Down But Not Out
Labeled the “reincarnation” of his sire by trainer Jim Bolger after breaking his maiden in impressive style at Leopardstown, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Sanus Per Aquam (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) has subsequently suffered a couple of knock-out blows, but is up off the canvas for Newmarket’s G3 Somerville Tattersall S. on Thursday. Following his rave review-earning 4 3/4-length score in a conditions event at the Dublin venue July 9, Bolger’s homebred has finished a beaten favorite in both the G3 Tyros S. over the same course and distance and in the G3 Golden Fleece S. tackling a mile also at Leopardstown 12 days ago. Perhaps beaten by a potential star when second to Ballydoyle’s Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Tyros, the bay’s third placing behind another from that establishment in Johannes Vermeer (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was less excusable on Irish Champions weekend, and he has a point to prove now. Time has shown how much Bolger’s juveniles can build on domestic defeats at this venue, at which he has excelled in recent years, and Sanus Per Aquam is far from washed up yet.
Andre Fabre is another overseas trainer who has always been able to hit the target at Newmarket, and he adds intrigue by bringing over Khalid Abdullah’s Lawmaking (GB) (Zamindar), who was a head second to Attendu (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G3 Prix la Rochette over this trip at Longchamp last time Sept. 6. “I expect him to run a good race,” his trainer said. “He is a good, athletic horse and I think Newmarket will suit him. It will be good to get him some more experience and I see him as a potential Guineas horse for next year. I know he has yet to prove it, but he is a horse I like a lot.”
Godolphin rely on the July 9 G2 July S. runner-up Steady Pace (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who sports a hood for the first time, and the Sept. 5 G3 Sirenia S. scorer Rouleau (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). Both have experience on their side and are attempting this trip for the first time and the latter’s trainer Charlie Appleby commented, “Rouleau has come out of his win in the Sirenia S. very well and we decided to give him a chance over seven furlongs. He has been a great servant this year and is a very easy horse, so we will be riding him to get the trip. We feel that he has got a chance of staying seven furlongs and, if he does, then I think he will be there as a player.”
Despite some solid home-trained colts in attendance, it could be that the British headline act is Cheveley Park Stud’s unexposed Zonderland (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who was impressive when a five-length winner of a conditions event at this distance on Kempton’s Sirenia undercard Sept. 5.