By Tom Frary
Honouring her Late owner Jon S. Kelly, Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) gained deserved compensation for a series of creditable defeats in major prizes when landing Sunday's G2 Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford S. at The Curragh. Runner-up in the June 28 G1 Pretty Polly S. and July 18 G1 Irish Oaks at this venue, the 3-1 second favourite sat second behind Amma Grace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) before being sent past two out by Shane Foley. Staying on strongly from there, she had a comfortable four-length margin back to that 50-1 outsider at the line, with Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) a further 1 1/2 lengths away in third. “I'm glad for her–she deserves that as she's been knocking on the door in good races all year,” jockey Shane Foley said. “I know it was a group 2, but really it was like a group 1 with the horses in it. I thought we were in trouble with her early doors, so it's nice to get her back. I thought we had been riding her wrong, trying to get her to relax over a mile and a half when her biggest attribute is to jump and travel. She has a long stride and puts them to the sword over that trip when you let her stride on. I was able to get a lead in a true-run race and she enjoyed it.”
Unbeaten in her first three starts at two, with this track's G3 Flame of Tara S. among her conquests, Cayenne Pepper was fourth in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October and was next seen chasing home Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Pretty Polly. Outstayed by Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Irish Oaks, the chestnut was unable to live with Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) when second in Cork's G3 Give Thanks S. again at a mile and a half but minutes after this race was run the watching world found out what that form was worth at ParisLongchamp. “That's the true Cayenne Pepper,” Kate Harrington said. “She had her ideal ground conditions and a good tow into the race. This is her ideal trip, too. We had a lot of issues with her in the Spring and couldn't keep her straight–she had looked a little bit light throughout the season, but today was the first day she looked really strong in the paddock. She's really starting to come to herself and is thriving. She is in the [G1 Prix de l'] Opera, but we might bypass that as she is invited to the [GI] Queen Elizabeth II [Challenge Cup] at Keeneland. She could go for that and then stay on for the Breeders' Cup. It would be nice to get her to America, as Sarah [Kelly] couldn't get over due to COVID so we'll try to do our best to get her over there for her to see. Today is emotional, as Jon would have loved to have been here enjoying it all. I'm sure he's watching down willing us all on.”
Cayenne Pepper's dam Muwakaba (Elusive Quality) is kin to the Listed Newmarket S.-placed Morghim (Ire) (Machiavellian) and his full-sister Modraj (GB), who is in turn the dam of the group 3 winner Just Cruised In (SAf) (Just As Well). The second dam is the G3 Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up and blue hen Allegretta (GB) (Lombard {Ger}), whose G1 2000 Guineas-winning son King's Best flew her flag. Also responsible for the legendary G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Urban Sea (Miswaki), she is therefore connected to Australia's sire Galileo (Ire) and Sea the Stars (Ire), which means that Allegretta features 4×3 in Cayenne Pepper's pedigree. While this family's G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) could not quite get the job done at Doncaster on Saturday, Cayenne Pepper has provided more high-profile success for one of the stud book's finest. Muwakaba also has a yearling colt by Churchill (Ire) and a foal full-brother to Cayenne Pepper to come.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE 'JEWELS' BLANDFORD S.-G2, €175,000, Curragh, 9-13, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:09.18, gd.
1–CAYENNE PEPPER (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Muwakaba, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Saleela, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Allegretta (GB), by Lombard (Ger)
(195,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA). O-Mrs Sarah Kelly; B-GHS Bloodstock & JC Bloodstock (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €105,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Ire, 8-4-3-0, $348,655. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Amma Grace (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Polished Gem (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. €35,000.
3–Thundering Nights (Ire), 128, f, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Cape Castle (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). (€17,000 RNA Wlg '17 GOFNOV; €19,000 RNA Ylg '18 TIRSEP). O-Shapoor Mistry; B-Manjri Farm (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €17,500.
Margins: 4, 1HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 50.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Bolleville (Ire), Gold Wand (Ire), Zawara (Ire), Celestial Object (Ire), Magic Wand (Ire), One Voice (Ire), Lemista (Ire), Elfin Queen. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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