By Tom Frary
Handed the unenviable task of taking on the might of Ballydoyle in Leopardstown's G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes on Saturday, Marc Chan's homebred Green Impact (Ire) (Wootton Bassett (GB}–Emerald Green {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) proved up to the task to provide his owner-breeder with a red-letter day. The first horse bred by Chan, the Jessica Harrington-trained relative of Power (GB) and Footstepsinthesand (GB) was sent up by Shane Foley to track Aidan O'Brien's second-string Bernard Shaw (Into Mischief) throughout the early stages with the stable's 5-6 favourite Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) waiting in behind.
Tackling the leader approaching the furlong marker with Delacroix labouring in pursuit, the 5-2 second favourite had half a length to spare at the line over Delacroix as Bernard Shaw faded to be a further 3/4 of a length away in third. Green Impact has booked a place in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November.
“He's pretty good and is very relaxed, but that was hard work there into the headwind and he keeps on finding,” Harrington said of the winner, who had been in front of Bernard Shaw when second on debut in The Curragh's Barronstown Stud Maiden before beating Delacroix over this course and distance in July. “He'll be a lovely mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse next year, as he's got bit of furnishing to do.”
“He was always a lovely horse, very laid-back and very easy to train,” Harrington continued. “He's a very big horse and I think we haven't seen the best of him yet. He's going to be put away until next year. We can dream all winter–I suppose we'll start at a Guineas and see from there. I'd love to win a Derby! He's out of a Galileo mare, so there's no reason he won't get a mile and a half.”
Pedigree Notes
Green Impact, who provided a quickfire double for his sire on the afternoon following the Listed Ingabelle Stakes success of his daughter Chantez (Ire), is the first foal out of the former Ballydoyle representative Emerald Green who was snapped up by Chan for 475,000gns at 2021 Tattersalls December. A half-sister to the stakes winners Mirage (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Amnesia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), she put in her best effort over an extended 13 furlongs, albeit in moderate company given her connections at the time.
Emerald Green is also kin to another Ballydoyle runner in the sprinter Alphabet (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), who was second in the Flying Five when it was a group 2. Her dam Applauded (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}) is a half to the aforementioned G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Power and Galileo's GI E.P. Taylor Stakes heroine Curvy (GB), who is the dam of this year's G3 Prix Six Perfections winner Angeal (Ire) also by Wootton Bassett. Connected to the 2,000 Guineas-winning sire Footstepsinthesand, Emerald Green's colt foal is by Siyouni (Fr).
Green Impact (Wootton Bassett) shows a tenacious attitude to fend off the Aidan O'Brien challengers and win the @KPMG_Ireland Champions Juvenile Stakes!
The @Jessica_Racing team look to have a very smart prospect 👌#itallcomesdowntothis | @LeopardstownRC | @kateharro1989 pic.twitter.com/r5hwtoZJMP
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 14, 2024
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
KPMG CHAMPIONS JUVENILE STAKES (GOLDEN FLEECE STAKES)-G2, €150,000, Leopardstown, 9-14, 2yo, 8fT, 1:39.52, gd.
1–GREEN IMPACT (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Emerald Green (GB), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Applauded (Ire), by Royal Applause (GB)
3rd Dam: Frappe (Ire), by Inchinor (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Marc Chan (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $113,181. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Delacroix (Ire), 131, c, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Tepin, by Bernstein. TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier & M Tabor; B-Tepin Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €30,000.
3–Bernard Shaw, 131, c, 2, Into Mischief–Princess Haya, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. ($550,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $1,800,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & P M Brant; B-Barry Becker & Judith Becker (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. €15,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 11. Odds: 2.50, 0.83, 5.50.
Also Ran: Green Triangle (Ire).
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