7th-CUR, €15,000, Mdn, 4-3, 3yo, 10fT, 2:31.11, hy.
+US ARMY RANGER (IRE) (c, 3, Galileo {Ire}–Moonstone {GB} (G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Eng, $613,532), by Dalakhani {Ire}), a son of the 2008 G1 Irish Oaks heroine and G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up, carried a substantial reputation into this contest but was sent off the 15-8 second favourite with the word out for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Aasheq (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Switched off towards the rear of mid-division by Ryan Moore throughout the early stages, the half-brother to Nevis (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), SW-Eng & Aus, $161,331; to Stubbs (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), SW-Ire, SP-Eng & Nor, $110,592; and to Words (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), GSW-Ire, was threaded through the crowd in early straight as the Dermot Weld-trained 11-10 favourite loomed large towards the fore. Delivered with hands and heels to overhaul that son of the 2009 G1 Pretty Polly S. runner-up Beach Bunny (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) 50 yards from the finish, the bay had the upper hand by 3/4 of a length at the line. “We are very happy, as he has only ever done half-speeds at home and on that ground you are never sure,” Aidan O'Brien said of the potential Classic-bound winner. “We wanted to educate him, as if he is going to be a Derby horse he is only going to have one more run beforehand. That will have taught him a lot and it will be either Chester now for one of their trials or the [G3] Derrinstown [Derby Trial]. We've always liked him and we know that Dermot [Weld] thinks a lot of his horse [Aasheq]. He's a lovely horse with plenty of class who stays.” The dam is a daughter of Solo de Lune (Ire), responsible for the top-level Darshaan (GB) pair of Cerulean Sky (Ire) and L'Ancresse (Ire) and whose legacy continues to gain gravity with the likes of Orchestra (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Mayhem (Ire) (Whipper) furthering the reputation of the family in recent times. Moonstone also has a 2-year-old colt by Fastnet Rock (Aus) and a yearling colt by Frankel (GB). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $10,509. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien.
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