Cover image courtesy of Aga Khan Studs
Europe
Stand and deliver! Highwayman and Saffie Osborne create history in 250th St Leger
By Sean Cronin
John Neocleous's blue-and-white colours bear an eerily striking resemblance to those of Secretariat and, carried aboard Highwayman (Persian King) in Saturday's 250th anniversary G1 Betfred St Leger, jockey Saffie Osborne summoned the spirit of that icon to become the first female rider to win a British Classic in the world's oldest.
Barrelling forward in the straight and barely containable under Osborne, Highwayman arrived on the front end approaching the quarter-mile pole and had it all his own way home from there, despite rolling around under late pressure, to deny his Joseph O'Brien-trained stablemate Enceladus (Sea The Stars) by two and a half lengths.
He is also a Group 1 first for his Haras d'Etreham-based sire and backs up Galileo Chrome's 2020 triumph with a second St Leger for O'Brien, who also rode 2013 hero Leading Light.
“This won't change Joseph's life, but it will change mine,” insisted Osborne in the immediate aftermath. “I didn't even have a ride in the race on Monday morning, I didn't have this on the bingo card for this week and I don't think I've ever been this speechless in my life!”
“This won't change Joseph's life, but it will change mine.” - Saffie Osborne
Finding the necessary composure, she added, “This means the absolute world and as I crossed the line I was in shock. I just can't believe it and it just doesn't feel real. I can't thank so many people enough. Firstly, Joseph (O'Brien) and his team for putting their faith in me. My agent Tony Hind, I would be nowhere without him, and I know it's cliched, but my mum, dad and whole family. I was more forward than I anticipated, but he was travelling so well into it I couldn't believe it.”
A delighted winning owner John Neocleous commented, “The horse did it so easy didn't he. I wish I could say more about it, but I'm still in shock. This horse was 250-1 in a maiden, that was the wrong distance of course, but it's amazing how far he has come. We should not be surprised, though, because Joseph keeps on making history. You don't know where this horse will end up, but he did win pretty easily today.
“We're going to Australia (for the G1 Melbourne Cup), I think, but Joseph will make the decisions. He's in charge. Saffie is amazing and I'm sure she's in shock as well. Joseph came up with the idea, but he called me first and I was extremely happy to have her. She's an up-and-coming jockey, she knows how to ride a finish and I thought if she rode a good finish maybe we'd be placed. But she won comprehensively so I'm very happy. I said to Saffie, 'let's go and make and history', but I didn't really believe it!”
“We're going to Australia (for the G1 Melbourne Cup), I think, but Joseph will make the decisions.” - John Neocleous
O'Brien, who observed proceedings from Leopardstown, said, “The two of them are two really nice, progressive stayers. It's a special race and he was impressive I thought. He was a slow learner and mentally he was immature, but when he got rolling he improved hand over fist. Enceladus is a huge big horse and he'll make a smashing 4-year-old.”
Pedigree notes: Highwayman, a breakthrough first Group 1 winner for Persian King, is the latest of four foals and the leading performer from two winners produced by a half-sister to Listed Wyong Gold Cup third Sayed (Stormy Atlantic).
His second dam Saliyna (Linamix) is a dual-winning full-sister to the multiple Group 1-winning sire Slickly, while descendants of the winner's dual stakes-placed third dam Slipstream Queen (Conquistador Cielo) also include the Group 1 winners Siyouni, Siyouma (Medicean) and Siyarafina (Pivotal).
Hotazhell wins Irish Champion thriller
By Tom Frary
There was a shock ending to Saturday's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes as the unlikely duo Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) and Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) fought out the finish with the Jessica Harrington runner a nose ahead where it counts.
Always travelling comfortably in mid-division with Shane Foley getting vital cover, the 50-1 shot was able to swamp the 11-8 favourite Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) inside the final furlong and hit the line in time as George Scott's runner ate into his advantage. Constitution River did best of the leading contenders, three quarters of a length away in third as the Juddmonte International protagonists Almaqam (Lope De Vega) and Item (Frankel) disappointed in fourth and sixth respectively.
Jessica Harrington has achieved a great deal throughout her career in both codes, but this particular landmark rates as one of her most special.
“The form is as it was in Germany – everyone said we only scrambled home in that so to do it today was absolutely amazing,” she said. “This is fantastic, you roll the dice and take your chance. He's got better and better this year and these results are hard to come by. We'll go to the Champion Stakes now – that's the aim.”
“He's (Hotazhell) got better and better this year and these results are hard to come by.” - Jessica Harrington
Reminding all that racing is no exact science, Constitution River showed a vulnerability for the second time while performing much more efficiently than at York while Item was plain flat always chasing tails. As the 3-year-olds failed to move up as they normally do in this, their hardened elders rose to the challenge with two of the division's forgotten horses in Hotazhell and Wimbledon Hawkeye emerging to wage their third war.
“If you look up all his form from last year, it was on ground that was too quick for him,” Harrington added. “He kept on trying, he got his conditions today and he went and did it. We've really always thought the world of him. Last year was just one of those years, he should have won in America and he got a bad run around in the race. Things just didn't go right for him.”
“Even at the beginning of this year he took a while to get going. He goes now from here to Ascot and then he's going to go and be a stallion. He always was a good horse. He was a very tough 2-year-old and just things went wrong as a 3-year-old really.”
Pedigree notes: Hotazhell's dam Azenzar (Danehill Dancer) is out of the unraced Dashing (Sadler's Wells) who is a half-sister to the five-times Group 1 heroine Alexander Goldrun (Gold Away) and the Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Medecis (Machiavellian). The family includes the dual Gold Cup hero Royal Rebel (Robellino), another multiple Group 1 winner in Getaway (Monsun) and his Oaks d'Italia-winning full-sister Guadalupe.
'A really special Filly': Balding hails Matron heroine Blue Bolt
By Tom Frary
Hindered by the draw in Saturday's G1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes, Juddmonte's Blue Bolt (Blue Point) did what she always does and delivered at the top table once again.
Dealing with the differing tests of the Duke of Cambridge, Falmouth Stakes and Prix Rothschild prior to this integral part of Leopardstown's Irish Champions Day card, the 4-5 favourite was sent to the fore by Colin Keane a furlong from home and devoured the uphill climb to register a typically uncomplicated two and a quarter-length success from the race's unknown quantity City Of Memphis (Sioux Nation).
Last year's winner Fallen Angel (Too Darn Hot) was another one and quarter lengths away in third.
“She was always travelling well and in the right place and is a really special filly,” said winning trainer Andrew Balding. “It was an easy watch, to be honest. You just have a little bit of jitters when you're expected to win, but watching the race we never really had an anxious moment.”
“She was always travelling well and in the right place and is a really special filly.” - Andrew Balding
Widest in nine here, Blue Bolt had that straightforward countenance and an ideal lead in Fallen Angel to get her through what could have been a sticky situation for a lesser mortal and effectively as soon as she reached a prominent spot it was game over for her rivals.
“She's quick from the stalls, she's a high cruiser and she lengthens,” Keane said. “You'd be only getting in her way trying to do something different, so I try to keep it as simple as possible.”
All that is left for Europe's best miler left standing is to take on the colts and Barry Mahon was not ruling out her being back again next year. “She's been a real revelation this year, she's matured. Andrew and the team at Kingsclere have done some job this year and campaigned her beautifully,” he said. “At the end of the year we sit down and make those decisions. They are not opposed to keeping a five-year-old in training, so who knows.”
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 catalogued in the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1.
TDN Rising Star Darkness Falls routs Golden Fleece rivals
By Sean Cronin
Continuing an early-afternoon blitz of Saturday's black-type contests by TDN Rising Stars, impressive Curragh maiden winner Darkness Falls (Camelot) turned Leopardstown's recalibrated G1 HKJC World Pool Golden Fleece Stakes into a procession with another wide-margin success for a career high.
The even-money choice, who ran third behind the reopposing Green Dreamer (Churchill {Ire}) here in July, broke on the lead and was steadied to track the leaders in fifth after prolonged opening exchanges.
Nudged forward by Moore off the home turn, he made rapid headway in the straight for control approaching the final furlong and engaged turbo in the latter stages to easily outclass Jesus Green (Ghaiyyath) by a highly impressive four and a quarter lengths.
“He does everything right and was very impressive at the Curragh a couple of weeks ago,” said Ryan Moore. “He jumped quickly and travelled very comfortably. We went a good pace early and he was always travelling very easily. It is only his third start and he had a look at the road when we were out wide, so he knows where home is, but he is a very straightforward horse. I loved what he did there.”
“He (Darkness Falls) does everything right and was very impressive at the Curragh a couple of weeks ago.” - Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien added, “He had a lovely run around here in a maiden and then was very impressive (at the Curragh) the last day. He's by Camelot, which makes him extra special, and Ryan said the trip is going to be no problem. He just has a lot of class and he's going to get a mile-and-a-quarter next year. I was very impressed and delighted with him.
“It's an unbelievable race to have on here at this time, it's a lovely first running of it and it's going to be a very important race. All the good horses were there, all the good type middle-distance horses. It was a proper gallop, there was nowhere to hide, and he quickened up very well when Ryan eased him out. He has a lovely nature, which makes him really special, and he's very exciting.
“He's out of a No Nay Never mare, so there is a lot of speed in there, and I think he can go anywhere he wants. You can go to America with him at the end (of the season), he's that type of horse.”
Ryan Moore | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Pedigree notes: Darkness Falls, a full brother to yearling and weanling colts, is the second of four foals and one of two winners out of the Listed Polonia Stakes runner-up You'resobeautiful (No Nay Never).
You'resobeautiful, a daughter of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Hula Angel (Woodman), is a half-sister to Listed Eyrefield Stakes runner-up The Fist Of God (Sadler's Wells) and to the dam of the dual Group 2 winner Coltrane (Mastercraftsman) and the Listed Oyster Stakes second Chablis Rock (Sioux Nation).
