By Sean Cronin
Ballydoyle's star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) went unbeaten through six contests in 2022 and completed an exact replica of that campaign with a pillar-to-post triumph in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp. That 2022 season included an extravagant win in this marathon event, but it was a more straightforward affair this time around.
The 1-5 favourite, fresh off a second success in the G1 Irish St Leger, went straight to the front and sent an even tempo for the most part. Gearing up with three furlongs remaining, he was threatened by old foe Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) at the top of the straight and stayed on powerfully under continued urging inside the final quarter-mile to easily account for that rival by two lengths. The runner-up's fellow British challenger Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) stayed on to good effect and finished neck back in third.
“Kyprios is such a special horse and the team have done a fantastic job to get him back on track after his health problems,” said Aidan O'Brien. “He has so much class and, for a stayer, he has a rare ability to quicken. He also has such a strong mindset and that was already apparent when he was a 2-year-old. This was his eighth Group 1 win, he's won the most Group 1 races for us and it's a great privilege to look after him every day. It would have been disrespectful to run him in the [G1] Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over one-and-a-half miles as it's distance over which he hasn't raced for a long time. We can now look forward to returning to [Royal] Ascot for the [G1] Gold Cup next year.”
Veteran campaigner Trueshan added another performance of merit to his resume and part-owner Andrew Gemmell was delighted with the eight-year-old gelding's display. “Trueshan ran a superb race,” he said. “It's great that he's back to his best and that he was able to hunt up a horse like Kyprios. He was really brilliant if not magnificent today. We're really lucky to have a horse of this class and we're over the moon with his second place.”
Anna-Lisa Balding echoed those sentiments with regard to third-place finisher Coltrane and added, “This is Coltrane's best performance of the season. We believed in him and he's a real battler. This is an excellent result.”
Pedigree Notes
Kyprios is the latest of 10 foals, all winners, produced by dual Broodmare of the Year Polished Gem (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself out of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Trusted Partner (Affirmed). Trusted Partner is the third dam of this term's G2 Queen Mary victrix Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). Kyprios, one of his sire's 103 elite-level winners, is kin to seven stakes winners headed by dual G1 Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes-winning sire Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and G2 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes victrix Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}). Descendants of Polished Gem, a full-sister to GI Matriarch Stakes heroine Dress To Thrill (Ire), also include G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes hero Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Kyprios's third dam, the GI Matron Stakes and GI Spinaway Stakes-winning US champion Talking Picture (Speak John), is the ancestress of G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Sydney Cup hero Gallante (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).
✨ Kyprios, le meilleur cheval “longues distances” d'Europe
8⃣ Groupes 1
🏆🏆 Ascot Gold Cup 2022-2024
🏆🏆 Goodwood Cup 2022-2024
🏆🏆 Irish St Leger 2022-2024
🏆🏆 Qatar Prix du Cadran 2022-2024⚪️⚫️🔴 @Ballydoyle @aobrienfansite pic.twitter.com/pj0L55endV
— Equidia (@equidia) October 5, 2024
Saturday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DU CADRAN-G1, €300,000, ParisLongcamp, 10-5, 4yo/up, 20fT, 4:25.36, sf.
1–KYPRIOS (IRE), 128, h, 6, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Polished Gem (Ire) (2x Broodmare Of The Year-Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Trusted Partner, by Affirmed
3rd Dam: Talking Picture, by Speak John
O-Moyglare/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg; B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €171,420. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng & Ire, 18-14-2-0, €2,785,182. *Full to Search For A Song (Ire), MG1SW-Ire, SW & GSP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $1,086,486; Falcon Eight (Ire), GSW-Ire & SW-Eng, $392,764; Amma Grace (Ire), SW & GSP-Ire; and 1/2 to Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), G1SW-Eng, GSW & G1SP-Ire, $926,416; Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}), MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng, $518,947; Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}), MGSW-Eng & Ire, $951,925; and Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), GSW-Aus, $448,653. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Trueshan (Fr), 128, g, 8, Planteur (Ire)–Shao Line (Fr), by General Holme. (€8,000 Ylg '17 OSLATE; 31,000gns 2yo '18 TATHIT). O-Singula Partnership; B-Didier Blot (FR); T-Alan King. €68,580.
3–Coltrane (Ire), 128, g, 7, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Promise Me (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (50,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Mick & Janice Mariscotti; B-Rockfield Farm (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. €34,290.
Margins: 2, NK, 9. Odds: 0.20, 6.50, 23.00.
Also Ran: Miss Cynthia (GB), Double Major (Ire).
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