By Sean Cronin
Last year's renewal of Leopardstown's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden was garnered by subsequent G3 Gallinule Stakes victor Chief Little Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Thursday's latest edition witnessed the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Adrian Murray trainee and G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes entry Hill Road (Quality Road–Exotic Notion, by Lemon Drop Kid).
Hill Road, a $350,000 Keeneland September yearling who registered a May 27 Naas barrier-trial 'win' between missed engagements at the Curragh in May and June, broke well and raced in a handy third after the initial exchanges of this debut proper. Nudged along rounding the home turn, the 11-2 chance was ridden to the front passing the quarter-mile marker and lengthened clear in style inside the final furlong to easily defeat Shackleton (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by an impressive five lengths.
He becomes the first European Rising Star for his Lane's End-based sire (by Elusive Quality), whose Stateside tally of 19 is headed by GI Santa Anita Derby hero Roadster, GI Del Mar Futurity winner Klimt and GI American Pharoah Stakes and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile victor Corniche.
“We've always held this lad in good regard,” revealed Murray. “We had him ready early in the year and he won a barrier trial in Naas. We backed off him as we wanted to give him time to strengthen up and mature. He's all there now and we'll probably come back here for the Group 2 [Golden Fleece Stakes] over a mile on Champions Weekend. He's a very laid-back horse and takes a bit of revving up. It's a good sign in a horse.”
Hill Road is the third of five foals and first scorer produced by the stakes-placed Exotic Notion (Lemon Drop Kid), herself a full-sister to the dam of GII Pilgrim Stakes third Liam's Journey (Liam's Map). Exotic Notion, who was bred to Practical Joke this year, is also kin to G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational hero and multiple Grade I-winning sire City Of Light (Quality Road) and the stakes-placed Pointsman (Mt. Livermore). Her GI Santa Susana-winning second dam Fabulous Notion (Somethingfabulous) is a half-sister to GI Turf Classic-winning sire Cacoethes (Alydar). The April-foaled bay is half to a yearling colt and a weanling colt by Uncle Mo.
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$350,000 buy Hill Road (Quality Road) is related to @BreedersCup Turf Mile winner City Of Light and makes a fine start on debut for Adrian Murray at @LeopardstownRC @amoracingltd pic.twitter.com/NWrULTPtat
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 8, 2024
1st-Leopardstown, €18,000, Mdn, 8-8, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:39.80, gd.
HILL ROAD, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Exotic Notion (SP-Arg), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Paris Notion, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Fabulous Notion, by Somethingfabulous
Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,690. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Camas Park Stud (KY); T-Adrian Murray; J-David Egan.
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