El Kabeir Colt Best in G2 Premio Gran Criterium

Already a listed winner after taking Milan's Premio Giuseppe de Montel on June 30, El Kabeir colt Don Chicco (GB) bounced back from a second versus heavy 2-5 favourite Some Respect (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in the Oct. 3 Listed Premio Vittorio Riva with a 1 1/4-length victory in the Premio Gran Criterium in Rome on Sunday.

Second in a local debutante heat over 1000 metres on May 1, the bay graduated by three lengths switched to the all-weather here just eight days later and was making his fifth start in the Gran Criterium. The 7-1 shot was widest of all in a battling fourth through the early stages as Il Sindacalista (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) set the pace with ears pricked. Full of run at the half-way point, Don Chicco had to adjust slightly as Some Respect veered into his lane, and although erratic in the stretch, forged past that foe to win. Some Respect was 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Baghed (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) at the line, three-quarters of a length in advance of Vincere Insieme (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Il Sindacalista faded to last of five.

Pedigree Notes
Don Chicco is one of three black-type winners for young sire El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) and the first at group level. The Yeomanstown Stud-based stallion's Masekela (Ire) was second in the G2 Superlative S.

The fifth foal and second winner out of the unraced Otrooha, Don Chicco is followed by a yearling filly and a weanling colt both by Massaat (Ire). This is the extended family of dual G2 Hardwicke S. hero Maraahel (Ire) (Alzao), who was also runner-up in the G1 Juddmonte International S., as well as G1 Lockinge S. victor Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}).

Sunday, Rome, Italy
PREMIO GRAN CRITERIUM-G2, €244,200, Rome, 10-24, 2yo, c/f, 1600mT, 1:38.50, sf.
1–DON CHICCO (GB), c, 2, 123, by El Kabeir
                1st Dam: Otrooha (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
                2nd Dam: Mumayeza (GB), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Nasanice (Ire), by Nashwan
1ST GROUP WIN. (10,000gns RNA Wlg '19 TATNOV; £8,500 Ylg
'20 GOFSEP). O-Luigi Colasanti. B-Mickley, Harc Syndicate & K
Whitehouse (GB). T-Agostino Affe'. J-Claudio Colombi.
€94,350. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, €128,410. *1st Group Winner
for his sire (by Scat Daddy). Werk Nick
   Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Some Respect (Ire), 123, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Sciolina (Ire),
by Oratorio (Ire). (€50,000 Ylg '20 SGASEP). O-Scuderia
Cocktail. B-Allevamento Poggio San Giorgio (Ire). T-Grizzeti
Galoppo SRL. €41,514.
3–Baghed (GB), 123, c, 2, Twilight Son (GB)–Dealer's Choice
(Ire), by Exchange Rate. (7,500gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Manila
Illuminati. B-J Shack & G Barnard (GB). T-Vincenzo Fazio.
€22,644.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 8.89, 0.41, 3.36.
Also Ran: Vincere Insieme (Ire), Il Sindacalista (Ire). Scratched: The King's Horses (GB).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video.