By Tom Frary
One of Ballydoyle's most exciting prospects for the 2017 Classics following his seven-length defeat of Harzand's half-brother Haripour (Ire) (Shamardal) in a mile maiden at Gowran Park in October, Sir John Lavery's Derby ambitions went up in smoke after a return sixth in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial over an extended 11 furlongs May 13. Ninth and never a factor in the June 23 G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, the bay was supported on this drastic drop back in trip and sat at the back early under a confident Seamie Heffernan. Produced wide in the straight, he overpowered Rose de Pierre passing the quarter pole and drew away impressively to put daylight between himself ans some useful types. “We thought he was a very smart horse, but he disappointed in his two runs and obviously we were stretching him too far,” Aidan O'Brien explained. “He is from Hawk Wing's family and you'd be delighted with him. I'd say the ground wouldn't bother him, but what he loves is the high tempo–going a mile and a half they were going a bit steady for him. We'll stick to that trip and he'll go back to group level now. You'd also love to have him in training as a four-year-old, as he's a fine, big, powerful horse.”
As his trainer mentioned, Sir John Lavery is out of a half-sister to the stable's brilliant G1 Lockinge S. hero Hawk Wing who was herself successful in the G3 Denny Cordell Fillies S. and Listed Oh So Sharp S. Her 2011 foal was the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial third Momentus (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), but there have been no successors to this imposing colt. The second dam is the GIII Natalma S.-winning Canadian champion La Lorgnette (Val de l'Orne {Fr}), who apart from supplying Hawk Wing and Race For the Stars was also responsible for three other stakes performers including Alexandrina (Conquistador Cielo) who herself was the dam of the Canadian horse of the year in 1999 and GI Canadian International hero Thornfield (Sky Classic).
PLATINUM S.-Listed, €47,500, COR, 8-8, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:41.96, sf.
1–SIR JOHN LAVERY (IRE), 128, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Race For the Stars (GSW-Ire & SW-Eng, $191,842), by Fusaichi Pegasus. O-Susan Magnier; B-Lorgnette Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €28,025. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-1, $46,257.
2–Rose de Pierre (Ire), 133, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Profound Beauty (Ire), by Danehill. O-Moyglare Stud Farm. €9,025.
3–Pavlenko (Jpn), 123, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Maybe (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor. €4,275.
Margins: 3, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 5.00, 16.00. Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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