TDN Rising Star
Putting the "wow factor" into Friday night's G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard's TDN Rising Star Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Knyazhna {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) swooped on unsuspecting victims to provide further proof of the outstanding merit of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club form. Only fourth behind Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in that 10 1/2-furlong Chantilly Classic, the Pascal Bary trainee who had dazzled on his first two starts looked an unlikely winner throughout the early stages with Cristian Demuro detached in last....
Newmarket's Weatherbys British EBF Maiden S. is one of those key races that can uncover a class act and Friday's renewal of the seven-furlong July Festival test may have witnessed another as Arabic Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Sheikha Reika {Fr}, by Shamardal) earned a TDN Rising Star tag. Withdrawn from his intended start at Doncaster last month after becoming upset in the stalls, the second foal out of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's GI E.P.Taylor S. heroine was always travelling strongly on the wing with Rob Hornby trying to contain him...
Imad Al Sagar's dual Group 1-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Princess Loulou {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) wrested defeat from the jaws of victory in last month's G3 Hoppings S., but was a different proposition facing a stellar cast in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket and back on song to dish out a wide-margin beating in the one-mile distaffers' test. Persistent drizzle had fallen at Headquarters throughout the day, easing the official going to good, and enticed connections into rubber-stamping the participation of last week's G1 Pretty...
Amo Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Persian Dreamer (Calyx {GB}--Surprisingly {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), fresh off a fourth-place finish in last month's G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot, upset the odds with an impressive display for a career high in Friday's G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. over Newmarket's six-furlong strip. She was restrained in rear after an alert break and inched forward into a handy third before halfway. Nudged along passing the quarter-mile marker, the 5-1 second choice quickened in style to launch her bid entering the final furlong and kept...
How's your Saratoga opening weekend stakes knowledge? You probably already knew that the Sanford S. is the only race that the legendary Man o' War ever lost. Or that over a five-year span in the '60s, the great Kelso amassed a staggering record of 63-39-12-2. You also knew that the late '80s warrior Quick Call, who lived to the ripe old age of 35, was denied a third consecutive GII Forego H. by a nose to Lay Down. And if you are pretty sharp, then you have it down pat...
Thursday's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket looked every bit as strong as the card's group races and so it proved as Juddmonte's G3 Tattersalls S.-winning TDN Rising Star Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Mirror Lake {GB}, by Dubai Destination) put his season on track with a performance that confirmed him as another elite runner for the Sir Michael Stoute stable. Last seen finishing third in the G1 Dewhurst S. on the Rowley Mile, the 11-10 favourite took Ryan Moore straight to the lead and one by one broke the hearts...
The odds for Thursday's Kingdom of Bahrain-sponsored G2 Princess of Wales's S. suggested a measure of redemption was in store for Derby and King George hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), but Shadwell's former handicapper and 7-2 second favourite Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}--Taghrooda {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) confounded those in possession of 1-3 tickets with a power-packed display of his own to claim a career best in the 12-furlong feature. The eventual winner slipstreamed Godolphin duo Global Storm (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Adayar through the early fractions...
Almost a year on from the portentous debut win of Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Kempton, that recently-crowned king of the staying division's more fleet-footed half-brother Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion--Crimson Ribbon, by Lemon Drop Kid) surged to TDN Rising Star status at the same venue on Wednesday evening. Having been a highly promising runner-up on debut over 10 furlongs at Newcastle in May, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred was partnered by Robert Havlin who had also been aboard his illustrious G1 Gold Cup-winning half-sibling in that eye-catching win 10...
Yann Barberot trainee Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Enchanting Skies {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) was two-for-two heading into Deauville's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure and remained on a roll after notching a 1 1/4-length success in the seven-furlong test. He became the 12th 'TDN Rising Star' for his sire (by Shamardal) in a May 9 five-furlong newcomers' test at Chantilly and doubled his haul later that month, upped to six furlongs at Saint-Cloud, with a defeat of 'TDN Rising Star' and subsequent G3 Prix du Bois victrix Ramatuelle...
Benedetta (f, 2, City of Light--Tessie Flip, by Grand Slam), a $750,000 OBS March purchase by Kaleem Shah, kicked off her career in style with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Los Alamitos Saturday afternoon. The 3-5 favorite bumped with a rival at the start and recovered nicely to flash good speed through an opening quarter in :21.94. Traveling powerfully while about four wide on the turn for home, she switched over to her right lead in the stretch and was under cruise control down the lane to win by...
Whisper Hill Farm homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (c, 4, Tapit--I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) got his season back on track with a dominating performance in Saturday's GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park. The 3-5 favorite, a 23-length winner in last term's GIII Dwyer S. over the same surface, was kept out in the clear by Johnny Velazquez and took over following an opening quarter in :24.49. Still racing several paths off the rail down the backstretch, the gray took the field of five into the far...
Known for some time as "the first clash of the generations", Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse proved the absolute epitome of that sentiment on Saturday as Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Ire}--Modern Eagle {Ger}, by Montjeu {Ire}) mastered fellow TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to do it for the Classic crop. Providing Aidan O'Brien with the outright historical record of seven renewals in the process, the heavily-supported 8-11 favourite got a lead from West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and proceeded to glide through his most demanding examination yet....