Europe
Giant Sequoia another Group 1 winner Frankel
Sent off the third-string of the Ballydoyle team in Saturday's G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy, Resolute Racing, Coolmore and Westerberg's Giant Sequoia (Frankel) came home on his own in a show of power in the deep ground.
Successful in The Curragh's G2 Futurity in August, the 11-1 shot who had been sixth in the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes last month proved difficult to load at the start but was happy to follow his peers throughout the early stages of the mile feature.
Swooping on the stable's Beresford winner and 11-8 favourite Noble Exhibit (Frankel) approaching the final furlong, he was soon clear under Dylan Browne McMonagle for an emphatic three-length success and a 13th renewal for Aidan O'Brien. Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's Gran Dia (Lope De Vega) earned second-placed prizemoney for Andrew Balding in the trainers' title race, with Noble Exhibit tiring late to be a further length away in third.
“He's a big boy to sit on, a big baby and will be a lovely horse next year,” McMonagle said.
“Going up to a mile was always going to be a help to him and the race worked out perfectly – it was a nice even tempo, he relaxed and he reacted quick. When he got to the front he was having a nice look, he rolled around a little bit and was just doing what he needed to do. He's definitely a good horse. He'll get further and has plenty of learning to do.”
Giant Sequoia had won The Curragh's storied Barronstown Stud Maiden on the Pretty Polly card in June, always a pointer to the regard in which the stable's representatives are held, but after a workmanlike win in the Futurity and a tame effort on Irish Champions weekend O'Brien admitted that he was in the dark. “He was disappointing last time, but a lot of our horses were sick then, and so we didn't know,” he said.
“We gave him time and his work has been lovely,” he added. “We couldn't be sure about that ground, but he looks very classy and he's a big, powerful, strong horse and looks like a 3-year-old. He travelled great and quickened very well. He's a proper classy horse and we always thought that. Ryan loved him earlier on this year, his dam was very good and he's by Frankel so he was always very exciting.”
Andrew Balding said of Gran Dia, “That was a hell of a run, I'm delighted with him. He just lacks a bit of experience, but he'll be a nice horse for next year. He travelled beautifully through the race, he really did run a smashing race and hopefully he should develop over the winter. Oisin thinks he can handle better ground. He coped with it today, but soft ground is not imperative.”
Reflecting on the outcome with regards to Kingsclere's title attempt, he added, “It makes life tough, doesn't it. We've got a few more to go with, but I think it is probably beyond us now.”
O'Brien said of Noble Exhibit, “He won making the running twice and probably didn't learn a lot. Maybe in that ground he gave him the chance to run green and he got there and ran around a bit.”
Pedigree Notes: Giant Sequoia is the third foal and first winner out of the Salsabil Stakes winner Pink Dogwood (Camelot) who was runner-up in the Oaks and third in the Irish Oaks and Pretty Polly Stakes. A full sister to the Irish Derby hero Latrobe (Camelot), she is also a half to the Gladness Stakes winner and Sands Point Stakes and Lake Placid Stakes-placed Diamond Fields (Fastnet Rock) who in turn produced the stable's Group 3 winner Aikhal by Frankel's sire Galileo.
The third dam is Forever Times (So Factual), whose Sceptre Stakes-winning and Cheveley Park-placed daughter Sunday Times (Holy Roman Emperor) was responsible for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Just a Game heroine Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega). Her son of Frankel, Benvenuto Cellini, was third in similarly deep ground in this 12 months ago but has since achieved notoriety in his own right by emulating Latrobe by winning the Irish Derby. Pink Dogwood's yearling filly is by Justify.
O'Brien advances title claims with impressive Bengal Tiger
After clinching Saturday's feature, Aidan O'Brien extended his lead over Andrew Balding in the trainers' championship race with the dominant Bengal Tiger (No Nay Never) in the Listed Doncaster Stakes.
Sent off the 10-11 favourite for the six-furlong contest having won his Naas maiden by 12 lengths earlier this month, the relative of Kameko raced wide of the leader before taking control heading the final furlong and powering to a 3 1/2-length success from compatriot Hi Corbett Court (Starman).
“We always felt he wanted seven, even though he has the pace for six,” the Ballydoyle handler said.
“He's obviously a good horse, what he did the last day was very unusual no matter what the horses behind him in the maiden. The times were very good and everyone said he was a very good horse on times.”
The unraced dam, whose first foal Galleria Borghese (Caravaggio) took the Naas Oaks Trial and was third in the Blandford over middle distances, is a full sister to Galileo's Racing Post Trophy hero Kingsbarns and a half to the Graded-Stakes scorer Sweeter Still (Rock Of Gibraltar). She produced Kitten's Joy's aforementioned 2000 Guineas-winning sire Kameko, a former winner of this card's feature race.
Also a half to the Group 3 winner Belle Artiste (Namid) from the family of the stable's past multiple Group 1-winning luminary by Galileo, Rip Van Winkle, she has a yearling filly by No Nay Never's son Little Big Bear and a colt foal by Wootton Bassett to follow.
Japan
Maurice filly undefeated after Artemis tally
Pulvinar, fresh off a maiden win at Nakayama last month, became the latest stakes winner for Maurice in Tokyo's G3 Artemis Stakes on Saturday. It was a busy day for the shuttle stallion, who also had Cosmic Crusader (NZ) take out the G1 WS Cox Plate in Australia.
Conducted in sheeting rain despite the good ground, the race was soon in the command of G T Carry (Bricks And Mortar) while pressed by City Of Dream (Contrail). Near the rear of the field, Pulvinar took a few furlongs to settle into an effective rhythm.
Urged up toward the front with 600 metres remaining, the 19-10 favourite cruised effortlessly up to the leaders and was soon at G T Carry's throatlatch on the bend. Shaking off that foe by the quarter-pole, she gradually ground clear and had enough of a cushion built up at the wire to repel the onrushing Rose Salute (Roger Barows) by 1 1/4 lengths. It was the same margin back to a stubborn City Of Dream who hung around for third, two lengths to the good of Familie (Kizuna).
Pedigree Notes: Shadai Stallion Station resident Maurice, who also shuttles to Arrowfield Stud in Australia, is credited with 39 worldwide stakes winners, 26 of them at Group/Graded level. His son Cormier was third in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes, also in Australia on Saturday.
The sixth foal out of G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) second Culminar (Deep Impact), Pulvinar is a half-sister to the multiple Group-placed pair of Kukena (King Kamehameha) and Arrival (Harbinger). The latest to race for her dam, Pulvinar is followed by a yearling colt by multiple Group 1 winner and Arc second Westover and a weanling colt by G1 Arkansas Derby victor Nadal.
Culminar is a daughter of Argentinean Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Cursora (Candy Stripes), a dual Group 1 winner in her native land.
