More black type for Indigo Magic’s dam
Lady Carla (Caerleon), dam of South African stallion, Indigo Magic (Gone West), has been productive with some of her latest foals. Her current 3yo, High Ruler (Mr. Greeley), was a smart performer, who ran fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas this year. High Ruler is a three parts brother to Indigo Magic.
Lady Carla’s current 2yo, Precious Dream – an own sister to High Ruler, ran third on debut to the very smart Teolane (Teofilo), and she could add to Lady Carla’s success.
Jet Master
It was great to hear that reigning champion sire, Jet Master, has shown slow, but steady, progress in his fight with the West Nile Virus. The great stallion’s prospects looked grim in the early days of his contracting the disease, but he is said to be improving, and, all going well, he will be back in the covering shed next season.
It is safe to say that the breeding industry has been holding its collective breath over the status of Jet Master, and it’s fantastic to hear of his steady prgrogress.
G1 double for Spectrum daughters
It is worth noting that in one week, two daughters of Spectrum produced G1 winners. Two weekends ago, Moonlight Cloud won the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, defeating some of Europe’s top sprinters, and this weekend past saw Winchester notch up his fourth G1 success when winning the G1 Sword Dancer Invitational.
Moonlight Cloud (Invincible Spirit), now a three time Group race winner, is out of the Spectrum mare Ventura, and Winchester (Theatrical) out of Spectrum’s daughter Rum Charger.
Domeyer in Korea
Aldo Domeyer & Tango Step victorious in the YTN Cup
South African jockey (and former champion apprentice) Aldo Domeyer enjoyed a good stint in Korea over the weekend. Aldo won one of the races in the Korean Invitational Jockeys Challenge. Domeyer was taking part in a challenge against some of the world’s leading jockeys. Jockeys from as far apart as Turkey, Australia, Malayasia, Ireland and Japan were invited to compete.
The race meeting is held annually at the Seoul racecourse. The Invitational was held over two days, but interestingly enough consisted of just two races. The first, held on Saturday, was won by Turkish jock Ahmet Celik, while Aldo partnered Tango Step to win the final race. The pair teamed up to win the YTN Cup, despite Tango Step starting a 21-1 outsider. However, it was Ahmet Celik who went onto capture the Jockeys title, and to land the $21,000 prize money.
Montjeu fillies
For a long time there has been the perception that leading sire, Montjeu, is unable to sire top class fillies. On Sunday, however, Sarah Lynx became the 21st daughter of Montjeu to win a stakes race when she landed the G2 Prix de Pomone.
Whilst there is no question that Montjeu sires superior colts to fillies, he is clearly capable of siring a good-class female. His stakes winning daughters include G1 winners Montare (Prix Royal Oak) and Sharvasti (Avondale Gold Cup), as well as the likes of G2 winners Miss Keller (Canadian Stakes), Mont Etoile (Ribblesdale Stakes) and Maria Royal (Prix de Royallieu) . Montjeu is also responsible for the G1 performing fillies Clowance (3rd Irish St Leger) and Dance to The Top (3rd Fillies Mile), and is, in short, composing a more than respectable record as a sire of decent racefillies.
What’s also worth noting about Montjeu’s most recent G2 winning daughter, Sarah Lynx, is that she is closely related to successful South African sire, Casey Tibbs. Sarah Lynx is out of the G3 winner Steel Princess – a granddaughter of Fleur Royale (dam of Casey Tibbs), and both Montjeu and Casey Tibbs are sons of Sadler’s Wells.
Good runs from River Jetez, Mahbooba, Musir
The Mike de Kock pair of Musir (Redoute’s Choice) and Mahbooba both ran good races in Britain last Saturday. Both former SA champions were making their British debuts.
Musir ran third, albeit beaten 6.5 lengths, in the G3 Hungerford Stakes, over 1400m, at Newbury. It was the entire’s first start since he ran third in the G1 Champions Mile back in April. He was beaten by this season’s German 2000 Guineas winner Excelebration (Exceed And Excel) who ran champion Frankel to four lengths in the G2 Greenham Stakes, and 2.25 lengths in the G1 St James Palace Stakes.
Runner up in the Hungerford was Beacon Lodge (Clodovil), who was coming off a good second place in the G2 Lennox Stakes to the talented Strong Suit, where he was beaten 1.75 lengths. Under the circumstances, it was a good run from Musir, who could well have found the 1400m trip too short.
Stablemate, Mahbooba, making her first start since March, also ran an encouraging race.
The daughter of Galileo, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time, was running in a 2000m conditions race at Newmarket. Despite pulling hard, the 4yo managed to ran third, beaten 2.75 lengths by the winner French Navy and 0.5 lengths by runner up Joshua Tree. Winner French Navy (Shamardal) was a very smart 2yo last year, winning his first three starts including the G3 Prix des Chenes, beating French 2000 Guineas runner up Havane Smoke. French Navy, to date, has won four of his five starts, and is clearly very talented. Runner up Joshua Tree (Montjeu) is a former winner of the G1 Canadian International, and he finished just 0.5 lengths ahead of Mahbooba.
Another former SA based star to run a cracker on Saturday was River Jetez. Whilst the mares’ many fans were disappointed that she was beaten, it was a great run from an 8yo mare to be beaten just over a length by Stacelita (Monsun), a five time G1 winner, in the $750,000 Beverly D Stakes.
Stacelita, it should be remembered, won her first straight six races, before running five lengths off Sea The Stars in the Prix de’l Arc De Triomphe. Her G1 victories include a six length romp in the Prix Saint Alary, and a four length demolition in the French Oaks.
