By Tom Frary
Responsible for four of the last seven winners of the G2 Beresford S. prior to Sunday's renewal, Japan (GB) added to Galileo's tally as he edged out fellow Ballydoyle trainee Mount Everest (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a bobber at Naas. Destined to go to Coolmore after the exploits of his full-brother Sir Isaac Newton (GB) for the stable, the bay who is also a full-sibling of the high-class Secret Gesture (GB) was secured for 1.3million gns at Tattersalls October and after an introductory seventh over this mile trip at The Curragh at the start of the month had scored over seven in a Listowel maiden 11 days later. Settled third early by Seamie Heffernan as the Rosegreen contingent were towed by Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 11-2 shot was angled out to tackle Mount Everest in deep straight and collared that son of Six Perfections (Fr) (Celtic Swing {GB}) in the shade of the post for a short-head success. Heffernan, who was steering the stable's 18th winner of this important staging post, said, “Our horses are running very well and some are improving at a different rate than others. He was a little bit green, but could be anything–we had the brother who used to race high with the revs and we never saw the best of him.”
Aidan O'Brien, who was following Saturday's Newmarket treble with a four-timer here and is currently dominating the juvenile contests, said, “He was very green the first day and won nicely the next day. I thought he'd come forward again from today, he's a big, hardy horse, so he could be the type of horse for what was the Racing Post [the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster Oct. 27]. He travelled well and did everything right, so you'd have to be delighted with him really. The second did nothing wrong and ran a lovely race, too. There were no prisoners taken and it was an honest straightforward race. We're all learning together. Donnacha's [Sovereign] is a massive big horse and they are all big middle-distance colts. The experience will do them really good.”
Secret Gesture took the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial by 10 lengths in 2013 only to lose out to Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G1 Epsom Oaks and finish runner-up again in the G1 Preis Der Diana. Not always enjoying the rub of the green, she was disqualified from first place in the 2015 GI Beverly D. S. having captured York's G2 Middleton S. while her full-brother Sir Isaac Newton who cost 3.6million gns as a yearling at Tattersalls October peaked in the summer of 2016 when taking the G3 International S. and finishing fourth in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. and G1 Juddmonte International. The dam Shastye (Ire) (Danehill) is a half-sister to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Sagamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and group 1-winning sire Sagacity (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and the dams of the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Sageburg (Ire) (Johannesburg) and G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Sagawara (GB) (Shamardal). Shastye's yearling full-brother to Japan is catalogued in the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale.
Sunday, Naas, Ireland
BERESFORD S.-G2, €110,000, Naas, 9-30, 2yo, 8fT, 1:38.68, gd.
1–JAPAN (GB), c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Shastye (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saganeca, by Sagace (Fr)
3rd Dam: Haglette, by Hagley
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (1,300,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €64,900. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $87,828. *Full to Secret Gesture (GB), GSW & MG1SP-Eng, G1SP-Ger, Fr & US, $746,427, & to Sir Isaac Newton (GB), GSW-Ire, SW-Eng & GSP-Aus, $388,439, 1/2 to Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}), SW & MGSP-Aus, $403,286. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mount Everest (Ire), 129, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Six Perfections (Fr), by Celtic Swing (GB). O-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,900.
3–Power of Now (Ire), 129, c, 2, Camacho (GB)–Meanwhile (Ire), by Haafhd (GB). (€25,000 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; €40,000 Ylg '17 TIRSEP). O-Michael O'Callaghan; B-Stonepark Farms (IRE); T-Michael O'Callaghan. €9,900.
Margins: NO, 3, HF. Odds: 5.50, 1.35, 7.00.
Also Ran: Sovereign (Ire), Mackqeez (Ire), Pythion (Fr), Guaranteed (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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