A round up of all the action for the Darley stallions over the past week
Mary Tudor reigns at Navan
The first crop of Dawn Approach have hit their strides in the past couple of weeks through a brace of Stakes-winning fillies. Last Sunday in France, Musis Amica remained unbeaten in the G3 Prix de la Grotte and seven days later it was the turn of Mary Tudor to win her first Stakes race.
Lining up in the Listed Salsabil Stakes at Navan, the G2-placed juvenile Mary Tudor was always travelling smoothly and, after waiting for a gap in the straight, ran on really well to win by over two lengths. Registering her first career victory, this was a perfect start to the season for the Godolphin-owned filly who is now likely to head to the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Earlier in the card, Dawn Approach’s second-crop daughter Mater Matuta almost made a perfect start to her racing career when getting caught on the line in the five-furlong maiden. A granddaughter of the G1-winner Nadia, this was a very promising debut and with normal progression she could be a top prospect.
Standing at a fee of €20,000, no other stallion can beat Dawn Approach’s number of two Stakes-winning three-year-olds in Europe this season.
2,000 Guineas next for Greenham winner James Garfield
Exceed And Excel’s son James Garfield booked his ticket to the 2,000 Guineas when taking the G3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, 21 April. A high-class juvenile who won the G2 Mill Reef Stakes over the same course, he showed great tenacity to beat the highly regarded Expert Eye with New Approach’s impressive-looking Hey Gaman a very close third.
Looking forward to his first Classic runner, trainer George Scott was full of praise for his charge, saying “It’s his attitude that sets him apart, he just has this will to win. He is so tough.”
This was the second impressive three-year-old for Exceed And Excel in the past seven days after his debutant Aurum, who made a blistering start to his career when recording a Timeform rating of 90 to win the seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket.
Champion three-year-old returns in style
Helmet’s impressive son Anda Muchacho, Italy’s Champion three-year-old of 2017, returned to the track in successful style on Saturday when easily disposing of 12 rivals in the Premio Altieri, a conditions race run over 1,700m.
The winner of five Stakes races in 2017, including the G2 Premio Roma and the G3 Premio Parioli, he has now won seven of his eight career starts with his only defeat coming in the Italian Derby when he was a non-staying third.
Earlier in the week, Helmet’s three-year-old son Finniston Farm marked himself as one to follow when running second in the Listed European Free Handicap at Newmarket’s Craven meeting. Making his seasonal debut, the lightly raced colt took a while to find his stride before storming up the hill to finish second to Anna Nerium (Dubawi).
Exciting times
Dubawi’s current three-year-old crop are from his first £100,000 fee and this past week, there have been no less the six exciting winners for this generation.
The highlight came on Wednesday when he sired a treble at Newmarket through his daughters Soliloquy in the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes (recording a Timeform rating of 111), Anna Nerium in the Listed European Free Handicap (Timeform 109) and his progressive son Old Persian in a high-class handicap (Timeform 110).
A day later on the Tapeta at Newcastle, the John Gosden trained Emaraaty made an impressive seasonal debut when finishing six lengths clear of his rivals. Holding a 2,000 Guineas entry, he was thought good enough to run in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes last season on the back of a Newbury maiden triumph.
There are not many better-bred horses in training than Lah Ti Dar (out of three-time G1W Dar Re Mi and a sister to So Mi Dar) and the Oaks certainly looks on the agenda after she made a sensational career debut at Newbury on Friday when beating 13 rivals by upwards of six lengths. Simon Marsh, racing manager to Lord Lloyd Webber, suggested she will now head to an Oaks trial, saying “She couldn’t have done that any better and Frankie (Dettori) loved her.”
On Saturday, Godolphin’s Ghostwatch broke his maiden on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. Appreciating the step up to a mile and a half, this relative of Hernando looks a progressive type over middle distances this season.
With G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Wild Illusion, G3 Autumn Stakes winner Ghaiyyath and four unbeaten very promising maiden winners yet to hit the track in 2018, it is exciting times ahead for Dubai Millennium’s best son.
New Approach Classic crop start to dazzle
It was a very good week for New Approach and his Classic aspirations were boosted by Masar’s runaway victory in the G3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday (pictured). Recording a mammoth Timeform rating of 123 (the highest three-year-old rating on turf this season), he made all the running to win with exceptional ease by nine lengths.
Not beaten far when a close third in the G3 Greenham Stakes on Saturday, fellow New Approach colt Hey Gaman recorded a rating of 111 on his three-year-old debut, his best ever. James Tate's charge always looked likely to improve for the winter and this was a tremendous first effort of the season.
The Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket is steeped in history and on Thursday Sawwaah made a lovely winning debut to win by two lengths. A relative of Bahri and out of the Cape Cross mare Mudaaraah, trainer Owen Burrows compared him to Harbinger (who he was involved with when Sir Michael Stoute's assistant trainer) after his triumph.
New Approach is covering this season at a fee of £30,000 Oct 1, SLF.
