Breeders' Cup On The Agenda For Falmouth Winner Blue Bolt
Relishing the fast-ground test of Friday's G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes, Juddmonte's Blue Bolt (Blue Point) struck for the older brigade in the next chapter in the clash of the generations.
Always travelling strongly for Colin Keane tracking Ballydoyle's pacemaker Venosa (Gun Runner) up the centre of Newmarket's straight, the 85-40 second favourite who had impressed in Royal Ascot's Duke Of Cambridge tanked to the front approaching two out.
Settling the issue soon after as Ballydoyle's Precise (Starspangledbanner) failed to recover from her second tardy start in succession, the Andrew Balding-trained 4-year-old had two lengths to spare over that 4-5 market leader at the line, with 2 3/4 lengths back to Balantina (Ten Sovereigns) in third.
Juddmonte's Barry Mahon said, “We knew that trying to give a filly like Precise nine pounds was going to be difficult, but she's a big and powerful filly, like a colt and is an impressive physical.
"We purposely prepared for Royal Ascot so we didn't have a penalty there and so the second half of the season was always going to be for her. We have the Rothschild and the Matron–they are the two obvious races–and we'll work back from the Breeders' Cup Mile later in the season.”
Going one better than chasing home Fallen Angel (Too Darn Hot) in the Sun Chariot on the Rowley Mile in October, Blue Bolt was coming of age here and Balding was in no doubt as to her standing at Kingsclere. “She is exceptional.” he said. “She looked good at Ascot, but it was great to see her do it today in that style. She was just getting a little lonely at the end, but she has just got that amazing cruising speed and that ability to sustain.”
“Colin has absolutely mastered her,” he added. “Bar her debut at Southwell, which seems a long time ago, she has never put a foot wrong on the racecourse and I'm just thrilled to have her. I think it was a deeper race today than at Royal Ascot. My only concern today was the quick ground at Newmarket might have caught her out, but it didn't.”
Connections are not in any hurry to step up in distance, with her trainer convinced that this mile is her forte.
“I think it's obvious after today that this is her trip,” he stated. “Alcohol Free won a July Cup, a Cheveley Park, a Sussex Stakes and a Coronation Stakes, so she was unbelievably versatile, whereas this filly is an exceptional miler. We could possibly travel her later in the year, but we would need to discuss that.”
Keane added, “She is a very uncomplicated filly. We were pretty confident she would be better than her last Group One against Fallen Angel, when she was still a big immature filly. It feels easy for her, as she is a filly that can go at a high tempo and stay going at it. When we got down to the two pole I could see the heads arriving, but nothing was coming forward with me. I'm very privileged to ride in these silks and I'm very lucky to get to ride horses like her.”
Aidan O'Brien said of Precise, who again missed the kick as she had in the Coronation and received a bump in the process, “She ran very well, but it looks like she will stay further–we always thought that was going to happen. We left her at a mile as there was no reason to move her up, but looking at her today the older filly was a little bit quicker through the middle of the race and she just got away from her a little bit.”
“I don't think the Ascot race left its mark on her. She was coming back at the line and it's possible we could go up in trip next time,” he added. “Diamond Necklace is going to Goodwood for the Nassau, so she won't go there. The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf could be a long-term aim–she should be very comfortable and happy with that.”
Pedigree Notes
Blue Bolt's dam is the Prix Allez France winner Mayhem (Whipper), whose progeny include the Listed scorer and German 1,000 Guineas runner-up Sky Angel (Dark Angel) and the dual Listed scorer Sea Theme (Sea The Stars). A full-sister to the Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Royal Bench and kin to the Ormonde Stakes scorer and Irish Derby third Memphis Tennessee (Hurricane Run), she is also a granddaughter of the Prix Saint-Alary heroine Cerulean Sky (Darshaan).
Cerulean Sky is a full-sister to Irish Oaks and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up L'Ancresse and a half to Moonstone, a daughter of Darshaan's Dalakhani who captured the Irish Oaks before producing the Derby runner-up US Army Ranger (Galileo). Another of the many notable Stakes performers in the dynasty is Full Count Felicia (War Front), the E. P. Taylor-winning Canadian champion. Mayhem's once-raced 3-year-old full-sister to Sky Angel is named Heureuse, while she also has a yearling colt by Baaeed.
Senorita Bonita Wins Battle Of The Craven Breezers
First and second in the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up, Senorita Bonita (Starspangledbanner) and Libertango (No Nay Never) ended up that way in Friday's G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.
Topping that auction at 900,000gns (AU$1,820,000), Victorious Forever's Queen Mary runner-up was sent off the 9-4 second favourite behind the 10-11 market leader Libertango, who had cost 400,000gns (AU$810,000) there before going on to success in the Albany. More favoured of the duo by the steady early tempo laying up in third, Senorita Bonita was given the green light by Oisin Murphy heading to the furlong pole and had the jump on her big rival.
Strong to the line, the Crisfords' chestnut had 3/4 of a length to spare on the George Boughey filly with Joseph O'Brien's Fairyhouse maiden winner Alwaysanangel (Harry Angel) storming home to be only a short head away in third.
Two lengths behind Victorious (Wootton Bassett) at Royal Ascot, Senorita Bonita could be renewing rivalry with the Ballydoyle starlet soon. “They went no pace early, it was messy and she got a bit of a bump which that set her alight a bit but Oisin just settled her lovely,” Ed Crisford said. “Her turn of foot was electric today and it was a good performance.”
“After Royal Ascot, we felt that she wanted six furlongs and I would say we would go for the Prix Morny next. She has a penalty in Group Twos now and she showed today that she is a very good filly. I think we will go to Deauville then on to the Cheveley Park.”
Boughey said of Libertango, “They looked to go a little bit slow early doors and she had quickened off a very fast pace at Royal Ascot, so I think she just got a little bit lost and didn't quite have that finishing kick she had last time. She's not lost a huge amount in defeat and we'll see where we are and make a plan going forward. The Lowther is certainly a possibility,” he added. “We will let the dust settle though, as she has had three very quick runs.”
Senorita Bonita's breeders Michael and Anne Gaffney were understandably all smiles as they watched Senorita Bonita fulfil the high regard in which she has been held by plenty who have been around her as a young horse. The Gaffneys bred the filly at their Churchtown House Stud in Mallow, Co Cork, just as they had her dam Belicious (Ruler Of The World).
“This is really brilliant to have a filly who has gone so far so quickly,” said Michael. “We're so, so proud of her. It's an unbelievable job to come here and do this after Royal Ascot – it's beyond our widest dreams. She's a homebred and we bred her dam, and my brother Tom is at Castlehyde Stud where Starspangledbanner stands, and he's a part-breeder as well.
“This is really brilliant to have a filly (Senorita Bonita) who has gone so far so quickly.” - Michael Gaffney
“Starspangledbanner is having an unbelievable season and I'm hoping he comes back and finishes the job with the other filly (Precise) later.”
Belicious is now in foal to Camille Pissarro with a Modern Games yearling filly heading to the Goffs Orby Sale and a Sioux Nation filly at foot.
He added of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale topper, “Mark Flannery broke her for us and always said she was brilliant, and (winning jockey) Oisin Murphy spent a good lot of his lifetime in Churchtown, so knew Oisin as well when he was young so it's almost a Churchtown full-stop.”
Pedigree Notes
Senorita Bonita is the first foal out of Belicious (Ruler Of The World), a half to three Stakes performers headed by the Prix de Royaumont winner Sub Rose by Ruler Of The World's sire Galileo. She in turn produced the Czech champion Subway Dancer (Shamardal), who took the Prix du Conseil de Paris and was third in the Champion Stakes, and the Group 3 winner Secret Advisor (Dubawi), while Sub Rose's Listed-winning full-sister Astonishing is responsible for the Group-race performers Dr Omran (Palace Pier), Gold Maze (Golden Horn) and Heavenly Breath (Dark Angel). The third dam is the top-class Magic Gleam (Danzig), winner of the old Falmouth when it was known as the Child Stakes who was also placed in the Coronation and Prix Jacques le Marois.
