By Tom Frary
With four listed wins under his belt, last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye runner-up Washington DC needed a pattern race on his resume and it deservedly came here as Ryan Moore delivered the hold-up merchant with the necessary precision timing. Also second on this card in the G1 Phoenix S. two years ago and third in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last June, the blue-collar performer had been to Santa Anita and Meydan before embarking on a five-race campaign back in Europe beginning with a success in the five-furlong Listed Woodlands S. at Navan Apr. 24 and culminating in a fifth in Goodwood's G2 King George S. nine days before this event.
Reserved towards the rear early, Washington DC was threaded through tight space to swoop late and overhaul stablemate Cougar Mountain in the final 50 yards. “He's a very tough, hard-knocking sprinter,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “Over five, things have to fall right for him as he likes to come through horses and doesn't like to be in front too soon. He'll go for the [G1] Nunthorpe [S. at York Aug. 25] next and now that he gets six we have a few more options. He'll turn up in all those sprint races and just needs a bit of luck. Cougar Mountain was beaten a couple of lengths in the July Cup on his second run as a three-year-old and Donnacha was very convinced he wanted to come back to six [furlongs]. He was right and his next run will be one to look forward to as he'll take a run or two to get back into sprinting coming back from a mile.”
The listed-placed dam How's She Cuttin hails from the family of the G3 Firth of Clyde S. winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Aspen Darlin (Ire) (Indian Haven {GB}) and G1 St. James's Palace S. and G1 Dewhurst S.-winning sire Grand Lodge. She also has a yearling full-brother to the winner and a colt foal by Muhaarar (GB).
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
AT THE RACES PHOENIX SPRINT S.-G3, €63,000, CUR, 8-13, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:11.77, g/f.
1–WASHINGTON DC (IRE), 133, c, 4, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: How's She Cuttin' (Ire) (SP-Eng, $111,446), by Shinko Forest (Ire)
2nd Dam: Magic Annemarie (Ire), by Dancing Dissident
3rd Dam: Magic Garter (GB), by Precocious (GB)
*1st Group win. (75,000gns Wlg '13 TATFOA; €340,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-P Hyland, C McHale & J McHale (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €37,170. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 5-7f, SW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr & Ire, 23-6-8-1, $633,795. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Cougar Mountain (Ire), 133, h, 6, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Descant, by Nureyev. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €12,600[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Gordon Lord Byron (Ire), 138, g, 9, Byron (GB)–Boa Estrela (Ire), by Intikhab. (€2,000 Wlg '08 GONO1; €5,000 RNA Ylg '09 GOFORB). O-Dr Cyrus Poonawalla & Morgan J Cahalan; B-Roland H Alder (IRE); T-Tom Hogan. €6,300.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: HF, HF, HF. Odds: 2.75, 9.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Moviesta, Mr Lupton (Ire), Intelligence Cross, Koropick (Ire), Kimberella (GB), Mr Scarlet (GB), Khukri (Ire). Scratched: Son of Rest (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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