By Tom Frary
When the Coolmore contingent bought Airwave two years after her impressive win in this race in 2002, they were exercising that unerring foresight they are renowned for by tapping into a goldmine. While it took a while to excavate, it is now a fully-working reserve of high-class racing talent which was possibly only beginning to take off with the dual Guineas success of Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in May. Clemmie looked cut from the same cloth as her stablemate when putting up a highly encouraging debut effort in third over this trip at The Curragh May 27 and there was much to take out of her seventh behind Different League in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot June 23. Beating Butterscotch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with a degree of comfort in the July 2 G3 Grangecon Stud S. next time, the bay defeated Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) on the July Course in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. here July 14 before enjoying a summer break.
Ryan Moore was due to ride Clemmie over Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Happily (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. before the rain came which speaks volumes about her status at Ballydoyle and in hindsight the only real scare for her all day came when her plane had to be grounded soon after take-off which led to a delay in getting to Newmarket. Always in the leading quartet, she was moved up to take on Different League two out and began to assert her superiority inside the last 150 yards en route to an ultimately-convincing success. “She's very high-class and travelled beautifully throughout,” Ryan Moore said. “It was a messy race, but she always had herself in the right position and was always comfortable and always in control. It's been a while since she ran and she has improved with every start and will continue to do so. She gives me every indication that she will go further.”
Aidan O'Brien was happy to compare the winner favourably with her brother and said, “She's right in his mould, she has a great mind with plenty of speed and stays–nothing fazes her. She will have the option of going to America [for the Breeders' Cup] now, but the lads will decide. If she says she'll be happy to do that, a mile around there on nice ground will be no problem to her. She wants further, but it's her class that gets her through over six furlongs. She's been progressing with every run and coming along lovely at home and to show that kind of class over six furlongs, you would have to be over the moon.”
Different League put up another dynamic effort in Britain and trainer Matthieu Palussiere was delighted. “She keeps putting up great performances,” he commented. “You would imagine she will keep improving, with her physique. She was beaten by a filly that is improving. You would have to think about taking the winner on again. She has a great temperament. I would say that it is for the year. I would say she will have a prep race before the Guineas.” It was revealed that Madeline could be on her way to Del Mar by trainer Roger Varian. “She is an honest, talented filly but she didn't quite have the guns to win,” he commented. “She ran a good race and she has run well all year. She didn't come down the hill like the first two, but when she met the rising ground she stayed on. We will see how she is, but we might consider the Juvenile Fillies' Turf. The way she has stayed on, she would get a flat American two-turn mile and she will be better on faster ground.”
Clemmie is now the second top-level winner for the Listed Curragh S. scorer and G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Meow and it will be no surprise to see her add to Churchill's Guineas tally in the spring. Meow is one of three black-type winners produced by the aforementioned Airwave, whose half-sister Jwala (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) captured the G1 Nunthorpe S. Airwave's Aloof (Ire) by Galileo took the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies' S. Meow's yearling and foal are full-brothers to Clemmie.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
JUDDMONTE CHEVELEY PARK S.-G1, £213,500, NEW, 9-30, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:12.00, g/s.
1–CLEMMIE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Meow (Ire) (SW-Ire & GSP-Eng), by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Airwave (GB), by Air Express (Ire)
3rd Dam: Kangra Valley (GB), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
*1st Group 1 win. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Liberty Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £121,076. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 5-3-0-1, $266,794. *Full to Churchill (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Colt-Eur, MG1SW-Eng & Ire, $1,631,784. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Different League (Fr), 126, f, 2, Dabirsim (Fr)–Danseuse Corse (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€8,000 Wlg '15 ARQDEC; £14,000 RNA Ylg '16 GOUKPR). O-Mrs Theresa Marnane; B-Lotfi Kohli (FR); T-Matthieu Palussiere. £45,903.
3–Madeline (Ire), 126, f, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Madhulika (Fr), by Marchand de Sable. (140,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Manfred Wurtenberger (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £22,973.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, HD. Odds: 1.85, 4.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Now You're Talking (Ire), Darkanna (Ire), Eirene (GB), Threading (Ire), Betty F (GB), Treasuring (GB), Crossing the Line (GB), Chica La Habana (Ire). Scratched: Heartache (GB), Special Purpose (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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