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Jockey Moore reacted. “Although I am delighted to be champion jockey in 2009, this is a year that will be remembered for the terrible loss of apprentices, Jan Wilson and Jamie Kyne. I am giving away my prize, splitting it between the Injured Jockeys’ Fund and the Malton Fund.”
I need to mention what is happening in the apprentice title race in England. Frederik Tylicki has a 66-63 lead over David Probert. In 2008, Probert shared the title with William Buick. Tylicki and Probert are excellent riders and will be going places soon. Jockey Buick, a week ago, won the Grade I E P Taylor Stakes with the Mick Channon-trained Lahaleeb in Canada.
Here are the latest numbers in the Irish race for top jockey. Johnny Murtagh is putting some separation between himself and Pat Smullen. The score is 85-81. Murtagh has a good base from which to draw viable mounts. William Hill, the British bookmaking behemoth, makes Murtagh the 25/100 favourite. The racing season in Ireland ends on November 27 with a meeting at Dundalk, an all-weather facility.
This is what you should know about the next chapter in the Sea The Stars story. An announcement has been made about where the Cape Cross colt will stand stud. The multiple Classic-winning three year-old will be at Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud in County Kildare. The first season fee will be 85,000 euros.
John Oxx, who trained Sea The Stars to win six Group I races in six months, spoke. “I have not been involved and only found out at the last minute. So I cannot tell you much.”
The Aga Khan has expressed a desire to send his champion mare, Zarkava, the 2008 Arc champion, to Sea The Stars. Ladbrokes, the British betting outfit, has offered 100-1 for a bet that stipulates the progeny of Sea The Stars-Zarkava will win the 2014 Arc. The odds are 4-1 for Sea The Stars to sire a Classic winner in the first crop.
Christophe Soumillon has lost his contract with the Aga Khan. The Belgian jockey, who has made a name for himself in France, will be retained jockey for Jean Claude Roget in 2010. Christophe Lemaire moves from Rouget’s stable to the Chantilly-based Aga Khan establishment. Soumillon moves from the Aga Khan stable to the Jean Claude Roget barn. Soumillon will ride for Rouget in the Paris region. Other riders will fill the void in regional courses.
Aidan O’Brien has revealed his plans for the Breeders’ Cup. St Nicholas Abbey, the Racing Post Trophy hero, has come out of the race in great shape, according to O’Brien. The English 2000 Guineas next year will be Abbey’s primary target. Rip Van Winkle, coming off a win the QE II Mile at Ascot in late September, will carry the Ballydoyle flag in the BC Classic. In the British market, Rip Van Winkle is the 11-8 favourite. Mastercraftsman, winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James Palace Stakes, is entered in the Classic but is likely to take his chances in the BC (dirt) mile. Mastercraftsman is a 5-2 chance.
O’Brien’s Lillie Lamgtry will go in the Juvenile Filliy Turf and Man of Iron will line up in the Marathon. Beethoven, shock winner of the Dewhurst, and Alfred Nobel will take their chances in the Juvenile Dirt. Viscount Nelson will be in the Juvenile Turf.
Frankie Dettori will be aboard Fleeting Spirit in the BC Sprint over 1,200 metres. Fleeting Spirit, who suffered a neck loss in the Prix Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc day when ridden by Tom Queally, has also been entered in the 1300-metre BC Turf Sprint. Andy Stewart, part owner of the Jeremy Noseda-trained filly stated, “It is nothing against Tom (Queally) who will be champion jockey one day, but we have been thinking of Frankie for some time. Frankie rode Fleeting Spirit the first time she won at Nottingham and once it was confirmed Godolphin won’t need him, we booked him. Fleeting Spirit has been training at home on an artificial surface and we will go where the money is.”
Indian Blessing, Eclipse award-winning filly, will not go in the BC filly-mare sprint. Bob Baffert commented. “I am not happy with her recent work at Santa Anita. She just does not like the pro-ride track. What can you do? It’s frustrating.”
Two kittens will be in the BC races. One a filly, and the other a colt, won two $100,000 turf stakes races at Retama Park in San Antonio on Saturday (twilight card) and were ridden by Julien Leparoux. Lisa’s Kitten, the filly, rallied from the rear and overcame trouble to justify 6-5 favouritism. Kera’s Kitten, the colt, also a 6-5 favourite, won going away by five lengths. Lisa’s Kitten will race in the Juvenile filly Turf. Kera’s Kitten will go in the Juvenile Turf. They are both sired by Kitten’s Joy, a horse that the Ramsey family owned. Mike Maker trains both. Owner Ken Ramsey and jockey Leparoux flew by private jet from Lexington, Kentucky to San Antonio, Texas and arrived two hours before post time.
I need to devote a paragraph to jockey Dettori. He is approaching the 100-winner mark in England. Ray Cochrane, his agent, is working extra hard to get live mounts. On Saturday, Dettori flies to Melbourne. He will ride Godolphin’s Kirkless in the Melbourne Cup. Godolphin’s other runner, Crime Scene will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy. Kirklees was seventh in the Caulfield Cup on October 17 but there is considerable optimism coming out of the Godolphin camp. The Melbourne Cup is on Tuesday, November 3. The four day Cup carnival starts on October 31 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
After fulfilling his Melbourne commitment, jockey Dettori makes his way to Los Angeles for the Breeders’ Cup races. He has several high profile rides. In 2008, Dettori had two wins and one photo loss in the Breeders’ Cup.
Two Group I races were run in Europe at week’s end. At Capannelle in Italy on Sunday, Alan Munro steered Eva’s Request to victory in the 2000-metre Premio Lydia Tesio Shadwell, a race for fillies and mares. Eva’s Request won by a head over Night Magic, the German Oaks winner this year. Eva’s Request hails from Mick Channon’s yard. Jockey Alan Munro had this to say. “She had never gone beyond 1800. There were doubts about her stamina. I rode her with confidence and she showed she can stay.”
The other Group I, the Prix Royal Oak, was run at Longchamp in Paris on Sunday. Ryan Moore was victorious aboard the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ask. The Royal Oak was over 3100 metres. Schiaparelli, the Godolphin runner, tried to make it all. Turning for home, jockey Moore went left and caused interference to the tiring Sevenna. Ask gained on Schiaparelli and edged ahead close home. There was an inquiry. Ask’s connections sweated it out and the Dar Re Mi story was not repeated. The result stood. Ask, winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, will be rested and pointed to the Sheema Classic in Dubai next March.
A six year-old mare, Black Mamba won in her farewell appearance at Keeneland on Sunday. The 2400-metre Dowager Stakes was run on yielding turf. Black Mamba, Robby Albarado up, came out of post nine in a nine-horse field. Tarheel’s Girl set a slow pace and Black Mamba sat second. In the lane, Black Mama took charge and ran on to beat back a late bid from Winter View, Julien Leparoux up. Black Mamba, by Black Minnaloushe, paid $5.20 and goes to the Fasig-Tipton Select Fall Mixed Sale in Lexington on November 10. John Sadler trains Black Mamba.
Robby Albarado, who had four winners at Keeneland on Sunday, explained his strategy: “With this pedestrian pace, being as good of a quality filly she is, I figured if I could kick on turning for home and spread the race out a little bit, she’d come through nicely.”
The Japanese St Leger was run at Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday. The 3000-metre grass race was won by Three Rolls who in a photo finish over Forgettable. The time was 3 03.5 seconds. The race was worth over two million dollars to the winner. Kohei Take trains the winner. Suguru Itamanaka rode Three Rolls.
Last Sunday at Sha Tin in Hong Kong, apprentice Derek Leung rode Inspiration, the 2008 HK Sprint winner at 67-1, to a win in the 1200-metre Premier Bowl. Inspiration is getting ready to defend the Sprint title and the big day is coming up on Sunday, December 13.
There was another important race at Sha Tin on Sunday. It was the Grade III Sha Tin Trophy over 1600 metres. Brett Doyle was aboard Packing Winner, a 160-1 chance, and made it all to beat a field that included Good Ba Ba, Viva Pataca, Collection and Thumbs Up.
There are four big races at Sha Tin on December 13. They are the Hong Kong Mile, the Hong Kong Cup, the Hong Kong Vase and the Hong Kong Sprint. All the races are carry big purses.
The Belmont Park meeting ended on Sunday. Ramon Dominguez won the jockey’s title. He had 39 wins. Dominguez has been the champion rider at every New York meeting this year. Todd Pletcher was the top trainer with 20 wins. Racing moves to Aqueduct in New York and the meeting opened on Wednesday under overcast skies and with a sloppy track.
