By Tom Frary
Stamping his authority on Saturday's G3 Irish St Leger Trial Stakes, Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Wadyhatta {GB}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) added serious ballast to Ballydoyle's Doncaster Classic team with a scintillating 20-length romp. Out on his own from the outset, the 1-2 favourite, who had been overhauled in dramatic fashion late on by his top-class stablemate Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Curragh Cup over this 14-furlong trip last month, gave Ryan Moore an armchair ride as he came home on his own with the yawning gap to the 80-1 shot Courageous Strike (GB) (National Defense {GB}).
Aidan O'Brien may well have found the natural successor to Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when that stayer makes way, but either the G1 Irish St Leger or the G1 St Leger look to be the immediate aim. “He has serious stamina when he gets into a rhythm. He's an exciting horse and we always felt he was one who wanted to be let go,” he said of the winner, who had taken the G3 Eyrefield Stakes at two and was third in the G3 Chester Vase and seventh in the G1 Irish Derby prior to his impressive Curragh Cup effort.
“We let him float around at Chester and the last day was the first time we let him go and it took Tower Of London to come and get him. Ryan said he was very chilled today and happy to do whatever. It's a quandary for the other jockeys whether you follow him or don't follow him, as he has a big stride and he doesn't come back to them. I said to Ryan 'was he finished at the line?' and he said he wasn't, that he galloped through the line.”
“It's very hard not to go to Doncaster, we'll see what the lads want to do but it's 3-year-olds there and not at The Curragh,” O'Brien added. “He's so uncomplicated, you go out there and let him go. He handles soft ground as well. He's going to be a lovely horse for next year as well–he has a big frame and there's no doubt he has to be a better horse next year.”
Pedigree Notes
Grosvenor Square is the fourth foal out of Wadyhatta, with her first being the G1 Irish Derby and G2 Queen's Vase hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) who stayed two miles when third in the G1 Goodwood Cup. Also responsible for the G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Yorkshire Oaks third La Joconde (Ire) by Galileo's son Frankel (GB), she is a half to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club third Motamarris (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) and the multiple listed-placed dam of the G3 Prix de Cabourg, G3 Prix de Meautry and G3 Prix du Petit Couvert scorer Tantheem (GB) by Galileo's Teofilo (Ire).
Tantheem's unraced half-sister Jawlaat (Ire) (Shamardal) is the dam of the high-class G1 Dubai Turf hero and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and G1 Sussex Stakes runner-up Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}). This is the revered family of Urban Sea et al, with the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning sire Tamayuz (GB) and the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Eshaada (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) under the third dam Al Ishq (Fr) (Nureyev). Wadyhatta's 2-year-old colt Al Hayl Fort (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is a full-brother to La Joconde trained in Japan.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
COMER GROUP INTERNATIONAL IRISH ST LEGER TRIAL STAKES-G3, €55,000, Curragh, 8-17, 3yo/up, 14fT, 2:56.50, gd.
1–GROSVENOR SQUARE (IRE), 125, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Wadyhatta (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Thamarat (GB), by Anabaa
3rd Dam: Al Ishq (Fr), by Nureyev
O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerberg; B-Lynch
Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €33,000.
Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 7-3-1-2, $139,736. *1/2 to Santiago
(Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), G1SW-Ire, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $714,737;
1/2 to La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr,
SP-Ire, $207,941. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Courageous Strike (GB), 125, g, 3, National Defense (GB)–
Mademoiselle Marie (Fr), by Evasive (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE,
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (5,500gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; €32,000
Ylg '22 TATIRY). O-Giselle De Aguiar; B-Sun Bloodstock SARL
(GB); T-Adrian Murray. €11,000.
3–A Piece of Heaven (Fr), 135, g, 6, Jukebox Jury (Ire)–Activa
(Ger), by Sendawar (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK
TYPE. (€10,000 Ylg '19 BBAGOM). O-Syndicates Racing; B-S
Audoersch (FR); T-Joseph O'Brien. €5,500.
Margins: 20, 5, 6. Odds: 0.50, 80.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Absurde (Fr), Zeeband (Ire). Scratched: Kinesiology (GB).
IN A ROMP 🟦🟧
The Irish St. Leger Trial Stakes proves a cakewalk for odds-on favourite 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞, who is now a single-figure price for the St Leger.@curraghrace | @comerhomesgroup pic.twitter.com/LW7Dk6uLju
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 17, 2024
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