By Tom Frary
Seahenge had made a highly encouraging debut over six furlongs at Naas July 8, winning his maiden in cosy fashion under a perfectly-timed ride from Donnacha O'Brien and was subsequently as short as 4-1 taking in Glorious Goodwood's G2 Vintage S. No match for the generation's current pack leader Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) when eight-lengths fifth in that seven-furlong contest Aug. 1, the bay attracted notable support into 8-1 here despite Ryan Moore opting for the $3million Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) of the Ballydoyle duo.
Switched off in last early by O'Brien junior, the imposing Seahenge was allowed to creep into contention as Hey Gaman applied the pressure from the front in habitual fashion. Initially looking to Mendelssohn to lead him into contention, he was switched around him to chase the trio racing up the centre away from the small pack led by TDN Rising Star Dream Today (Ire) (Dream Ahead). Building a head of steam to split the Listed Washington Singer S. first and second Hey Gaman and Red Mist (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as he worked towards the win, he was able to reel in the front-runner in the final 75 yards for a relatively comfortable success as the favourite Mythical Magic join in to pull clear of the remainder. “He was very aggressive with me going to the start, so I thought I'd take my time with him and when they quickened from the three I got caught a little bit but I let him find his feet,” the winning rider said. “My lad will be suited by a step up in trip again and I think he's a nice horse.”
Aidan O'Brien has another big name to bring to the table in the closing juvenile features and said of Seahenge, “You'd have to be very impressed. He was very green at Goodwood, but Ryan loved him that day and he is a beautiful big, rangy and powerful horse. The Scat Daddys have loads of speed and there is no doubt that he'll be better on quicker ground. We brought him here with the view that if he was going to be a horse for the [G1] Dewhurst [S. at Newmarket Oct. 14] he had to have another run.”
Hey Gaman's trainer James Tate said of the runner-up, “I'm delighted and gutted at the same time, that's what second is all about. He's run a cracker and a career-best, but we've just met one that was able to quicken by us today. He could try something like the [G1] Racing Post Trophy [at Doncaster Oct. 28], but that was his seventh run today so I will probably put him away. He's just run off 548 Kilos and he's got bigger as the season's gone on. He'll definitely be a better horse next year. I nearly didn't run him today as he really does prefer it softer than this. With a horse that likes soft ground, you have one eye on many races. He'll never run on ground with the word 'firm' in it and ideally he wants the word 'soft' in it.”
Charlie Appleby said of the third, who was losing his unbeaten record, “I was pleased with Mythical Magic, who has stepped up again from his win at Deauville. He slightly over-raced in the early part of the race but hit the line strongly and the first three home have pulled clear of the rest of the field. We will see how he comes out of this race and then potentially consider his options for the back-end of the season. With the way he stayed on today, the [G1] Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere [at Chantilly Oct. 1] over a mile could be an option. He is a big horse and time is only going to help him.”
Seahenge, who compared to Mendelssohn was a relatively cheap purchase, is the third foal and third stakes performer for Fools In Love, who was herself the winner of the Orleans S. and runner-up in the Sorority S. Her others were the GIII Dania Beach S. third Urban Bourbon (City Zip) and Frank's Folly (Mineshaft), who was third in the Weber City Miss S. Fools In Love is a full-sister to the Maryland Million Sprint H. winner D C Dancer and a half-sister to the GII Louisiana Derby and GII Risen Star S. scorer International Star whose sire Fusaichi Pegasus shares Mr. Prospector as a sire with Not For Love. The third dam Speak Halory is a half-sister to five stakes winners, most notably the G2 Futurity S. hero Van Nistelrooy (Stom Cat), the GII Blue Grass S. winner Halory Hunter (Jade Hunter) and the GIII National Jockey Club H. scorer Prory (Procida). Fools In Love also has a yearling colt by Exchange Rate and colt foal by Honor Code.
Saturday, Doncaster, Britain
HOWCROFT INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES CHAMPAGNE S.-G2, £75,000, DON, 9-16, 2yo, c/g, 7f 6yT, 1:25.78, g/s.
1–SEAHENGE, 126, c, 2, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Fools in Love (SW-US, $240,746), by Not For Love
2nd Dam: Parlez, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Speak Halory, by Verbatim
*1st stakes win. ($750,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-K & G Stables (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Donnacha O'Brien. £42,533. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, £56,600. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]2–Hey Gaman (GB), 126, c, 2, New Approach (Ire)–Arsaadi (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). (100,000gns RNA Ylg '16 TATOCT). O-Sultan Ali; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-James Tate. £16,125.
3–Mythical Magic (Ire), 126, c, 2, Iffraaj (GB)–Mythie (Fr), by Octagonal (NZ). (140,000gns Wlg '15 TATFOA). O-Godolphin; B-Peter Kelly & Ms Wendy Daly (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £8,070.
Margins: NK, NK, 4. Odds: 8.00, 6.00, 2.25.
Also Ran: Red Mist (GB), Dream Today (Ire), Island Sound (GB), Mendelssohn. Scratched: Grand Koonta (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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