Cat pounces in Australia
Jungle Cat, a colt by Iffraaj, landed his second G1 of the year when taking the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1,400m at Caulfield. Now unbeaten in four starts in 2018, he swooped late to record a narrow victory under top-weight against seasoned Australian sprinters.
Earmarked for the race after his victory in the Al Quoz Sprint back in March, he was recording his eighth victory in a consistent career that now includes 11 wins or places at Group level, including when beaten just by a nose by Muhaarar in the Gimcrack Stakes at two.
He is one of 23 G1 performers sired by Iffraaj that includes dual European Champion miler Ribchester, unbeaten juvenile and exciting sire Wootton Bassett, G1-winning juvenile fillies Rizeena and Chriselliam, and Antipodean Classic winners Jon Snow, Gingernuts and Turn Me Loose.
Back with a bang
Entering the winter, Ghaiyyath was the number one Derby hope for the Charlie Appleby stable after a G3 triumph in the Autumn Stakes. Injury robbed him of the chance to show his class in May, not that he was needed with Masar’s (New Approach) thrilling victory, but on Sunday he stepped backed on the racecourse for the first time since, easily winning the G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange at Longchamp.
The son of Dubawi tracked the fast early pace set by his stablemate Stage Magic and asserting himself at the top of the straight, ran on very well to record a facile three-length victory with a further two and a half lengths back to third. A fresh horse who is bred on the same cross as Classic winner Night Of Thunder, he holds entries in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Champion Stakes.
Dubawi is enjoying an exceptional year and has sired more Stakes winners (33) and Group winners (23) than any other stallion in the world.
Queen rules in Scotland
Exceed And Excel, famed for siring tough and classy juveniles, was responsible for Saturday’s G3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes winner at Ayr when Queen Of Bermuda continued her upward trajectory for William Haggas.
The winner of the Listed Prix de la Vallee d’Auge at Deauville back in August, this tough and consistent filly has now won four of her eight career starts, under all ground conditions, getting better on each start.
Exceed And Excel is fast approaching 150 individual Stakes winners. Currently sitting just one short, he will join an illustrious list of 15 stallions to have reached that high watermark so far, and just the second sire that originated in Australia.
Kite flies High at Swedish festival
The Festival of Swedish racing was held between Friday, 21 and Sunday, 23 September and one of the major winners on the final day was Manduro’s four-year-old daughter High As A Kite. The winner of the Listed Norsk Derby last season, she added to her Stakes-race haul when taking the one-mile Listed Lanwades Stud Stakes by three quarters of a length.
Manduro has now sired seven Stakes winners this year, in seven different countries. Vazirabad remains France’s premier stayer after victories in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup and Prix Vicomtesse Viguer; three-year-old colt Pharrell landed the G3 Prix Noailles; Time To Choose has won two Stakes races in Italy; Plein Air is a Stakes winner at Santa Anita; Square de Luynes won the Listed Norsk Derby and Duretto landed the Chester Stakes at the start of this month.
Dawn continues to rise
Dawn Approach enjoyed another good week with victories both on the track and in the sales ring.
Hot on the heels of Madhmoon’s thrilling triumph in Leopardstown’s G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes, Dawn Approach has another very promising two-year-old from his second crop after Ideological made a successful winning debut at Kempton Park on Tuesday. Coming from the rear of the field in the one-mile contest, the Roger Varian-trained filly led in the final furlong to win going away by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
Another nice winner for Dawn Approach in the past seven days was his first-crop son Viridorix, who continues to improve under the stewardship of Jean-Claude Rouget, producing his best yet to win a valuable handicap at Chantilly on Friday.
Saturday was SGA’s September Yearling Sale in Milan and Dawn Approach sired the highest-priced lot of the day when his colt out of Snowfield was knocked down to Scuderia Incolinx for €90,000. Heading to the barn of Nicolo Simondi, he is a half-brother to three-time Group winner Voice Of Love (Poet’s Voice) and Stakes-performing juvenile Field Of Roses (Epaulette). He has a further six yearlings selling this week at Fairyhouse.
