Page 32 - June 2005 The Game

32 The Game, June 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
2004 may have been a disappointing season for the powerful Ballydoyle team as it did not come up to their usual standard with just a handful of graded race victories but Aidan O'Brien's team has made a great start to the new European season with victories in the first two English classics.
Footstepsinthesand set the ball rolling with a decisive victory in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket having had just one winning run as a juvenile last year. He was racing against more experienced rivals including the strongly fancied Godolphin colt Dubawi which had been impressive in a trial in Dubai in March.
However, Dubawi was never happy on the very firm ground and kept changing his legs from halfway. He was asked to challenge two furlongs from home but immediately veered across the track and hampered the Irish challenger Democratic Deficit which eventually finished sixth only three lengths behind the winner.
Meanwhile Kieren Fallon set sail for home on the O'Brien trained colt which was then expected to go for the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 21. However, he missed that classic due to a stone bruise but his stablemate Oratorio, which was a staying fourth at Newmarket, took on the task.
Virginia Waters was just a grade 3 filly as a juvenile but has obviously improved since last year and following a win on her return in Ireland she still went to Newmarket without any great confidence as Fallon was expected to ride another filly owned by Mrs John Magnier called Damson.
Damson was unable to make the lineup but Fallon, who has struck up a terrific partnership with O'Brien, switched mounts and having settled the filly in last place for the first six furlongs he then brought her with a devastating run to whistle past her rivals in the final furlong.
Virginia Waters lined up for the Irish Guineas and Fallon stayed with her even though Damson was in the race. This filly was expected to need the run and is sue to improve and figure in some top races in the coming months.
O'Brien sent a couple of runners to France for their first two classics but came home without any success as victory in the colt's race went to Shamardal and the fillies event fell to the exceptional French filly Divine Proportions.
She is now unbeaten in seven career runs and having been the top European juvenile filly last year looks certain to dominate the second season ranks in 2005. Her victory was achieved without coming off the bridle and her next few races will be carefully chosen with connections already aiming for the Breeders Cup in Belmont Park at the end of the year.
Mark Johnston trained Shamardal last year but the colt was taken by Godolphin following a number of top class efforts and the Dubai team had hoped to send him to the Kentucky Derby. However, he failed in a race in Nad Al Sheba in March and the plan was aborted.
Saeed Bin Suroor took him to Newmarket and pre- pared him for the French Guineas and the colt gave a gutsy performance to hold off the persistent challenge of the Irish trained Indesatchel. This colt almost gave David Wachman his first major success but did not enjoy the best run of the race as jockey Jamie Spencer got him caught in a pocket on the inside rail and did not get an opening until inside the final furlong.
~ The Scribe ~
European Update
Top French colt Bago, winner of the 2004 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, returned successfully with victory in the grade one Prix Ganay at Longchamp and was then sent to Ireland to contest the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh. This ten furlongs race attracted a small but select field including Budweiser Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow, Azamour and Norse Dancer winner and runner up in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Ballydoyle trained pair Ace and Solskjaer.
England's Phoenix Reach, winner of the Canadian International, and Ireland's star older filly Alexander Goldrun competed in the International Singapore Airlines Cup at Kranji and while both ran up to form they had to settle for the minor positions behind multiple Australian grade one winner Mummify.
Towards the end of last season we pointed to the success of relatively new sire Giant's Causeway and his influence is increasing all the time with Shamardal leading the way while another of his progeny Maids Causeway was runner up in the English 1,000 Guineas.
Kingmambo, a son of Mr Prospector, is also hitting the headlines as he is sire of Virginia Waters and on the day she won the Newmarket classic the sire was also responsible for two other grade winners.
Godolphin's Dubawi which proved very disappointing in the English 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket bounced back in tremendous style in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on May 21st with a comfortable two lengths victory over Oratorio with Democratic Deficit back in third place.
Sheikh Mohammed was unusually emotional after the race saying “we always knew he was a champion and we never found out what was wrong with him in Newmarket". The colt may now go for the Epsom Derby or the French Derby much will depend on how the other top Godolphin colts fare in the lead in to the big classic.
Aidan o'Brien was happy with Oratorio and commented "the winner was very good but my fellow came home strongly and he is still a possible for the Epsom Derby".
The Irish 1,000 Guineas produced a tremendous finish with only two lengths covering the first six home. Virginia Waters and Maids Causeway, first and second in the English1,000 Guineas finished just behind the placed horses with victory going to Saoire.
This filly is the first Irish classic winner to be trained by a female and the honour went to Frances
Crowley, a sister in law of Aidan o'Brien. Saoire was sixth in Newmarket on her previous outing but appreciated the softer going and the tougher Curragh track.
Grey Swallow, winner of the Irish Derby last year, gained a narrow victory in the grade 1 Tattersalls
Gold Cup with the French challenger Bago second just ahead of Ace and Azamour. The latter was unlucky in running and will be hard to beat in his future races while Dermot Weld will pick a couple of European races for Grey Swallow before heading for a Belmont Park race in preparation for the end of year Breeders Cup race at the same venue.
Stampede Park Stakes Recap
Saturday, April 30 - Monday, May 23, 2005
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Sprint Championship Handicap - 4yr-olds&Up $50,000
Winner: Chief Mtn
Owner: Bear Stables Ltd.
Trainer: Dale Greenwood
Jockey: Frank Gonsalves
Breeder: Patricia Murphy
Pedigree: Knight in Savannah - Captains Fortune, by The Captain
Sunday, May 1, 2005
M.R. Jenkins Memorial Handicap
- 4yr-olds&Up Fillies & Mares
$50,000
Winner: Stole One
Owner: Lola McCarthy & Ole Nielson
Trainer: Sturat Simon
Jockey: Chris Loseth
Breeder: Brereton Jones &
Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Kuster
Pedigree: Pembroke - One Twenty One, by Devils Bag
Saturday, May 7, 2005
President’s Handicap - 3yr-old Colts & Geldings $50,000
Winner: Golden Hunt
Owner: Stanley Ryan
Trainer: Greg Tracy
Jockey: Real Simard
Breeder: John Franks
Pedigree: Gold Alert - Insearchofgold, by Herat
Sunday, May 8, 2005
Mount Royal Handicap - 3yr-old Fillies $50,000
Winner: Rumbeau Ruckus
Owner: Abed Itani
Trainer: Tim Rycroft
Jockey: Ricky Walcott
Breeder: GordonAlgerinSK
Pedigree: Vilzak - Rumbeau, by Beau Genius
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Teeworth Plate Handicap - 3yr-olds & Up $50,000
Winner: Blowin in the Wind
Owner: Forster Stable
Trainer: David Forster
Jockey: Robert Skelly
Breeder: David Forster in KY
Pedigree: Dumaani - Stray, by Wander Kind
Monday, May 23, 2005
Ken Pearson Memorial Handicap
- 3yr-old Fillies & Mares
$50,000
Winner: Summer Symphony
Owner: Janis Whitham
Trainer: David Forster
Jockey: Quincy Welch
Breeder: Janis R. Whitham in KY
Pedigree: Summer Squall - Second Symphony, by Mining
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Did You Know...
That on May 18 Churchill Downs placed more than 100 horses under quarantine after two horses had to be euthanized and were confirmed to of had
the highly contagious disease, equine herpes.
The barns of trainers Ronny Werner, Steve Asmussen, Paul McGee and Bill Cesare, were effected by the quarantine which includes the horse, Don’t Get Mad, who was fourth in the Kentucky Derby.