By Sean Cronin
Fighting Irish graduated over this trip at Salisbury in his third start July 29, but slipped to fourth in a Sept. 10 seven-furlong novices' heat at York before regaining the winning thread in a Sept. 21 nursery handicap back down to six panels at Yarmouth last time. Breaking sharply and settling second in a contest shorn of two leading lights, he came under pressure to challenge soon after passing the two pole and kept on gamely once gaining a narrow advantage entering the final eighth to hold the rallying Nebo for a career high.
Fighting Irish, who becomes the second black-type scorer for his freshman sire (by Montjeu {Ire}), is one of three winners and the leading performer out of an unraced full-sister to G1 Lockinge S.-winning sire Virtual (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). His dam Quixotic (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who is also the dam of a colt foal by Free Eagle (Ire), is also kin to G1 Middle Park S. third and G2 Coventry S.-winning sire Iceman (GB) (Polar Falcon) and hails from a family which features G1 2000 Guineas-winning sire Entrepreneur (GB) (Sadler's Wells), stakes-winning G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Dance A Dream (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Coronation S. heroine Exclusive (GB) (Polar Falcon), herself the dam of G1 Matron S. victress Echelon (GB) (Danehill) and MG1SP dual G2 Celebration Mile winner Chic (GB) (Machiavellian).
Friday, Maisons-Laffitte, France
CRITERIUM DE MAISONS-LAFFITTE-G2, €190,000, MLF, 10-13, 2yo, 6fT, 1:11.59, sf.
1–FIGHTING IRISH (IRE), 128, c, 2, by Camelot (GB)">Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Quixotic (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Virtuous (GB), by Exit to Nowhere
3rd Dam: Exclusive Native, by Shadeed
*1st BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€50,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; £70,000 Ylg '16 DNPRM). O-Daniel MacAuliffe & Anoj Don; B-Kilcarn Stud (IRE); T-Harry Dunlop; J-Cristian Demuro. €108,300. Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-0, €119,298. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nebo (Ire), 128, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Kindling (GB), by Dr Fong. (75,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Mrs Julie Martin & David R Martin; B-Select Bloodstock & Melchior Bloodstock (IRE); T-Charles Hills. €41,800.
3–French Pegasus (Fr), 128, c, 2, French Fifteen (Fr)–Etrangere, by Fusaichi Pegasus. (€19,000 Ylg '16 OSLATE). O-Jean Justin Fournier; B-Gilles & Aliette Forien (FR); T-Yann Barberot. €19,950.
Margins: HD, 3. Odds: 2.50, 0.50, 2.70.
Scratched: Romanised (Ire), Coeur de Beaute (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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