Uncategorized Storm Again on 19 Oct 2008 02:03 am
New Approach retires in blaze of glory
Her Royal Highness Princess Haya of Jordan’s New Approach ran his last and arguably most impressive race on Saturday when destroying his rivals by six lengths in the Gr.1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket’s Champion’s Day meeting. He is now set to embark on his new career as a stallion at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud.
The result was never in doubt as he tracked his pacemaker, Upton Grey (Dalakhani), quickening clear to record the easiest of Gr.1 successes in a course recordbreaking time of 2:00.13s. He became the first horse in a hundred years to complete the hat-trick of wins in the Gr.1 Dewhurst, Derby and Champion Stakes and the last Derby winner since Sir Ivor in 1968 to go on and win the Champion Stakes.The son of Coolmore’s leading sire
Galileo, he cemented his title of Champion Two-Year-Old this time last year when winning the Dewhurst and clearly likes the Rowley Mile course, having finished a close second in the 2,000 Guineas on his seasonal debut.
He retires the winner of eight of his eleven races, five of which were at the top level, with earnings in excess of £2,000,000.
Most of the credit for his career goes to his trainer Jim Bolger, who has carefully managed the three-year-old colt, who was bred by Lodge Park Stud, from the moment he purchased him for €430,000 at Goffs Million Sale.
Bolger may have handed on one of his stable stars but he already has a new project. The canny trainer landed his third successive Dewhurst yesterday when his wife’s Intense Focus (Giant’s Causeway) just got up to land the big two-year-old race from Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) and Finjaan (Royal Applause).
Bred by Robert Clay and Airlie Stud, he too was bought by Bolger at Goffs Million Sale. He comes from a family which Bolger knows very well and, according to his trainer, he is likely to return to Newmarket for the 2,000 Guineas before a possible crack at the Derby.
The continued rise of Cape Cross’ daughter Crystal Capella reaped even greater rewards when she took the inaugural running of the Gr.2 Pride Stakes. Finishing second on her first two starts, she has now rattled off five wins in increasingly tougher company.
Running in the colours of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and bred by his family’s Southcourt Stud, she is the first foal of the Stakes-winning Mark Of Esteem mare Crystal Star. She is due to stay in training next season.
Choisir’s three-year-old son Stimulation brought his season to a close in good style when landing the Gr.2 Challenge Stakes. Racing on the far side rail, he got the better of Cat Junior (Storm Cat) to win by a length and a quarter. Bred by Illuminatus Investments, he was bought by Amanda Skiffington for 92,000gns at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Part Two. His trainer Hughie Morrison revealed that he is to stay in training next year with the Gr.1 Lockinge and the Queen Anne his likely early season targets.The Mick Channon trained Lahaleeb (Redback) swooped to take the Gr.2 Rockfel Stakes. The two-yearold filly, racing on the stands’ side, took the lead with a furlong to go and ran on well to score cosily by two and a quarter lengths.
Bred by Tom Twomey, she was bought for e40,000 at Goffs November Foal Sale and by Hugo Merry for 70,000gns at Tattersalls October Yearlig Sale Book Two. Godolphin’s homebred Veracity (Lomitas) beat his stable companion Sagara (Sadler’s Wells) in the Gr.3 Jockey Club Cup over two miles. Frankie Dettori chose to partner the winner, who was always up with the pace. He led initially before being settled in second on the outside, ranging up to challenge the leader half a mile out and taking a narrow advantage after another furlong. He kicked for home a quarter of a mile out and gained a big enough advantage to hold on by half a length. His victory was Godolphin’s 100th winner of 2008.
Courtesy: European Bloodstock News
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