By Tom Frary
Newmarket's G2 bet365 Superlative S. was the launchpad for Dubawi (Ire) in 2004 and 16 years on his son Master of the Seas (Ire) came to the fore in the latest edition on Saturday. Sent off at 4-1 having won a soft-ground maiden over this seven-furlong trip on the Rowley Mile June 18, the bay tracked the pace up the centre and was travelling with menace when sent forward apporaching the final two furlongs. In front soon after, he drew away to score with authority by three lengths from Devious Company (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), with Seventh Kingdom (GB) (Frankel {GB}) a length away in third.
Charlie Appleby, who also trained the ill-fated Dubawi colt Quorto (Ire) to land this two years ago, may have found another challenger for division leader on this evidence. There were echoes of a certain 2019 champion juvenile in his post-race comments. “He has been very straightforward and, dare I say it, one of the horses that has been under the radar slightly. He was entered to run in France next Tuesday in a listed race, but did a nice piece of work on Thursday so we thought that we should aim our sights a little higher and run here,” he explained. “He does everything very simply. He goes out with the string and, whatever we pair him up with, he finds it easy to gallop well with them. He handled soft ground on the Rowley Mile, when Brett Doyle said he was both very professional and willing. Those are two nice boxes to tick with a racehorse and I told William today not to be frightened to let him roll is he was travelling. He said that he probably hit the front too soon, but everything else just fell away.”
“He has done nothing wrong in two starts and is a lovely specimen by Dubawi,” he added. “We will get back and see how he pops out of this, but the likelihood is that we will hopefully go down the same route as Pinatubo and take a look at the G1 [Vincent O'Brien] National Stakes [at The Curragh] in September. It is unlikely that he will go to Goodwood and we will probably give him a bit of a break. He is a big horse and a bit more time won't do him any harm. It is a bit early to be getting too excited where we might be next year, but he is definitely a horse that has got the right attitude and physique to see him go beyond a mile with a bit of luck.”
Master of the Seas becomes the fifth black-type performer for the talented dam Firth of Lorne (Ire) (Danehill), who captured the Listed Prix des Sablonnets and was runner-up in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Also third in the G3 Prix de la Grotte, GII San Gorgonio H. and GIII Cardinal H., she was quick to transmit her quality with her first three foals being winners and the third Etive (Elusive Quality) scoring at listed level in Germany having just failed to emulate her dam when second in the Sablonnets. Her fourth foal Falls of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) took the G3 UAE Oaks and Listed Distaff S. and was third in the G2 Cape Verdi before producing Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), the G1 Prix Jean Prat runner-up who annexed the G3 Doncaster Prelude and was third in the G1 Kennedy Cantala.
Firth of Lorne's best progeny was possibly Latharnach (Iffraaj {GB}), who was runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S. for this stable and third in the G3 Thoroughbred S., while she also threw the listed-placed Tipstaff (GB) by Falls of Lora's sire Street Cry. Like the G3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise third Shmoose (Ire) (Caerleon), she is a daughter of the G3 Cherry Hinton S. scorer and G1 1000 Guineas runner-up Kerrera (Ire) (Diesis {GB}) who is also the second dam of the G2 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) and G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) winner Dupont (GB) (Zafonic) and his full-brother and fellow sire Pacino (GB) who also took that German Classic and was runner-up in the G1 Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1. Also connected to the G2 Gimcrack S.-winning sire Rock City (Ire), Firth of Lorne's yearling is a daughter of Ribchester (Ire).
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 SUPERLATIVE S.-G2, £40,700, Newmarket, 7-11, 2yo, 7fT, 1:23.95, gd.
1–MASTER OF THE SEAS (IRE), 127, c, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Firth of Lorne (Ire) (SW & G1SP-Fr, MGSP-USA, $163,189), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Kerrera (Ire), by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Rimosa's Pet (GB), by Petingo (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £23,081. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $34,333. *1/2 to Falls of Lora (IRE) (Street Cry (IRE)), GSW-UAE & SW-Eng, $246,417; Latharnach (Iffraaj (GB)), SW & G1SP-Eng, $217,472; Etive (Elusive Quality), SW-Ger & MSP-Fr, $126,693; and Tipstaff (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Devious Company (Ire), 127, c, 2, Fast Company (Ire)–Seren Devious (GB), by Dr Devious (Ire). (£45,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Russell Jones; B-Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Tom Dascombe. £8,751.
3–Seventh Kingdom (GB), 127, c, 2, Frankel%20(GB)#tot">Frankel (GB)–Nayarra (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Prince A A Faisal; B-Nawara Stud Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden. £4,379.
Margins: 3, 1, 3/4. Odds: 4.00, 7.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Saint Lawrence (Ire), Ventura Tormenta (Ire), King Zain (Ire), Snash (Ire), Hudson River (Ire), Bright Devil (Ire), Miami Joy (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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