The Weekly Wrap

What on earth happened last week? It is a question being asked not only by the jaded survivors of too many late nights in Galway and those who witnessed the end of Usain Bolt's golden reign at 100m in London's Olympic Stadium.
Goodwood's garden party on Wednesday was blighted by some of the worst weather in recent memory at the races–the National Hunt included–with tractors summoned to rescue stray vehicles in the car parks in scenes far more akin to those at a Devon point-to-point than one of the summer's premier events.
It was one trainer Andrew Balding will not forget in a hurry either with the soft ground helping Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) to become one of the more unexpected Group 1 winners at the age of seven in the Sussex S.

An Outstanding McCreery Double…
The merits of Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) will be better dissected in other quarters, so this might be the opportunity to turn the spotlight onto some of the less heralded achievements of the week.
For Jeanette McCreery, Wet Wednesday provided the first leg of a remarkable Goodwood double as Hollie Doyle guided Billesdon Bess (GB) (Dick Turpin {Ire}) home in the 10f fillies' handicap. Then a day later, Sean Levey somehow forced that filly's half-sister Billesdon Brook (GB) Champs Elysees {GB}) through the melee and make up an an astonishing amount of late ground to take the 7f nursery on the line.
The pair came from Stowell Hill Stud in Somerset and the ownership syndicate was set up by McCreery's husband, who died shortly before Christmas. Bob McCreery, a hugely admired figure in the bloodstock industry, bred the likes of Old Vic (GB) and Gale Force Ten (GB).
“They tell me everyone at the stud was jumping about with excitement and I'm so pleased for them as they all work very hard,” said Jeanette. “The weather was fairly awful on Wednesday, we spent most of the time avoiding the puddles, but if you have a winner then you float above it. Both the jockeys ride the fillies out at home and we were so pleased with how they were ridden–little Hollie Doyle has struck up a partnership with Billesdon Bess and Sean Levey looked like he was stuck in the washing machine before she flew home.”
The broodmare Coplow (GB), also a product of Stowell Hill and trained by the Hannons, is only eight and is leaving her keeper with a minor dilemma.
“She's had four fillies so far–there's a Showcasing (GB) yearling who is going to Book 2 of Tattersalls and a Sepoy (Aus) foal. She's barren at the moment but there are lots of options for next year,” she said. “I'm rather having second thoughts about the Showcasing, it's very tempting to keep her but I think she's got to go to the sales.”
There is likely to be even more interest in a relative of another Goodwood winner when the October Yearling Sale comes around again.
Endless Time (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) picked up her first victory for a year in the G3 Lillie Langtry S. and will be aimed by Charlie Appleby back towards an elusive Group 1 in the same races she finished second in last year, the G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix Royal-Oak.
She was bred at John and Clodagh McStay's boutique Oaklawn Stud and they have a Dawn Approach (Ire) half-brother heading for Book 1. There is also a filly foal full-sister to Endless Time back in Kildare. There was double the delight for the McStays' son Mark, who works for Godolphin and watched the race alongside Appleby.

Palussiere and Marnane Still Flying in France…
Evidence of the burgeoning partnership between trainer Matthieu Palussiere and Con and Theresa Marnane's Bansha House Stables came at the grandest setting of all when Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) repelled Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire} in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot.
This Franco-Irish combination was at it again on Thursday when they won all four 2-year-old races at Clairefontaine and Vichy. Unable to teleport just yet, Palussiere was on the Normandy coast for the early meeting to saddle Please Be True (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) and Palya (Fr) (Panis) before Aitana Rose (Fr) (Shamalgan {Fr} and Premier Division (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) did the honours at the evening meeting in the centre of the country.
“It's been an amazing season, hard to explain really, and it's not over yet,” said Palussiere. “I've been lucky that they have been sending me good horses. I hoped we'd have a winner or two on the day, I knew they were nice horses, but nothing like that. I haven't had anything close to it.”
Palussiere who returned home after 18 years training and working for the Aga Khan in Ireland, has already registered 30 domestic winners in 2017, with nine of his top 10 earners being juveniles. Ominously, but without naming names, he said he has “more to run.”
He can also start dreaming of a first Group 1 win through Different League, who will be seen at Deauville this month.
“The Prix Morny is the plan,” he said. “She's been back working and is looking very good.”
In terms of training feats, that one must be ranked alongside that of Brian Ellison. Showing the tenacity of the hardiest Galway reveller, Dream Walker (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}) led home an Ellison one-two-three in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Ahonoora” H. Even more impressively, it was the trainer's fourth consecutive win in what is a thoroughly competitive 7f event.
The last two have come from Dream Walker, who warmed up by finishing third again earlier in the week. Newcastle-born Ellison would probably swap them all for just one Northumberland Plate, but that will surely come one day. He has some sharp minds among his owners but his talent ought to be recognised by many more.

There's No Stopping Hector Crouch…
There was no space for recognition of Hector Crouch in last week's wrap after the apprentice collected a four-timer at Lingfield. Fortunately, he forced his way back into contention by riding a 100-1 winner at Goodwood.
His boss Gary Moore is not renowned for debut 2-year-old scorers, even if Crouch felt Thechildren'Strust (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}), a €24,000 Goresbridge Breeze-Up purchase, was no forlorn hope in a 6f maiden.
“He had looked the part at home but everyone thought he'd hopefully run a nice race and have a positive experience,” said Crouch, a Sussex local himself. “To have a winner on the biggest stage, especially in a race I couldn't claim in, was very special.”
The 21-year-old also rides out for Clive Cox and George Baker and is already seeing a payoff. “It had been a bit steady but it's noticeable how many more rides I'm getting, and a lot more enquiries from different trainers,” he continued. “I can aim to ride out my claim by the end of the year.”
For those wondering where the faintly Wodehousian Hector comes from, it is a family trait. “We've all got unusual names–blame my parents,” he explained. “My brothers are called Bailey and Hartley.”
There is enormous value in a good jockey with a claim–advertised by Hayley Turner's announcement that she will be in France this winter taking advantage of the female allowance–and another to keep tabs on might be Jamie Gormley.
Indentured to Iain Jardine, he looked highly competent for a 7lb apprentice with a clever front-running ride on Tor (GB) (Orientor {GB}) in a staying handicap at Chester on Sunday.

Don't Mention the F-Word…
It cannot be sensible to reach for the F-word about a juvenile who has had only a couple of starts. For a few paces around the two-furlong marker as Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) cruised into the lead for the G2 Vintage S., though, was there not a resemblance to another colt that carried Khalid Abdullah's pink and green silks?

Aside from sharing the Danehill line through his dam, Expert Eye is bred to be a different specimen to Frankel. He would seem unlikely to stay much beyond a mile and is the second foal of Exemplify (GB), Special Duty's half-sister. Nonetheless, he is showing rare ability for Sir Michael Stoute and I'm not sure I've looked forward to the next run of a young prospect as much since, well, you-know-who.