Europe
'I had the horse to overcome': Moore and Constitution River lead Jockey Club 1-2-3 for Ballydoyle
Aidan O'Brien will leave Chantilly on Sunday having created a legacy performance of training in the G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club as he did here in the Arc several years ago as Constitution River led home Hawk Mountain and Montreal for a Team Ballydoyle one-two-three.
While the two sons of France's great export and much-missed colossus Wootton Bassett were dissed by the draw gods, there was Sea The Stars' Montreal and Wayne Lordan from stall eight to grasp the Classic by the horns and frame it like a piece of strong homework.
Ryan Moore was at work on the 12-5 favourite in early straight due to the sustained effort of Montreal and while Christophe Soumillon was bang there on Hawk Mountain there was a sense of inevitability once the first-string edged ahead approaching the furlong pole.
At the line, there was three quarters of a length between Constitution River and Hawk Mountain, with Montreal a head away in third. To add to the O'Brien festivities, Donnacha's A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner) was fourth, one and three quarter lengths away.
“It didn't look good with the draw beforehand, but what I did know was I had a very good horse,” Ryan Moore said. “He was inexperienced and got a bit of a shock going right-handed, but I knew I had the horse to overcome. He's still learning and today was the first day he really had to open up. We knew we had three Group 1 horses, so it was a strong race. He has a chance of staying further for sure and he'll get better.”
“We knew we had three Group 1 horses, so it was a strong race.” - Ryan Moore
O'Brien added, “It was a solidly-run race which gave everybody a chance–Ryan said he was green and he had to learn a lot. He came off the bridle sooner than he expected, but he didn't surrender–he kept coming. He's a big horse who will definitely improve–he has loads of scope and is very exciting. The second and third are two very good horses also.”
Ryan Moore | Image courtesy of The Image Is Eveything
Pedigree notes: Constitution River, who becomes the third Prix du Jockey Club winner for his deceased sire 10 years on from Almanzor's success, was bred by Gerard Laboureau of LG Bloodstock at Pierre Talvard's Haras du Cadran in the Orne department of Normandy. He is the first foal out of Chuppy, a daughter of the 2009 Prix du Jockey Club hero Le Havre who is a full-sister to the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, Prix de Royallieu and Hardwicke heroine Wonderful Tonight.
The second dam Salvation (Montjeu) is a daughter of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Birdie (Alhaarth), whose three Stakes performers are headed by the GIII Providencia Stakes winner Hostess by Wootton Bassett's sire Iffraaj. Birdie's Listed-winning half-sister Fickle (Danehill) produced the G3 Dahlia Stakes scorer Tarfah (Kingmambo) who produced the operation's 2,000 Guineas and Derby hero and leading sire Camelot by Salvation's sire Montjeu.
Chuppy's second foal is the 2-year-old filly Sensational Filly (Mehmas), who was a €300,000 purchase by Paddy Twomey for Bond Thoroughbred Limited at last year's Arqana Deauville August.
Japan
World Premiere's Lovcen claims another Classic in Tokyo Yushun
Despite missing the break and getting bumped by a foe to begin the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), favoured Lovcen (World Premiere) delivered regardless when stepping up to 2400 metres for the first time.
His head victory over fellow tenacious closer Peintre Naif (Kizuna) handed his trainer Haruki Sugiyama his ninth JRA Group 1 win. The World Premiere colt is the 25th to win the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and then the Japanese Derby. The Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) over 3000 metres in October would give Lovcen the opportunity to become the ninth Japanese Triple Crown winner and first since Contrail.
The 17-10 chalk missed a step once the gates opened, but made steady ground from the 600 metres. Any one of six colts had a shot at the 100-metre mark, but Lovcen, in tandem with Peintre Naif, passed the rail-running Basse Terre (Kitasan Black) a few strides from the winning post to prevail. The margin between second and third was three-quarters of a length, with Basse Terra a nose to the good of Going To Sky (Contrail) in fourth.
“I still can't believe I'm now a 'Derby Jockey',” said Kohei Matsuyama, who was claiming his 11th Group 1 victory on the JRA circuit. “It was surreal coming back to the stands and being greeted by the enormous cheering crowd–I couldn't hold back the tears. To be honest, I did feel the pressure, as odds-on favorite and the hopes of notching two-thirds of the Triple Crown, but I believed in the colt and he gave his best and showed his true strength today.
“It was surreal coming back to the stands and being greeted by the enormous cheering crowd–I couldn't hold back the tears.” - Kohei Matsuyama
“We weren't able to sit in the most ideal position due to the wide draw but, as in the Hopeful Stakes, Lovcen showed an incredible turn of foot which proves his strength and versatility. He still has potential and we have a lot to look forward to.”
Kohie Matsuyama | Image courtesy of Racing.com
A winner of both of his juvenile starts culminating in the G1 Hopeful Stakes, the winner was third in his three-year-old bow to Realize Sirius (Poetic Flare) in the G3 Kyodo News Hai in February. He righted the ship with a three-quarter length victory in the Japanese 2000 Guineas over that foe at Nakayama in April. Sunday's effort was his first beyond 2000 metres.
Pedigree notes: It has been well publicised that Lovcen is the first stakes winner for his sire, World Premiere. On the broodmare side, Giant's Causeway is responsible for 251 stakes winners (126 Graded/Group). With his latest victory, Lovcen joins fellow Japanese runner Lemon Pop and South American star Super Nao as three-time Grade/Group 1 winners out of a Giant's Causeway mare. The late son of Storm Cat is credited with 37 top-flight winners in that sphere, the best of them the successful stallion Gun Runner and turf luminary Lord North (Dubawi).
Lovcen's placed dam Songwriting (Giant's Causeway) brought US$290,000 (AU$403,000) as a 2014 Keeneland September yearling, before catching the eye of Katsumi Yoshida at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for US$800,000 (AU$1.11 million) and racing in Japan. Lovcen is her sixth foal and fifth winner. She has a yearling colt by Copano Rickey and was bred back to that stallion last spring.
Canadian Champion Older Mare and Lovcen's granddam Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song) won three times at the Graded level in the US and Canada. The family also features US Classic hero and sire Exaggerator.
South Africa
First Grade 1 for Crawford
The 45th renewal of the G1 Daily News 2000 in South Africa didn’t disappoint when Star Major (Saf) (Querari {Ger}) provided both trainer James Crawford and French jockey Mickaëlle Michel with their inaugural Grade 1 victories.
The last start Grade 2 winner took his record to 4 wins with 5 places from his 11 starts and took his stakes total to over R2 million (AU$171,000). James is the son of Brett Crawford, who is now training in Hong Kong, and Star Major was quickly made the favourite for the upcoming G1 July by punters. Michel also became the first woman jockey to win a Grade 1 in South Africa for over two decades.
Star Major (Saf) | Image courtesy of Crawford Racing
Pedigree notes: A R500,000 (AU$42,800) National Yearling Sale purchase, the winner was bred by Maine Chance Farms. The 3-year-old colt is the third foal of Star In The Sky (Saf) (Silvano {Ger}) whose first two foals are also winners. She is one of three foals for Australian import Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes victrix Dance To The Stars (Galileo {Ire}) who also produced Listed winner Follow The Star (Saf) (Silvano {Ger}).
