Classic aspirations
Dawn Approach looks to have a live Classic prospect through his daughter Musis Amica, the unbeaten winner of the G3 Prix de la Grotte at Longchamp.
Trained by Andre Fabre, she had broken her maiden at Saint-Cloud at the back end of 2017 and making her seasonal debut, impressed with her attitude to be the authoritative one-and-a-quarter-length winner. She will now line up in four weeks' time in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches over the same course and distance.
With Musis Amica hailing from his first crop, Dawn Approach enjoyed his first winner from his second last Friday at Naas when Dadoozdart made a winning debut on soft to heavy going. Trained by Noel Meade, he was strongest late on to win impressively by over two lengths.
Dawn Approach is covering this season at a fee of €20,000 (October 1st, SLF) and interestingly both the above winners were the results of late covers.
Tower comes out on top in Japan
Raven’s Pass’s star juvenile Tower Of London made a perfect start to his three-year-old campaign when winning the G3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin. A G2 winner last season before running a credible third in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes when last seen in December, he was constantly denied a clear run at the top of the straight before running on really well to win a shade cosily. The race can be viewed here.
Raven’s Pass is covering this season at a fee of €10,000 and is developing quite an affinity with mares from the Darshaan line. Tower Of London is out of the Dalakhani mare Snow Pine, with G1 juvenile Steeler and G3-winning filly Kataniya both out of mares by his sire Darshaan, equating to a whopping 30% Group winners to runners.
Pharrell top of the charts at Longchamp
The Prix du Jockey Club beckons for Pharrell after his victory in the G3 Prix Noailles at Longchamp. The son of Manduro was making his seasonal debut on the testing ground, and despite wandering around in the final couple of furlongs, ran on really well to lift his first Group contest.
This was his first attempt at one of France’s major tracks after winning three times as a juvenile at Angers (twice) and La Teste. Manduro is covering this season at Haras du Logis at a fee of €7,000, October 1st SLF.
Heavy no hinderance for Bloomfield
Teofilo’s lightly raced daughter Bloomfield gained a valuable first Black type victory on Sunday when victorious in the Listed Noblesse Stakes at Cork. Run on atrocious ground, she showed great resolution to win by over four lengths from New Approach’s daughter Glamorous Approach.
Making only her fourth career start, she had been placed twice at Stakes level last season after breaking her maiden at the Curragh in June.
A day earlier in Australia, Teofilo’s evergreen son Happy Clapper took his career earnings to over €4,000,000 when running his usual game race finishing third to Winx in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Randwick. In each of his last five starts he has now won or placed at G1 level including victories in the Doncaster Handicap and Canterbury Stakes this season.
Three-year-olds on the rise
Two impressive conditions race winners caught our attention this week, both of whom could have Classic aspirations.
First to salute the judge was the William Haggas trained filly Beshaayir who beat a useful field at Wolverhampton on Monday. Leading home a one-two for her sire Iffraaj, she was winning her second race from three career starts and has a 1,000 Guineas entry at Newmarket.
Fa Ul Sciur, a three-year-old son of Farhh (pictured), has already tasted Stakes success as a juvenile in the Listed Premio Rumon, and he got his Classic season off to the perfect start when easily winning a good Conditions race at Rome. He looks a top prospect for the Italian 2,000 Guineas and Derby.
