Capri Too Strong In Irish Derby
The colt, who is now unbeaten in two career starts, travelled strongly into contention from midfield under Declan McDonogh, and the son of Bated Breath (Dansili) surged into the lead with a little over 100 yards to run.
Verbal Dexterity (Vocalised) tried to fight back but could only finished second, beaten a length, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Murillo (Scat Daddy) a further length and a quarter behind in third, the same position he filled in the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Royal Ascot.
Elliott, who is better known in Europe for training jumps horses, said the colt was likely to tackle the Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) on 13 August at the Curragh next up.
The well-bred Clemmie (2 f Galileo – Meow by Storm Cat) ran out a decisive winner of the Grangecon Stud Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old filly is a sister to her multiple Group One-winning stablemate Churchill, and she travelled powerfully in behind the leaders under Ryan Moore.
Once asked for her effort, she quickened clear of stable companion Butterscotch (Galileo) in ready fashion to win going away by two and three quarter lengths, with Mamba Noire (Wootton Bassett) a further three quarters of a length behind in third.
At Newmarket on Saturday, the Cheveley Park-bred and raced Dance Diva (2 f Mayson – Dance East by Shamardal) stretched her unbeaten record to three in the Empress Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 6f).
The Richard Fahey-trained filly moved smoothly into contention under William Buick on the stands rail and quickened clear to beat her stablemate Maggies Angel (Dark Angel) by a length and a quarter, with So Hi Society (Society Rock) a further length behind in third.
Three-Year-Olds
Grey colt Capri (3 c Galileo – Dialafara by Anabaa) held on bravely to win the Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) at the Curragh on Saturday, in the process giving his trainer Aidan O’Brien a 12th win in the Classic.
The son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) was sixth in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Epsom at his last start, but was well positioned in behind the front-running The Anvil (Galileo) in the early stages by Seamie Heffernan.
Capri moved into the lead just over two furlongs out, with Epsom first and third Wings Of Eagles (Pour Moi) and Cracksman (Frankel) giving chase in the closing stages.
However, Capri kept finding and was always doing enough to score by a neck from the fast-finishing Cracksman, with the favourite Wings Of Eagles just a short-head further behind in third.
Wings Of Eagles, who caused a 40/1 shock when winning the Derby at Epsom, was subsequently found to have fractured a near-fore sesamoid joint, forcing connections to retire him.
In Germany on Sunday, the Markus Klug-trained Windstoss (3 c Shirocco – Wellenspiel by Sternkönig) also sampled Classic glory when leading in the final strides to take out the Deutsches Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at Hamburg.
The colt was brought wide into the straight from off the pace by jockey Maxim Pecheur, as Enjoy Vijay (Nathaniel) looked to have made a winning move approaching the 300 metres when striking the front.
However, Windstoss stayed on powerfully for pressure and got up close home to win by a length, with the fast-finishing Rosenpurpur (Pour Moi) a further three quarters of a length behind in third in the €650,000 feature.
The Lloyd Williams-raced Rekindling (3 c High Chaparral – Sitara by Salse) flew home late to take out the Curragh Cup (Gr 2, 1m6f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained three-year-old, who finished down the field in the Derby at his last start, was short of room at the top of the straight but picked up strongly once in the clear to run down Wicklow Brave (Beat Hollow) by half a length under Wayne Lordan, with Elidor (Cape Cross) a further length behind in third.
The progressive Godolphin-raced Strathspey (3 f New Approach – Perfect Note by Shamardal) ran out a narrow winner of the Prix de Malleret (Gr 2, 2400m) at Saint-Cloud on Sunday afternoon.
The Andre Fabre-trained filly beat Listen In (Sea The Stars) by a short-head in the €130,000 race, with British raider Elas Ruby (Raven’s Pass) a further length and a quarter behind in third place.
At Newcastle on Saturday, Koropick (3 c Kodiac – Kathoe by Fayruz) led in the final strides to win the Chipchase Stakes (Gr 3, 6f), giving his rider Josephine Gordon the most high-profile success of her career to date.
The Hugo Palmer-trained colt, who was Group Three-placed as a two-year-old, was delivered with a strong late run to beat Intisaab (Elnadim) by a head, with Kimberella (Kyllachy) finishing strongly to take a close third.
Older Horses
The regally-bred Zarak (4 c Dubawi – Zarkava by Zamindar) got on top close home under a cool Christophe Soumillon ride to win the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2400m) at Saint-Cloud on Sunday.
The victory of the Alain De Royer-Dupre-trained colt also provided champion racemare Zarkava (Zamindar) with her first Group One success as a broodmare.
The Aga Khan-bred and raced colt travelled strongly into contention from off the pace under regular rider Soumillon, but he was made to fight by the consistent Silverwave (Silver Frost), who won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last season.
Zarak asserted inside the final 100 metres, though, and went on to score by three quarters of a length, with Armande (Sea The Stars) a further length and a quarter behind in third place.
The Roger Varian-trained Nezwaah (4 f ex Ferdoos by Dansili) ran out a hugely impressive winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at the Curragh on Sunday, giving Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) a Group One double.
The front-running Creggs Pipes (Rip Van Winkle) set stern early fractions and had opened up an eight-length advantage on the approach to the straight, but jockey Andrea Atzeni was always travelling comfortably in midfield aboard Nezwaah.
The British raider, who had twice been successful at Listed level prior to the Pretty Polly Stakes, cruised into the lead just over a furlong out and shot clear once shaken up to beat Rain Goddess (Galileo) by three and a quarter lengths, with Turret Rocks (Fastnet Rock) a further length and a half away in third.
The good form of the Markus Klug stable continued at Hamburg on Saturday when Dschingis Secret (4 c Soldier Hollow – Divya by Platini) ran out an impressive winner of the Grosser Hansa-Preis (Gr 2, 2400m).
The four-year-old won the Gerling Preis (Gr 2, 2400m) at Cologne earlier this preparation, and he stretched three and three quarter lengths clear of Iquitos (Adlerflug) under Martin Seidl to register an easy success in the €70,000 feature, with Nepal (Kallisto) a further two and a half lengths behind in third place.
At Newmarket the same afternoon, the Godolphin-raced Home Of The Brave (5 h Starspangledbanner – Blissful Beat by Beat Hollow) won the Criterion Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) in ready fashion.
The multiple stakes-winning five-year-old raced up with the pace throughout and had enough in hand to fend off the late challenge of Jungle Cat (Iffraaj) by three quarters of length, with Breton Rock (Bahamian Bounty) a further two and three quarters of a length behind in third.