ARROGATE THE WORLD'S LEADING EARNER
Juddmonte's Arrogate extended his winning run and took his career earnings to an all-time global record amount when posting an impressive victory in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline at Meydan on Saturday.
The brilliant grey is trained by Bob Baffert, he was bred by Clearsky Farms and he made $560,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale of 2014. Last year his Medaglia D'Oro (by El Prado) half-sister was sold for $300,000 at the same venue.
Arrogate is a son of the late Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Unbridled's Song (by Unbridled), a top US sire who stood at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky and whose Grade 1 stars feature horses such as Will Take Charge, Midshipman, Octave, Unrivaled Belle, Unbridled Elaine, Liam's Map, Thorn Song, and Forever Unbridled.
He is the first foal out of the Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Bubbler (by Distorted Humor), which makes him inbred 4x4 to Mr Prospector (by Raise A Native), and his dam is a grand-daughter of the juvenile champion and six-time Grade 1 heroine Meadow Star (by Meadowlake).
That popular and prolific chesnut produced just five foals but her descendants also include Belle Gallantey (by After Market), who won the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap and Grade 1 Beldame Stakes in 2014.
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THIRD GROUP 1 WINNER FOR LOPE DE VEGA
Ballylinch Stud's classic star Lope De Vega (by Shamardal) notched up his third individual Group 1 winner when The Right Man, who represents his first crop, narrowly won the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments over six furlongs on turf at Meydan on Saturday.
The Didier Guillemin-trained gelding, who was a listed and Group 3 winner at Maisons-Laffitte late last season, has a high strike-rate of wins to runs. He was bred by Anita Wigan, he is a €32,000 graduate of the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, and he is a great-grandson of the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Three Troikas (by Lyphard).
That Timeform 133-rated champion also won the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary, and Group 1 Prix Vermeille and she was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), all in 1979.
The Right Man is a half-brother to the stakes-placed pair Black Velvet (by Inchinor) and Three Moons (by Montjeu), the latter also being notable as the dam of the pattern-placed stakes winner Tashaar (by Sea The Stars).
He is out of Three Owls (by Warning) and that mare's siblings include the stakes winners Thames (by Fabulous Dancer) and Three Wrens (by Second Empire).
Lope De Vega's 24 individual stakes winners also feature last year's Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Jemayel, plus the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner and juvenile champion Belardo, who is in his first season as a stallion at Kildangan Stud.
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CLASSIC STAR HOBBS IMPRESSES IN DUBAI
Five-length Irish Derby hero Jack Hobbs ran just twice as a four-year-old, pulling-up injured on his seasonal reappearance in the spring and then taking third in the Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.
He made his five-year-old debut at Meydan on Saturday and was impressive in beating Seventh Heaven and Postponed easily in the Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic over 12 furlongs.
Godolphin's entire was bred by Willie Carson's Minster Stud, he is trained by John Gosden, and the Timeform 129-rated ace is the best of four top-level winners sired by the late Dalham Hall Stud veteran Halling (by Diesis).
He is a half-brother to the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes third Niceofyoutotellme (by Hernando) and his dam, Swain's Gold (by Swain), is a multiple winning daughter of the Grade 2 Orchid Handicap scorer Golden Pond (by Don't Forget Me), which makes her a half-sister to listed scorer Brazilian (by Stravinsky).
This is also the immediate family of the Group 2 May Hill Stakes winner Pollenator (by Motivator) and of last year's Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes runner-up Rosebride (by Mayson), but if you go back farther then you will find Group 1 Australian Derby winner Dance The Day Away (by Seattle Dancer) and, more notably, Connaught (by St Paddy).
One of many top horses owned and bred by the late Jim Joel, that Timeform 130-rated star was runner-up to Sir Ivor in the Derby at Epsom and went on to take King Edward VII Stakes, Great Voltigeur Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, and two editions of the Prince of Wales's Stakes.
Connaught went on to some success at stud, with the Group 1 stars Connaught Bridge and Lirung among his progeny, and that will be another selling point for Jack Hobbs whenever it is time for him to go to take up stallion duties.
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DUBAI TURF GOES TO JAPAN
Japanese classic heroine Vivlos stayed on well to spring a 14/1 surprise in the Group 1 Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World over nine furlongs at Meydan on Saturday, a second win at the highest level for the daughter of outstanding stallion Deep Impact (by Sunday Silence).
The Northern Racing-bred four-year-old is trained by Yasuo Tomomichi, she is out of Halwa Sweet (by Machiavellian) and that makes her a full-sister to Verxina, a dual Group 1 Victoria Mile heroine who was runner-up to Gentildonna in all three fillies' classics in Japan.
Their dual Group 2-winning half-brother Cheval Grand (by Heart's Cry), who is also trained by Tomomichi, was runner-up to Satono Diamond in the Group 2 Hanshin Daishoten over 15 furlongs just under two weeks ago.
Halwa Song (by Nureyev), the grandam of Vivlos, is the dam of Martinborough (by Deep Impact), a talented performer who is in his first season at Haras de Grandcamp in France, and she is out of Morn Of Song (by Blushing Groom), which makes her a half-sister to Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner Mezzo Soprano (by Darshaan).
The next dam is Glorious Song (by Halo) and so this is a branch of the famous family of Singspiel (by In The Wings), Rahy (by Blushing Groom), and so many others of note.
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AGA KHAN'S HOMEBRED WINS AGAIN
Dual Group 1 star Vazirabad is now a dual winner of the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup having taken the Al Tayer Motors-sponsored two-mile contest at Meydan on Saturday and also 12 months before.
This time he beat Beautiful Romance (by New Approach) and Sheikhzayedroad (by Dubawi) and he was the big-race favourite.
The Aga Khan's homebred gelding is trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, he is one of several top-level winners for Haras du Logis stallion Manduro (by Monsun), and he is out of Visorama (by Linamix).
That mare won the Group 3 Prix de Flore and was placed in both the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Group 2 Prix Corrida, and each of her first seven foals is a winner, including the pattern-placed blacktype scorer Visoriyna (by Dansili).
Visor (by Mr Prospector), the grandam of Vazirabad, is responsible for Group 1 Prix de la Foret winner Varenar (by Rock Of Gibraltar), for Group 2 Prix Greffulhe scorer Visindar (by Sinndar) and for the classic-placed pair Visionnaire (by Linamix) and Visionary (by Linamix).
His fourth dam, Tuerta (by Forli), was a Grade 3 winner in the USA and her offspring featured the tragically ill-fated Swale (by Seattle Slew), 1983's US champion three-year-old who won the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby but died shortly after adding the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.
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FIRST-CROP HELMET COLT THUNDERS HOME
Only a short-head separated the first two home in the Group 2 UAE Derby Sponsored By The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, but victory went to Thunder Snow, star of the European half of Helmet's (by Exceed And Excel) first crop.
Godolphin's colt was bred by Darley, he is trained by Saeed bin Suroor, he won the Group 1 Criterium International easily at Saint-Cloud in late October, and was also a wide-margin winner of the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan in February.
As noted here before, he is the fourth foal out of Eastern Joy (by Dubai Destination) and his older siblings are classic-placed Group 2 scorer Ihtimal (by Shamardal), Group 1-placed stakes winner Always Smile (by Cape Cross), and juvenile Group 3 winner First Victory (by Teofilo).
His dam is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) winner West Wind (by Machiavellian) and out of Red Slippers (by Nureyev), the Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes-winning half-sister to Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Irish Derby heroine Balanchine (by Storm Bird).
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ANOTHER GROUP 1 FOR CHARLIE'S FILLY
Juvenile Group 1 star and Haras du Mezeray stallion Myboycharlie (by Danetime) began his stallion career at the National Stud in Newmarket, he has shuttled to Australia, and in addition to his top daughter Euro Charline and last year's unbeaten Irish juvenile pattern winner Landfall, his growing list of of stakes winners includes one of the top fillies in the southern hemisphere.
Jameka was bred by Gilgai Farm in Australia, she is trained by Ciaron Maher, and she ran away with the 12-furlong Group 1 The BMW at Rosehill on Saturday. She won the Group 1 Caulfield Cup in October.
A half-sister to the multiple pattern-placed colt Nikitas (by Snitzel), Jameka is out of Mine Game (by General Nediym), who is a winning half-sister to the Group 1 Canterbury Guineas scorer Jymcarew (by Danzero).
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NEW GROUP 1 WINNER FOR HIGH CHAPARRAL
Coolmore Stud's late dual Derby and dual Breeders' Cup Turf hero High Chaparral (by Sadler's Wells) added another top-level winner to his tally when Australian-bred three-year-old Montoya's Secret narrowly won the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes over 10 furlongs at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Rosemont Stud-bred filly is trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, she was an easy winner of a mile handicap at Moonee Valley a fornight before, and she is a half-sister to the 12-furlong Group 3 scorer Delago's Secret (by Encosta De Lago).
Her dam, Divine Secret (by Thunder Gulch), was third in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and is out of Prayerful (by Don't Say Halo), a stakes-winning sibling of Group 3 scorer Typhoon (by Last Tycoon) and of multiple Group 1-placed Group 2 star Excited Angel (by Don't Say Halo).
The latter, who won 12 times from five and a half to 10 furlongs, is the dam of the Group 1-placed stakes winner Aquiver (by Danehill) and grandam of the Group 2 Sunline Stakes winner Text'n Hurley (by Hard Spun).
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GRADE 2 WINNER FOR AMERICAN POST
Haras National stallion American Post (by Bering), sire of juvenile Group 1 star Robin Of Navan and of the unfortunate Liliside, was in the news in California on Saturday evening when his son Itsinthepost won the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes over 12 furlongs at Santa Anita.
It is a first graded win for the Jeff Mullins-trained five-year-old, a gelded son of juvenile winner Sakkara Star, who came from the only crop of ill-fated sprint champion Mozart (by Danehill).
He was bred in France by J Leaunes, and his grandam, Sun Silk (by Gone West), won the Group 2 Fillies' Mile at Ascot in 1989, narrowly beating the subsequent Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) runner-up and classic-producer Moon Cactus.
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ICON FILLY WINS NAAS GROUP 3
The 2017 turf flat season in Ireland kicked off at Naas on Sunday and Czabo put her name in the record books as the first pattern winner of the year in this country.
The Mick Channon-trained four-year-old, who finished fourth in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas on her previous visit here, beat Somehow and Flying Fairies in the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud European Breeders Fund Park Express Stakes over a mile.
She was bred by Norman Court Stud, which is where her classic-winning sire Sixties Icon (by Galileo) stands, and she is out of the stakes-placed Fiumicino (by Danehill Dancer).
Her grandam, Valhalla Moon (by Sadler's Wells), is a half-sister to several blacktype earners including Sugar Ray (by Danehill), who chased home Sixties Icon in the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes.
Dark Lomond (by Lomond), who won the Irish St Leger, is the fourth dam of Czabo and the Group 1 star's offspring include the classic-placed Gothic Dream (by Nashwan).
Czabo is inbred 3x3 to Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) and 4x4 to Sharpen Up (by Atan), and I reviewed her pedigree in more detail in the 30th April 2016 edition of The Irish Field.