America
Rebel's Romance romps in Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
Two-time Breeders' Cup winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a victorious return to US soil with an effortless victory in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct Saturday. The globetrotting veteran took control at the halfway mark and loped along on a clear lead through moderate splits from there. Let loose midway on the final bend, Rebel's Romance continued to find more down the lane and sailed under the wire unchallenged.
“Flavien (Prat aboard Redistricting) was going too slow, I said, ‘let him slide’,” explained winning rider Frankie Dettori. “He was doing it on his own rhythm and I know he stays, so just half way down the turn when I went through the gears, he went. I didn't need anything, I knew I was well clear. What a lovely horse. A 7-year-old, still competing at the highest level. Travels really well. For a big unit, he corners really well because the inner track can be really tricky. Well done to the team.”
“What a lovely horse (Rebel's Romance). A 7-year-old, still competing at the highest level.” - Frankie Dettori
Alex Merriam, assistant to winning trainer Charlie Appleby, added, “Obviously, they went decent enough fractions to start it and when they tried to slow it up, Frankie said he let him stride on. He's obviously a lovely, big horse, he's got a big stride on him–there's no point in holding him back. He just grinds it out and as you saw turning (for home), he gallops away. He's a proper horse.”
Rebel's Romance, a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin, owns Group 1 wins in Hong Kong, Germany, and Dubai, in addition to his top-level victories in the US. The gelding has won the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf twice, and was third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in 2023.
In 2025, the veteran has scored Group wins in Qatar and England and was coming off a win in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin in August.
“He's a very sound horse,” Merriam said. “He's very straightforward. He obviously was gelded early. It's what to do with him–it's what Sheikh Mohammed designed Godolphin to do, to have horses like him to travel around the world and he's a flagbearer for Sheikh Mohammed and team Godolphin. That's what it's all about.”
“It's what Sheikh Mohammed designed Godolphin to do, to have horses like him (Rebel's Romance) to travel around the world.” - Alex Merriam
Of a possible Breeders' Cup threepeat, Merriam said, “He's a very special horse. If he could win three Breeders' Cups, I think it would be pretty special. I haven't spoken to Charlie yet, but I presume that's the plan. He ships home tomorrow and he'll have a little quiet time at home and then we ship out to Del Mar the end of October I suppose. Fingers crossed.”
Pedigree notes: Godolphin purchased Rebel Romance's granddam Short Skirt for 1.4 million gns at the 2006 Tattersalls December sale. The two-time Group winner had finished second in the 2006 G1 Yorkshire Oaks and third in that year's G1 Epsom Oaks.
Rebel Romance's 5-year-old younger brother Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}) added to the family's international success with Group 1 wins at Meydan and in last summer's G1 Manhattan Stakes.
Nevada Beach upsets Full Serrano in Goodwood
Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman's lightly raced 3-year-old Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), last seen capturing the Los Alamitos Derby on June 28, fired fresh off the bench to punch his ticket to the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic with an 8-1 upset victory for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert against older horses in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' G1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita.
Last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile upsetter Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) was second as the 1-2 favorite. Privman (Justify) was third.
“It's like getting the band back together again,” Baffert said. “We have always been really high on this horse, we had just little setbacks. Today he showed what he is made of. Going into it, I knew he was going against Full Serrano, and I have a lot of respect for him.
“We have always been really high on this horse (Nevada Beach), we had just little setbacks. Today he showed what he is made of.” - Bob Baffert
“They were running hard. Turning for home I thought, 'Well, this is when you find out what you are really made of.' He dug in and Mike Smith rode a beautiful race. I have a great team that helps me get them ready. This one is really special because sometimes you have them over the barrel, but it is exciting. I really appreciate a win like this when you don't expect them.”
Smith added, “Nevada Beach traveled beautifully. There were different strategies going into this race and Bob told me that he will go every bit of the mile and eighth so to do what I needed to do. I was brave enough to go ahead and push at the end there and the horse responded great.”
Pedigree notes: Nevada Beach was purchased by the 'Three Amigos' for US$260,000 (AU$397,281) as a Keeneland September yearling. The three Arizona businessmen have been partners in several top horses trained by Baffert, including champions Lookin At Lucky and Midnight Lute as well as fellow Grade 1 winners Hoppertunity, McKinzie, Secret Circle, et al.
Nevada Beach becomes the seventh Graded winner for Omaha Beach and third at the top level. Nevada Beach's dam, two-time stakes winner Morrow Cove (Yes It's True), is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Decked Out (Street Boss). She is also responsible for the unraced 2-year-old filly Queen of Cairo (American Pharoah).
Europe
Mehmas’s Wise Approach overcomes Middle Park drama
Things looked ominous for the G1 Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes favourite Wise Approach (Mehmas) yards after coming out of the stalls, but what would have been a chance-ending stumble for most proved no hindrance for Godolphin's class act.
Overcoming a complicated trip to emerge late with his superior acceleration under William Buick, the half-brother to the 2021 Middle Park winner Perfect Power surged up Newmarket's climb to the line to overhaul fellow TDN Rising Star Brussels (Wootton Bassett) and prevail by three quarters of a length. Coppull (Bated Breath) was a short head away in third.
“Our plan was to take a lead, but not so much!,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “Horse and jockey composed themselves after the horses came across him and he stumbled and full credit to both. I was happy with how he travelled into it and more confident when he came out of the dip–I knew he would finish as he is great at chasing a target.”
“I was happy with how he (Wise Approach) travelled into it and more confident when he came out of the dip.” - Charlie Appleby
For much of the last furlong, it looked as though Brussels had this in the bag but Wise Approach was finishing off with zest to his right and once he had picked up full momentum there was little hope for the rest.
“It is some performance,” Appleby added. “I felt in the Prix Morny, when William gave him a kick, he was electric and then just pulled up in front, so I did say to him to put him there on the line today. He did that, but it's never easy to watch!”
The Breeders' Cup is off the agenda according to Appleby.
“He's mentally getting more mature and deserves a rest now,” he concluded. “I'd say we'll put him away for this year and aim at the Commonwealth Cup.”
Pedigree notes: Wise Approach is the fourth foal out of Sagely (Frozen Power), whose first was the aforementioned Perfect Power who also captured the G1 Prix Morny and Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup and G1 Norfolk Stakes. Also responsible for the Listed Chesham Stakes third Golden Mind (Galileo Gold), she is kin to the Listed-placed Sagaciously whose son Epic Poet (Lope De Vega) was a Listed scorer who placed four times at Group level including when runner-up in the G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap.
Sagely is also a granddaughter of Saga D'Ouilly (Linamix), the full sister to the Arc hero Sagamix and half to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Sagacity (Highest Honor) and to the formidable broodmare Shastye (Danehill). Under the latter are the high-class Galileo trio of Japan, Mogul, and Secret Gesture. Sagely's yearling full sister to the winner will be big news at the Tattersalls October Book 1 in nearly two weeks' time.
O'Brien lands sixth Cheveley Park with True Love
Things may not have worked out for her in the Phoenix Stakes, but Ballydoyle's True Love (No Nay Never) came good at the second attempt at the highest level in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. Too strong for compatriot Havana Anna (Havana Grey) from one and a half furlongs down, the 2-1 favourite stayed on strongly for Wayne Lordan to prevail by three quarters of a length, with a length back to Royal Fixation (Palace Pier) in third.
“She's a big filly, very fast and like a big 4-year-old now–she's a powerhouse,” Aidan O'Brien said of the imposing winner, his sixth in this race. “She’s very quick, so I wouldn't be sure she'd stay in a Guineas–she is by No Nay Never who is a big influence for speed, but you never know until they get through the winter and into the spring.”
“She's (True Love) a big filly, very fast and like a big 4-year-old now–she's a powerhouse.” - Aidan O'Brien
“Ryan (Moore) didn't accept the run in the Phoenix at all, he was adamant that wasn't her run,” O'Brien added. “Ryan said to make sure that Wayne waited until after the two-furlong pole before asking for his effort. When he asked her to go forward, her head went down which was a good sign.
“She has a great constitution, eats very well and is strong. She takes her racing well and has a great mind. You can see she is very chilled after the race today. She could go to the Breeders' Cup–it depends on what lads want to do.”
Pedigree notes: True Love does look a hardwired sprinter, which is a surprise given that she is out of a mare who was third in the Oaks in Alluringly (Fastnet Rock). That dam's first foal was Galileo's Lily Pond who took the Kilboy Estate Stakes and was runner-up in the Blue Wind and Munster Oaks. Her third was TDN Rising Star Truly Enchanting, another daughter of No Nay Never who was also a Group 2 winner in last year's Airlie Stud Stakes.
True Love's broodmare value is truly stratospheric now, being a descendant of the world-famous Urban Sea (Miswaki) and granddaughter of that Arc-winning colossus's G3 Middleton Stakes winner and Oaks runner-up All Too Beautiful (Sadler's Wells).
That links her not only to Galileo and Sea The Stars but also to another Oaks runner-up in Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo), her Irish 1000 Guineas-placed daughter So Wonderful (War Front), the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred Stakes winner Sir Dragonet (Camelot), and No Nay Never's G2 Prix du Calvados winner Les Pavots. Alluringly's 2024 filly by Frankel unfortunately died.
