By Sean Cronin
Amo Racing's Angelo Buonarroti (Justify–Curlylocks {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was the second highest-priced lot when selling for €1-million at Arqana's Breeze-Up sale earlier this year and went some way to justifying that lofty price tag with a breakthrough success in Friday's British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes at York.
The February-foaled chestnut, who first went through the ring for $135,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, was initially trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis, but was transferred to the Raphael Freire yard before posting a three-length debut ninth when highly tried in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry Stakes. Placed under the stewardship of Ralph Beckett prior to this second start, he displayed a willing attitude to graduate by 1 1/4 lengths from Shah (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire) in Britain's richest juvenile maiden of the year.
The 2-1 favourite was swiftly into stride and stalked the pace in second after the opening exchanges of this seven-furlong heat. Shaken up to launch his challenge passing the quarter-mile pole, he seized control approaching the final furlong and was driven out in the closing stages to hold on in battling fashion.
“He got a stone bruise before the [Aug. 3] Goodwood maiden he was supposed to run in and I had to scratch him,” explained Beckett. “The extra time probably was a positive and the track suited him better than Goodwood would have done. He's a good horse, we kind of knew that already, and it just depends on how far we go now. He could go a mile this year, I think it will be within his scope, but I don't know whether he needs to yet. I don't know if we'll go straight into a Group race, we might go for the [Listed] Flying Scotsman [at Doncaster] and work our way up. It just depends on how we feel.”
Angelo Buonarrotti is the third of five registered foals and second scorer out of a full-sister to multiple Group 1-winning sire Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 Diamond Stakes victor Blenheim Palace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the stakes-placed Dower House (Ire) (Galileo Ire}). Clemmie, in turn, is the dam of last term's stakes-winning G3 Royal Whip Stakes runner-up Unless (Justify). The winner is kin to a yearling colt by Gun Runner and a weanling filly by Epicenter.
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€1million purchase Angelo Buonarroti (Justify) breaks his maiden on his first start for @RalphBeckett under David Egan in the @BritishEBF Convivial Maiden Stakes @yorkracecourse 🟣🥇 pic.twitter.com/meVyrG8bvH
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 23, 2024
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