Page 29 - The Game June 2006
P. 29

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, June 2006 29
George Washington easily
justified favouritism when
landing the English 2,000
Guineas but the Irish wonder
colt failed in his attempt to
capture the Irish 2,000 Guineas for which he started at odds on favourite.
The Ballydoyle/Coolmore colt enjoyed the fast ground at Newmarket and having been held up at the back of the field for the first five furlongs of the race he quickly moved through his rivals when given an inch of rein by Kieren Fallon. The combination struck the front approaching the final furlong and nothing ever looked likely causing him any trouble on the run to the line.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien who won the first English classic with Footstepsinthesand in 2005 was hoping that George Washington would emulate Rock Of Gibraltar by completing the classic double but the going at the Curragh on May 27 was very soft and Araafa which had been fourth in Newmarket turned the tables on George Washington.
Araafa gave English trainer Jeremy Noseda his first classic success and he subsequently nominated the St James Palace Stakes Stakes at Royal Ascot as the next target for the son of Mull Of Kintyre which stands at Coolmore.
However, the big Irish outfit would have preferred to see George Washington prevail. He showed signs of temperament at Newmarket by refusing to come back into the winner’s enclosure and at the Curragh he initially refused to leave the parade ring to go to the start.
Two of his stable companions tried to encourage him to accompany them but Fallon’s mount refused until Aidan O’Brien took the colt and walked him out backwards to the course.
In the race George Washington was settled towards the rear but it was obvious that he was not travelling well on the ground with three furlongs to run. Indeed, it was surprising to see him eventually get into second place but he never troubled the winner.
Jockey Kieren Fallon insisted “George Washington will return to himself when he gets fast ground, he did not act on that today and top of the ground horses cannot be expected to run on almost untraceable ground.”
The English 1,000 Guineas saw Rumplestiltskin start favourite with the Ballydoyle fans expecting a big run but the filly came in season on the morning of the race and never got into contention as victory went to Speciosa.
~ The Scribe ~
European Update
This filly is trained by Pam Sly and it was refreshing to see this runner from a small jumping stable come out on top against the best of Ballydoyle and Godolphin . The Godolphin European operation is going through a very bad patch with very few of their runners showing their best form and it now looks likely that they will not even have a runner in the Epsom Derby.
The Irish 1,000 Guineas was won in great style by Dermot Weld’s Nightime which is owned and was bred by his mother Marguerita who is now in her ninetieth year. Confidential Lady which was runner up in the English 1,000 Guineas started as the favourite and ran prominently until two furlongs out where Pat Smullen brought Nightime with a strong run and she kept on strongly to defeat outsider Ardbrae Lady.
The Tattersalls Gold Cup had only three runners facing the starter as the presence of Hurricane Run frightened most of the opposition away. Kieren Fallon had no hesitation setting the pace on this Andre Fabre trained colt which is owned by the Coolmore partnership.
Alexander Goldrun, a four time grade one winner in Ireland and overseas, made a strong challenge two furlongs from home but Hurricane Run had been idling in front and quickened up in tremendous style to race right away in the last two hundred yards.
Hurricane Run was the top rated three- year-old of 2005 and on the evidence of this performance there will be few in the world capable of beating him this season as Fallon reported “He has come together this season and is everything you would want in a horse”.
O’Brien and Fallon have a problem deciding which of the stable’s four probable runners in the Epsom Derby the number one rider will partner. Septimus, winner of the Dante Stakes and Dylan Thomas which captured the Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown look best of the Ballydoyle quartet but of course French colt Visindar has looked pretty smart and cannot be overlooked.
However, the top Irish outfit will know the strength of the French form having captured the 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp with Aussie Rules which came home for a narrow victory over stable companion Marcus Andronicus.
ECTA Award Dinner was a Sell-Out!
The Eastern Canadian Thoroughbred Association (ECTA) held their 23rd Annual Banquet and Awards Night on March 25, 2006 at the Irish Hills Golf and Country Club, Carp Ontario.
This year’s event was a sell-out as association members were treated to an excellent prime-rib dinner as well as a well supported silent auction which featured items such as seasons to Ascot Knight, Whiskey Wisdom and Cat’s at Home, donated by Windfields Farm in Oshawa in support of LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society.
An awards ceremony followed the dinner and trophies were presented to the winners in both racing and performance divisions. This year’s award winners are as follows:
ECTA 2005 AWARD WINNERS RACING
The Windfields Farm Trophy
presented to Top Race Earner for 2005:
Thinking Out Loud (Regal Classic - General Bonnie). Bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack, Thinking Out Loud was the winner of the Coronation Futurity stakes at Woodbine and had total earnings of $209,382 in 2005.
Top Race Earner Reserve 2005:
Questing Knight (Ascot Knight - General Bonnie) was bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack. Questing Knight had earnings of $114,840 racing at Woodbine in 2005.
The Manistee Farm Trophy presented to 2005 Top 2-Yr-Old Earner in 2005:
Thinking Out Loud (Regal Classic - General Bonnie) bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack
Top 2 Year Old Earner Reserve 2005:
Brockport (Crown Attorney - Dixie Rose). Bred and raced by Tony and MaryJane Lamb.
Brockport was the winner of $12,228 in 6 starts at age 2 at Woodbine.
The Diamond Hill Farm Trophy presented to 2005 Top B Track Earner: Golden Nicolas (Gold Legend -
Imperial Miss). Bred by MaryEllen Kennedy.
Golden Nicolas won $32,861 in 2005 racing at Penn National. In 2005 at the age of 9, Golden Nicolas had 12 starts and three wins. He has had 86 starts lifetime and winnings of $315,370.
Top B Track Earner Reserve 2005:
Ashtons Dreams (Storm Boot - Built on Dreams) Bred by M.E. Kennedy and Oakhurst Farm.
Ashtons Dreams ran at Thistledown and Beulah Park in 2005 with three wins and earnings of $31,959.00.
PERFORMANCE
The Bradford Trophy presented to Hunter Champion 2005:
Lone Willow (Nias - Jeannie’s Vice). Owned by Marilyn and Virginia McFadden.
Lone Willow was shown by Virginia McFadden in nine shows in the Ottawa Valley Schooling Show Series and was Reserve Champion Child/Adult Hunter at
the Huntleigh Farms Show.
Reserve Champion Hunter 2005:
No Spare Change (Nias - Jeannie’s Vice). Owned by Marilyn and Virginia McFadden.
This gelding was shown by Virginia McFadden on the Trillium Circuit in the Children’s Hunter and Low Hunter Division and was Reserve Champion Low Hunter at the Westar Trillium Show.
The Fair Dance Trophy presented to Junior Champion 2005:
Open the Door (Siid Bou Said - Cameroll.) Open the Door was shown by Colleen Capello in the Ottawa Valley Schooling Show series in the Hopeful Jumper Series with two firsts and five sec- onds. Open the Door was also shown in the Pre-Training Division of the National Capital Horse Trials Assoc. and was 2005 Senior Champion.
Reserve Jumper Champion 2005:
Late Excelarator, “Late Accelerator” ( Orderofexcellence - Late Rose). Shown by Colleen Capello, Late Excelarator was shown successfully in the Jumper Divison of the schooling shows as Thistle Ridge and Fiddlers Green.
The Oakhurst Farm Trophy pre- sented to Eventing Champion 2005:
Rhodes Scholar (Raj Kapoor - Sports Flashy). Owned by Oakhurst Farm and ridden by Mark Nelson, Rhodes Scholar was shown at the Preliminary Level at 8 events in 2005, winning at the Ottawa and Tandalee Horse Trials.
Eventing Champion Reserve 2005:
Power of Two “Mah’s Dynastay” (Far North - Frosty Winter). Owned by Oakhurst Farm and ridden by Mark Nelson, Power of Two competed success- fully at the Advanced and CCI Intermediate Division in 2005 in both Canada and the USA.
The McKibbon Trophy presented to Line Horse Champion 2005:
Whooo’s So Special (Cavanaghs Special - Lady Whooo). Whooo’s So Special is owned by Shauna Campbell and was shown in both the Canadian Sport Horse Assoc. and Thoroughbred Divisions on the line in 2005 winning four champi- onships including the CSHA Champion Brood/Yeld mare and the Reserve Grand Champion TB Mare at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.
Reserve Line Horse Champion 2005:
Lady Penelope (Rucked - Rollerullah). Owned and shown by Colleen Capello, Lady Penelope was Reserve High Point Thoroughbred at the Ashland Fall Breeders Show.
2005 SPECIAL AWARDS
The Longview Farm Trophy pre- sented to Stallion of the Year 2005:
Yavari (Lefty - You Fool (ARG)). Standing at Ashland Farm, Ashton Ontario and managed by Paul Morgan. Yvari was the sire of Roman K, winner of the 2005 Governor General’s Cup at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto over 54 entries in the class.
CONTINUED PAGE 30 - SEE ECTA AWARDS
Did You Know....
That the purses for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which is being held at Churchill Downs in 2006,
will be hiked to $20 million, up $6 million from 2005.
All eight races will have a purse of no lower than $2 million. In addition, there has been a reduction in entry fees by 0.5% and supplemental fees for horses whose sires weren’t nominated to the Breeders’ Cup have dropped 5%.
The changes are said to have been made due to increasing competition from major races around the world.


































































































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