A'Ali Bags the Sapphire

Forced to race on his own in Sunday's G2 Holden Plant Rentals Sapphire S. at The Curragh, Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa's burgeoning sprinting star A'Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) was admirably uncomplicated as he secured a fifth pattern-race success. Coming here on the back of a first 3-year-old success in a competitive renewal of the July 5 G3 Sandown Sprint S., the even-money favourite was detached from the main field early and out on a limb but was fortunately able to benefit from the guile and confidence of Colin Keane. Ploughing a lone furrow as Make a Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) dominated the majority of the runners on the far side, he stayed straight and true to reel in that rival in the last 75 yards for a length success, with the outsider Rapid Reaction (Ire) (Shamardal) clinging on for a valuable placing 1 3/4 lengths behind. “He's a very speedy horse,” Keane commented. “I thought at one stage that I was in trouble. It wasn't by design that I was away from the main group and it would have been better to get a tow into the race, but I felt I was on a fresh strip of ground. He's very straightforward and feels like a group 1 horse.”

A'Ali, who has now won this and the G2 Norfolk S., G2 Prix Robert Papin and G2 Flying Childers S. as well as the G3 Sprint S., was like the juvenile Frenetic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) emerging from the day as a likely thorn in the side of the established speed monarch Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G1 Nunthorpe S. His dam Motion Lass (GB) (Motivator {GB}) is a half-sister to the G3 Darley S. winner and G1 Coronation Cup-placed Enforcer (GB) (Efisio {GB}). The third dam is the GIII Tempted S. scorer Willowy Mood (Will Win), who is related to the triple grade III winner OK By Me (With Approval) and the GIII Royal Palm H. winner D J's Rainbow (Tom Rolfe) and the triple grade I hero Sea Cadet (Bolger). Motion Lass's yearling filly is by Cotai Glory (GB).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
HOLDEN PLANT RENTALS SAPPHIRE S.-G2, €80,000, Curragh, 7-19, 3yo/up, 5fT, :59.85, g/y.
1–A'ALI (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Society Rock (Ire)
1st Dam: Motion Lass (GB), by Motivator (GB)
2nd Dam: Tarneem, by Zilzal
3rd Dam: Willowy Mood, by Will Win
(£35,000 Ylg '18 GOUKPR; £135,000 2yo '19 GOFBRE). O-Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Simon & Ed Crisford; J-Colin Keane. €48,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Eng & GSW-Fr, 9-5-1-0, $300,367. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Make A Challenge (Ire), 135, g, 5, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Crinoline, by Street Cry (Ire). (£6,500 2yo '17 GOYHIT). O-M G Hogan, Walter O'Connor & James Joseph Reilly; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Denis Hogan. €16,000.
3–Rapid Reaction (Ire), 132, m, 5, Shamardal–Bratislava (GB), by Dr Fong. O/B/T-John Grogan (IRE). €8,000.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 1.00, 1.50, 33.00.
Also Ran: Punita Arora (Ire), American Lady (Ire), Southern Hills (Ire), Wheels On Fire (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.