JAMES UNDERWOOD REVIEWS THE JUDDMONTE ROSTER 2006
Back with the Dewhurst field the third home,
DANSILI’s son
Strategic Prince had beaten another highly-regarded
Ballydoyle-trained Danehill colt, Duke of Marmalade, whom we didn’t
see again, in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. He confirmed he had
plenty of ability when finishing third, two and a half lengths
behind Holy Roman Emperor, in the Dewhurst. Out of a full-sister to
the dual Oaks winner Ramruma he could prove more of a middle
distance horse next year, since his sire already got an Arc winner
and there is stamina on the dam’s side too.
Strategic Prince has already shown he has a
fair amount of pace at two.
Charlotte O Fraise ran on strongly to beat the tough little
Victory Note filly Poltava, who later finished fourth in the Marcel
Boussac, in the Prix de Calvados. She had won her maiden before
finishing fourth in the Cabourg but appreciated the seventh furlong
here. Back in third and fourth were Hubie de Burgh’s Observatory
filly Mpumalanga and the Aga Khan’s Lagardere bred Rosamixa.
Khalid Abdullah’s DANSILI filly Price Tag was a worthy
winner of the French 1000 Guineas but was disqualified for a minor
infringement in favour of Machiavellian’s daughter Tie Black, whose
dam Tender Is Thenight is a Barathea half sister to Last Tycoon.
Her owner had a nice filly too, in Danzig’s miler daughter Phantom
Rose, who is out of Gr.1 winner Honest Lady.
Juddmonte Farms colours were carried for the first time on
Irish-trained runners in 2006 and Dermot Weld sent out a promising
filly in Supposition (DANSILI), who ran away with a Galway
maiden and then was a shade unlucky not to finish closer when third
in the Moyglare, getting squeezed for room at a vital stage.
Although a big disappointment subsequently in the CL Weld Park St
where her run was too bad to be true, the daughter of
DANSILI would still
improve into a smart sort next year.
Andre Fabre maintained his dominance of France’s trainers,
wining yet another successive title and once again the Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe with a three year old. Almost the only feat Fabre
has not yet achieved is to win two Arcs with the same horse and he
will have another chance in 2007 with Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Rail
Link. Rail Link could be the one to emulate Alleged, as the son of
DANSILI had a
relatively light three year old career, never running outside
France and only competing in two Group 1s; and he didn’t run at all
at two.
Rail Link’s career began badly when he fell in a newcomer’s
race at the beginning of the year and on his next start he was
beaten by the German trained Lauro. Since then Rail Link is
unbeaten and without ever being spectacular he has never looked
like getting beaten either. In the Arc itself he was suited by the
unusually firm ground – his trainer never ran him on soft
ground-and the lack of early pace counted against his main rivals
more than him.
Stephane Pasquier gave Rail Link a wonderful confident ride and
then had to ask his mount for everything as Pride’s run came too
late to really threaten him. Rail Link took time to grow into his
substantial frame and he could be even better as a four year old,
although it is unlikely that the ground will be firm for the Arc
two years in a row.
DANSILI’s first
classic winner Price Tag was disqualified as a result of what
looked an absurd decision after she had won the French 1000 Guineas
quite comprehensively but his son Rail Link made up for that loss
when he won the Grand Prix de Paris and followed it up by winning
the Arc and he wound up the year becoming one of the most sought
after stallions in Europe. His juveniles this year include a couple
of colts in the Dewhurst third Strategic Prince and Thousand Words
who look as if they could be tackling top company again next year.
The fact that his stock got him third on the races won list bears
testimony to his effectiveness as a sire.
RAINBOW QUEST is
a sire of classic winners who could still sire another. He had a
smart-looking three-year-old in the Aga Khan’s Daramsar, out of his
owner’s French Oaks winner Daryaba. His two-year-old daughter
Fashion Statement looks as if she could develop into a smart sort
over middle distances next year.
The
2004 entry
Juddmonte’s OASIS
DREAM, the July cup and Nunthorpe winner had 30-odd
sold and was always going to be in great demand with the kind of
speed he had. His median was 72,000gns.
The
instant success of DANSILI at stud is going to make
Juddmonte’s newcomer CACIQUE, his full brother and a Group1
winner himself, a very popular alternative for those who can’t get
into the older horse after the rush. Cacique had high class form in
France before he went to the states.
Date:
21 November 2006