CLASSIC STARS ON SHOW
16 April 2018
When a multiple Classic winner from last season is quickly
followed by the ante-post 2,000 Guineas favourite, you know that the Flat
season is well and truly back.
So it was that Irish Derby and English St Leger champion CAPRI (IRE) resumed at Naas last Friday
evening and exhibited once again his ability to race on the pace and battle
tenaciously to land the Group 3 Alleged Stakes over ten furlongs.
The grey son of Coolmore’s peerless Galileo (IRE) is entered
in majors such as the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Coronation Cup in
forthcoming weeks and months. Both his younger full siblings were winners and
it might be worthwhile looking out for another, a three-year-old named Cypress Creek
(IRE), who contests a maiden for Aidan O’Brien on Thursday at Tipperary.
A day later, the credentials of GUSTAV
KLIMT (IRE) as a potential Classic winner were done no harm as he asserted
inside the seventh and final furlong of the Ballylinch Stud 2,000 Guineas Trial
Stakes at Leopardstown.
Another son of Galileo (IRE), he had not run for 273 days
since successfully overcoming all sorts of interference in the Group 2
Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting, and it is hard to find many
flaws in his make-up.
He is bred in the purple, out of Massarra, a full sister to
Invincible Spirit (IRE) and Kodiac among others. Eight of her nine foals to
race have won, including the Group 1 winner Nayyara.
Another winner for the Ballydoyle battalion arrived in the
form of NELSON (IRE) in the Group 3
Ballysax Stakes, so frequently an informative trial with subsequent Group 1
winners Rekindling, Harzand (IRE) and Fascinating Rock (IRE) in the recent roll
of honour.
Nelson (IRE) impressed with how he fought back having been
headed with a furlong to race by stable companion Delano Roosevelt (IRE) and he could be among his stable’s Derby contenders in June. He is a half-brother to
four other winners, principally the 2016 Epsom Derby runner-up, US Army Ranger
(IRE).
Meanwhile, Ger Lyons’ strong start to the season kept going
in the Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes as WHO’S STEPH (IRE) made the most of a
positive ride from Colin Keane and impressively repel a host of challengers.
This grey daughter of Coolmore Stud’s Zoffany (IRE) was bred
by Patrick Headon’s Wraymount Stud near Birr in County Offaly and sold for
€20,000 at Goffs November Foal Sale. Lyons then found double that sum to
acquire her from Whitehall Stud at Tattersalls Ireland’s September Yearling
Sale in 2016 and she has won two of her three starts. She holds an entry for the Group 3 Athasi
Stakes at Naas on May 7th.
Finally, it was pretty heavy going at Cork on Sunday but BLOOMFIELD (IRE) made light of the
conditions to record a convincing victory in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms
EBF Noblesse Stakes in the colours of owner-breeder John Connaughton.
She has now recorded two wins and two seconds from four
starts and looks well up to making her presence felt in Group races. She is by
Kildangan Stud’s Teofilo (IRE) and is the seventh foal to win out of eight to
race in these parts from the mare Ramona.