By Alan Carasso
by Alan Carasso
Sent off the betting favourite in international markets on the strength of his form at home, Dancing Prince (Jpn) (Pas de Trois {Jpn}) made all the running beneath a white-hot Christophe Lemaire to give both the country and rider a fourth victory on the Saudi Cup undercard in the G3 Riyadh Sprint.
Soon in front from a favourable draw, the last-out winner of the G3 Capella S. at Nakayama in December, showed the way in advance of longshots Beehive (GB) (Fountain of Youth {Ire}) and Rudy Trigger (Arg) (Cosmic Trigger {Arg}), as Good Effort (Ire) (Shamardal) took the trail from fourth. Nursed along on the turn while easily retaining the call, Dancing Prince kicked further clear in upper stretch, with Good Effort emerging as the lone possible danger, and hosed up to score by daylight. Chain of Love (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), in a bit tight between the commonly owned Gladiator King (Curlin) and Switzerland (Speightstown) nearing the straight, finished well for third, while defending champion Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) ran on admirably to complete a Japanese 1-2-4 finish.
“This is unbelievable,” said Lemaire, the perennial leading rider in Japan. “I knew this was a very good horse and it's easy when you are riding good horses. I'm so happy for connections. I have been in Japan for two years with the restrictions and no travel, so I was fresh tonight. My horses were just too good tonight. I don't know what to say.”
Pedigree Notes:
Dancing Prince is the lone stakes winner for his sire, a 15-year-old son of the late Swept Overboard (End Sweep) and three-time Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed over turf sprint trips, who stands at Lex Stud on the island of Hokkaido.
Dancing Prince's dam, who won just $7,000 from four trips to the races, has pedigree appeal of her own, as she is a half-sister to Durandal (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), a three-time Japanese champion who posted the most important victory of his career in the 2004 G1 Mile Championship, defeating the Lemaire-ridden two-time champion Dance in the Mood (Jpn) (Sunday Silence).
Little Bessing was barren to Logotype for 2019 and was retired from stud duties thereafter.
Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
RIYADH CUP PRESENTED BY SAUDIA-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-26, 3yo/up, 1200m, 1:10.26, ft.
1–DANCING PRINCE (JPN), 126, h, 6, by Pas de Trois (Jpn)
1st Dam: Little Blessing (Jpn), by Bubble Gum Fellow (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Sawakaya Princess (Jpn), by Northern Taste
3rd Dam: Scotch Princess, by Creme dela Creme
O-Chizu Yoshida; B-Shadai Farm; T-Keisuke Miyata; J-Christophe Lemaire; $900,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Jpn, 13-9-1-1, $1,976,462. *1/2 to Princess Memory (Jpn) (Swept Overboard), SW & GSP-Jpn, $1,751,240. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Good Effort (Ire), 126, h, 7, Shamardal–Magical Crown, by Distorted Humor. O-Abdulla Al Mansoori; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited; T-Ismail Mohammed; J-Jim Crowley; $300,000.
3–Chain of Love (Jpn), 121, m, 5, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Fair Ellen, by Street Cry (Ire). O-Koji Maeda; B-North Hills Co Ltd; T-Michihiro Ogasa; J-Ryusei Sakai; $150,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 3 3/4, NK.
Also Ran: Copano Kicking, Sunset Flash (Ire), Switzerland, Gladiator King, Faz Zae (KSA), Mortajeh (KSA), Dolma (KSA), Beehive (GB), Rock Sound (Ire), Rudy Trigger (Arg). Click for the Racing Post chart. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
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