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Mine That Bird underwent a brief procedure on Tuesday morning to correct an entrapped epiglottis, and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner remains on course for the $1-million Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on August 29.

“It was as smooth as silk,” trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. said. “We scoped him afterward and you’d never know he’d had an entrapment. The whole go was just perfect.”

The breathing problem was discovered after Mine That Bird breezed five furlongs in 1:03.83 on Monday morning at Saratoga Race Course. Woolley vanned the gelding to the Ruffian Equine Medical Center near Belmont Park late Monday and planned to return him to Saratoga on Tuesday afternoon.

“He was a wonderful patient,” said Patricia Hogan, V.M.D. “The procedure itself took maybe 15 seconds. He got up like a gentleman and everything looks good.”

Woolley said Mine That Bird probably will resume training in a couple of days.

www.thoroughbredtimes.com

Sea The Stars came through as the odds-on favorite in a four-horse field on Tuesday, firing on cue for a measured victory over Mastercraftsman in the $978,467 Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-G1) at York.

The top horse in the most recent International Federation of Horse Racing Authority world rankings, Sea The Stars racked up his fourth consecutive Group 1 victory and sixth consecutive win overall for owner Christopher Tsui and trainer John Oxx.

The three-year-old Cape Cross (Ire) colt out of star performer and producer Urban Sea, by Miswaki, scared away all but three challengers, who all came from trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle operation.

Mastercraftsman was the serious rival after pairing victories in the Boylesports.com Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and St. James’s Palace Stakes (Eng-G1) since finishing fifth to Sea The Stars in the Stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) on May 2.

Sea The Stars tracked from fourth while pacesetters Georgebernardshaw and Set Sail blazed away at a steady clip. Mastercraftsman made his move for the lead with a half-mile remaining under jockey Johnny Murtagh, and Sea The Stars and jockey Mick Kinane kept pace by deftly cutting between the fading duo.

Sea The Stars wore down Mastercraftsman from the outside and inched clear to win by one length. He completed 1 1/4 miles and 80 yards in a course-record 2:05.29 on good to firm ground.

“I asked him to go and quicken up between the two Ballydoyle pacemakers which was probably a bit of a risky maneuver, but I wanted to follow Johnny through,” Kinane said. “So I let him quicken up and then eased him down. Then Johnny quickened and found a couple of lengths and his horse has run a hell of a race. Just a combination of those things made it more difficult than maybe it should have been.”

Sea The Stars probably will move on to the Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1) on September 5 at Leopardstown for another Ballydoyle showdown with Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner Fame And Glory.

Sea The Stars defeated Fame And Glory in the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) and skipped the Irish Derby because of soft turf. Ground conditions will be a major factor in his schedule for the rest of the year, including a bid to match his dam, Urban Sea, by winning the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) at Longchamp.

Oxx said last week that a start in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, perhaps in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), could come into play if the weather disrupts Sea The Stars’ options in Europe.

Courtesy: www.thoroughbredtimes.com

Press the Button (orange) and Richard Hughes sealing victory for Ireland

IT was an afternoon to remember for Richard Hughes and the Irish team, as a total of four victories from the six races staged saw them cruise to success in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, with the luxury of a race to spare.

Hughes, who rode a 377-1 treble on the card, courtesy of Polly’s Mark, We’ll Come and Press The Button, also claimed the Silver Saddle leading jockey award with an impressive haul of 49 points.

Team mate Neil Callan also weighed in with a win on Aaim To Prosper, giving the Irish team a total of 101 points, 45 clear of Great Britain, who finished second. It wasn’t until the last race that the home crowd had a winner to cheer home, as captain Hayley Turner got up on Noverre To Go, and the opening contest went to  European captain Fredrik Johansson and Group Therapy, but for the rest of the day Irish eyes were smiling in the winner’s enclosure.

Hughes was winning theleading rider competition for the second time since the event’s inception. Turner and Johansson shared second place with 30 points, while Neil Callan was third on 29 points.

Selector for Team Ireland was Racing Post chief correspondent James Willoughby, and he was understandably delighted with the performance of the team and Richard Hughes.

He said: “The thing I’m really going to take out of today is what a giant of a man Richard Hughes is. At the moment he ison really good terms with himself. His weight is under control he’s playing a lot of golf, he’s relaxed and he’s just been sensational.”

Team Standings
Ireland 101 points
Great Britain 56 points
Europe 52 points
Rest of the World 47 points

Individual Standings
Richard Hughes 49 points
Hayley Turner, Fredrik Johansson 30 points
Neil Callan 29 points

Courtesy: www.racingpost.com

Hayley Turner: Shergar Cup “has been a really big help for my career” 

Hayley Turner captains the British team in Ascot’s Shergar Cup for the second consecutive year on Saturday and is expected to make her mark in the competition yet again.

Turner first made her mark aboard 33-1 shot Relative Order in the Juvenile event two years ago, and believes Great Britain has a live chance with team-mate Darryll Holland now the 5-1 favourite to walk away this year’s leading jockey.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to it. I think it’s been a really big help for my career,” she said.

“I think the first win helped to raise my profile and then I had another good win on Gee Dee Nen last year.

“We have Jason Weaver picking our rides and Darryll Holland and Alan Munro are on the team. It’s brilliant to have them and we’d be hoping for a winner or two.”

Ladbrokes cut Turner to 8-1 from 9-1 to land the leading rider’s Silver Saddle at the meeting, with Holland cut to 5-1 favouritism, also from 9-1.

With the wet weather initiating a spate of non-runners, Irish team captain Richard Hughes, who opened as the firm’s 5-1 top choice, has been eased eased to 11-2.

David Williams of Ladbrokes said: “All the early money has been for the home team and the Irish have slipped accordingly. Going into the meeting, we’ll take anyone apart from the Brits.

“Richard Hughes doesn’t appear to have been dealt the kindest hand with the reserves coming in. By contrast, Darryll Holland has been far and away the most popular pick for the Silver Saddle.

“On a truly international day at Ascot, it’s Holland whom we fear the most.” 

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