September Impresses On Debut
The two-year-old filly was dropped in behind the leaders in fifth by Seamie Heffernan in the early stages of the contest, but crept into contention approaching the home straight and was produced to lead a furlong from home.
The filly, who holds an entry for the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) later in the season, quickened clear in decisive fashion to beat Himmah (Intikhab) by five and a half lengths with Its My Turn (Dream Ahead) a further length and a half behind in third.
September is out of the multiple Group One-winning mare Peeping Fawn (Danehill), who is herself a half-sister to the Group One winner Thewayyouare (Kingmambo).
The Eoghan O’Neill-trained Ardenode (2 g Hellvelyn – Coconut Kisses by Bahamian Bounty) kept his unbeaten record intact when he won the Prix La Fleche (Listed, 1000m) at Maisons-Laffitte on Saturday.
The two-year-old gelding came into the race having made a winning debut over the same course and distance on 6 May, and he showed a good attitude in the closing stages to beat Unfortunately (Society Rock) by a head into second, with Mister Picnic (Penny’s Picnic) a length and a half further behind in third.
At Beverley on Saturday, Chica La Habana (2 f Havana Gold – Esloob by Diesis) booked her ticket to Royal Ascot with an impressive victory in the Hilary Needler Trophy Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (5f).
The Robert Cowell-trained filly, who was purchased for £64,000 by the Cool Silk Partnership / Stroud Coleman Bloodstock from the draft of Hyde Park Stud at the Ascot Two-Year-Old Breeze-Up Sale in April, stormed home from the tail of the field on her debut to win by three quarters of a length.
Cowell said after the race that the filly will be entered in both the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) and the Albany Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ascot next week, though a final decision on her target has yet to be made.
Earlier on the same card, the Mark Johnston-trained Cardsharp (2 c Lonhro – Pure Illusion by Danehill) took out the Brian Yeardley Continental Two-Year-Old Trophy (5f) and looks set to tackle the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot next Thursday.
The colt was quickly away from the stalls under Joe Fanning and made all the running to beat his stablemate Rufus King (Iffraaj) comfortably by two and a quarter lengths.
On the same afternoon at Newmarket, the well-bred Godolphin-raced colt Glorious Journey (2 c Dubawi – Fallen For You by Dansili) made a winning introduction over six furlongs.
The Charlie Appleby-trained colt topped the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2016, selling for 2,600,000 guineas to John Ferguson, and he is the first foal to race out of the Group One-winning mare Fallen For You (Dansili).
He was well positioned throughout under jockey William Buick and showed a good attitude in the closing stages to fend off the China Horse Club-raced Grand Koonta (Dark Angel) by a neck, with the pair pulling a length and a half clear of the Phoenix Thoroughbreds-owned Take Me With You (Scat Daddy).
Three-Year-Olds
The lightly raced Colomano (3 c Cacique – Codera by Zilzal) led home a Markus Klug-trained trifecta in the Oppenheim-Union-Rennen (Gr 2, 2200m) at Cologne on Sunday afternoon.
The progressive colt, who took out the Herzog von Ratibor Rennen (Gr 3, 1700m) at Krefeld as a two-year-old, was ridden with plenty of confidence by Andreas Helfenbein, who was content to sit off the pace at the tail of the field.
Once asked to stretch, he led at the 150 metres and ran on strongly to beat his stablemates Windstoss (Shirocco) and Northsea Star (Sea The Stars) by half a length and two and a quarter lengths respectively.
Colomano now looks likely to tackle the Deutsches Derby (German Derby) (Gr 1, 2400m) at Hamburg on 2 July.
The upwardly mobile Grandee (3 c Lope De Vega – Caravan Of Dreams by Anabaa) won the King George V Cup (Listed, 1m4f) at Leopardstown last Thursday.
The Jessica Harrington-trained colt made all the running in testing conditions to take out the Listed race, beating the well-bred Eziyra (Teofilo) by two and a quarter lengths, with Percy (Kodiac) a further short-head behind in third.
Triticum Vulgare’s (3 c ex Tatamagouche by Sadler’s Wells) victory in the Premio d’Estate (Listed, 1600m) at Milan on Sunday gave his sire Frozen Power (Oasis Dream) his first stakes winner.
The Fabio Saggiomo-trained colt ran on bravely under jockey Germano Marcelli to beat Zubat (Mujahid) by half a length, with Together Again (Pivotal) just a short-neck further behind in third place.
The former Godolphin-raced Frozen Power won the 2010 Mehl Mulhens-Rennen (German 2,000 Guineas) (Gr 2, 1600m) when trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni.
Older Horses
The Andrew Balding-trained Absolutely So (7 g Acclamation – Week End by Selkirk) led in the last strides to take out the John Of Gaunt Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Haydock on Saturday afternoon.
The seven-year-old gelding was well positioned in behind the leaders in the early stages by regular jockey David Probert and improved travelling strongly as the field fanned out in the home straight.
Jallota (Rock Of Gibraltar) moved into the lead just over a furlong from home, but he was run down by half a length inside the final 50 yards by the admirable Absolutely So, with just a neck back to So Beloved (Dansili) in third.
The gelding, who was beaten half a length into third in the Group Three race last season, has now won three times at stakes level for total prize money earnings of £203,768.
French raider Bateel (5 m Dubawi – Attractive Crown by Chief’s Crown) proved a class above her rivals in the Pinnacle Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Haydock on Saturday.
The five-year-old mare won the Fred Archer Stakes (Listed, 1m4f) at Newmarket for her previous trainer David Simcock before being moved to Francis-Henri Graffard at the start of this season, and she was settled at the tail of the field by a confident Richard Kingscote.
The daughter of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) began to pick off her rivals in the home straight, travelling powerfully into a share of the lead just over a furlong out, and she readily put the race to bed with a smart turn of foot to beat the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Dubka (Dubawi) by a length and a half.
The mare could return to Haydock for the Lancashire Oaks (Gr 2, 1m4f) later in the season, though the British Champion Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Ascot in October is likely to be her long term goal.
Penny Pepper (5 m Fast Company – Evening Time by Keltus) led in the final strides to spring a minor shock in the Ballyogan Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Kevin Prendergast-trained mare, who returned a 16/1 chance, flew home late under Chris Hayes to beat the favourite Only Mine (Pour Moi) by a head, with the same distance back to Alphabet (Lawman) in third place.