With US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Fascinating Rock perhaps both ring-rusty on their comeback, it was left to the bold front-runner Success Days who was emerging from his own holiday to reap the benefit and register a clear-cut career-best. One of the main talking-horses of last spring, the grey captured the imagination with his dynamic displays making all in Leopardstown's G3 Ballysax S. and G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial over 10 furlongs before finishing last of the dozen who contested the G1 Epsom Derby and being forced onto the sidelines with a stress fracture. Back for the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern over a mile and a half at Munich in November, he finished over 30 lengths in arrears seventh of seven there but was back near his best on his 4-year-old bow when second to the sensational Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the Listed Alleged S. on testing ground over this course and distance Apr. 3. Runner-up to Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and ahead of Fascinating Rock when in the same position in the May 2 G3 Mooresbridge S. over the same course and distance, he was behind both when third in a renewal of the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup that the latter truly dominated over 10 1/2 furlongs here three weeks later.
Always holding a clear lead as Pat Smullen refused to let him too far out of his sights on Fascinating Rock, Success Days was kicked on by Shane Foley on the home bend and was soon beyond reach. Despite the tenacious effort of the penalised Weld runner, he kept finding where in the past he may have taken an errant route through the latter part of the race to prevail as the pair pulled away from the 3-year-olds Moonlight Magic and US Army Ranger. “I was talking to [Curragh manager] Paul Hensey beforehand and he was saying that it rated like a group one race,” trainer Ken Condon said. “On ratings, we looked up against it as we were fourth best and it just shows how strong a renewal it was. He's very straightforward and a solid galloper. The plan was to see if he would stay on the far rail and he did it comfortably. He stayed straight, which is great to see. His last two runs were his best and it looks like he's after stepping forward again.” A rematch with the runner-up and Found is on the cards now in the Sept. 10 G1 Irish Champion S. “He'll go to Leopardstown for the Champion Stakes if the ground is suitable and if for some reason it's not, we'll look at the [Oct. 1 G1] Champion Stakes at Ascot. You' be hoping in late October the ground would be in his favour. He's five kilos over his optimum weight, so I'd expect improvement.”
Aidan O'Brien was far from downcast about the effort of the returning US Army Ranger, off since finishing runner-up in the June 4 G1 Epsom Derby and commented, “He'll be grand, he just got a little bit tired. He was galloping away to the line. The race got a little bit rough off the bend and that took a bit out of him, needing the run as he did. In a few days we'll see where we go, but in his work he is a mile-and-a-quarter horse and the Irish Champion is still a possible.”
The dam, who was second in the G3 Prix Miesque at two, descends from the prolific producer She's My Lovely, whose three group winners are headed by the G1 Prix Ganay-winning sire Execute (Fr). The next dam Girl Friend (GB) (Birdbrook {GB}) won 12 races including eight at pattern level and was runner-up in the 1000 Guineas and King's Stand S. and is a full to Best Girl (GB), who is the dam of the G1 Champion S. and G1 Aral-Pokal-winning sire Tel Quel (Fr). Girl Friend is herself the dam of the G3 Prix Messidor scorer Comrade In Arms (GB) (Brigadier Gerard {GB}), as well as being the third dam of the G1 Doomben Cup scorer Beaten Up (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}). Malaica also has a yearling colt by Famous Name (GB) named Succeeding (Ire) to follow.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
KILFRUSH STUD ROYAL WHIP S.-G3, €65,000, CUR, 8-21, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:12.90, yl.
1–SUCCESS DAYS (IRE), 135, c, 4, by Jeremy
1st Dam: Malaica (Fr) (GSW-Eng & Fr), by Roi Gironde (Ire)
2nd Dam: Carmel (Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr)
3rd Dam: She's My Lovely (GB), by Sharpo (GB)
O-Robert Ng; B-Robert Ng & Dermot Farrington (IRE); T-Ken Condon; J-Shane Foley. €38,350. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 12-5-2-1, $229,237. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fascinating Rock (Ire), 140, h, 5, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Miss Polaris (GB), by Polar Falcon. O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. €13,000.
3–Moonlight Magic (GB), 130, c, 3, Cape Cross (Ire)–Melikah (Ire), by Lammtarra. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (GB); T-Jim Bolger. €6,500.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 10.00, 2.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: US Army Ranger (Ire), Endless Drama (Ire), Maneen (GB), The Steward. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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