By Tom Frary
Entering Saturday's G2 Dullingham Park S., or Solonaway S. as it is registered, slightly under the radar, Clipper Logistics' 3-year-old Flight Plan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) did it for Britain as he led his rivals a merry dance to dominate the Leopardstown mile contest. Tried in the 2000 Guineas in the spring, the Karl Burke-trained 15-2 shot who was last seen finishing third in York's G3 Strensall S. was always in control under an enterprising ride from Danny Tudhope. Playing perfectly to the front-running bias that this track is often guilty of when the ground rides on top, he maintained the impressive gallop to score by 1 1/4 lengths from the 2-1 favourite Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), with last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) a head away in third.
“We have finally found the way to ride him,” Tudhope said of the winner, who was also second in the Listed Burradon S. at Newcastle and in Pontefract's Listed Pomfret S. “We have always loved this horse and it has just taken us a bit of time to figure him out, but that's the way to do it on him. I had to get a good start, as he didn't break very well the last day in York. He's got a beautiful action on him and a big engine. He's going to get better and he'll be a nicer four-year-old. He's a proper-looking horse and everything about him is just nice.”
A UK winner at the Irish Champions Festival!
Flight Plan makes all of the running in the G2 Dullingham Park Stakes for @karl_burke & Danny Tudhope pic.twitter.com/saMFH6FeVX
— Leopardstown RC (@LeopardstownRC) September 9, 2023
Pedigree Notes
Flight Plan's dam Romp (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is a daughter of the G3 Premio Dormello runner-up Short Affair (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) who is also responsible for the Spanish Horse of the Year and G2 Oettingen Rennen winner Rodaballo (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). This is John Greetham's family of Whitewater Affair (GB) (Machiavellian) which includes the Japanese champion Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) and G1 Yasuda Kinen hero Asakusa Den'En (GB) also by Singspiel, as well as the G1 Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks-placed Short Skirt (GB) (Diktat {GB}) and multiple group-winning sire Little Rock (GB) (Warning {GB}).Romp's unraced 2-year-old filly by Harry Angel (Ire) was a 55,000gns purchase by Joe Foley at the Tatts December Yearling Sale, while her son of Showcasing (GB) is catalogued in next month's Tatts Book 1 Sale. She also has a 2023 filly by Pinatubo (Ire).
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
DULLINGHAM PARK S. (SOLONAWAY S.)-G2, €200,000, Leopardstown, 9-9, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:38.89, gd.
1–FLIGHT PLAN (GB), 131, c, 3, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Romp (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Short Affair (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: L'Affaire Monique (GB), by Machiavellian
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (150,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Clipper Logistics; B-Miss K J Keir (GB); T-Karl Burke; J-Daniel Tudhope. €120,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 8-2-2-1, $196,159. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Buckaroo (GB), 136, c, 4, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Roheryn (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-The Roheryn Partnership (GB); T-Joseph O'Brien. €40,000.
3–Victoria Road (Ire), 131, c, 3, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)–Tickled Pink (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (115,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-T Stewart (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 7.50, 2.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Lord Massusus (Ire), Tarawa (Ire), Bold Discovery, Howyoulikethat (Ire), Villanova Queen (Ire), Salt Lake City (Ire), Alfred Munnings (Ire). Scratched: Power Under Me (Ire), Goldana (Ire).
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