TIMEFORM GLOBAL TOP 30 RACEHORSES : NOVEMBER 2009

Sea The Stars : Timeform 140
(Photo : ThisLondon/Timeform)

TIMEFORM GLOBAL RANKINGS

#	HORSE	TRAINER	COUNTRY	RANK
1	SEA THE STARS	John Oxx	Ireland	140
2	RIP VAN WINKLE	Aidan O’Brien	Ireland	134
3	FAME AND GLORY	Aidan O’Brien	Ireland	133
4	GOLDIKOVA	Freddy Head	France	132
5	ZENYATTA	John Sherriffs	USA	131
6	CAVALRYMAN	Andre Fabre	France	130
6	CONDUIT	Sir Michael Stoute	Great Britain	130
6	GIO PONTI	Christophe Clement	USA	130
6	SACRED KINGDOM	Ricky Yiu	Hong Kong	130
6	YOUMZAIN	Mick Channon	Great Britain	130
11	MASTERCRAFTSMAN	Aidan O’Brien	Ireland	129
11	PACO BOY	Richard Hannon	Great Britain	129
11	RACHEL ALEXANDRA	Steve Asmussen	USA	129
14	DELEGATOR	Saeed bin Suroor	Great Britain	128
14	SCENIC BLAST	Danny Morton	Australia	128
14	TAKEOVER TARGET	Joe Janiak	Australia	128
17	AQLAAM	William Haggas	Great Britain	127
17	BIG CITY MAN	Jeff Mullins	USA	127
17	GETAWAY	Jens Hirschberger	Germany	127
17	HEART OF DREAMS	Mick Price	Australia	127
17	PREDATORY PRICER	Paul Murray	Australia	127
17	PRESVIS	Luca Cumani	Great Britain	127
17	TWICE OVER	Henry Cecil	Great Britain	127
17	VISION D’ETAT	Eric Libaud	France	127
17	WHOBEGOTYOU	Mark Kavanagh	Australia	127
17	ZACINTO	Sir Michael Stoute	Great Britain	127
27	ST NICHOLAS ABBEY	Aidan O’Brien	Ireland	126
28	APACHE CAT	Greg Eurell	Australia	126
28	ARCHIPENKO	Mike de Kock	South Africa	126
28	ASK	Sir Michael Stoute	Great Britain	126
28	OVERDOSE	Sandor Ribarski	Hungary	126
28	SUMMER BIRD	Tim Ice	USA	126
28	TARTAN BEARER	Sir Michael Stoute	Great Britain	126
28	YEATS	Aidan O’Brien	Ireland	126

CORRECT AS AT 17 NOVEMBER 2009

SEA THE STARS IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN

Click above to watch Sea The Stars in the
2009 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
(Footage : Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe)

QATAR PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE
2009 

It may be a day later, but revisiting the career of the biggest star in racing’s firmament (maybe of all time) has to be worth a read.

Guided by the incomparable nerve of Mick Kinane, Sea the Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) emerged from the cauldron of the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a reputation pitched into the stratosphere, registering an emphatic two-length success in yesterday’s 88th renewal.

The Thoroughbred Daily News reports that despite the scarcely believable exploits of the Tsui homebred so far in 2009, there was no sign of any wear-and-tear.

The 4-5 favorite over-raced from the outset, and continued to pull even after his jockey had buried him in the pack against the fence. While that is the quickest way around Longchamp, it is not a route without anxiety, and for a brief period in early stretch with space in short supply, it seemed as though his quest for immortality was in jeopardy. When a half-gap appeared, the brilliant winner of two Classics and a total of five Group 1s delivered his spellbinding acceleration to cut a swathe between the G1 Prix Vermeille protagonists Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) and Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), and once he was in front with 250 meters remaining, the story was told. In the end, it was Youmzain (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}) who emerged best of the rest to fill the runner’s - up berth for the third consecutive year. Trainer John Oxx was typically calm afterwards when saying, “It’s just a relief that he came through it and it’s wonderful that it’s over. He had to have the gears to get out, and Mick wouldn’t panic, because he knew he had them. We were not too alarmed at any stage.”

Sea The Stars first came to attention when registering a smooth maiden win at Leopardstown in August of 2008, each step of the journey for the latest product of the celebrated Urban Sea has been well-documented.

Following his comfortable win in The Curragh’s G2 Beresford Stakes - essentially a race for potential middle-distance prospects - the following month, John Oxx spoke of his desire to avoid pigeon-holing his rare talent. The G1 2000 Guineas was the first port of call this term. He proved at Newmarket he had the speed to sprint, and at Epsom on the first Saturday in June, he entered a small class of luminaries able to carry that pace over a mile and a half. Still in league with some past greats when adding the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes to both Classics, he began to distance himself from all but the very top runners in history by taking the G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Irish Champion Stakes with more than a degree of comfort.

Entering Europe’s endgame, which had proven a bridge too far for many of racing’s stars, the combination of perfect ground and his unshakable temperament kept confidence high. His enthusiasm was certainly intact in the first furlong, where only Dar Re Mi was ahead as he adopted his sprinter-miler persona and tugged for his head before calming to Mick Kinane’s hands as he found cover. Deep in the ruck on the final turn, his veteran jockey refused to give up the rail, and after being given the office, Sea the Stars skipped around the fading pacemakers with balletic poise before cutting down the competition in ruthless fashion.

The high-class fillies Stacelita (Monsun {Ger}) and Dar Re Mi (Singspile {Ire}) were the last rivals Sea The Stars saw as he raced into the lead, and although a batch of five Group 1 winners followed him home, he proved in a different category at the line.

THE PARISIAN SHOWPIECE : PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE

Sea The Stars
(Photo : Northfields Bloodstock)

WARM NUMBER FOR EUROPE’S BIGGEST RACE

There can be no bigger compliment in the sport of horseracing than Lester Piggott saying you’re one of the all time greats. As arguably the world’s most famous jockey, Piggott this week told the media that he counted this year’s standout European three-year-old, Sea The Stars, as one of those rare thoroughbreds you could mention in the same breath as Brigadier Gerard, Seabird and Mill Reef.

Already a five-time Group One winner this season, Sea The Stars faces what is arguably his sternest test on Sunday in the Parisian showpiece, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1) over the testing 2400m of the Boisdebollinge’s Longchamps circuit. “Toughest” not only because he takes on the best mile and a half horses in Europe of all ages, but because he’s been on the boil since March, and he’s already beaten the pride of Britain and Ireland.

The only thing that might stop him taking his place is soft ground, as his connections have made it known that they will not test him in heavy conditions, but the horse you really have to feel for in the field is Youmzain. Trained by the ex-English international footballer, Mick Channon, Youmzain must be counted among the unluckiest horses history has had cause to judge.

The last two runnings of the Arc have been won by two extraordinary performers, Dylan Thomas and Zarkava, the best horse in the world last year, and arguably the best filly of the last decade or two. Youmzain was runner up to both of them, so you might’ve thought the gods would allow him his break in 2009, without having to contend with a superstar on his way to the start.

That’s not the way it’s going to be though, and it’s not the way you’d expect to find the line-up for Europe’s finest contest, which includes the lofty likes of Conduit, Fame And Glory, Vision d’Etat, Sariska, Dar Re Mi etc.

HORSE	SIRE	RATING	BETTING
SEA THE STARS	(Cape Cross)	140	4/6
FAME AND GLORY	(Montjeu)	133	5/1
CONDUIT	(Dalakhan)	130	7/1
VISION D’ETAT	(Chichicastenango)	128	12/1
GETAWAY	(Monsun)	127	20/1
STACELITA	(f. Monsun)&n	123	12/1
SPANISH MOON	(El Prado)	123	25/1
SARISKA	(f. Pivotal	123	20/1
YOUMZAIN	(Sinndar)	121	20/1
DAR RE MI	(f.Singspiel)	119	20/1
CAVALRYMAN	(Halling)	119	10/1
BEHESHTAM	(Peintre Celebre)	115	25/1

ZARKAVA wins Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Princess Zahra, His Highness The Aga Khan, Christophe Soumillon, Alain de Royer Dupre
(Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty)

The Aga Khan’s homebred filly Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) had Longchamp holding its breath when making it a magnificent seven career wins and a fifth at the highest level in yesterday’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the world’s richest race on turf with a stake of 4 million euro.

Despite the disappointment of rain at Longchamp, and a few doubts about the filly being drawn on the inside and having her first run against colts in such an important event, she powered to victory from Youmzain (Sinndar), who filled the runner-up spot for the second consecutive year.

The punters’ patriotic bets saw her start as the even-money favorite - but she almost threw away their cash when jinking right when exiting the stalls, almost losing jockey Christophe Soumillon. Soon recovering, the bay found the gaps when it mattered and delivered her trademark acceleration to lead with a furlong remaining and surge clear under a hand ride.

Zarkava remains unbeaten in 7 starts and is the first filly to win the Arc since Urban Sea (dam of Galileo), who took the honours in 1993.

Watch Zarkava winning the 2008 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

SADLER'S WELLS : Has the world ever known his eclipse?

Sadler’s Wells pictured in 2006 with New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters
(Fethard)

Pedigree Insights by Andrew Caulfield

As last week’s racing represented something of a lull before the storm of major events scheduled for the next few weeks, I hope you’ll forgive me if I look back to September 13. That day’s quartet of Group 1 races provided yet another reminder of the extraordinary talents of Sadler’s Wells, who figured as the sire of one of the Group 1 winners, Septimus, and as the sire of the dams of two others, Music Note and Conduit.

One could be forgiven in the past for wondering whether the unprecedented scale of Sadler’s Wells’ success as a sire would effectively restrict the opportunities available to his broodmare daughters, especially in the rather cramped upper echelons of the Anglo-Irish industry.

After all, he achieved a record 14 Sires’ Championships between 1990 and 2004 and has more than 2,100 foals of racing age, two of which - Galileo and Montjeu - rank among the most successful stallions of recent years.

Any such fears have proved groundless and Sadler’s Wells, the Coolmore giant, appears to be heading for his fourth consecutive championship as a broodmare sire. His daughters already have earnings in excess of GBP3million this year - over GBP1million more than his nearest pursuer, Darshaan - and they have 11 group/graded winners to their credit. As many as six of the 11 have won at the highest level, with Henrythenavigator, Creachadoir, Youmzain and Conduit scoring in Europe and Music Note and Grand Couturier in the U.S.

A noteworthy feature of the 10 mares responsible for these 11 group winners is how few of them made their mark while in training. The exception to the rule is Henrythenavigator’s dam, the Group 1-winning Sequoyah. Of the others, Coastal Path’s dam Coraline gained a minor win from five starts, while Sadima, the dam of Youmzain and Creachadoir, failed to earn black type despite showing fairly useful form.

That leaves us with seven mares. Rather surprisingly, the dams of Music Note, Conduit, Infamous Angel (G2 Lowther Stakes), Patkai (G3 Queen’s Vase) and Campanologist (G2 King Edward VII Stakes) were all unraced. Grand Couturier’s dam Lady Elgar beat only one home on her only appearance and Juno Madonna, dam of dual Group 3 winner Regime, failed to reach the first seven in two small races at Cagnes-sur-Mer.

The clear lesson is that it isn’t safe to ignore any daughter of Sadler’s Wells, largely because their sire always commanded a fee which guaranteed that the vast majority of his mates came from excellent families.

It is the depth of excellence in his daughters’ bloodlines which has often helped convert them from disappointment as a racemare to success story as a broodmare.

Another fine example is Saddler’s Gal, who failed to earn a single penny in nine starts, but who went on to produce the Japanese superstar El Condor Pasa. Several other Group 1 winners, such as American Post, Laverock, Medaaly, Sumati, the Italian Derby winner Morshdi and the Japanese Derby winner Fusaichi Concorde, are also out of unraced or non-winning dams.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News