By Sean Cronin
Coolmore and Westerberg's 575,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling and 'TDN Rising Star' Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}–Sweepstake {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) made a winning seasonal return in last month's G3 Alleged S. at the Curragh, having been on the shelf for almost a year after running seventh in last term's G1 2000 Guineas, and added to his tallies in 2021's G3 Tyros S. and G2 Futurity S. with a battling effort in Friday's G2 IRE-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley S at Chester.
Positioned in second passing the judge first time, the well-backed 5-6 favourite came under increased pressure from halfway and stayed on in resolute fashion once gaining an edge into the straight to hold the late rattle of Mujtaba (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by a neck, providing Ryan Moore with a record eighth renewal of the extended 10-furlong contest.
“He was a good 2-year-old who won a Listed race, a Group 3 and a Group 2, but he wasn't around for most of last year,” commented Moore. “It wasn't very pretty, but he's a real galloper and he probably hasn't been round a tight track like this before. He's only really been to the Curragh, Leopardstown and Ascot and he was just a bit unsure what to do with himself. Today's race was well up to standard and the track didn't suit him, but he has a great attitude, to be fair to him, and plenty of ability. It was a very good performance.”
Pedigree Notes
Point Lonsdale, who also ran second in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. as a juvenile, is the ninth of 11 reported foals and one of five winners produced by the stakes-winning GIII Appalachian S. runner-up and G3 Princess Margaret S. third Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), herself a half-sister to the stakes-placed Dustymour (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and to the dam of the stakes-winning Conformist (Hit It A Bomb). The March-foaled bay is a full-brother to G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Broome (Ire) and to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). His third dam is Hesmonds Stud matriarch Galaxie Dust (Blushing Groom {Fr}).
Friday, Chester, Britain
IRE-INCENTIVE, IT PAYS TO BUY IRISH HUXLEY S.-G2, £120,000, Chester, 5-12, 4yo/up, 10f 70yT, 2:13.98, sf.
1–POINT LONSDALE (IRE), 129, c, 4, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng, SW & GSP-USA, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
TDN Rising Star. (575,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £67,224. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Ire, 8-6-1-0, $355,935. *Full to Broome (Ire), G1SW-Fr, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng & UAE, GISP-US, $2,756,270. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mujtaba (GB), 129, g, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Majmu (Aus), by Redoute's Choice (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas. £25,596.
3–Layfayette (Ire), 129, g, 6, French Navy (GB)–Scala Romana (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). (€4,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP; €54,000 2yo '19 TATGOR). O-Mrs Patricia Hunt; B-Matthew Duffy (IRE); T-Noel Meade. £12,816.
Margins: NK, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.83, 4.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Poker Face (Ire), Royal Champion (Ire), Foxes Tales (Ire).
So tough! Point Lonsdale holds on to win a thrilling Ire-incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes at @ChesterRaces for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien… pic.twitter.com/bGR8kJ6cJT
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 12, 2023
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