Ireland
Gstaad all class in Irish 2000 Guineas
Gaining handsome compensation for his defeat in the 2000 Guineas, Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) dominated Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas with a genuine tour de force at The Curragh.
Covering the mile in race-record time which eclipsed the previous best of Desert Prince's in 1998, Ballydoyle's 4-11 favourite turned the screw from two out to beat Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) by three lengths. Godolphin's other runner Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) was a further length away in third.
“It was very straightforward,” Ryan Moore said. “We didn't go that quick early, but he was able to coast outside the couple that went forward and he's got such a big, extravagant action that he just takes a while to get really opened up and use it. Once he did that, he was impressive and we'll roll onto Ascot now.”
Ryan Moore | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Attention now turns to the rematch with Bow Echo in the St James's Palace Stakes and Moore is hoping Gstaad's momentum will help close the gap from Newmarket. “He is a big, scopey horse and you'd hope he's progressing,” he added.
“We have our work cut out, but he's hopefully still going forward and I think Ascot will suit him. His mind is in an unbelievable place and there is no-one better at that than Aidan. I remember him when he was a 2-year-old and the way he has brought him along–he has got more confident this horse and that is down to the trainer.”
Unusually for one of this stable's leading lights, Gstaad managed to be beaten in three Group 1 contests last term, but it was always hard to downplay his merit after barnstorming successes in the Coventry and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. It is almost inconceivable that he was only in the 2000 Guineas picture late on after Albert Einstein and Puerto Rico had exited the frame and difficult to argue that he isn't clearly the best of the trio by now.
Aidan O'Brien was winning this for the 13th time and is already pondering the next showdown between his colt and Bow Echo next month. “He's probably stronger now and Ryan said the best feel he ever gave him was when he won the Coventry, so you'd hope that he'd be very happy to go back to Ascot,” he said.
“He's (Gstaad) probably stronger now and Ryan said the best feel he ever gave him was when he won the Coventry, so you'd hope that he'd be very happy to go back to Ascot.” - Aidan O'Brien
“The horse we ran in the French Guineas will be happy to go forward if someone else doesn't go and this horse will be very uncomplicated. Hopefully, George (Boughey)'s horse comes and Francis (Graffard)'s horse comes. Let them all line up, that's what racing is all about and that's what we all want.”
Paying tribute to the team behind Gstaad, he added, “There are so many people involved with him and thanks to them. Obviously, he was in Coolmore as well from the time he was a foal. He's very straightforward and genuine. We felt that he was a little bit unlucky in the three (Group 1s) last year and sometimes when that happens horses don't get it back, but we felt there were circumstances every day he got beat. He just needs a little bit of room to get going and for it not to get too tactical or caught up in pace that isn't strong early.”
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pedigree: Gstaad is the last known foal out of Exceed And Excel's Mosa Mine, whose 2021 colt Vandeek (Havana Grey) took the Prix Morny, Middle Park Stakes and Richmond Stakes. Vandeek now shuttles to Australia's Arrowfield Stud.
Her dam Baldemosa (Lead On Time) is a half-sister to Balbonella, who captured the Prix Robert Papin as a Group 1 and later produced Danzig's July Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest-winning champion sprinter Anabaa and another notable sire in Key Of Luck, as well as the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Always Loyal (Zilzal) who is the second dam of Deep Impact's G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies-winning champion 2-year-old filly Shonan Adela.
Comanche Brave returns from Hong Kong to win Greenlands
If you can get within six lengths of Ka Ying Rising, you've got above-average ability and Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) came back from his Chairman's Sprint Prize experience to hammer that home in Saturday's G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes.
Sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Curragh contest, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained 4-year-old who was having only his third career start at this six-furlong trip followed the pace with ease. Committed by Ryan Moore passing two out, Muhaideb Almuhaideb's colour-bearer stretched to an authoritative two-length success from course specialist Big Gossey (Gutaifan), with James's Delight (Invincible Army) a further half a length away in third.
Royal Ascot again beckons for the winner, who was third in the G3 Jersey Stakes last year. This time, it will be the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. “I wanted to go sprinting with him for a while and I thought a few times along the way that it was stupid, but thankfully it wasn't,” Donnacha O'Brien said. “He's a good horse and he's getting better. He was nearly a very good horse over a mile and sprinters take a little bit of time to get used to that kind of pace.”
“He's (Comanche Brave) a good horse and he's getting better. He was nearly a very good horse over a mile and sprinters take a little bit of time to get used to that kind of pace.” - Donnacha O'Brien
“He wasn't disgraced by any means against useful horses in behind Ka Ying Rising and I think he's taken another step up today,” he added. “You need that maturity and strength against older sprinters and he's really starting get that. I hope he's going to be a proper horse, I think he could be. The owner, Mr Almuhaideb, bought him after he ran in Abu Dhabi, to run in Saudi Arabia. It's very nice to have a good horse for him, he's bought another breezer from me as well. Hopefully, we can have a good time at Ascot.”
Donnacha O'Brien | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Pedigree: Comanche Brave is out of the Jersey winner Ishvana (Holy Roman Emperor), who was also runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. She is a full-sister to the dam of No Nay Never's Listed Star Appeal Stakes winner Mountain Bear who was placed in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and Turf Mile at the highest level. From the excellent Ballymacoll family of Hellenic (Darshaan) et al, she also has Wootton Bassett's unraced 3-year-old filly Existence.
Four wins for Moore
Following on from Sergei Diaghilev, Comanche Brave and Gstaad, Causeway (Wootton Bassett) wrapped up a Saturday four-timer for Ryan Moore in The Curragh's G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes.
Having followed the same path as past Ballydoyle's Irish Guineas hero Paddington by winning the Madrid and Tetrarch, the relative of Magical and Rhododendron had to be diverted off it due to the presence of Gstaad in the day's feature. With the Classic already in the bag for the stable, the 5-6 favourite made it another day to remember on his first try over 10 furlongs, seeing off Zia Zabel (Ghaiyyath) by a head with Shaihaan (Night Of Thunder) two lengths back in third.
“He's a lovely horse, but lazy and will never win by far,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He's very genuine, sound and straightforward and will stay further, so he has a lot of options. He could go to Royal Ascot or come back for the Irish Derby. He's a hardy boy and he'll only ever do what he has to do. When the cheekpieces go back on, they will be a help to him too.”
“He's (Causeway) a lovely horse, but lazy and will never win by far.” - Aidan O'Brien
Pedigree: Causeway hails from one of the finest families around, with his dam Heaven Of Heavens (Galileo) being a full-sister to the operation's brilliant multiple Group 1-winning Magical and Rhododendron. The latter went on to produce another great flagbearer for Coolmore in Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact), while Magical's daughter Ballet Slippers (Dubawi) was third in the Fillies' Mile.
Also responsible for last year's Irish Oaks third Island Hopping by Wootton Bassett, the dam is a granddaughter of the sprinting supremo Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge) who produced the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Sun Chariot and Nassau heroine Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal) and is the second dam of Galileo's Photo Call and the fellow top-level scorer Victoria Road (Saxon Warrior). Heaven Of Heavens's yearling colt is by Deep Impact's son Contrail.
