By Tom Frary
Providing Aidan O'Brien with an 11th winner of the G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S. at Leopardstown, TDN Rising Star Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was comfortably in charge as Ryan Moore kept it simple in Sunday's Derby trial. Bogged down by testing ground when fifth in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in October having beaten this card's maiden winner O'Reilly (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) by four lengths eight days before at this track, the 2-1 favourite was the pick of the Ballydoyle brigade for this often-important early blue riband pointer. Settled second early with the pace non-exacting, he was sent to the front with two furlongs remaining and galloped strongly to the line to score by 2 1/4 lengths from Flying Visit (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}), with Taipan (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) a nose behind in third. “You'd be delighted with him as he only ran on soft ground and will have learned a lot today,” his trainer commented. “He'll probably come back here for the [G3] Derrinstown if all goes well with him. He's straightforward and, while you're never sure, he should get a mile and a half. He goes to the line well.”
Bolshoi Ballet is a full-brother to the stable's classy stayer Southern France (Ire), who captured the G2 Sandown Classic and G3 Irish St Leger Trial winner and was third in both the G1 English and Irish St Legers, and to the dam of the GII Miss Grillo S. third Editor At Large (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). The unraced dam Alta Anna (Fr) (Anabaa) is a half-sister to the G3 Prix Penelope winner and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Abbatiale (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and her full-sister Aubergade (Fr) who was listed winner who was second in the Penelope. Abbatiale produced the four-times group 3 scorer Bewitched (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), who was in turn responsible for the G3 Glorious S. scorer Pablo Escobarr (Ire) by Galileo and Oodnadatta (Ire) by his son Australia (GB) who was third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Abbatiale's half-sister Attachante (Ire) by another son of Galileo in Teofilo (Ire) is the dam of last year's G3 Dortmund Grand Prix winner Aviateur (Fr) (Intense Focus). This is the Wildenstein family of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Arcangues (Sagace {Fr}) and the G1 Prix de Diane, G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix Ganay heroine Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill), among others. Alta Anna's yearling filly is by No Nay Never.
Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
P.W. MCGRATH MEMORIAL BALLYSAX S.-G3, €50,000, Leopardstown, 4-11, 3yo, 10fT, 2:11.61, gd.
1–BOLSHOI BALLET (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Alta Anna (Fr), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Anna Edes (Fr), by Fabulous Dancer
3rd Dam: Abbey (Fr), by Jim French
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $53,813. *Full to Southern France (Ire), GSW-Aus, GSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $618,689. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Flying Visit (Ire), 134, g, 3, Pride of Dubai (Aus)–Fionnuar (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €10,000.
3–Taipan (Fr), 131, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Kenzadargent (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). (€500,000 Ylg '19 ARAUG). O-Ms Fiona Carmichael; B-Chasemore Farm LLP (FR); T-Jessica Harrington. €5,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NO, 3/4. Odds: 2.00, 33.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: Lough Derg (Ire), Isle of Sark, Fernando Vichi (Ire), Wuqood (GB), Catena Zapata (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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