By Sean Cronin
Day two of the Curragh's Irish Guineas Festival concluded with a bang when Coolmore and Westerberg's hithero unraced 3-year-old colt Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) outclassed nine rivals in imperious fashion to garner the €20,000 McDonnells Bar Newbridge Irish EBF Maiden and a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette. He becomes the 43rd Rising Star for the Coolmore icon.
The June 21 G2 King Edward VII and June 30 G1 Irish Derby entry was swiftly away and raced in a close-up second through halfway in this 10-furlong test. Inching forward to match strides with Ozark Daze (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) at the entrance to the straight, the 7-2 third favourite assumed control passing the quarter-mile marker and bounded clear in taking fashion to defeat the long-time leader by a highly impressive eight lengths.
“He just wasn't straight forward to train, he's a big horse and took a bit of time,” commented Aidan O'Brien. “Ryan [Moore] loved him, but said he mightn't be ready, mentally, for [Royal] Ascot as he doesn't know enough and he'd never been at a track before. He said to go to a winners' race with him and then go to the [G3] Gordon S. in Goodwood. I asked him if he'd stay further than a mile-and-a-half and he said he will, but don't go further yet, so that's all positive. Ryan also said he didn't come on the bridle until he joined the leader and then he said he came alive. He's probably a fair horse and he has the pedigree to be a mile-and-a-half horse.”
Jan Brueghel is the ninth of 10 foals and eighth scorer for G2 Debutante S. and G3 Park Express S. placegetter Devoted To You (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), herself kin to a sextet of black-type performers headed by GIII Honeybee S. victrix Humble Eight (Seattle Battle). His second dam Alleged Devotion (Alleged) is a half-sister to G1 Oaks and G1 Irish Derby heroine Balanchine (Storm Bird). The May-foaled bay is a full-brother to G1 Irish Derby hero Sovereign (Ire) and G1 Irish St Leger third Dawn Rising (Ire). He is also kin to a yearling filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr).
8th-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 5-25, 3yo, c/g, 10fT, 2:06.58, gd.
JAN BRUEGHEL (IRE), c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Devoted To You (Ire) (MGSP-Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Alleged Devotion, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Morning Devotion, by Affirmed
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €11,800. *Full to Sovereign (Ire), G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Eng, $1,173,919; and Dawn Rising (Ire), G1SP-Ire & GSP-Eng, $260,760. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore.
Impressive debut
Galileo colt Jan Brueghel powers clear of his rivals late on to make a belated winning debut @curraghrace.
Group races surely now await this brother to Sovereign.@coolmorestud | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/Mi78chnuyy
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 25, 2024
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