By Tom Frary
Reversing Epsom form with Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}–Frequential {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) relished the more straightforward nature of the galloping Curragh track on Sunday to provide Aidan O'Brien with a remarkable 16th G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Third in the Derby, the 13-8 second favourite was always going to be better suited by this test particularly after all the rain on Saturday and enjoyed the perfect trip under Ryan Moore tracking the stable's two pace-setters. Briefly swamped by the 6-4 market-leader Ambiente Friendly approaching two out, Los Angeles was back alongside as they went toe-to-toe to the furlong pole and from there his excess stamina told.
At the line, the winner had 3/4 of a length to spare over Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), with Ambiente Friendly emptying to be a further half length behind in third. There was just a neck to the race's hard-luck story in fourth, with the unexposed Matsuri (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) denied a clear run for virtually all of the last three furlongs. This race came down to who could expend his energy in the right way throughout and Los Angeles proved as tailor-made to The Curragh as it looked he would be beforehand.
“Obviously he did go forward in Epsom and learned plenty, we were hoping that would be the case so he could come back here,” O'Brien said. “Ryan gave him a great ride. It was a solid even pace and it's an unbelievable track. It's great to have this race at this time of the year, so all those horses can come together and you get to find out what's there.”
Los Angeles, who had not been here until Sunday, winning at Tipperary and in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud at two and in Leopardstown's G3 Derby Trial prior to his run in the Blue Riband, will continue his programme alongside City Of Troy (Justify) while avoiding the stable luminary. “He is progressing, definitely, and we're really looking forward to him,” his trainer added. “Ryan said he had a lot more class than he expected and he quickened very well when he got there. We came here thinking that he was going to turn into a Leger horse, but Ryan said he has way more class than that.”
Ambiente Friendly's rider Rab Havlin confirmed the visual and sectional impression of the Derby runner-up's closing effort. “He didn't really let the bit go, even off a good pace and the red light was starting to come on at the furlong pole,” he explained. “I needed the line in the end, so possibly it's back to a mile and a quarter now.”
James Fanshawe is looking at exactly that now, with a drop in class for a confidence boost on the cards. “He ran really well and travelled really well to the two-furlong pole, he just got outstayed in the last furlong,” he said. “I think we will probably be dropping back in trip now. He ran in a trial and two Derbys, so we are going to have to see how he is when we get home. It would be quite nice to get him winning again before we have any real big targets. You would really like to have a go at the Champion Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Ascot at the end of the season, but we will see how he is when he gets home.”
David Menuisier said of Sunway, “That is the third Classic I am losing by less than a length this season, so I'm used to it now. I'm delighted with the horse, because we have always thought the world of him and people had lost faith in him–today he really vindicated himself and showed he is a real class act. He got hampered at the start of the French Derby and was nearly brought down. He was closing really fast and only beaten three-quarters of a length for fourth. The ground was tacky and he did something special that day and I think people didn't give him credit for that. If the owners agree he could well go the Leger and we could well have a top stayer on our hands.”
Roger Varian was left to mull over an unfortunate trip for the Leicester novice winner Matsuri, whose addition to this field was fully justified. “He ran a great race and confirmed he is a very good horse,” he said. “We thought that coming into the race and it is pleasing to see him hold his own and maybe we can think of what could have been if we had got a cleaner passage.”
“I've only watched it the once and will need to watch it again, but I don't think we got the room to run when we needed it. That's racing and he's ran a fine race and hopefully he is okay tomorrow and we can make some good plans for him. He was beaten a length maybe in total, having had a slightly troubled passage in the home straight so we might be thinking what could have been.”
LOS ANGELES is SO TOUGH ✊
Los Angeles reverses Epsom form with Ambiente Friendly to win the @DDFRacing Irish Derby for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore. @curraghrace | @coolmorestud | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/fxkoxHMbwz
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 30, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Los Angeles, who was providing Camelot with his second Irish Derby, capping a red-letter weekend for the sire after the success of Bluestocking (GB) in the Pretty Polly on Saturday, is out of the unraced Frequential who was a 48,000gns purchase by BBA Ireland from the Godolphin draft at the 2017 Tattersalls February Sale. Her previous two runners are the stable's G3 Prix Penelope third Be Happy (Ire) and the G3 Ballyroan Stakes third Hector De Maris (Ire) both also by Camelot.
Frequential is a half-sister to the G3 Prix Messidor winner Impulsif (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and the G3 Pride Stakes runner-up Veil Of Shadows (GB) (Frankel {GB}), but it is in the third dam where things get interesting. The G3 Prix de Flore winner Allez Les Trois (Riverman), who produced the G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Anabaa Blue (GB) (Anabaa), is kin to King's Best and the legendary Urban Sea (Miswaki) and is the ancestress of the stable's 2020 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). Frequential's unraced 2-year-old is a gelding by No Nay Never named Front And Centre (Ire).
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH DERBY-G1, €1,250,000, Curragh, 6-30, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:28.15, gd.
1–LOS ANGELES (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Frequential (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Violante, by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Allez Les Trois, by Riverman
O-Westerberg, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Longfield Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €725,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr & G1SP-Eng, 5-4-0-1, $1,201,959. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sunway (Fr), 128, c, 3, Galiway (GB)–Kensea (Fr), by Kendargent (Fr). (€300,000 Ylg '22 ARAUG). O-Guy Pariente, Thomas Lines & Qatar Racing; B-Guy Pariente Holding SPRL (FR); T-David Menuisier. €250,000.
3–Ambiente Friendly (Ire), 128, c, 3, Gleneagles (Ire)–Roxity (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). (25,000gns RNA Ylg '22 TATOCT; 80,000gns 2yo '23 TATBRE). O-The Gredley Family; B-Al Shira'aa Farms SARL (IRE); T-James Fanshawe. €125,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 1.63, 16.00, 1.50.
Also Ran: Matsuri (GB), Keeper's Heart (Ire), The Euphrates (GB), Grosvenor Square (Ire), Euphoric (GB).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
