So easy for Minnie Hauk on Mooresbridge return
There were no anxious moments for takers of the generous 4-6 odds on offer for Ballydoyle's returning Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) as she breezed through Monday's G2 Clem Murphy Memorial Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at The Curragh.
Last year's G1 Oaks, Irish Oaks, and Yorkshire Oaks heroine is on course for a rematch with her Arc conqueror Daryz (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at Royal Ascot and could not have begun her 4-year-old campaign any more impressively as Ryan Moore proved a passenger in the 10-furlong contest.
Setting up like a piece of work, she gave her pacemaker Edward Hamilton (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) plenty of rope but was always comfortable and hit the line ears pricked with one and three quarter lengths to spare over that 125-1 shot. Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}) was another one and a half lengths away in third.
“That was a lovely start back with a view to coming back to the Tattersalls (Gold Cup) - everything went perfectly,” O'Brien said.
“She was just ready to start, so the race will bring her the rest of the way. She relaxed very well, came out of the gates travelling and won snug. After the Tatts she'll go Ascot for the Prince of Wales's, that's the plan in our heads if everything keeps going well.”
“She (Minnie Hauk) relaxed very well, came out of the gates travelling and won snug.” - Aidan O'Brien
Pedigree notes: Coolmore's €1.85 million ($3 million) 2023 Goffs Orby Book 1 topper Minnie Hauk is out of Dansili's (GB) Multilingual (GB), Juddmonte's US$525,000 ($733,000) cast-off at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale whose first foal was the G2 Summer Mile and G3 Thoroughbred Stakes winner and Prix d'Ispahan runner-up Tilsit (USA) (First Defence {USA}).
The second dam is Zamindar's (USA) G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda (GB), producer of the brilliant miler and prominent sire Kingman (GB), as well as Dansili's G3 Tercentenary Stakes winner Remote (GB) and Frankel's (GB) First Eleven (GB) who was Group 3-placed.
Zenda's daughters Present Tense (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), Panzanella (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Pleasantry (GB) (Johannesburg {USA}), and Rio Carnival (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}) all proved black-type producers in their own right, with the former's son Macduff (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) finishing second in the G3 Sandown Classic Trial.
Zenda is a half-sister to Green Desert's (Ire) champion sprinter and leading sire Oasis Dream (GB). Multilingual's 3-year-old filly Voice Coach (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) has yet to race, while she also has a yearling filly by Justify (USA) and was bred back to that sire in 2026.
Hawk Mountain comes through in Chantilly sighter
If Hawk Mountain (Ire) wins the Prix du Jockey Club, Aidan O'Brien may look back on his decision to send the son of Wootton Bassett (GB) to Chantilly for his prep as the key event.
Errant and lairy at times in front during Monday's nine-furlong G3 Prix De Guiche, last year's Futurity Trophy and Beresford winner kept giving his rivals hope but ultimately was never going to be beaten and hit the line strong with one and a quarter lengths to spare over Lord Clover (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}). Campacite (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) was a head further back in third.
Christophe Soumillon was partnering the son of Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the first time and despite his mount not navigating the home turn well, was able to win comfortably on the generously-priced 9-10 favourite. After contacting Aidan O'Brien at The Curragh, the master of Ballydoyle relayed the conversation.
“Christophe said he felt like a very good horse, but also felt very green,” he said.
“He's always been that kind of laid-back horse, we had cheekpieces on him today so he wasn't lazy and Christophe was surprised he was so babyish,” he added. “He said he loved him and he had no problem with the quicker ground and that should be a perfect Jockey Club prep for him.”
“He (Soumillon) said he loved him (Hawk Mountain)... and that should be a perfect Jockey Club prep for him.” - Aidan O'Brien
Pedigree notes: Hawk Mountain is the fourth foal out of the top-class Hydrangea, who had the speed to win the G1 Matron Stakes at a mile and stamina to add the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes to her tally over a mile and a half on testing ground.
Her other two runners are Dubawi's (Ire) Listed Hurry Harriet Stakes winner Wingspan (Ire), who was runner-up in the Fillies & Mares, and last year's Listed Tetrarch Stakes winner Officer (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hydrangea is a full sister to the fellow Group 1-winning pair The United States (Ire) and Hermosa (Ire), and to Salsa (Ire) whose daughter of Wootton Bassett, Whirl (Ire), captured last year's G1 Nassau and G1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Hermosa, who completed the G1 1000 Guineas-Irish 1000 Guineas double, is the dam of Dubawi's G3 Hampton Court Stakes winner and Grand Prix De Paris runner-up Trinity College (Ire). The latter recently was fourth in the G1 Ranvet Stakes for Chris Waller, carrying the bottle green and white silks of Yulong.
From the dynasty of Last Tycoon (Ire) et al, Hydrangea's 2-year-old full-brother to Hawk Mountain is named Oklahoma (Ire), while she also has a yearling colt by Justify and was bred back to the latter sire in 2026.
Kensington Lane has Irish Guineas target after Athasi win
Up to a mile for the first time in Monday's G3 Coolmore Auguste Rodin Irish EBF Athasi Stakes at The Curragh, Annemarie O'Brien's Kensington Lane (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) toughed it out to provide Donnacha with a live G1 Irish 1000 Guineas contender.
Seventh behind True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA]) in Leopardstown's Priory Belle last month, the homebred granddaughter of Ramruma (USA) (Diesis {GB}) raced near the pace before being committed by Chris Hayes approaching two out.
Hassled all the way to the line, the 14-1 shot got there three quartes of a length in front of last year's Weld Park winner Black Caviar Gold (Ire) (Havana Grey {GB}), with Ballydoyle's blueblooded 10-11 favourite Drop Dead Gorgeous (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) another half-length away in third.
“She ran well last time and I thought she was over-priced today up to a mile on nice ground,” Donnacha O'Brien said. “She's in the Irish Guineas, so she'll probably go there and she has a lot of gate speed and is naturally quick out of the stalls, so she could be a filly for one of those mile-and-a-quarter Grade 1s in the States later in the year.”
“She (Kensington Lane) could be a filly for one of those mile-and-a-quarter Grade 1s in the States later in the year.” - Donnacha O'Brien
Pedigree notes: The unraced dam Almost Always (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose 2-year-old filly is by Wootton Bassett and who also has a yearling colt by No Nay Never (USA), is out of the aforementioned luminary Ramruma who completed the treble of Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks and was a gallant second in the St Leger.
Responsible for one black-type performer in the G1 Irish St Leger third Flying Cross (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {Ire}), she was connected to the Australian Group 1 winners Montefilia (Kermadec (NZ)) and All The Good (Ire) also by Diesis (GB).
