Page 28 - October 2005 The Game

28 The Game, October 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
KING KINANE
Michael Kinane, who partnered Ballingarry to victory in the Canadian International when he was stable jockey to Aidan o'Brien, split from the powerful Ballydoyle stable two years ago. Since joining up with John Oxx who trains on the Curragh in Ireland, this top class rider has continued to achieve many successes at the highest level.
Although he is approaching the veteran stage of his riding career, he is riding as well as ever and his recent big race victories in England have been achieved through his experience, skill and perfect judgement.
His first season out of the Ballydoyle barn was slow until the Autumn when he landed the grade 1 Baileys Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. As usual there was a small but classy field for this World Series Race including Powerscourt, which had been disqualified after winning the Arlington Million in 2004.
It was obvious that Kinane took delight in beating his former ride as he brought Oxx's Azamour to the narrowest of victories, and of course the same colt has had year continued to dominate the middle distance races in Europe.
Here’s what has been happening the past few months.
June 2005:
Divine Proportions added the French Oaks to her portfolio and maintained her eight race unbeaten run in great style at Chantilly in june. The French filly is one of the best of her sex to have races in Europe in recent years and despite her numerous Grade one wins, she has never had to fully extend herself.
Motivator, easily won the Epsom Derby when the going was perfect for him, but with expected fast going at the Curragh for the Irish Derby, trainer Michael Bell decided to miss out that classic.
Motivator now heads for the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, but unless the going is on the easy side of good, he will have a tough task against some older horses.
Royal Ascot, run at York this year, produced the usual high standard of racing and the very strong French and Irish challenge proved tough for the English horses.
Westerner showed amazing acceleration at the end of the 2 1/2m of the grade one Gold Cup. Olivier Peslier held his mount behind the leaders until inside the final two furlongs, but when he made his move, the French stayer immediately went clear.
The top Irish performance came in the Grade one Prince of Wales Stakes when Azamour got up close home to deny another Irish runner, Ace. The latter is trained by Aidan O'Brien whose season has gone quiet since he took the first two English Classics, but this colt has been unlucky to have come up against the top older horses this season.
Ace and Azamour had been placed behind Grey Swallow and Bago in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and following the victory of Azamour from the stable of John Oxx, the form of the Irish race looks exceptional.
Oxx, who also took another York race with Beautyandthebeast, has the best 10 furlongs horse in Europe but is considering moving up to 12 furlongs in the future with the King George as a possible target or he may go for the Eclipse.
However, Dermot Weld who trains Tattersalls winner Grey Swallow, was delighted with Azamour's victory saying "my colt was not fully fit on his first run of the season, but still beat Azamour and Ace and I am sure the Tattersalls was the best ten furlongs race in Europe so far this season".
Grey Swallow is definitely headed for the King George and his end of season targets may include the Canadian International and the Breeders Cup Turf.
Godolphin's Shamardal beat Hurricane Run in the French Derby and went on to land a Grade one race at York. Shamardal made all the running and quickened clear with 2 furlongs to run.
Hurricane Run than competed in the Budweiser Irish Derby on June 26, having been purchased by John Magnier and Michael Tabor.
~ The Scribe ~
European Update
The French runner justified favoritism to beat Ballydoyle's Scorpion and Shalapour. Jim Bolger's multiple Grade one winner Alexander Goldrun captured the other feature on the Curragh card when outrunning her opponents in the Pretty Polly Stakes.
July 2005:
Irish trainer John Oxx seldom sends his horses to other countries but when he does he is usually successful and when Azamour captured the King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Newbury on July 23 he maintained his 100% strike rate with his overseas runners this season.
Last September the Aga Khan's colt beat a top class field when winning the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and he made his return to action in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May.
He was unlucky in running but finished a close up fourth behind Grey Swallow, Bago and Ace.
However, his recent victory was achieved by reversing the placings with that trio when he easily accounted for Norse Dancer and Bago with the others a long way back . Settled in last place as the leaders set a fierce gallop Azamour cruised along under the experienced Michael Kinane, who rode Ballingarry to win the Canadian International a couple of years ago.
Two furlongs from home he allowed his mount to gradually close on the front runners and having led into the final furlong the partnership eased down in the final 100 yards.
Kinane reported "from my bad draw it was pointless trying to compete in the early part of the race and I decided to let the others go. Azamour was always travelling smoothly and when he hit the front he slowed down - I got there too early".
Nevertheless, Azamour set a new course record for the distance in what is reckoned to be one of the best ever renewals of this grade 1 event. Classic winners such as Grey Swallow and Eswarah never managed to get in a blow at the leaders.
Norse Dancer took the runners up position ahead of Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe winner Bago and now Azamour will return to Leopardstown for another Irish Champion Stakes with the Breeders Cup very much on his agenda later in the season.
Canadian International winner Phoenix Reach was tenth of the twelve runners and will now be given a break. He will return for an Autumn campaign which will include the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in Australia. Aidan o'Brien's Ace finished fifth and will be considered for the upcoming Canadian International but he may alternatively be dropped back down to ten furlongs.
English sprinter Pastoral Pursuits, winner of the grade one July cup at Newmarket, suffered a slight leg injury in that race and it has been decided to retire him to the English National Stud for the 2006 breeding season.
Brilliant French filly Divine Proportions was expected to run in the Prix d'Astarte at Deauville on July 31 having enjoyed a little break and already the Gallic racing community are speaking of her successor. The twice raced unbeaten filly New Girlfriend has impressed top jockey Christophe Soumillon who reckons she could be the new French star.
Aidan O'Brien's Scorpion which was runner up to Hurricane Run in the Irish Derby, is a strong favourite for the English St Leger but following the success of The Geezer in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 26 the favourite can expect stern opposition. The Geezer was runner up to subsequent Derby winner Motivator in the Dante Stakes but disappointed at Epsom. However, on an easier racing surface he came back to his best at Goodwood with a decisive victory over Unfurled.
August 2005:
Azamour came from last to first to land the King
George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting held at York in July.
Numerous grade one winners ensured that this race was run at a very fast gallop but Kinane decided his opponents were going too fast, dropped his mount out to last place from a bad draw and waited until well into the final straight before making his forward move. He judged the effort to perfection and Azamour led into the final furlong to record an emphatic victory over multiple placed grade one performer Norse Dancer with last year's Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe winner Bago back in third place.
Added to his Royal Ascot wins on Azamour in the grade 1 Prince of Wales Stakes, Peeress for Michael Stoute in the grade 2 Windsor Castle Stakes and wins on John Dunlop's Jedburg and Oxx's Beautyandthebeast in handicaps the Irish jockey was then very much in demand for all the top races.
Kinane again grabbed the headlines at Goodwood with visits to the winner's enclosure particularly following his ride on Proclamation in the grade 1 Sussex Stakes. This Jeremy Noseda trained colt will be aimed at the Breeders’ Cup Mile following this narrow victory over the crack filly Soviet Song which lost no fans under conditions which did not suit her.
More recently the Juddmonte International Stakes, the grade one feature at the York August meeting, really lived up to it's name with runners from Ireland, Italy and Japan taking on the best of the British runners.
Amazingly the betting market was dominated by Zenno Rob Roy, easy winner of the rich Japan Cup last December and an absolute legend in his home country, and the Italian colt named Electrocutionist. The race developed into a terrific battle in the last two furlongs as Maraheel, Ace, Norse Dancer and Zenno Rob Roy went head to head.
Just as Japan's hero was gaining the upper hand inside the final 100 yards Kinane produced Electrocutionist with an amazing challenge to snatch the narrowest of victories in the last few strides.Typically cool the Irishman com- mented "my mount would have won more easily if the going had been faster and over a longer distance than the ten furlongs, he would be an ideal runner in the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup Turf looks an obvious target for him".
Never before have there been so many top class older horses running in Europe and there is no doubt that provided they all stay sound the challenge at the Breeders’ Cup meeting in Belmont later in the year will be exceptionally strong from Europe.
There was considerable joy in Ireland following the easy victory of Powerscourt in this year's Arlington Million in which he overcame Kittens Joy and the other top American horses. As Powerscourt does not figure among the top three in europe this season shows the strength of the current European racers.
Aidan o'Brien commented "it was very nice to go back to Arlington and win the race, we had aimed for that since the beginning of the season and the horse has come out of the race in terrific form".
The Ballydoyle trainer's juveniles are again making waves and in particular one called George Washington. He absolutely destroyed his opponents in the grade 1 Independent Wedgwood Stakes at the Curragh coming from last two furlongs out to hit the front at the distance and then stretching clear for an eight lengths victory under a hand ride.
Immediately the English bookmakers made this colt favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas but his stable com- panions Ivan Denisovich and Horatio Nelson have also shown very impressive form and could yet rival their sta- ble companion.
The higher you are, the harder you fall and this great sport can dish out some cruel days as evident when Kinane's great run came to a dramatic end when riding at the Curragh on Saturday, August 20.
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