NO GETTIN' TEPIN!
She may have had much against her in theory ahead of Tuesday's G1 Queen Anne S., but Robert Masterson's Tepin (Bernstein) ripped up the Royal Ascot history books by becoming the first international challenger to prevail against the best of Europe's milers in this prestigious affair. Allowed to slide to 11-2 with more heavy showers blighting the opening hours of the Royal meeting, the bay was forced to make her own running ahead of a small group racing away from the main action which was headed by the Godolphin pacemaker Barchan (War Front). Niggled at approaching the final two furlongs, the reigning GI Breeders' Cup Mile heroine gave all in customary fashion and after grinding her way to the front before the furlong pole stayed on strongly to account for the soft-ground specialist and 9-2 joint-favourite Belardo (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by a half length. “This is amazing–a great feeling,” jockey Julien Leparoux commented after his first European ride. “We came here with a good chance and she overcame a lot of things today–she's proved she's a champion, as she had to work hard. The last 100 metres seemed a long way, but I'm glad she got it done.”
Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
QUEEN ANNE S.-G1, £600,000, ASC, 6-14, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:43.98, sf.
1–TEPIN, 123, m, 5, by Bernstein
1st Dam: Life Happened, by Stravinsky
2nd Dam: Round It Off, by Apalachee
3rd Dam: Capp It Off, by Double Zeus
($140,000 Ylg '12 FTSAUG). O-Robert E Masterson; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Mark Casse; J-Julien Leparoux. £340,260. Lifetime Record: Ch. Grass Mare & MGISW-US, 20-12-3-1, $3,563,838. *Full to Prime Cut, MGSP-US, $167,426; 1/2 to Vyjack (Into Mischief), MGSW & MGISP-US, $1,101,700. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”machmer-hall-bredfoaledraised”][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-ft-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Belardo (Ire), 126, c, 4, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Danaskaya (Ire), by Danehill. (€100,000 Ylg '13 ARAUG). O-Godolphin & Prince A A Faisal; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £129,000.[bullet ad=”voutesales-consultant”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]3–Lightning Spear (GB), 126, h, 5, Pivotal (GB)–Atlantic Destiny (Ire), by Royal Academy. (260,000gns Ylg '12 TAOCT). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-David Simcock. £64,560.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 5.50, 4.50, 20.00.
Also Ran: Toormore (Ire), Ervedya (Fr), Amazing Maria (Ire), Kodi Bear (Ire), Cougar Mountain (Ire), Endless Drama (Ire), A Shin Erwin (Ire), Mondialiste (Ire), Barchan, Esoterique (Ire). Scratched: Arod (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Tepin first served notice that she was a female on the rise when winning the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. in May and followed that with a career-best success in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. the following month. Narrowly beaten twice at Saratoga when second in the GI Diana S. and GII Balston Spa S., she turned those negatives to a resounding positive when storming to a seven-length victory in the GI First Lady S. on soft ground at Keeneland in early October before her Breeders' Cup Mile romp back there at the end of the month.
Returning this year in the same form to add the Feb. 13 GIII Lambholm South Endeavour S. to her tally at Tampa Bay Downs before taking the same venue's GII Hillsborough S. over nine furlongs at Mar. 12, Tepin continued to inflict more pain on consistently overmatched rivals in both the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Apr. 16 and in the latest edition of the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile May 7 prior to shipping here without any issues.
Her run through the race was as straightforward as her journey towards it, with Leparoux guiding her away from the pace and keeping her admirable mind focused on the task despite the myriad distractions up this wide straight mile. With Barchan folding before two out and Kodi Bear (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) taking over, she continued to graft in his pursuit and any questions over courage were asked and duly answered there as she gained the lead just before the furlong pole. Belardo tried his hardest in the run to the line, but despite her veering right Tepin always had too much for Godolphin's number one and there was ultimately a degree of comfort in her most famous victory. She was emulating another mare who sealed her reputation in the Breeders' Cup Mile in the great Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), who in 2010 became only the second filly or mare since Kandy Sauce (Fr) in 1956 to win this race.
“The mare is the best in the world–we just represent her,” her proud owner said. “She had no nasal strip, no drugs in her and she performed magnificently which is a great message to send home. Our biggest concern was the ground, as she had won on the soft before but we didn't know exactly how it was riding here. She's never been on a straightaway and up a hill, but she's one of those professionals and she just did it. The Casses have done a wonderful job and we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them.”
Her trainer added, “I couldn't even dream this–to win with such a great horse at the most remarkable place I've ever been. What can I say? She overcame so many obstacles, so it's very emotional for us. “I just knew she was going to give her best and I wanted everyone to see how good she is. We'll now build her up to the Breeders' Cup Mile again.”
Roger Varian said of the runner-up, “I'm so proud of the horse. I thought he might get her but she kept finding more, so I have to take my hat off to the winner. We can afford to give him a bit of a break and come back for either the [G1] Sussex [S. at Goodwood July 27] or the [G1] Prix Jacques le Marois [at Deauville Aug. 14].”
Lightning Spear was the upgrade story of the race and his trainer David Simcock commented, “We'll try to find a listed race for him. He has no penalties, so we might just look to win a race and then go from there. I guess he might do a bit of travelling at the end of the year. He's a lovely horse to have around and when the ground is fast you will see him in his true colours.”
Tepin's half-brother Vyjack (Into Mischief) is also high-class, winning the GII Kelso H. and GII Jerome S. and finishing third in the GI Wood Memorial. The dam, purchased by Machmer Hall for $4,500 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale, is a half to Disco Rico (Citidancer), successful in the GIII Maryland Breeders' Cup H. and GIII Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup S. from the immediate family of the GII Ladies H. heroine Miss Slewpy (Slewpy). Life Happened, by Ballydoyle's Stravinsky and mated with another former member of that stable in Bernstein, also has an as-yet unraced 3-year-old colt by Gio Ponti named Taniko and a 2-year-old colt by Harlan's Holiday, who was sold in utero to Solis & Litt for $750,000 to share the second top price at the 2014 Keeneland January sale.
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