By Sean Cronin
3rd-DON, £5,000, Mdn, 4-2, 3yo, 7fT, 1:25.58, gd.
+DREAM CASTLE (GB) (c, 3, Frankel (GB)">Frankel {GB}–Sand Vixen {GB} {GSW-Eng, $119,931}, by Dubawi {Ire}) made a sharp exit and raced freely before finding a chaperone to track the pace after the initial exchanges of this unveiling. Nudged along at the two-furlong pole, the 4-7 favourite quickened to the fore approaching the final eighth and kept on powerfully in the closing stages to score by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths from To Dibba (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). “There's a little bit of [sire] Frankel about him in his character and the trainer and his team have done a good job settling the horse down and preparing for today,” explained rider Oisin Murphy. “Today was a learning curve, I was pleased with that effort and it'll stand him in good stead for the future. The race went perfectly and it was important he had a good experience.” The homebred bay, who holds entries in the May 6 G1 2000 Guineas, May 27 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and July 1 G1 Irish Derby, is the first winner produced by G2 Flying Childers S. heroine Sand Vixen (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and is a half-brother to a 2-year-old colt by Exceed and Excel (Aus). Sand Vixen is herself a half-sister to the stakes-winning G3 Greenham S. placegetter So Will I (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) and to the dam of last term's G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up King of Spades (Fr) (Foxwedge {Aus}). He hails from a family which includes G1 St Leger third and sire Scallywag (GB)(Sea Hawk II {Fr}) as well as 1964 St Leger-winning sire Indiana (GB) (Sayajirao {GB}) and 1958 Belmont S.-winning sire Cavan (Ire) (Mossborough {GB}). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,058. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor.
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