The Jim Bolger-trained Verbal Dexterity battled on bravely to win the National Stakes
The Jim Bolger-trained Verbal Dexterity (2 c Vocalised – Lonrach by Holy Roman Emperor) battled on bravely to win the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) in decisive fashion at the Curragh on Sunday on the second day of Irish Champions Weekend.
The promising colt raced up with the pace throughout under Kevin Manning but looked vulnerable as the smooth-travelling Beckford (Bated Breath) moved alongside at the two-furlong marker.
Beckford beat Verbal Dexterity into second in the Railway Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) when the pair last met in June, but the winner reversed the form in emphatic fashion, turning his rival away and staying on powerfully to win by three and a half lengths, with Rostropovich (Frankel) a further two and three quarter lengths behind in third.
Earlier on the same card, Happily (2 f Galileo – You’resothrilling by Storm Cat) gained her revenge on her stablemate Magical (Galileo) to win the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 7f), which gave her trainer Aidan O’Brien his eighth win in the race since 2000.
The filly was second to Magical in the Debutante Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) over the same course and distance last month, but she lunged in the final stride under Donnacha O’Brien to turn the tables on her stable companion by a short head, with September (Deep Impact) keeping on for third to give O’Brien a trifecta in the €350,000 race.
Aidan O’Brien also sent out the exciting Nelson (2 c Frankel – Moonstone by Dalakhani) to win the Champions Juvenile Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The colt made all the running and stretched clear in the straight under Donnacha O’Brien to lead home an O’Brien-trained trifecta, with Kew Gardens (Galileo) and Delano Roosevelt (Galileo) a further three lengths and three quarters of a length adrift in second and third respectively.
At Kempton on Saturday, Invincible Army (2 c Invincible Spirit – Rajeem by Diktat) gained his first stakes success in the Sirenia Stakes (Gr 3, 6f).
The James Tate-trained colt, who ran second in the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at York last month, quickened clear in ready fashion from off the pace to beat Corinthia Knight (Society Rock) by a length and a half, with a break of three and three quarter lengths back to Lake Volta (Raven’s Pass) in third place.
At Haydock on the same afternoon, the Martyn Meade-trained Chilean (2 c Iffraaj – Childa by Duke Of Marmalade) stormed home to win the Ascendant Stakes (Listed, 1m) in impressive fashion.
The exciting colt quickened up in taking style from the tail of the field under champion jockey elect Silvestre De Sousa to beat Learn By Heart (Frankel) by three and a half lengths, with Dee Ex Bee (Farhh) a further half a length behind in third place.
Three-Year-Olds
The top-class Harry Angel (3 c Dark Angel – Beatrix Potter by Cadeaux Genereux) secured back-to-back Group One victories with a dominant display in the Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Haydock on Saturday afternoon.
The Godolphin-raced three-year-old has progressed throughout the season and turned in a career-best performance under his usual front-running tactics, making virtually all the running to beat Tasleet (Showcasing) by four lengths, with The Tin Man (Equiano) a further length and a half adrift in third.
The Clive Cox-trained colt broke the six furlong record on his last visit to Haydock when winning the Sandy Lane Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) in May, and he followed up that victory with a second to Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) and an all-the-way success in the July Cup (Gr 1, 6f).
He showed his ability to handle rain-softened ground at the weekend, and he will now be trained with the British Champions Sprint Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Ascot on 21 October in mind.
Hydrangea (3 f Galileo – Beauty Is Truth by Pivotal) narrowly got the better of her better-fancied stablemate Winter (Galileo) to cause an upset in the Matron Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair settled down to fight out the finish inside the final furlong, and it appeared that multiple Group One winner Winter was getting the upper hand in the closing stages.
However, Hydrangea rallied bravely to collar the short-priced favourite by a head in the last strides under Wayne Lordan, with Persuasive (Dark Angel) a further three quarters of a length adrift in third place.
Dual Group One winner Caravaggio (3 c Scat Daddy – Mekko Hokte by Holy Bull) rediscovered something like his best form when landing the Flying Five Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at the Curragh on Sunday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt has suffered defeats in both the July Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr 1, 1300m) since winning the Commonwealth Cup so impressively in June, forcing connections to shelve a potential The Everest (1200m) bid.
He briefly looked in trouble when ridden along at halfway by Ryan Moore but picked up strongly to run down Alphabet (Lawman) by a length, with Son Of Rest (Pivotal) finishing well from off the pace to take third.
Cracksman (3 c Frankel – Rhadegunda by Pivotal) warmed up for a potential Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) tilt with a comfortable success in the Prix Niel (Gr 2, 2400m) at Chantilly on Sunday at the Arc trials fixture.
The John Gosden-trained colt, who ran out a wide-margin winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) at York last month, tracked the pacesetting Finche (Frankel) in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
He swept into the lead at the 300 metres and stretched clear to beat Avilius (Pivotal) by three and a half lengths, with Finche sticking on to take third. The last horse to complete the Prix Niel / Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe double was Rail Link (Dansili) in 2006.
Older Horses
The Roger Charlton-trained Decorated Knight (5 h Galileo – Pearling by Storm Cat) caused a huge upset in the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Leopardstown on Saturday evening, swooping from the tail of the field under an inspired Andrea Atzeni ride.
The five-year-old entire, who won the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) on his last visit to Ireland at the Curragh in May, was settled in rear by Atzeni as Frankie Dettori set the pace aboard the Sir Peter Vela-raced Eminent (Frankel).
Decorated Knight was angled around runners at the top of the straight and quickened past fellow British raider Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice) inside the final furlong to win going away by half a length, with Eminent sticking on well to take third.
The odds-on favourite Churchill (Galileo) flattened out in the straight and came home a disappointing seventh under Ryan Moore.
Order Of St George (5 h Galileo – Another Storm by Gone West) ran out a wide-margin winner of the Irish St Leger Stakes (Gr 1, 1m6f) at the Curragh on Sunday, though a tilt at the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) looks unlikely for the three-time Group One winner.
The Lloyd Williams part-owned five-year-old travelled strongly in midfield in the early stages before Ryan Moore made a rapid move to contest the lead around half a mile from home, with the jockey keen to avoid a repeat of his surprise defeat in this race last season.
Once hitting the front the entire put the race to bed with a potent turn of foot and he galloped effortlessly clear to beat the Te Akau-raced Torcedor (Fastnet Rock) by nine lengths, with Mount Moriah (Mount Nelson) a further four and a half lengths behind in a distant third.
The Godolphin-raced Ribchester (4 c Iffraaj – Mujarah by Marju) secured a fourth career Group One success when landing the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Gr 1, 1600m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The Richard Fahey-trained colt travelled strongly into the lead under James Doyle and battled on well to beat Taareef (Kitten’s Joy) by three quarters of a length, with Massaat (Teofilo) a further three and a half lengths behind in third place.
Ribchester will now head to Ascot on 21 October for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m), a race in which he finished second to Minding (Galileo) last season.
The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Bateel (5 m Dubawi – Attractive Crown by Chief’s Crown) stayed on strongly to land the Prix Vermeille (Gr 1, 2400m) at Chantilly on Sunday.
The improving mare, who won the Prix de Pomone (Gr 2, 2500m) at her previous start, was restrained in midfield by jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot.
She moved alongside Journey at the 300 metres and edged clear under pressure to score by two and a half lengths, with Left Hand a further three lengths behind in third giving Dubawi a Group One trifecta.
At Leopardstown on Saturday, the David O’Meara-trained Suedois (6 g Le Havre – Cup Cake by Singspiel) led in the final strides to win the Boomerang Stakes (Gr 2, 1m).
The gelding burst through to lead inside the final 150 yards and ran on well to beat True Valour (Kodiac) by half a length, with Psychedelic Funk (Choisir) a further head behind in a close third.