Brought to you by AmWager
Bradsell, Believing Renew Rivalry in G1 Flying Five
Unbeaten Ballydoyle Duo Among Five Declared for G1 Moyglare Stud
Breeders’ Cup Press Release
CURRAGH ― Two high-class Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In races take place at The Curragh this Sunday on the second day of the Irish Champions Festival.
The 1-2 finishers from last month’s Coolmore Wooton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) will face off once again, as Victorious Racing’s Bradsell (GB) and Highclere Racing’s Believing (IRE) are among 17 confirmations for the Bar One Flying Five Stakes (G1). The winner will gain an automatic berth into the $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
The winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1), the card’s second Win and You’re In race, will earn an automatic position into the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf (G1).
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held at Del Mar on Nov. 1-2.
Bradsell dominated the York sprint showpiece on day three of the Ebor Festival to earn his berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, having returned from an 11-month injury absence to win a listed race in France less than three weeks earlier. The son of Tasleet now heads to The Curragh, a track he has failed to win at in two career starts, but his trainer Archie Watson is just thrilled to have him back racing again after his injury in the Spring.
Watson said: “It’s pretty incredible what he’s achieved. A lot of hard work has gone into this horse. He fractured a cannon bone and underwent surgery in early February but passed every stage of his rehabilitation with flying colors. All being well on Sunday, we’ll head to Paris for the Abbaye and then the Breeders’ Cup.”
The Flying Five Stakes has been a contest in which British yards have fared well recently, winning six of the last 10 renewals, and George Boughey is hoping for another successful trip to Ireland with his consistent 4-year-old filly Believing. The daughter of Mehmas (IRE) has had a busy summer campaign, running six times since the start of June, and failing to finish out of the first four in that period. Her only victory came over this course and distance in the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes (G2) in July.
Boughey said: “It has been the plan for a while – it is three weeks since York, and she has been backing up pretty good. It is great to have a real rock star mare that takes her connections to all the big meetings. She keeps bouncing out of races as well as she ever has, so long may it continue.”
British sprinters make up more than half the 18-strong field for this year’s renewal of the Bar One Flying Five Stakes and as well as Bradsell and Believing, Hambleton Racing’s Washington Heights (GB), Sheikh Rashid’s Beautiful Diamond (GB), whose form ties in closely with Believing, and the D R J King-owned Vadream (GB) are also among the declarations for this €400,000 Group 1 showpiece.
Charlie Bit Me Syndicate’s Moss Tucker (IRE) sprung a surprise to win last year’s renewal and aims to become the first horse since Benbaun (IRE) in 2007 to win back-to-back editions of this race.
Amo Racing’s Bucanero Fuerte (GB) posted a respectable comeback run when sixth in the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (G1) last weekend, and reappears quickly.
Unbeaten Ballydoyle Duo Among Five Declared for G1 Moyglare Stud
The exciting Smith, Magnier, and Tabor-owned pair Bedtime Story (IRE) and Lake Victoria (IRE) will face off against each other in a high-class renewal of the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1).
The Frankel (GB) fillies are both unbeaten Group winners, with Bedtime Story having won on all four starts, while Lake Victoria followed up her debut success in the Jenningsbet Sweet Solera Stakes (G3) last time. The pair will look to add to Aidan O’Brien’s impeccable record in this 7-furlong Group 1.
O’Brien said: “Bedtime Story is a big high cruiser and stays very well. We’ve been delighted with her two runs since Royal Ascot. We’ve just been careful in educating her since then.”
He added: “Lake Victoria had a lovely run in Newmarket, and we’ve been happy with her since then. For a Frankel filly she has a lot of speed, and you could probably go back in trip with her if you had to. She’s made like a big, strong sprinter.”
Connections of the unbeaten pair are also represented by likely pacemaker Exactly (IRE).The sole British challenger in the lineup is the Al Shaqab Racing-owned Simmering (IRE) who relished the step up to 7 furlongs when impressively landing the Prix du Calvados (G2) by 3-lengths for Ollie Sangster on her most recent start.
Completing the field is Juddmonte’s Red Letter (GB),who was denied by the barest of margins by Lake Victoria on debut but has since improved from that to shed her maiden impressively.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the Challenge Series winners to start at this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winners must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the Championships’ pre-entry deadline of Oct. 21 to receive the rewards.
