By Sean Cronin
Hampered in the straight when 12th contesting Chantilly's June 6 G1 Prix du Jockey Club last time, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred 3-year-old colt Megallan (GB) (Kingman {GB}) gained some measure of recompense with a career-high win dropping down to a mile for Thursday's G3 D & N Construction Sovereign S. at Salisbury. The April-foaled bay had earlier secured a stakes breakthrough when successful in Newcastle's Apr. 2 Listed Burradon S. and followed up with a May 13 G2 Dante S. second at York in his penultimate start. He tracked the tempo under cover in a handy fourth after an alert getaway here. Improving to go third at halfway, the 7-4 favourite was angled into the clear for his challenge approaching the quarter-mile marker and was driven out once gaining a narrow advantage with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining to assert by a length and a nose from Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) and Perotto (GB) (New Bay {GB}).
“He did well dropping to a mile, he enjoyed the [good] ground and we're delighted,” said Thady Gosden. “He ran a great race [behind subsequent G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Hurricane Lane] in the Dante and looked like the winner at one stage, but was obviously beaten by a very good horse. We took him to the French Derby and, with all the changes after Brexit, it's a bit more of a journey over and it's much tougher on them. He didn't necessarily run his race there and it's great to see him back to himself today. He showed he has the speed for a mile, but he also stays a mile-and-a-quarter, so we'll see where we go from here.”
Megallan is the second of four foals and lone scorer produced by MGSP Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial S. victress Eastern Belle (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), herself a half-sister to MG1SW sire Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and last term's G3 Autumn S. third Dhahabi (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). He is a full-brother to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Super Chief (GB) and half to a weanling colt by Sea the Stars (Ire). His second dam Fleche d'Or is an unraced half-sister to six stakes performers, headed by G1 Coronation S. heroine Rebecca Sharp (GB) (Machiavellian). Black-type descendants of the bay's third dam Nuryana (GB) (Nureyev) also include G2 Ribblesdale S.-winning G1 Epsom Oaks third Frankly Darling (GB) (Frankel {GB}), G3 Lingfield Derby Trial victor Mystic Knight (GB) (Caerleon) and GSW G2 Lancashire Oaks placegetter Precious Ramotswe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
Thursday, Salisbury, Britain
D & N CONSTRUCTION SOVEREIGN S.-G3, £67,500, Salisbury, 8-12, 3yo/up, c/g, 8fT, 1:43.09, gd.
1–MEGALLAN (GB), 122, c, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Eastern Belle (GB) (SW-Eng & MGSP-US, $230,141), by Champs Elysees (GB)
2nd Dam: Fleche d'Or (GB), by Dubai Destination
3rd Dam: Nuryana (GB), by Nureyev
1ST GROUP WIN. O-A E Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Robert Havlin. £38,279. Lifetime Record: 10-3-4-0, $164,782. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sir Busker (Ire), 129, g, 5, Sir Prancealot (Ire)–Street Kitty (Ire), by Tiger Hill (Ire). (€25,000 Ylg '17 TIRSEP). O-Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds XI Racing; B-Ms Ann Foley (IRE); T-William Knight. £14,513.
3–Perotto (GB), 122, g, 3, New Bay (GB)–Tschierschen (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (28,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Halcyon Thoroughbreds; B-China Horse Club International Ltd (GB); T-Marcus Tregoning. £7,263.
Margins: 1, NO, NO. Odds: 1.75, 6.50, 9.00.
Also Ran: Solid Stone (Ire), King Vega (GB), Duke of Hazzard (Fr), Accidental Agent (GB), Mums Tipple (Ire), Palavecino (Fr), Oh This Is Us (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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