Lope de Vega Colt Impresses In Killavullan Success

Held up in the stalls for several minutes before finishing third behind Ballydoyle’s General Macarthur (War Front) in a seven-furlong maiden on Dundalk’s Polytrack Sept. 6, Blue de Vega left that experience behind when brushing aside some well-regarded rivals headed by Tribal Beat by 4 3/4 lengths over that trip at Naas Sept. 23 and was subsequently added to the Qatar Racing roster. Providing instant payback for that investment, the bay delivered another authoritative display in this often-informative end-of-term examination. Restrained after breaking well to take a tow in fourth, he traveled strongly to enter battle with old rival and long-time leader Tribal Beat and Black Sea approaching the final furlong. Shaken up by Colin Keane to take over at that marker, he drew away to stamp his authority on the affair and give trainer Michael O’Callaghan something to dream about over the winter. “He showed what he was made of at Naas, but it’s a big step up from a maiden to a Group three and he’s bridged the gap well,” he said. “He’s a very talented colt and does everything very easy. There was a bit of added pressure after being bought by Sheikh Fahad and its great to win a Group Three for him. We’ll let him develop over the winter and hopefully we will have a Guineas horse in the spring.”

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
KILLAVULLAN S.-G3, €60,000, LEO, 10-24, 2yo, 7fT, 1:33.09, gd.
1–#@BLUE DE VEGA (GER), 129, c, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Burning Heights (Ger), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Bougainvillea (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
3rd Dam: Britannia (Ger), by Tarim
(€32,000 Ylg ‘14 BBAGS; €75,000 2yo ‘15 GBMBR). O-Qatar Racing Ltd, HH Sheikh Khalifa Abdulla K H Al Thani, HH Sheikh Suhaim Abdulla K H Al Thani & Mohammed Ali M K Al-Kubaisi; B-Gestut Ammerland (GER); T-Michael O’Callaghan; J-Colin Keane. €36,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $52,426. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tribal Beat (Ire), 129, c, 2, Street Cry (Ire)–Tashelka (Fr), by Mujahid. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Jim Bolger. €11,400.
3–Black Sea (Ire), 129, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Christmas Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Christmas Kid Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €5,400.
Margins: 3HF, HF, NO. Odds: 1.10, 5.00, 1.75.
Also Ran: Lieutenant General (Ire), Mimicking (Ire), Californiadreaming (Ire), Agent of Chaos (GB). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.