Harlem (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) was a listed winner in France for breeder Khalid Abdullah and kept pace in some top company in that country for trainer Andre Fabre, placing in the G3 Prix d'Hedouville and G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly in 2016. He was scooped up by SackvilleDonald, and Louis le Metayer's Astute Bloodstock, shortly thereafter for 520,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, and he repaid that purchase price with a 60-1 win on Saturday in the A$1.5-million G1 Australian Cup. Harlem was content to settle about three lengths off the pace on Saturday while three swapped the lead through the opening furlongs: the favoured Gailo Chop (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}), The Taj Mahal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Supply and Demand (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}). Gailo Chop dropped back to travel alongside Harlem rounding the sweeping turn and while Gailo Chop went to the outside as they turned for home Harlem was ridden for luck by Michael Walker, who drove the gelding through a tight seam between Gailo Chop and The Taj Mahal inside the final furlong. The bay was game under a hand ride in the dying strides to hold off Gailo Chop for a first Group 1 score.
Harlem, who in the spring plundered the G3 Naturalism S. and was not disgraced when seventh in the G1 Mackinnon S., had nearly matched strides with Gailo Chop first up when second in the G3 Carlyon Cup on Feb. 10, and co-trainer David Hayes revealed post race that a cough between races could have been blamed for his dull showing when he beat just one home in the G2 Peter Young S. on Feb. 24.
“His first-up run was comparable to Gailo Chop's, but he got a little bit of a cold between runs but he was able to get over it and was back to his best today,” Hayes told Racing.com. “We bought him as a stayer, but when he was a colt, and it got a bit tough, he wouldn't let go at the finish. But gee, he let go today.”
Hayes and his team at Lindsay Park also trained the third, another European import Ventura Storm (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), and the trainer said he would look at the G1 Sydney Cup at The Championships for both horses. The win also marked a Group 1 double on the day for Lindsay Park, who sent out Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) to win the G1 Newmarket H.
Pedigree Notes…
Harlem becomes the second Group 1 winner for Champs Elysees, who was last year reassigned to the National Hunt sire ranks when moving to Coolmore's Castle Hyde Stud in Ireland. As could be expected from a horse hailing from the Juddmonte dynasty, Harlem boasts a pedigree with plenty of black-type. He is a half to the stakes-placed Shearling (GB) (Rail Link {GB}), and further down on the page are the Group 3 winner Danefair (GB) (Danehill) and her sire son Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic), as well as the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. winner King's Fete (GB) (King's Best) and the excellent mare Ventura (Chester House), winner of four Grade Is. The dam, Casual (GB) (Nayef), has a yearling colt by Dansili (GB), and sadly her 2-year-old filly by Oasis Dream (GB) died. She has an unraced 3-year-old full-brother to Harlem named Basildon (GB).
Saturday, Flemington, Australia
AUSTRALIAN CUP-G1, A$1,505,000, VRC, 3-10, Open WFA, 2000mT, 2:00.46, Good.
1–HARLEM (GB) , 59.0, g, 6, by Champs Elysees (GB)
1st Dam: Casual (GB), by Nayef (USA)
2nd Dam : Costa Rica (IRE), by Sadler's Wells (USA)
3rd Dam: Roupala (USA), by Vaguely Noble (IRE)
FIRST GROUP 1 WIN. (£520,000 RH 2016 Tatts Autumn
Horses-in-Training Sale) O-D A Hayes, M B Lee, Blacktype
Racing Syndicate (Mgr: J M Andrews), A J Haberfield, W B
Keighran, D J Livingston, V McDonald, M R White, C J Atkins, J
Grose, R J Row & Ms M W Ng; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd, GB; T-D
& B Hayes & T Dabernig; J-M J Walker; A$905,000. Lifetime
Record: SW & MGSP-Fr, 20-4-2-2, A$1,354,208. *1/2 to
Shearling (GB) (Rail Link {GB}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Gailo Chop (FR), 59.0, g, 7, Deportivo (GB)–Grenoble (FR), by
Marignan (USA). O-OTI Racing (Mgr: T Henderson), J Higgins,
Mrs F Archibald, L Webb, Ms D McKeown, Ms M Webb, D &
Mrs D Miller, A & Mrs P Goodfellow, Werrett Bloodstock,
Bobbin Along & Uthmeyer Raci; B-Alain Chopard; T-D K Weir;
J-M Zahra; A$270,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Ventura Storm (IRE), 59.0, g, 5, Zoffany (Ire)–Sarawati (IRE),
by Haafhd (GB). (€54,000 Wlg 2013 Goffs IRE November Foal
Sale; £110,000 RH 2015 Tatts Craven Breeze-Up Sale) O-D A
Hayes, S D & Mrs R J Perrin, B & Dr A Pang, B & Mrs V B Gupta,
M Angelini, B & C Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd (B A Dorman), A T
Harrison, R & C Legh Racing P/L (R P Legh), Pulitan; B-Mr L.
Kennedy, IRE; T-D & B Hayes & T Dabernig; J-Regan Bayliss;
A$135,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 0.5 len, 1.3 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 60.00, 1.60, 30.00.
Also Ran: Almandin (GER), Single Gaze, Homesman (USA), Lord Fandango (GER), The Taj Mahal (IRE), Ambitious (JPN), Hartnell (GB), Supply and Demand, Devise (NZ). Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.
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