TDN RISING STARS

October 23, 2016 - Leopardstown, Race 2, Msw, EUR €16,500, 8.0F, .0000

Titus (GB), G, 2, 2014 by Dansili (GB)

1st Dam: Mirror Lake (GB) (MSW & GSP-Eng, $113,061), by Dubai Destination
2nd Dam: Reflections (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Roupala, by Vaguely Noble

Owner: Khalid Abdullah
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB)
Trainer: Dermot Weld

Titus, a June 3 G1 Epsom Derby entry, was away with the back markers before powering into fourth after the initial strides of this unveiling. Smooth under a firm hold until the straight, the 8-1 chance cruised up to the pace on the bridle to challenge inside the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly once quickening to the fore at the eighth pole to register an impressive half-length success from Venice Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “He did one or two nice pieces of work at home and I was very pleased with him,� revealed trainer Dermot Weld. “I thought he’d run a very nice race and that’s what he’s done. He’s a very big colt with a lot of potential and will probably appear in a Classic trial towards the end of April or early May. What his distance will be next year I’m not sure, but he’s a colt with plenty of pace. He’ll always want good ground and that’s one of the reasons we came here–for the nice ground. He’s 16.2 [hands] and what I like about him is that, for a horse that will probably stay well, he has plenty of pace. I would expect him to be a stakes horse next year. He has an awful lot to learn as he’s never been away before. It’s all new to him and he’s a gorgeous big horse.� The homebred bay, kin to a yearling colt by Oasis Dream (GB) and a colt foal by Dansili (GB), is the second winner out of GSP dual stakes scorer Mirror Lake (GB) (Dubai Destination), herself out of a half-sister to five black-type performers. They include G3 Prix Minerve victress Danefair (GB) (Danehill), who produced G1 Dewhurst S. third and MGSW sire Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic); MSP Estala (GB) (Be My Guest), who is the dam of four-time Grade I winner Ventura (Chester House); and stakes-winning G1 Prix Royal-Oak second Erudite (GB) (Generous {Ire}). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,045.