Further boosting the form of the Apr. 30 G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) got Godolphin off the mark at the 2016 Royal meeting with a smooth success under a five-pound penalty picked up as a result of his win in Newbury's G2 Mill Reef S. in September. It was prior to that smooth performance in the six-furlong Newbury contest that Sheikh Mohammed had become involved, purchasing the bay from Mayson's owner David Armstrong on the back of a second in York's G2 Gimcrack S. also over that trip in August. Too keen when second on his return in the G3 Prix Djebel on heavy ground over this trip at Maisons-Laffitte Apr. 7, he was demoted to fifth after causing interference there before outrunning his 33-1 odds without posing a threat to Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in Newmarket's mile Classic.
Always close to the pace predictably set by Gifted Master (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the 7-1 shot was travelling clear-best of the dominant far-side group under William Buick inside the last three furlongs. Cajoled to the front as the pace died ahead of him with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, Ribchester drew away without being asked a serious question to score comfortably from the eye-catching Stoute closer Thikriyaat, who did much the best of the pack racing up the centre.
“That was very good–he ran really well in the Guineas and may have run a bit better there had things worked out a bit differently,” his rider said. “[Trainer] Richard [Fahey] didn't want to rush him back after the Guineas and saved him for this and he's improved for it. He said today 'just get the job done' and I wanted to keep it simple. He's grown up now–I ran out of horses to follow, so I had to go when I did. He doesn't mind that soft ground and it takes a bit of getting–you definitely have to handle it–and I think that performance wouldn't be far off Group 1 class. This is what it's all about–Sheikh Mohammed is here and he deserves it.”
For Fahey, the result was a relief after a trying spring campaign with the winner.
“It was a bit of a disaster going to France and he came back from the Guineas a bit light, so I wanted to give him a break and Sheikh Mohammed let me do whatever I wanted,” he explained. “We thought about the St James's Palace Stakes, but mentally the horse is a huge baby and still backward and he's going to make a lovely four-year-old. It looked good after Galileo Gold won yesterday and English Guineas form is always good, but I felt today we had a better horse than we did in the Guineas. Once he got in behind today and relaxed, I felt it would take a good one to beat him. He picks up so well. He could go either way in trip, as he has the speed for six and he'll get a mile so the [G1] Sussex [S. at Goodwood July 27] is in the back of my mind.”
Godolphin's chief executive and racing manager John Ferguson added, “This is a fantastic horse and all credit goes to Richard and his team, as William got off and said he had really improved since the Guineas. Sheikh Mohammed is one of the greatest enthusiasts, so it's a hugely important week for all of us.”
Sir Michael Stoute, who trains the second and third, said, “Both ran very well. Thikriyaat will be better at a mile and Forge is a big, immature horse physically and still a bit of a baby mentally. I thought that was a really good run, as that is as far as he wants trip-wise.”
Ribchester emerges from the terrific family of Elle Seule (Exclusive Native), whose collection of relatives reads like the equine version of the members of the Royal enclosure at Ascot. The second dam is the listed-placed Tanaghum (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), a half-sister to the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio-winning highweight Najah (Ire) (Nashwan) and dam of the G3 Curragh Cup-winning stayer Tactic (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and the MGSP middle-distance runner Yaazy (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Another of her half-siblings Zahoo (Ire) (Nayef) has produced the classy Ger Lyons trainee Convergence (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who was also perhaps best at this specialist trip as he suggested when winning the G3 Ballycorus S. last year. The third dam is the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Mehthaaf (Nureyev), a half to Elnadim who hails from the immediate family of the accomplished runners and sires Timber Country, Bianconi, Fort Wood and Hamas (Ire) and of course Colorado Dancer (Ire) (Shareef Dancer), now forever enshrined in turf folklore as the dam of the great Dubai Millennium (GB) (Seeking the Gold). This dynasty also features the Wertheimers's MG1SW Occupandiste (Ire) (Kaldoun {Fr}), now even more important as a broodmare for that operation. Mujarah also has a 2-year-old colt by Arcano (Ire) named Golconda Prince (Ire) and a filly foal by Raven's Pass.
Wednesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
JERSEY S.-G3, £90,000, ASC, 6-15, 3yo, 7fT, 1:28.49, sf.
1–RIBCHESTER (IRE), 132, c, 3, by Iffraaj (GB)
1st Dam: Mujarah (Ire), by Marju (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tanaghum (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Mehthaaf, by Nureyev
(€78,000 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; €105,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB). O-Godolphin; B-A Thompson & M O'Brien (IRE); T-Richard Fahey; J-William Buick. £51,039. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 6-2-2-1, $296,967. Werk Nick Rating: A+.Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”itm-g2-g3″]2–Thikriyaat (Ire), 127, g, 3, Azamour (Ire)–Malaspina (Ire), by Whipper. (70,000gns Ylg '14 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Kildaragh Stud (IRE); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £19,350.
3–Forge (GB), 127, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Heat Haze (GB), by Green Desert. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £9,684.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, HF. Odds: 7.00, 8.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Ibn Malik (Ire), Remarkable (GB), Castle Harbour (GB), Haalick (Ire), Raucous (GB), Gifted Master (Ire), C Note (Ire), Light Music (GB), Ross Castle (Ire), Scrutineer (Ire), Bolting, Calder Prince (Ire), Steady Pace (GB), Herald The Dawn (Ire), Ocean Eleven (GB), Toliman (GB). Scratched: Dragon Mall, Kentuckyconnection. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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