notes: Fallen Angel is currently the last known foal out of the G2 May Hill Stakes winner and Fillies' Mile runner-up Agnes Stewart (Lawman) who is also responsible for the G3 Stanerra Stakes runner-up Divine Jewel (Frankel). Kin to the Listed winner and dual Grade 3-placed Sorrel (Dansili), she hails from the family of the G1 National Stakes-winning sire Definite Article and the G2 Dante Stakes scorer Salford Express (Be My Guest).
Canada
Argos denies Wild Desert in 'WAYI' Summer at Woodbine
In a desperate run to the finish, 6-1 shot Argos (Nyquist) just outlasted a furious late charge from European invader and 'TDN Rising Star' Wild Desert (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) to steal the G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, a Win and You're In race for the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar.
“I honestly, really loved the way he ran last time,” said jockey Flavien Prat. “I thought, you know, the last quarter was quite fast, and I don't think it was the right setup for him. And obviously today, we went on the inner (turf) and we had a better draw and a bit more experience and seasoning. And it was a good run.”
“My second horse (Caltech) raced in the Breeders Cup in 1989–it's been a long time since then, and now, my second one,” said winning owner David Romanik. “This horse breezed at OBS in 0:30.4 and the only other horse I've ever owned who did that ran in the Breeders' Cup in 1989, so I thought I had something special. We ended up buying him back at the sale because he didn't reach the price we wanted. But we thought he was this caliber.”
“This horse breezed at OBS in 0:30.4 and the only other horse I've ever owned who did that ran in the Breeders' Cup in 1989, so I thought I had something special.” - David Romanik
Pedigree Notes: Argos is the 10th Grade 1 winner for Nyquist who continues to shoulder the legacy of his own late sire, Uncle Mo. Dam Athenian, a US$30,000 (AU$45,000) Keeneland November Sale graduate from 2023, was a stakes winner herself in Germany and is a half-sister to stakes winner Fadhayyil (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) who has further produced Australian Group winner Turaath (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Of Athenian's four winners from six to race, Argos is the flag-bearer, though she is also responsible for multiple stakes-placed Skole (Oasis Dream {GB}). Her yearling Olympiad filly brought US$30,000 from Klesko Farm last week at Keeneland September and she is due back to Bucchero for 2026 after failing to report a pregnancy to him last year.
Corsia Veloce stays perfect in Natalma, earns Breeders’ Cup bid
Already a stakes winner in her fledgling career, Corsia Veloce (Practical Joke) stayed undefeated in three races as she took the G1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Josie Carroll.
The Ontario-bred filly was on home turf in Canada Saturday, having broken her maiden on the Tapeta on July 6 before stealing a win in the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at 11-1 odds in her first try on the grass on August 16. Given only 12-1 odds despite having several familiar rivals behind her in that prior win, Corsia Veloce broke well from the fence slot and was happier to let the speed go on with things to her outside, before nosing out pacesetters Hot Mash (Not This Time) and Culasse (Knicks Go) to win.
“She's a very easy filly to ride,” said regular pilot Fraser Aebly, who earned his first Grade 1 victory. “She does everything right, and she makes you look good. This one's very special to me, because of the connections. You know, the owners are very special, and so is the trainer. We have a very good connection going on here.”
“It is so special, and I've trained others in the family, which makes it feel even nicer for all of us,” added Carroll. “It's very exciting. A filly like this, you don't often go three-for-three with a baby like this, and the way she did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers.”
“The way she (Corsia Veloce) did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers.” - Josie Carroll
Co-breeder Glenn Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Farm also heaped praise on the filly's team, saying, “The people at the farm who are forgotten all the time, they do such hard work and such great things, and they love these animals, and this is the greatest sport in the world. When you can get a win like this, I tell you, it's made my year.”
Pedigree Notes: Practical Joke has now sired 12 individual Grade/Group I winners with several of them having come from his time shuttling to South America. Glenn Sikura picked up first dam Beth's Bling (City Zip), a stakes-placed runner, from the Keeneland November Sale in 2016 for US$120,000 (AU$181,000). This is the family of multiple Grade winner El Kabeir (Scat Daddy). The mare has produced three winners from four to race and is still to be represented by a Violence filly born this year. She is due back to Violence for next season.
Notable Speech outclasses rivals in 'WAYI' Woodbine Mile
After watching 'TDN Rising Star' Wild Desert (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Dance To The Music (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) defeated as the favorites in the G1 Summer Stakes and G1 Natalma Stakes earlier on the Turf Champions Day program, respectively, Team Godolphin got a measure of revenge when long odds-on 'TDN Rising Star' Notable Speech (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) came storming down the center of the inner turf course and stamped his authority on Saturday's G1 Rogers Woodbine Mile. The victory secures the homebred a berth in the field for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on November 1.
It was a third win in the race for Godolphin, who took it with Modern Games (GB) in 2022 and Master of the Seas (Ire) the following year, each sons of the legendary Dubawi (Ire) and each of whom went on to success at the Breeders' Cup.
Ongoing renovations to the expansive EP Taylor Turf Course dictated the move of Saturday's features–typically contested around just one-turn–to the inner turf course, and jockey William Buick felt that played a role in the performances of the Godolphin trio.
“Obviously, we're on the inside track for these races,” said Buick. “So, it changed the dynamics a lot, and I think our horses find it challenging. So, I was not going to give up my position on Notable Speech. And he's an experienced horse, so I knew I could (hustle him into the race). And he had to be brave for a little bit there, but he was, and once he got into that position, he relaxed beautifully, and he got into a nice rhythm. And he was, for me, winning from a long way out.”
Pedigree Notes: Notable Speech is the only runner to date for his dam, herself runner-up in the G3 UAE Oaks in 2019 and a half-sister to G3 Burj Nahaar winner Desert Wisdom (GB) (Dubawi) and Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}), victorious in the 2021 Natalma Stakes and winner on her 3-year-old debut of the G3 Fred Darling Stakes. She was represented by her second foal this season, a filly by Dubawi.
Swift Rose is also represented by the unraced 2-year-old filly Moonlit Rose (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) and a yearling full sister to Notable Speech.
