By Tom Frary
There can be no doubting the health of the Ballydoyle complex now, with Mohawk (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) spearheading the latest in a long line of stable one-two-threes in Saturday's G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket. Ironically, the outcome pointed strongly to the fact that Godolphin currently house the best juvenile colt around in Quorto (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) with the winner coming off a fourth placing behind that TDN Rising Star in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. Slowly away under Donnacha O'Brien, who had ridden his 100th winner of the campaign the evening before, the 8-1 shot recovered quickly to race over two lengths off the pace and was delivered “Saxon Warrior-style” wide to head barnmate Sydney Opera House (GB) (Australia {GB}) passing the two-furlong pole. Asserting from there, the bay had 1 1/4 lengths to spare at the line, with 1 3/4 lengths back to the operation's Cape of Good Hope (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who had finished runner-up to Quorto in the G2 Superlative S. “It's probably the first time he's got some good ground and the extra furlong really suited as well,” his rider said. “He's a nice horse going forward and I'd see him as a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse who could start in a Derby trial or something like that. All our horses were just running five pounds below their best during the summer and in the big races that's where it showed.”
Mohawk was typically green, as is customarily the way for Rosegreen newcomers at present, when fifth over seven furlongs at The Curragh June 8 and was hardly any more streetwise when backed up nine days later to swoop late and prevail over that trip at Cork. Left alone until the Aug. 26 G2 Futurity S. back at the former venue, he performed with credit when third to Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as his stable dominated again but was further adrift of him as he duked it out with Quorto in the Sept. 16 National back over the same course and distance. This renewal lost some credibility as Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited's Kadar (Scat Daddy) was scratched along with the Aug. 24 Listed Stonehenge S. winner Kuwait Currency (Kitten's Joy), but there was still significant substance in a race ultimately lorded over by the Ballydoyle contingent.
Aidan O'Brien was on the verge of having another day of days as he said, “He is a lovely horse and has been progressing lovely. He won second time out then he ran very well in group races after that. He loved going a mile and he will be a lovely middle-distance horse. He might not run any more this year and be put away to start in the Classic trials. I'd imagine he has done enough, that is what we're thinking at the moment, but that can change. Sydney Opera House is a lovely, middle-distance horse and Cape of Good Hope is the same. He has had a bit of time since he ran, but he ran a lovely race and has been progressing with every run.”
Mohawk, who had provided Galileo with his first 2-year-old winner for 2018 in June, is the second foal out of Anne-Marie O'Brien's G3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial winner Empowering (Ire) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) who also had the pace to win the Listed Sweet Mimosa S. over six furlongs. Her dam is the Listed Prix Imprudence winner and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Blue Cloud (Ire) (Nashwan), whose fast dual listed-placed daughter Blue Angel (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) produced Viren's Army (Ire) (Twirling Candy) who captured the Listed Dee S. over 10 furlongs. Blue Cloud is a half-sister to the four-times Group 1-winning champion Bigstone (Ire) (Last Tycoon {Ire}) and his listed-winning sister Bague Bleue (Ire) whose descendants include the GII San Clemente H. winner Little Treasure (Fr) (Night Shift). She is in turn the dam of the GII La Canada S. heroine More Chocolate (Malibu Moon), who also finished runner-up in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S., GI Santa Margarita S. and GI Vanity H.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE S.-G2, £133,750, Newmarket, 9-29, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:36.12, g/f.
1–MOHAWK (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Empowering (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $151,953), by Encosta de Lago (Aus)
2nd Dam: Blue Cloud (Ire), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Batave, by Posse
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Donnacha O'Brien. £75,850. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-1, $140,831. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sydney Opera House (GB), 126, c, 2, Australia (GB)–Sitara (GB), by Salse. (165,000gns Wlg '16 TATFOA; 525,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-The Pocock Family (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. £28,756.
3–Cape of Good Hope (Ire), 126, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)—Hveger (Aus), by Danehill. (240,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Hveger Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £14,392.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, 1. Odds: 8.00, 20.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Victory Command (Ire), Arthur Kitt (GB), Duke of Hazzard (Fr), Beatboxer. Scratched: Fox Tal (GB), Kadar, Kuwait Currency. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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