By Sean Cronin
Eleanora Kennedy's Black Forza (Complexity–Harlee Honey, by Harlan's Holiday), a £220,000 Goffs UK Breeze-Up graduate, shed maiden status at Fairyhouse last month and stepped forward to notch a landmark win for his Airdrie Stud-based freshman sire (by Maclean's Music) in Thursday's G2 Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. A share in the stallion will be auctioned at Fasig-Tipton's August Sale next week.
The Michael O'Callaghan trainee was steadied after the break and settled several lengths off the tempo in seventh through the early fractions of this six-furlong dash. Coming under pressure to reduce arrears approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 9-1 chance went fifth entering the final furlong and continued his withering run on the stands' side to nab Wathnan Racing's The Strikin Viking (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) by a half-length in the dying strides. Bearstone Stud's Intrusively (GB) (Territories {Ire}) kept on strongly in the closing stages to finish 3/4-of-a-length adrift in third.
“I didn't get to be here when Steel Bull won the Molecomb [in 2020], this is fantastic and to win the Richmond is very special,” said O'Callaghan. “This is a horse we bought at the breeze-ups and the loose plan was to come here even before he won his maiden. He's a talented colt who loves that [good-to-firm] ground. He was flat out for the first half of the race and was just getting going at the line. He hit the line very strong and he'll be better in a better race. We'll enjoy today first and then make some plans. I think he just had a bit of class, more than raw pace. He wasn't the fastest horse in the breeze-ups, but it was my favourite breeze and he wasn't slow by any means. He's a very good mover and it takes class to see out a race where they go very quick. I would be hopeful that he will get seven furlongs in time, and maybe, he might get a mile round a turn. He's an American-bred horse, so we'll see how the rest of the year goes. You're always taking a chance buying a dirt-bred horse to go on grass, particularly by a first-season sire, but it's all worked out.”
The win was a Glorious Goodwood first for Dylan Browne McMonagle, who added, “It's my first ride here, so I've got off to a good start! These are the kind of meetings you want to be riding winners at and a massive thanks to Michael and connections for giving me the leg up on this fella. Black Forza is a top-quality colt. He is improving and I still think he's going to come on a lot again. Stamina was never going to be a problem for us. He jumped fine and we just felt that a little bit of cover would be the key to getting him relaxed in the first half. He came home good for me, but I was outpaced for the first half. I knew they were never going to keep going the speed they were and he quickened up good when I needed him.”
Wathnan Racing's Richard Brown said of the runner-up, “First of all, we are delighted with The Strikin Viking. He was a short-priced favourite and of course you want to win, but James [Doyle] got off and said, if he could have another crack at it, he would have held on to him a bit longer. He knows the horse now, which will be a big advantage going forward. He put a couple of lengths on them pretty quickly, idled and then he didn't see the winner coming. I imagine a fast six furlongs at York will be right up his alley. I hate making plans straight after a race but, literally, he hadn't pulled up and I was thinking [G2] Gimcrack Stakes.”
A game performance from Black Forza who makes it back-to-back wins, taking out the Group 2 @MarkelUK Richmond Stakes for @DylanBrowneMcM and @MDOCallaghan! pic.twitter.com/edEvKUeD7B
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) August 1, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Black Forza is the fourth of six foals and one of two scorers out of a half-sister to GII Santa Ynez Stakes victrix California Nectar (Stormy Atlantic), the stakes-winning Redstart (Blame) and the stakes-placed Star Rocker (Atticus). Descendants of California Nectar include stakes-winning G1 Champions Cup third Hapi Hapi (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). The February-foaled dark bay, whose second dam is the multiple stakes-placed Absolute Nectar (Carson City), is kin to a yearling colt by Blame and a weanling colt by American Freedom. Black Forza's dam Harlee Honey (Harlan's Holiday) was bred to Zandon this year.
Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
MARKEL RICHMOND STAKES-G2, £175,000, Goodwood, 8-1, 2yo, c/g, 6fT, 1:09.97, g/f.
1–BLACK FORZA, 128, c, 2, by Complexity
1st Dam: Harlee Honey, by Harlan's Holiday
2nd Dam: Absolute Nectar, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Hear The Sea, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. ($27,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $65,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL; £220,000 2yo '24 GOUKB). O-Ms Eleanora Kennedy; B-Dash Goff (KY); T-Michael O'Callaghan; J-Dylan Browne McMonagle. £99,243. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $139,215. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Strikin Viking (Ire), 128, c, 2, Inns Of Court (Ire)–Asmeen (Ire), by Shamardal. (65,000gns 2yo '24 TATGBU). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Hamad Al Jehani. £37,625.
3–Intrusively (GB), 128, c, 2, Territories (Ire)–Intrusion (GB), by Indesatchel (Ire). 1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£24,000 RNA Ylg '23 GOFFUK). O/B-Bearstone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Ed Bethell. £18,830.
Margins: HF, 3/4, NK. Odds: 9.00, 1.10, 40.00.
Also Ran: Billboard Star (GB), The Waco Kid (Ire), Big Cyril (Ire), King Of Bears (Ire), Tropical Storm (GB), Aparajeo (Ire).
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