By Tom Frary
Coming into Friday's Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes at Tipperary on the back of a third in The Curragh's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes, Ballydoyle's January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}–I Can Fly {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) made her class tell with an impressive four-length success to further enhance the power of Aidan O'Brien's extraordinary swathe of 2-year-old fillies in 2024. Always travelling comfortably tracking the leading pair, the 1-2 favourite was set alight by Ryan Moore passing two out and surged clear of Beckman (Ire) (Beckford {GB}) for a decisive black-type breakthrough in this near 7 1/2-furlong test.
“She is a promising filly and we're very happy with her,” O'Brien said. “The step up in trip suited her well, they went a right good gallop and that suited her lovely. It was good that she got to relax and learn a bit. She is a [G2] Debutante kind and could be a [G1] Fillies' Mile type. She won't mind going up further in distance in time. The juvenile fillies look nice and look an unusual bunch at the moment. There are so many of them who could be smart.”
Pedigree Notes
The winner is the second foal and first runner for I Can Fly, who proved a talented performer for the stable when winning the G2 Solonaway Stakes and placing in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, G1 Sussex Stakes and G1 Falmouth Stakes. A half to the listed-winning and dual group-placed Viscount Barfield (GB) (Raven's Pass) from the family of the operation's ill-fated G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and GI Keeneland Turf Mile hero Landseer (GB) (Danehill), she has a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire), a filly foal by Frankel (GB) and was bred to Justify this year.
💨🏆
January (Kingman) wins the Listed @coolmorestud Churchill Stakes in fine fashion to land a quick double for in-form Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien at @tipperaryraces 🟣⚪️ @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/5E4RpCWGTD
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2024
COOLMORE STUD CHURCHILL STAKES-Listed, €45,000, Tipperary, 8-9, 2yo, 7f 100yT, 1:35.09, g/f.
1–JANUARY (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: I Can Fly (GB) (GSW-Ire, MG1SP-Eng, $815,981), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Madonna Dell'Orto (GB), by Montjeu (Ire)
3rd Dam: Sabria, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €27,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 4-2-1-1, $55,424.
2–Beckman (Ire), 131, c, 2, Beckford (GB)–Young Daisy Miller (Ire), by Azamour (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd; B-Newtown Anner Stud (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €9,000.
3–Green Triangle (Ire), 131, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Whimsical Dream (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (€40,000 Ylg '23 TATIRY). O-Simon Munir & Isaac Souede; B-Mark Hanly & Sally Ann Grassick (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €4,500.
Margins: 4, 1, 4. Odds: 0.50, 9.00, 2.75.
Also Ran: Bay Colony (Ire), Dahlia Noir (Ire), Senna's Girl (Ire). Scratched: Grand Dante, No Return (Ire).
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