Winless in three outings since registering a career high in last term's G3 Gladness S. at The Curragh, Gay Smith's Lancaster House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) went postward as the 9-4 favourite for this year's TRI Equestrian-sponsored renewal and became the first back-to-back winner of the seven-furlong event with an impressive 2 1/2-length victory from Current Option (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The 5-year-old bay followed up last year's triumph with a second over course and distance in the G2 Minstrel S., but was off the radar and failed to beat a single rival in both G2 Solonaway S. at Leopardstown and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot. Finding a modicum of cover in a midfield sixth for the most part, he loomed large out wide passing the quarter-mile marker and kept on powerfully once seizing control soon after to easily assert superiority.
“He's a very solid horse and it's a nice bit of ground which he likes,” commented trainer Aidan O'Brien. “Ryan [Moore] was very impressed with him and felt he had loads of horse. He made the running in this race last year and it was nice that he was able to drop in and get a lead today. He's very versatile and has won over nine furlongs in soft ground at Listowel and finished very well here. Ryan said we could look at the [G1] Queen Anne at Royal Ascot] and Lope Y Fernandez could go for the [G1] Lockinge [at Newbury].”
Pedigree Notes
Lancaster House is the first of five foals, all by Galileo (Ire), and the lone performer out of MGSW GI Gamely S. runner-up Quiet Oasis (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself a full-sister to G3 Prix La Rochette victor Young Pretender (Fr). His younger siblings include unraced 3-year-old filly Drummer Girl (Ire), unraced 2-year-old filly Yamato Nadeshiko (Ire) and a yearling filly. His fourth dam is G1 Irish Champion S.-winning matriarch Park Express (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), whose descendants include MG1SW sire New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW G1 Champion S. runner-up Dazzling Park (Ire) (Warning {GB}), G1 Phoenix S. scorer Alfred Nobel (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
TRI EQUESTRIAN GLADNESS S.-G3, €50,000, Curragh, 4-17, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:25.36, gd.
1–LANCASTER HOUSE (IRE), 140, h, 5, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Quiet Oasis (Ire) (MGSW & GISP-US,
$282,379), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Silent Heir (Aus), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Park Heiress (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
O-Mrs Gay Smith; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien;
J-Ryan Moore. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-0, $140,377.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
2–Current Option (Ire), 140, g, 5, Camelot (GB)–Coppertop
(Ire), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). (62,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT;
85,000gns 3yo '19 TATJUL). O-Dooley Thoroughbreds, Bart
O'Sullivan & Shamrock Thoroughbreds; B-Grange Con Holdings
Ltd (IRE); T-Adrian McGuinness. €10,000.
3–Know It All (GB), 137, f, 4, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Common
Knowledge (GB), by Rainbow Quest. O-Qatar Racing Ltd;
B-Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Johnny Murtagh. €5,000.
Margins: 2HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.25, 7.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Wonder Elzaam (Ire), Speak In Colours (GB), Gustavus Weston (Ire), Comfort Line (Ire), Fiscal Rules (Ire), Free Solo (Ire), Brad The Brief (GB), Lustown Baba (Ire). Scratched: Surrounding (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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