By Tom Frary
It was a case of business as usual at Newmarket on Saturday with Charlie Appleby saddling his fifth G2 Superlative Stakes winner in TDN Rising Star Ancient Truth (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}–Beyond Reason {Ire}, by Australia {GB}). Having won on debut over six furlongs on the Rowley Mile in May and over this seven-furlong trip and course last month, the 4-6 favourite faced a depleted field with three non-runners and had to wait behind rivals early as William Buick anchored him under cover.
Picking up impressively to take control approaching the furlong pole, the homebred readily asserted to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), with two lengths back to Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko) in third.
“It's what we were hoping to see, but it wasn't very easy for him–he had to come back and around them and then quicken up and he had a look in front ,” Buick explained. “Hopefully he'll follow in some of the others' footsteps, as this race has served Charlie so well.”
Perhaps it is because Dubawi won this in 2004, but also maybe because it is the biggest 2-year-old event of the summer in his local town that Appleby prioritises the Superlative with his Classic hopefuls. Dubawi's sons Quorto (Ire) and Master Of The Seas (Ire) are two of his winners, with the former going on to capture the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes.
That feat was emulated by Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) three years ago and so it is no surprise that the trainer is looking at another trip to The Curragh.
“I'm delighted, he's still learning and learning plenty,” he said. “I couldn't see any pace in the race, so I did say to William we might have to make our own running and see where we are but he made the right decision in trying to get some cover. There was a bit of pace but when that collapsed, he almost had to take him back to come round so full credit to the horse.”
“Shane Fetherstonhaugh rides him and he's ridden enough good horses of ours for me to trust him,” Appleby added. “Coming into the first run, he said he wasn't quite happy but he ran and won. Going into the second, he still wasn't quite happy and he went and won, but this morning he said he was delighted, so I said I was a bit nervous!
“He's a horse I feel a mile will be his maximum and we will definitely work back from the Guineas. We'll let the horse settle down and make a decision as a collective, but our previous winners of this have tended to go on to the National Stakes in Ireland and that has worked quite well. He's happier with a bit of cut in the ground, he hung a little bit on quick ground on his first two starts. He looked happier today. He's always been up there in our pecking order and I'd have been disappointed if he'd got beaten today.”
Pedigree Notes
Faring much better than his ill-fated full-brother Great Truth (GB), who was fourth behind City Of Troy (Justify) in this 12 months ago, Ancient Truth is the second foal out of the G2 Prix du Calvados and G3 Prix Six Perfections winner Beyond Reason (Ire) (Australia {GB}). She is the leading performer out of the GIII Gallorette Handicap winner No Explaining (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) from the family of the GII American Handicap winner and GI Eddie Read Handicap runner-up Bayamo (Ire), the champion Key To The Mint and the St Leger hero Silver Patriarch (Ire) (Saddlers' Hall {Ire}). Beyond Reason's yearling colt is by Lope De Vega (Ire).
Wow! 🚀🤩
Ancient Truth tastes Group 2 success in the @bet365 Superlative Stakes at @NewmarketRace 🔵 @godolphin
A third victory for the unbeaten Dubawi colt 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7hoWLVDE9I
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 13, 2024
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 SUPERLATIVE STAKES-G2, £100,000, Newmarket, 7-13, 2yo, 7fT, 1:25.28, gd.
1–ANCIENT TRUTH (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Beyond Reason (Ire) (MGSW-Fr & GSP-UAE, $257,805), by Australia (GB)
2nd Dam: No Explaining (Ire), by Azamour (Ire)
3rd Dam: Claustra (Fr), by Green Desert
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $92,893. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Seagulls Eleven (Ire), 129, c, 2, Galileo Gold (GB)–Thrilled (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (50,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Two Plus Three Two Plus Four; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Hugo Palmer. £21,500.
3–Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB), 129, c, 2, Kameko–Eva Maria (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-The Gredley Family; B-Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs Ltd (GB); T-James Owen. £10,760.
Margins: 1HF, 2, HD. Odds: 0.67, 5.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Columnist (GB), Assertively (Ire), Line Of Force (Ire). Scratched: Pap's Turf (Ire), Pentle Bay (Ire), The Parthenon (Ire).
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