Sioux Nation Lands Phoenix Stakes
Two-Year-Olds
Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien continued his domination of the Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) when Sioux Nation (2 c Scat Daddy – Dream The Blues by Oasis Dream) ran out a convincing winner of the €250,000 race at the Curragh on Sunday.
The colt, who won the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot at his previous start, travelled strongly into contention under Ryan Moore and was produced to challenge on the approach to the final furlong.
He showed a smart turn of foot to beat the previously undefeated Beckford (Bated Breath) by half a length, with stablemate Actress (Declaration Of War) a further length and a half behind in third.
After the race, O’Brien, who has saddled the winner of the Phoenix Stakes an incredible 16 times since 1998, suggested that the colt would be considered for a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Gr 1, 8f) at Del Mar later this year.
The progressive Tajaanus (2 f Arcano – Rayaheen by Nayef) made it back-to-back stakes victories when she posted an impressive victory to land the Sweet Solera Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Shadwell-raced filly came from off the pace to win the Star Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Sandown last month, but she was sent straight to the lead by jockey Dane O’Neill in the Group Three.
She showed signs of inexperience when hanging into the centre of the course a furlong out, but she knuckled down well in the closing stages to beat Juliet Capulet (Dark Angel) by a length, with the same distance back to Capla Temptress (Lope De Vega) in third.
The Ivawood Stakes (Listed, 7.5f) went the way of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Ballet Shoes (2 f Galileo – Emerald Ring by Johannesburg) at Tipperary on Friday evening.
The two-year-old filly moved into the lead around two furlongs out and quickened clear to beat the favourite Lethal Steps (Lethal Force) by an impressive three and a quarter lengths with another length and three quarters back to Mattymolls Gaga (Dragon Pulse) in third.
The daughter of champion sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) could back up in the Debutante Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Charlie Appleby-trained and Godolphin-raced Mythical Magic (2 c Iffraaj – Mythie by Octagonal) won the Prix Francois Boutin (Listed, 1400m) at Deauville on Sunday.
The progressive colt set steady fractions on the front end under Jamie Spencer and found plenty once asked to stretch to beat Cascadian (New Approach) by three quarters of a length, with Salt Lake City (Holy Roman Emperor) a further three lengths adrift in third place.
Three-Year-Olds
The Al Shaqab-raced Al Wukair (3 c Dream Ahead – Macheera by Machiavellian) bounced back to form when taking the Prix Jacques Le Marois (Gr 1, 1600m) in determined fashion at Deauville on Sunday.
The Andre Fabre-trained colt had finished third in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket earlier this season and was beaten at odds-on on his return to action in the Prix Messidor (Gr 3, 1600m) at his previous start.
However, he travelled smoothly into the race under Frankie Dettori and quickened up well in the closing stages to lead close home, eventually prevailing by a short head from stablemate Inns Of Court (Invincible Spirit), with the Godolphin-raced Thunder Snow (Helmet) just a short neck further back in third.
Fabre said the colt was likely to be given a short break now before returning to England for a tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Ascot on British Champions Day in October.
The Sir Peter Vela-raced Eminent (3 c Frankel – You’ll Be Mine by Kingmambo) made all the running under Ryan Moore to win the Prix Guillaume D’Ornano (Gr 2, 2000m) in impressive fashion at Deauville on Tuesday.
The colt, who is trained at Newmarket by Martyn Meade, quickened clear in the closing stages to beat fellow British raider Salouen (Canford Cliffs) by three lengths, with Avilius (Pivotal) a further length and three quarters behind in third.
The odds-on favourite and dual Group One-winning favourite Brametot (Rajsaman) missed the break badly and could never land a blow in fifth, and Meade suggested after the race that Eminent would be trained towards the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) on 1 October.
The Mark Johnston-trained Frankuus (3 c Frankel – Dookus by Linamix) put an impressive front-running display to win the Rose of Lancaster Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2.5f) at Haydock on Saturday.
The smart colt set steady fractions on the front end under veteran jockey Joe Fanning and began to stack his rivals up on the approach to the home straight.
He kicked clear approaching the final two furlongs and never looked like being caught, with Mount Logan (New Approach) three quarters of a length away in second and the previously unbeaten Laraaib (Pivotal) a further five lengths adrift in third.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Spanish Steps (3 c Galileo – Turbulent Descent by Congrats) narrowly defeated stablemate Johannes Vermeer (Galileo) in the Ballyroan Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) at Leopardstown on Thursday evening.
The three-year-old colt had finished last in the Grand Prix de Paris (Gr 1, 2400m) at his previous start but bounced back to form under Seamie Heffernan, who sent the colt into the lead after two furlongs.
He ran on gamely in the home straight to win by half a length, with another two and a half lengths back to Stellar Mass (Sea The Stars) in third place.
The progressive and well-bred God Given (3 f Nathaniel – Ever Rigg by Dubai Destination) ran out a convincing winner of the Prix Minerve (Gr 3, 2500m) at Deauville on Sunday.
The Luca Cumani-trained filly, who is a half-sister to multiple Group One winner Postponed (Dubawi), took out the Aphrodite Stakes (Listed, 1m4f) in clearcut fashion at Newmarket last month, and she was sent straight into the lead by jockey Jamie Spencer.
She found plenty for pressure once challenged in the straight and ran on strongly to beat Calayana (Sinndar) by a length and three quarters, with Lady Montdore (Medaglia d’Oro) a further neck away in third.
Older Horses
The classy four-year-old Dschingis Secret (4 c Soldier Hollow – Divya by Platini) ran out a decisive winner of the Grosser Preis von Berlin (Gr 1, 2400m) at Hoppegarten in Germany on Sunday afternoon.
The four-year-old had won twice previously at Group Two level and was ridden with confidence just off the pace by jockey Adrie de Vries, who began to creep into contention approaching the final 400 metres.
He quickened up well in the closing stages to run down the Charlie Appleby-trained Group One winner Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) by a length, with fellow Godolphin challenger Racing History (Pivotal) a further three and a half lengths adrift in third place.
The victory of Dschinghis Secret continued the stellar season for trainer Markus Klug, who trains at Röttgen to the south of Cologne, who also saddled Windstoss (Shirocco) to win the Deutsches Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) last month.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Washington DC (4 c Zoffany – How’s She Cuttin’ by Shinko Forest) led in the final strides to win the Phoenix Sprint Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The four-year-old colt was held up off the pace by Ryan Moore and delivered with a perfectly timed run to beat stablemate Cougar Mountain (Fastnet Rock) by half a length, with the same distance back to the admirable nine-year-old Gordon Lord Byron (Byron) in third place.
Washington DC could be turned out for the Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at York next Friday, though he also holds an entry in the Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Haydock on 9 September.
Last year’s European champion three-year-old Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) was well beaten on his belated return to action in the Prix Gontaut-Biron (Gr 3, 2000m) at Deauville on Tuesday, as the British raider First Sitting (5 g Dansili – Aspiring Diva by Distant View) scored decisively.
The Chris Wall-trained gelding shot clear approaching the 200 metres and held on well under Gerald Mosse despite drifting over to the far rail, beating Garlingari (Linngari) by three quarters of a length with Zafiro (Sageburg) a further two lengths behind in third.