Charlie Appleby and Godolphin are used to dining at the top table and by their lofty standards, the first part of the season has not been an easy one.
Though Godolphin took a Classic when Mawj landed the 1000 Guineas for Saeed bin Suroor, the royal blue silks have not been seen with regularity in many of the top races.
Though Appleby’s 28 per cent strike-rate is among the best, with 52 winners from 185 runners this year, his yard had an unusually disappointing Royal Ascot with no winners from 18 runners.
However, he remains confident the tide will turn and with some smart juveniles already unveiled, has high hopes Sheikh Mohammed’s operation will thrive in the coming months.
“At the end of the day, you play the cards your are dealt with,” said Appleby.
“As we know, at the back end of last year, we didn’t have a champion two-year-old.
“That will always show in terms of three-year-olds, needless to say. If you are not in the first three in the Dewhurst, National Stakes, Futurity Trophy or Fillies’ Mile, you are not, realistically, going to be bang there in the Classic picture the following year, and that’s where we were.”
He went on: “It is nothing to worry about 100 per cent. Ascot was one bad week.
“At the end of the day, we have a team who have a system in place and we know it works. The most important thing is to keep a good, steady hand on the tiller.
“I’m happy with the way the two-year-olds are progressing and we knew we would have to place the three-year-olds in the races we knew where, hopefully, they would be the most competitive. The Classics were not realistically our target.”
On Saturday at Newmarket, he unleashed Dance Sequence, who looked a filly of immense promise. The strapping daughter of Dubawi could develop into a Classic contender next season, following her eyecatching success in a fillies’ maiden.
Appleby is also looking forward to running Ancient Wisdom, a Dubawi colt who won by five lengths on debut at Haydock and then followed up under James Doyle in a seven-furlong novice race at Newmarket last week.
Appleby said: “I’m very pleased with him. He is two from two. I brought him up here (Newmarket) with a mindset obviously towards the Superlative Stakes, just to gain course experience.
“The ground was quick enough that day, James felt. He has a bit of a knee action on him and he has a pedigree, as you know.
“He is going to be a next-year horse. I am not going to be forcing him to come here again.
“But if conditions and himself are right, we’ll be here for the Superlative. If not, we will look towards Sandown for the Solario.
“A race I have in my mind for him, which is a race we have used many times for our nice two-year-olds, is the National Stakes. That is what I am working back from.”
Imperial Emperor won a maiden on his debut on the Rowley Mile course last October and made a winning return to action in a mile novice on the July Course last week.
A late developer, he also appears a promising type with plenty to look forward to as a four-year-old next year.
“I was delighted with him off a long lay-off,” said Appleby. “He is a horse who has had to be managed well by the team there.
“We toyed whether he was a mile or a mile-and-a-quarter horse.
“On what we’ve seen so far, we’re happy to stick to the mile and therefore we will aim towards the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes before we start stepping him up.
“He has a page, a pedigree that would suggest going further. He will be a nice horse and is definitely one for next year, we hope.”
Dazzling Star was another recent winner for the Moulton Paddocks handler.
She stepped up on her Kempton debut to score in style in a six-furlong fillies’ maiden at Newmarket on Friday evening.
“We were very happy with her and was pleased with her performance,” said Appleby.
“She has been a filly at home who has pleased us one morning and disappointed us the next. She is a bit like that. We got back on track with her on Friday.”
Meanwhile, Great Truth, another son of Dubawi who took apart a Leicester novice field by five and a half lengths and more on debut, looks another colt full of potential.
“Very pleased with that first run,” added the trainer. “A first foal out of Beyond Reason, a filly we know.
“He has come out of the race well, but we haven’t got a go-to race at the moment.
“Whether we go down a novice route or step him up into something a little bit punchier, we’ll see.
“We have a nice bunch of two-year-olds and there is plenty to look forward to. There’s certainly nothing to worry about.”
Owner John Deer has revealed his desire to try to win the Prix de l’Abbaye for a third time following Saint Lawrence’s Royal Ascot triumph.
Although a regular in some of the best sprinting contests over the past few seasons, the son of Al Kazeem was scoring for the first time since landing the Denford Stakes during his two-year-old days when storming to Wokingham glory – the last leg of a treble for Archie Watson and Hollie Doyle at the big meeting.
It was also Saint Lawrence’s first run for Lambourn-based Watson and having credited former handler Roger Varian for his input regarding the five-year-old’s switch from Newmarket, Deer – who enjoyed Prince of Wales’s Stakes glory with Al Kazeem – is keen to leave future plans to Watson.
“To have won twice there is quite fantastic really,” said Deer of his latest trip to the Royal Ascot winner’s enclosure.
“Roger Varian was very good and without any prompting suggested that perhaps a change of scenery might benefit the horse. Who knows, but there was a hell of an improvement. That improvement may have come with Roger in Newmarket, no one will ever know, but from my point of view it was sensational really.
“There has been such a change now in his performance that I’m just going to leave it (running plans) to his trainer and hope for the best!”
It was somewhat appropriate that Saint Lawrence should win the Wokingham for Deer, with the owner-breeder having seen his Averti withdrawn at the start when fancied for the race in 1996 and like the William Muir-trained sprinter, Deer hopes Saint Lawrence will one-day carry his colours at ParisLongchamp on Arc day.
He explained: “Many many years ago I had a very good horse called Averti with William Muir and he was supposed to be favourite for the Wokingham.
“He had been in the stalls for a long time and the horse that came in next to him played up and Averti got frightened or something and he was pulled out and didn’t run. That was a pity because he was a lovely horse and deserved a big race like that.
“He went on to be second in the Abbaye (in 1998) and then subsequently Patavellian (2003) and Avonbridge (2005) went on to win that race, so I think I have got close to breeding three of them.
“I would love to win the Abbaye again and he would be a candidate. Whether he goes this year I don’t know, but if he didn’t I would want him to go next year.”
Half centuries from Stafanie Taylor and Chinelle Henry spurred the West Indies Women to a six-wicket victory over Ireland and a 2-0 win in the three-match CG United One Day International series at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia on Saturday.
Winning the toss and batting first, Ireland posted 203 all out in 50 overs. The star of the Irish innings was Gaby Lewis, who was stranded on 95 not out from 121 deliveries.
Lewis shared a 50-run partnership with Cara Murray which proved crucial in steadying the ship after Ireland had lost quick wickets.
Afy Fletcher 10-0-37-3 and Shamilia Connell 4-0-16-2 kept the Irish batters in check.
In response, the West Indies Women started their innings shakily, losing a few early wickets.
However, it was Stafanie Taylor who once again rescued her side. She notched her 40th ODI half-century while showcasing her experience and composure in a challenging situation.
Taylor found a reliable partner in Chinelle Henry, who carried on her good form from the first ODI, hitting her second consecutive half-century.
Together, they put on a match-winning 104-run partnership, steering their team to a comfortable victory with 8.4 overs to spare.
This was captain Hayley Matthews first series win.
“I’m happy that we were able to get over the line in a series that we were looking to dominate,” she said.
“We earned valuable ICC Women’s Championship points, Stafanie is back in form and Chinelle is coming into her own along with debuts from our youngsters, I’d say those are some serious positives we can take away from this series.
“We all knew the potential Chinelle has and what we have been expecting from her, it’s great to see her scoring runs and I know there’s more to come.”
Taylor was awarded Player of the Match for her outstanding knock of 79 not out under pressure, while the Player of the Series was given to Hayley Matthews for her all-round performance.
The two teams will now switch to the shorter format when the three-match T20 International series starts on Tuesday at the same venue. All matches will start at 5pm Eastern Caribbean time (4pm Jamaica time).
T20 International Series:
All matches start at 5pm Eastern Caribbean Time (4pm Jamaica Time)
Tuesday 4 July: 1st T20I
Thursday 6 July: 2nd T20I
Saturday 8 July: 3rd T20I
Derby-winning jockey Martin Dwyer has announced his retirement from the saddle having failed to recover from a serious knee injury.
Dwyer has been on the sidelines since March 2022 due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
The Liverpudlian has undergone several surgeries on his knee but they have failed to offer enough improvement to enable him to return to the saddle.
Dwyer rode over 1,500 winners and partnered Sir Percy to Derby glory for Marcus Tregoning in 2006.
“It’s tough saying it out loud, I’ve got my head around it, I’ve known for quite a while now I’ve been struggling with the injury,” Dwyer told Racing TV.
“I’ve thrown the kitchen sink at the rehab. I went to see the surgeon again when I had another operation two months ago and he said it’s not going to be stable enough or strong enough to ride professionally.
“It is what it is and I’ve just got to get on with it.
“It’s been tough, obviously. I’ve been in pain for a long time, it just throbs constantly but I’ve been in good hands and the team at Oaksey House have been brilliant.”
Looking ahead to the future, he said: “I’m getting back to some normality but I’ve just got to accept my career is over and I’ve just got to get on with things. It’s tough because I’m not finishing on my terms.
“I’d like to go out like Frankie (Dettori) and do a world tour, but I’d probably be at Wolverhampton and Southwell!
“It’s been a tough year or so, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter. It’s been a journey that has been unbelievable.”
As well as winning the Derby, Dwyer also won the Oaks in 2003 on Andrew Balding’s Casual Look and took the King Edward VII Stakes, Great Voltigeur and Coronation Cup on Pyledriver, trained by his father-in-law, William Muir.
Jason DaCosta's Mamma Mia, the 1000 Guineas winner, and Richard Azan's 2000 Guineas conqueror Mojito, were both hunting what would have been the second jewel in the Triple Crown series, but Thalita, also conditioned by DaCosta, spoiled the party, as she copped the 97th running of the Jamaica St Leger in commanding fashion on Saturday.
By virtue of this victory in the native-bred three-year-old Futurity contest over 10 furlongs (2,000m), Thalita prolonged punters wait to witness another Triple Crown triumph at Caymanas Park, since Supreme Soul's feat in 2019, and it was a joy for DaCosta.
Sent off at 9-1 in a 12-horse field, Thalita, partnered with leading rider Reyan Lewis came from behind competitors in an exciting stretch run to win by a comfortable six-length margin.
DaCosta will now have to decide on whether to run the Carlton Watson-owned filly in the Jamaica Oaks at the same distance or the blue riband Jamaica Derby over 12 furlongs (2,400m).
"My two fillies are pretty close in ability and both horses couldn't win so we had to come up with a plan where one goes to the lead and take the pressure and the other came off the pace. So, it worked out well and this one is ranked high in my achievements because nobody gave us a chance, everybody was talking about one horse Mojito and rightly so, so it's a good feeling to beat the odds-on favourite in a race like this," DaCosta said in a post-race interview.
At the off, it was Mamma Mia (Phillip Parchment) that expectedly dictated terms with Princess Sharon (Youville Pinnock), Thalita and Sensational Move (Shamaree Muir), all in a tight bunch heading into the clubhouse turn.
On the back stretch Mamma Mia and Princess Sharon continued their duel up front, with Huntsman (Raddesh Roman) and Mojito (Dane Dawkins), moving into striking positions, however, the latter who broke from the number one draw was bogged down on the inside rail and, as such, had no space for a run as the tempo increased.
When Mamma Mia and Princess Sharon made their moves and opened up a gap leaving the half mile, Thalita came knocking at the door and by the time they turned for home, the Soul Warrior-Luminous Trieste charger briskly swept by Princess Sharon and from there it was a matter of how far she would win, as the big favourite Mojito was nowhere to be seen.
Money Miser (Tevin Foster) closed well to snatch second from Princess Sharon, with Rhythm Buzz (Anthony Thomas) in fourth. Mamma Mia and Mojito placed fifth and eighth, respectively.
Thalita covered the distance in 2:11.0, behind splits of 24.1, 51.1, 1:15.4 and 1:41.4.
It was the second winner on the card for Lewis, who earlier won aboard Zabratone in the ninth race for trainer Nicholas Smith.
Dane Dawkins was the pick among the riders as the champion jockey tallied three winners on the 10-race card, following the abandonment of the second race.
Dawkins partnered Secret Traveller for trainer Robert Ffrench in the fifth race; Atomica for trainer Gary Subratie in the supporting feature Clovis Metcalfe Trophy; and God of Love for trainer Rowan Mathie in the Midnight Angel Trophy.
Meanwhile, trainer Lawrence Freemantle topped his peers on the day with two winners. He saddled the Love of God (Javaniel Patterson) in the first race and Shadowfax (Raddesh Roman) in the third race.
The squads for the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have been announced with all local and overseas players for the 2023 tournament now confirmed. The Massy WCPL gets underway in Barbados on 31 August with the final taking place in Trinidad on 10 September.
The star-studded squads feature the best players from across the Caribbean, including Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor. There will also be overseas players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and India with some of the best international cricketers appearing in an expanded Massy WCPL.
New Zealanders Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Fran Jonas will be playing at the 2023 Massy WCPL. They will be joined by Australians Laura Harris and Amanda-Jade Wellington. South Africans Dane van Niekerk, Mignon de Preez and Shabnim Ismail will also be at the 2023 event.
Shreyanka Patil becomes the first Indian to play at the WCPL with Ireland players Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis rounding out the overseas players list.
Barbados Royals: Hayley Matthews, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Chinelle Henry, Rashada Williams, Jannillea Glasgow, Chedean Nation, Vanessa Watts, Qiana Joseph, Trishan Holder, Jahzara Claxton, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Harris, Gaby Lewis, Amanda-Jade Wellington
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Stafanie Taylor, Karishma Ramharack, Natasha McLean, Shermaine Campbelle, Shakiba Gajnabi, Shakera Selman, Sheneta Grimmond, Kaysia Schultz, Suzie Bates, Shabnim Ismail, Shreyanka Patil, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Ashmini Munisar, Djenaba Joseph, Sophie Devine
Trinbago Knight Riders: Deandra Dottin, Shamilla Connell, Anisa Mohammed, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Britney Cooper, Zaida James, Lee-Ann Kirby, Carena Noel, Samara Ramnath, Shunelle Sawh, Orla Prendergast, Mignon du Preez, Dane van Niekerk, Fran Jonas
Following the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft the teams for the 2023 tournaments have been confirmed. Four teams have one more overseas player they can sign with these names to be announced before the tournament gets underway on 16 August in Saint Lucia.
The 2023 tournament will feature matches in Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana with the final taking place at the National Stadium, Providence on 24 September.
The 2023 tournament will feature the best players from across the Caribbean and some of the most exciting cricketers from around the world. With the likes of Rilee Rossouw, Imad Wasim, Imran Tahir, Mohammad Amir and Naveen ul Haq taking part in the tournament this year, fans can expect high octane cricket in front of the vibrant crowds that have made the Republic Bank CPL what it is today.
Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Rilee Rossouw, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Martin Guptill, Jayden Seales, Matheesha Pathirana, Mark Deyal, Chadwick Walton, Terrance Hinds, Kadeem Alleyne, Jaden Carmichael
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Maheesh Theekshana, Rassie van der Dussen, Alick Athanaze, Obed McCoy, Kevin Wickham, Roelof van der Merwe, Akeem Jordan, Rahkeem Cornwall, Donovan Ferreira, Justin Greaves, Joshua Bishop, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, Ramon Simmonds
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Shrefane Rutherford, Dominic Drakes, Sheldon Cottrell, George Linde, Yannic Cariah, Oshane Thomas, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Jyd Goolie, Izharulhaq Naveed, Kofi James, Joshua da Silva, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne
St Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis, Johnson Charles, Dasun Shanaka, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase, Jair McAllister, Sikandar Raza, Peter Hatzoglou, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Roshon Primus, Jeavor Royal, Sadrack Descarte, Khary Pierre, Leonardo Julien, Matthew Forde, Kimani Melius, McKenny Clarke
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Azam Khan, Shai Hope, Gudakesh Motie, Dwaine Pretorius, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair, Keemo Paul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Junior Sinclair
Jamaica Tallawahs: Imad Wasim, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Mohammad Amir, Naveen-ul-Haq, Chris Green, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, Hayden Walsh Jr, Raymon Reifer, Amir Jangoo, Steven Taylor, Shamar Springer, Nicholson Gordon, Kirk McKenzie, Joshua James
William Buick is ever confident he can retain the jockeys’ title he won for the first time last year, following a Newmarket treble on Saturday.
The champion was in fine form, booting home Star of Mystery and debutant Dance Sequence for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby and completed a hat-trick when coming with a late rattle to get the William Haggas-trained Royal Charter up in the dying strides of the mile fillies’ handicap.
Having run away with the title last season with 157 winners – 66 more than his closest rival – he now has to contend with former champion Oisin Murphy, who missed last term when suspended.
Murphy is neck and neck in the race for the title, having been in double form at Newcastle with Batal Dubai for Harry and Roger Charlton and Nobel for Andrew Balding.
But Buick is relishing the challenge to retain the crown and said: “It will be a ding-dong. Nothing changes.
“It is a long way to go, but you just go and do your best every day and hope you knock a few in.”
Paddy Power make it a two-horse race, with Murphy at 8-11 and Buick even-money, with Tom Marquand next best at 20-1.
Murphy partnered winners for 38 different trainers for his last championship in 2021, but Buick feels he is in pole position and added: “I’d be pretty confident (of winning the title). You have got to be consistent.
“I’m in a very privileged position with Godolphin, obviously, and the jockeys’ championship is something that I am going for.
“It’s always difficult, but I managed to balance it well last year and hopefully I’ll do it again this year.
“It will be a fascinating battle. I think it is what the sport wants. It’s good. It’s going to be good fun.”
Jaydon Hibbert and Julien Alfred took a big step towards winning the 2023 Bowerman Award after coming out on top in the USTFCCCA Membership Vote as well as The Bowerman Fan Vote, respectively.
Hibbert and Alfred both get two first-place votes toward their overall tally.
More than 35,000 votes were tabulated in The Bowerman Fan Vote over the past 48 hours, marking the third consecutive year with such a turnout.
The order of the Men’s Fan Vote and the USTFCCCA Membership Vote were identical: Hibbert at the top, followed by Leo Neugebauer and Kyle Garland.
The Women’s Fan Vote and USTFCCCA Membership Vote both had Alfred at the top, while Jasmine Moore and Britton Wilson switched places between them.
Godolphin may have had limited guns to fire in this season’s Classics, yet Charlie Appleby can start to look ahead to next season with Dance Sequence, who was foot-perfect on her debut in the Blandford Bloodstock Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.
The imposing daughter of Dubawi showed immense promise in seven-furlong contest under William Buick, settling the 5-6 favourite at the back of the field before powering home on the far rail to score by half a length from Upscale.
The victory margin did not do justice to her superiority and Paddy Power and Betfair installed her at 33-1 for the next season’s 1000 Guineas.
“The mindset, although she was favourite, sometimes you want to be nearer to the fore than at the back,” said Appleby.
“William and I both were in agreement, she is a filly for the future and ride her to do it the right way round.
“William just rode her with a lot of confidence. She was a bit green early doors anyway, and she wouldn’t have done very much of that at home to be fair to her.
“There will be a marked improvement from that. To come off the pace like that, you can probably mark that performance up a little bit more, so that was a pleasing debut.”
Race The Wind, the other Godolphin runner in the six-strong field, finished fourth in the contest.
Appleby added: “The other filly would have been more forward than this one, but the winner is the classier filly.
“I was pleased with the way she picked up to come off the pace there. She is a filly who will get the mile at the backend of the season, for sure.
“She has an intelligent head on her and plenty of scope.”
Asked whether she would be one of the better ones at Moulton Paddocks, he laughed: “We don’t know how high up she is in the pecking order – we have just started opening the box up!
“But, yes, she is one of the better ones. The attributes are there. She is a Dubawi, she’s got the scope, the pedigree and she has apparently got the engine, to date.
“There is a big step to go to the Guineas, but it’s a good start. She has a lovely attitude. You like them to do it like that – she’s learned plenty today and it is all very well winning by 10 lengths but you don’t learn very much.”
Former jump jockey Robert Thornton sports a beard these days – “It’s so no one can recognise me”, he quipped – and was on hand to see Buick record a treble on the card when Royal Charter took the Racing TV Fillies’ Handicap.
The William Haggas-trained three-year-old had showed up well at Haydock last time and stayed on stoutly to score by a neck from Chealamy as the 2-1 favourite.
Thornton, racing manager for Apple Tree Stud, who own the daughter of Expert Eye, said: “She has won two now and hopefully she is progressive, but we are just going to have to mind her because she is quite hot.
“We will look after her and let her progress. Small steps, with a view to looking at Listed races at the end of the season. Something like that would be Plan A.”
Following Audience’s success in the Group Three Criterion Stakes, John and Thady Gosden completed a double when Spring Fever romped to a five-lengths success in the Mr Adrian Austin Memorial Filles’ Handicap in the hands of Robert Havlin.
A winner on her handicap debut at Redcar, she was a fair runner-up at Salisbury and easily justified 8-15 favouritism.
Havlin said: “She got into a lovely rhythm and there was no pace, so I let her get on with it.
“She has got a good turn of foot and I was able to sit on her to the three (furlong marker) and she quickened up between the three and two and put it to bed.
“She seems to be improving and she likes summer ground as well.”
Mashhoor was the beneficiary of a fine ride from Ben Coen as he put his race-fitness to good use and made all to claim the Paddy Power International Stakes.
Johnny Murtagh’s five-year-old arrived at the Curragh in fine form having followed up a victory in a Cork handicap by securing Listed honours in the 12-furlong Orby Stakes at the Kildare track most recently.
However, he faced a stiff task dropping back to 10 furlongs for this Group Three assignment, with Joseph O’Brien’s Group One-winning Al Riffa the 5-6 market leader on his return from a 293-day absence and Aidan O’Brien’s Alfred Munnings another well-fancied runner following a layoff.
Coen was keen to make Mashhoor’s fitness and proven stamina count, and immediately sent his mount to the front as Al Riffa tracked the pace in second.
And that was how the pair remained for the rest of the contest, as Coen kept upping the pace and asking questions of those in behind.
Passing the two-furlong pole Dylan Browne McMonagle was pushing away on Al Riffa, while all the time Mashhoor just kept extending his advantage over the chasing pack and when Coen firmly put the foot down in the closing stages, the willing son of Kingman drew further clear to finish just shy of five lengths clear at the line.
Former Gaelic footballer Tommy Dowd is part of the syndicate that own the winner, and Murtagh said: “It’s really very special when Tommy Dowd comes to you in the parade ring and says ‘I’m more nervous now than I was on all-Ireland day’. I said ‘ah come on, sure we don’t have anything to do any more – it’s up to Ben now’.
“In fairness to the horse you have to say he has improved immensely. He picked up a little injury last year and I suppose it stood to him this year.
“He’s been very straightforward this year and the races have come for him at the right time.
“There was no pace today and I said to Ben to let him roll along. He’s a leader, he leads the string at home.
“I knew when they turned in that they weren’t going to get to him because he wouldn’t stop. He won over a mile and a half last time. It was a great ride.
“It’s great for a syndicate to rock up on Derby weekend and be competitive in a very competitive Group Three.
“You can see the enjoyment it gives people, racing has that.”
Via Sistina led home a one-two for the British raiders when storming to a Group One triumph in the Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
Trained by George Boughey, the five-year-old arrived in Ireland having seen her impressive Newmarket win over Al Husn franked at Newcastle in the Hoppings Stakes, and the mount of Jamie Spencer was sent off the 6-4 favourite to give the Saffron House handler a first Irish win.
Spencer was in no rush aboard the progressive daughter of Fastnet Rock and had Via Sistina anchored alongside fellow raider, Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert, in the early stages as Trevaunance and Above The Curve disputed matters at the head of proceedings.
There was little change in the order until the runners straightened for home, when both Ronan Whelan aboard Stay Alert and the big-race favourite began to plot a route to the front and it was Via Sistina who made the eyecatching progress when shown daylight by Spencer.
With energy to burn she was soon alongside Above The Curve disputing the lead with a furlong to run and although hanging right and causing interference to both the Rosscarbery and the eventual third Above The Curve in the process of making her challenge, she was full of running at the finish as she crossed the line with a two-length advantage over Stay Alert.
A stewards’ inquiry was called due to the interference in the aftermath, but the result remained unaltered as Spencer bagged Group One victories on successive Saturdays following last week’s shock success in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes aboard Khaadem.
He said: “I had a plan to jump smartly, get up behind Ryan (Moore, on Above The Curve) third or fourth. She didn’t jump and my first thing was to get out and don’t get stuck down the fence. I was on about Plan E at that stage.
“She leaned in a bit early in the straight and obviously halfway down the straight, but she was much the best. I only had to give her one flick and she had her ears pricked the last furlong.”
As well as a first winner in Ireland for Boughey, it was the first time Via Sistina has struck at the highest level and options look open with Coral going 3-1 from 7-1 for the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, while Paddy Power gave quotes of 5-2 from 4-1 for Newmarket’s Falmouth Stakes and 10-1 for the Yorkshire Oaks.
Delighted owner Stephen Hillen said: “It doesn’t happen like that very often.
“That’s probably as fast a ground as she wants to run on. Jamie said they went really quick, he said he missed the break and was a bit far out of her ground.
“She’s that big she wears a rug for stalls entry and when you wear a rug they are always a bit slow away.
“He was a bit further back than he wanted to be, but he just said when she comes good she’s just much better than them.”
On plans, he said: “She’s very versatile, I think she can go a mile to a mile and a half. She likes going in a straight line as well so she could go to the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
“After that there is the Nassau and she’ll be in most of the big races. She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks and the International at York.
“You wouldn’t be risking her on anything with ‘firm’ in it.”
Aidan O’Brien goes in search of his 100th European Classic as Auguste Rodin attempts to become the first horse since Harzand in 2016 to win at Epsom and follow up in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.
The Deep Impact colt represents one of the Ballydoyle trainer’s greatest achievements as he brought him back from finishing almost last in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket to win the Derby in style at Epsom.
With runner-up King Of Steel winning the King Edward VII Stakes and Hong Kong-bound Derby sixth Waipiro taking the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot, Auguste Rodin’s form looks rock solid and he is understandably long odds-on to follow up.
“The Derby seems to be working out well, which is nice,” said O’Brien.
“We’re very happy with our horse, everything has gone well since Epsom and the Derby so we are looking forward to seeing him run again.
“It gave everybody a lot of satisfaction, what he did at Epsom, not just me. We always thought he could do something like that, but you can never be sure.
“Obviously the world was always thought of him and we were delighted that he could go and put that Guineas run behind him.”
O’Brien also runs Adelaide River, Covent Garden, Peking Opera and San Antonio, but they are all big prices behind Ryan Moore’s mount, who incredibly is still searching for a first Irish Derby winner.
In fourth place at Epsom was Jessica Harrington’s Sprewell, who may have finished slightly closer with a clearer run.
“He was unlucky at Epsom, he was in the right position at the right time but three fancied horses in front of him stopped dead for various reasons. He just got brought back and had nowhere to go,” said Harrington.
“There are always bad-luck stories at Epsom, but you’ve got to get over it and get on with the next race.
“He’s got a great attitude and if you’ve got an attitude like that it does help.
“He handled the ground great then, everyone said ‘he’s only a soft-ground horse’ but it wasn’t the fact that I wanted to run him on soft ground, it just happened that the races came up.”
Shane Foley has made it back from a broken collar bone in time to keep up the partnership.
John Murphy’s White Birch was one place ahead of Sprewell, having already won the Ballysax Stakes and finished second in the Dante.
“I was delighted with the run. I think he could have been a bit better as he starts his races quite slowly and then gallops very genuinely,” said Murphy.
“He’s a very sound horse, I don’t think he’s ever had a vet.
“He’s very genuine, but he doesn’t break well and I think he’ll get better as the race goes on.
“He’s lightly-raced still, there’s only so many times you can go to the well but he likes his racing and likes his work – every morning he has a great attitude.”
Joseph O’Brien’s Up And Under finished second to White Birch in the Ballysax and filled the same spot behind Sprewell in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown
“It looks a very good race as you’d expect. He has form line with some of the principals in the race and I think it is fair to assume he could run a good race,” said the trainer.
“Probably it would be wishful to say he could win, but we’re hoping for a good run and we’re looking forward to the race.
“It was a good run at Leopardstown behind Sprewell. He is out of a Galileo mare and we’ll be hopeful he will handle the better ground.
“I suppose when you see Sprewell’s run in the Derby, he really franked the form, so we have a nice horse for the future and we’re looking forward to that.”
Royal Ascot form will be put to the test at the Curragh on Sunday when Bucanero Fuerte attempts to build on his Coventry Stakes third in the GAIN Railway Stakes.
Adrian Murray’s improving colt finished only a length behind the winner River Tiber in what looked a high-class renewal of the Royal meeting’s opening-day contest and now returns to the scene of his impressive maiden victory at the beginning of the campaign in search of a first success in Pattern company.
This comes only 12 days after Bucanero Fuerte’s huge effort at Ascot, but Murray is hopeful the son of Wootton Bassett has recovered sufficiently to give owners Amo Racing a second win in the Group Two contest following the victory of Go Bears Go in 2021.
“We’re very happy with him and hoping for a nice run,” said Murray.
“The only slight concern would be the ground and I guess we wouldn’t mind a drop of rain. We’re hoping the race hasn’t come too quick, but at home he is well and he is telling us he wants to run.”
A win for Murray – who also saddles Lightening Army in the six-furlong event – would provide the Westmeath-based handler with his second big-race success in the space of two weeks following Valiant Force’s Royal Ascot triumph.
“We were happy with him at Ascot (in the Coventry) and he looks like a really nice horse,” continued Murray.
“Ascot was unbelievable and it will be hard to keep it going, but we will give it a try anyway and Bucanero Fuerte is in good form.”
Aidan O’Brien has a fine record in this race and has assembled a three-pronged assault, with Norfolk Stakes fourth His Majesty also returning to the track quickly following arun at the Royal meeting.
The son of No Nay Never brings plenty of solid track experience to the table, having won the Listed First Flier Stakes on debut before going down by half a length in the Marble Hill over course and distance.
“His Majesty is coming back quickly having run at Ascot,” said O’Brien. “He was drawn a little bit on the wrong side in the Norfolk on the day as the winner was on the other side, but he still ran well.
“He seems to be in good form, but of course he hasn’t done much.”
His Majesty is joined in the line-up by Unquestionable, who is the mount of Ryan Moore and followed up a third on debut behind his stablemate in the First Flier Stakes with an impressive track-and-trip romp next time, while Democracy also holds a course victory his name and completes the Ballydoyle-trained trio.
“Unquestionable won his maiden very nicely and we always thought that he would get further and he probably will,” said O’Brien.
“We’ve decided to give him the chance in a Group race over six furlongs before we step him up. Hopefully he’ll run a nice race.”
He added: “Democracy was stepped into a Group race last time out and was a little bit disappointing, but we think he was a little bit keen and just did a little bit too much that day.
“Hopefully he won’t do that again. We know he’s a horse who will stay further in time, but we thought it was worth giving him another chance over this trip in a Group race.”
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