HE looked something special on his debut and Saxon Warrior reinforced that impression as he gave Aidan O’Brien a seventh straight success in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes.
The Ballydoyle trainer supplied three of the five runners in the last Group 2 of the season and each boasted credible claims, but Saxon Warrior looked classic material in landing a Curragh maiden last month.
Ryan Moore’s mount was a 5/6 shot to stay unbeaten for this marked rise in class and he now heads the market for next year’s Derby at Epsom.
In a straightforward race, Saxon Warrior was going nicely approaching the last two furlongs, at which point several of his rivals had started to come under pressure. When the Deep Impact colt was asked to pick up, he quickened smartly and he never came under strong pressure to make it 17 Beresford Stakes wins for O’Brien.
Saxon Warrior finished with two and a half lengths to spare over Delano Roosevelt and there was a further head back to Brendan Duke’s Warm The Voice who ran a splendid race as he stepped out of nursery company.
“The ground was a worry but Ryan was pleased with him. He travelled well and quickened well and Ryan felt that he’s a pacy colt,” reported O’Brien. “He could run again this year but he doesn’t have to and he’s a classic colt for next year. He has to be decent to do what he did today.”
An outstanding autumn for English trainer Karl Burke took yet another turn for the better as he reeled off a Group 3 double headed by the successful return to action of Quiet Reflection. The latter won twice at Group 1 level last season but the six-furlong Renaissance Stakes represented her first outing since her disappointing return at Haydock in May.
On her best form the 5/2 favourite was a class apart from these rivals. Martin Harley’s mount was going nicely entering the last couple of furlongs but just had to bide her time for an opening. When she did get daylight, Quiet Reflection picked up impressively to sweep by Alphabet and pull two and three-quarter lengths clear.
“When she gets some cut in the ground she is a very, very good filly. She’ll head to Ascot for the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes,” declared Burke. “She’ll sharpen up a lot for this. If she gets her ground at Ascot I’d hope she will give Clive’s horse (Harry Angel) a race. She’s been an absolute star for us and after Ascot she will go to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.”
Earlier, the Burke-trained Ellthea upstaged the home defence in the Group 3 C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes. Just 10 days previously the Maura Gittins-owned filly won a Doncaster nursery off a mark of 81 and the cancellation of Ayr’s Western meeting proved providential as it resulted in her late switch to this seven-furlong contest.
Even though she came here off that Doncaster success, Ellthea appeared to have plenty to do but the 10/1 shot succeeded under Colm O’Donoghue. She held a share of the lead from early in the straight and then took control over a furlong from home before a two and a three quarter-length triumph over Sizzling.
“She’s had trouble with being in season for a lot of the summer and she hadn’t been performing but she’s clearly a talented filly,” commented Burke. “If she was placed we might leave her off until next season but after the way she’s won there she might well run again this season.”
YORK RAIDER
A superb afternoon for the English raiders was completed by Yorkshire trainer Paul Midgley who sent out Tylery Wonder (10/1) to defeat stablemate Monsieur Joe in the Joe McGrath Handicap. A winner of this €50,000 five-furlong dash in 2015, when he was trained in Ireland, and then fourth last year, the seven-year-old once again relished the task. He broke alertly to lead from the outset for Leigh Roche and he maintained an unfaltering tempo to cross the line with a length and a half to spare.
“I thought the ground was too soft for him but he got a length out of the gates and he never looked like he was going to be beaten,” remarked Midgley.
Once again Renneti showed just what he’s capable of at his best as he made short work of his three rivals to register a dominant success in the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes. This two-mile event attracted a most disappointing turnout but Renneti (4/5) couldn’t have done much more.
Pat Smullen was quite content to settle the Susannah Ricci-owned eight-year-old in behind the front-running Stars Over The Sea before then asking the market leader to assert with over two furlongs to run. Renetti ran out a smooth five-length winner over the aforementioned pacesetter.
“A good dig in the ground is what he wants and this two miles suited him well,” observed Mullins. “The Group 2 British Champions Long Distance Cup could be a target for him and for the time being anyway he will stick to the flat.”
Ger Lyons introduced another decent looking juvenile in Mcmunigal (8/1-13/2) who dominated the conclusion of the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden confined to newcomers.
This David Spratt-owned son of Epaulette improved from a prominent position to press Loving A Boom for the lead with well over a furlong to run. Colin Keane’s mount moved ahead and he galloped on strongly to finish four lengths clear of Found’s brother, James Cook.
“He came to us from the breeze-up sales, where David (Spratt) picked him out himself, but he had his winter coat all summer so we took our time with him,” declared Lyons. “He floated through that ground but isn’t ground dependent. Maybe he might take the Doctor Geoff route and come back for the Tetrarch Stakes here next May.”
The inexpensively bought Powersville notched up her second success of the season as she claimed the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race. Just four days after contesting a Fairyhouse nursery, the Tom Mullins inmate was returned a 16/1 chance under Niall McCullagh.
Sadly the favourite Would You Believe went wrong when vying for the lead with over a furlong to run and this left The Broghie Man in charge, but he was cut down by Powersville. The Helen Mullins-owned filly then held on by a head from Sunday Smart.
“I’d probably minded her too much before she ran at Fairyhouse and she came out of that race bucking and kicking so we took our chance here,” remarked Tom Mullins. “She might come back here for the final of this series next month but there is the option of going for blacktype too.”
Colm O’Donghue added to his earlier victory on Ellthea as he teamed up with the useful Pincheck (100/30) to land the mile handicap. This improving 92-rated son of Invincible Spirit held the outright lead from early in the straight and kept going nicely to contain the unexposed Espoir D’Doleil by a length and a quarter.
Pincheck is owned by American Jon Kelly whose horses have played their part in an excellent flat campaign for Jessica Harrington.
“I took him out of Irish Champions Weekend as I didn’t want to run over 10 furlongs on heavy ground and he also had to miss the Cambridgeshire but the bit of time he’s gotten has stood to him and he’ll now be put away until next season,” reported Mrs Harrington.
Jockey bans
DECLAN McDonogh picked up a one-day careless riding ban in the two-year-old maiden. Colm O’Donoghue received the same sanction for the whip after scoring on Ellthea while Seamie Heffernan was also given a one-day whip ban for his effort on Maarek in the Joe McGrath Handicap.
ACTING STEWARDS
N. O’Byrne, P.F. Myerscough, R. Hall, Justice L. Reynolds, L. Walsh
Horse To Follow
SOFFIA (E. Lynam): This daughter of Kyllachy shaped up nicely to be beaten less than two and a half lengths in fourth in the auction race won by Powersville. She should improve appreciably from this.