SPRINT STAR ROSE BLOOMS FOR OBSERVATORY
Article taken from the EBN
The Gr.1 Sprint Cup may have been delayed for a week due to the weather, but there was no hanging about once it was underway, with African Rose proving the fastest of the lot. She held off the late thurst of Assertive (Bold Edge) to win by a neck and provide her sire, Juddmonte’s Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes hero OBSERVATORY (Distant View) with his first Gr.1 winner.
African Rose was second to Marchand d’Or in the Gr.1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last time out. The son of Marchand de Sable had previously landed the Gr.1 July Cup at Newmarket and like him, she was winning a British Gr.1 for a member of the Head family. Marchand d’Or is trained by Freddie Head, while three-year-old African Rose was sent across the Channel by his sister, Criquette Head-Maarek, who revealed after the race that her sprint star may now be aimed at the Gr.1 Prix de l’Abbaye or the Breeders’ Cup.
The Gr.2 Park Stakes at Doncaster was won for the second year running by the Jeremy Noseda-trained Arabian Gleam (Kyllachy), who provided a fitting tribute to bloodstock agent Tim Corby. His Equine Services purchased both the winner and the third, Al Qasi (Elnadim), at Tattersalls as foals, with his Ranway Stud consigning them to Tattersalls as yearlings. The Gr.2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket should be next for Arabian Gleam.
The day had begun with the Gr.2 Champagne Stakes, which saw yet another high profile winner for Danehill Dancer, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Westphalia pounced to deny Sir Michael Stoute’s Zacinto (DANSILI). Both now have Gr.1 targets on the agenda, with Westphalia heading for the Breeders’ Cup and Zacinto, the Dewhurst Stakes. There was compensation for Zacinto’s sire DANSILI elsewhere, on a great day for Juddmonte, when his Gr.3 winning son Proviso landed the Listed Prix Occitanie at Bordeaux le Bouscat by three lengths.
Date: 14 September 2008