By Tom Frary
Unbeaten on the all-weather with three wins at Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Kempton coming by a combined margin of 12 1/2 lengths since the start of March, Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {GB}) made his first turf start an impressive one to earn TDN Rising Star status at Hamilton on Sunday. Sent off the 11-8 favourite to transform that prowess to the grass in the valuable MansionBet Best Odds Guaranteed EBF Tangerine Trees Conditions S., the Archie Watson-trained grey raced keenly tracking the early pace dropping back to five furlongs for the first time. In front passing the two-furlong pole, the grey did his familiar thing and went clear from there to register a 3 1/4-length verdict over the solid yardstick Significantly (GB) (Garswood {GB}). Jockey Adam McNamara was impressed. “He travelled really well considering five is probably a bit sharp for him,” he said of sire Cable Bay's first 'TDN Rising Star'. “I don't think he's ever galloped on grass at home, but Archie's horses are so straightforward it doesn't matter. He's in the [June 15] G1 King's Stand [at Royal Ascot] and I'm not sure where he'll go, but I'd hazard a guess and say he's more likely to go to the [G1] Commonwealth [Cup at Royal Ascot June 18]. He keeps improving somehow and is a very good one. I got a lead, as he was a little bit keen in front for Oisin [Murphy] the last day and he travelled beautifully. I galloped him a couple of months ago and said to Archie he could be an 85 horse, but he keeps finding and he looks a very good one. He's going to win a big one very soon, hopefully. It's not every day you get to ride one like that.” The winner is the first foal out of a half-sister to the listed-winning duo Smart Enough (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) and Oasis Dancer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) whose dam is the G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Good Enough (Fr) (Mukaddamah). She is also the second dam of the recent Listed Sean Barrett Bloodstock S. winner Laugh a Minute (GB) (Mayson {GB}), who was also placed in the G3 Prix de Meautry and G3 Chipchase S., and this stable's Endless Joy (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who was third in the G3 Firth of Clyde S. The dam, who also hails from the family of the G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Seazun (Ire) (Zieten), has a 2-year-old filly by Postponed (Ire) and a yearling colt by Adaay (Ire).
3rd-Hamilton, £35,000, Cond, 5-2, 3yo, 5f 7yT, :59.04, g/f.
DRAGON SYMBOL (GB), c, 3, by Cable Bay (Ire)
1st Dam: Arcamist (GB), by Arcano (Ire)
2nd Dam: Good Enough (Fr), by Mukaddamah
3rd Dam: Viceroy Princess (GB), by Godswalk
Sales history: 67,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $40,456. O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Archie Watson. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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