By Heather Anderson
Group 1 winner Above The Curve (American Pharoah–Fabulous {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) made it back-to-back scores with a gritty effort in the G2 Moyglare 'Jewels' Blandford S. at the Curragh on Sunday. The Joseph O'Brien-trained 'TDN Rising Star' had won the G1 St Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp on May 29 in her previous start.
Caught out wide without cover in midpack early as 70-1 longshot Emphatic Answer (Ire) (No Nay Never) led the way, Above The Curve improved under her own power to fourth with seven furlongs left to travel. Perched next to favoured La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) turning back toward the stands, the filly was poised to pounce and Ryan Moore asked her for her best with a quarter-mile remaining. She locked horns with La Petite Coco to her inside at the furlong grounds, before asserting and holding off the rapidly closing Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) to win by a neck. Galleria Borghese (Ire) (Caravaggio) was another 1 1/4 lengths back after rallying past La Petite Coco in the final strides.
Racing for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, the 3-year-old filly was third at Leopardstown in her only start as a juvenile, and graduated going 10 furlongs there when making her 2022 bow on Apr. 6, good for a 'Rising Star' nod. Second in the Listed Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Cheshire Oaks (Robert Sangster Memorial Cup) on May 4, the bay was a 5-1 chance on Sunday.
O'Brien said, “I thought it was a fantastic ride from Ryan. It was the filly's first run back after a lay-off. I thought she'd come on a bit for the run. She's a classy filly and a Group 1 winner and her attitude showed in the last 100 yards. When the going was getting tough, she put her head out and she fought all the way to the line, beating a very good filly.
“The plan was that this would be a nice stepping stone for the G1 Prix de l'Opera on Arc day. That should set her up lovely for that and she's a course-and-distance winner already. She's a huge, big filly, she's actually 17 hands. For a 3-year-old filly that's an incredible height. She seems to have progressed from the spring and, hopefully, she can progress in the future.”
Pedigree Notes
One of six Group 1 winner for her American Triple Crown-winning sire, Above The Curve is bred on the same cross as G2 Park Hill S. heroine Pista, who was second in the G1 Prix de Royallieu, and similarly to G1 Criterium International hero and sire Van Gogh, who is out of a Sadler's Wells mare. Her unraced dam, from one of the best families in the stud book as a half-sister to the 'Iron Horse' and champion sire Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat), and outstanding blue hen You'resothrilling (Storm Cat)–her foals led by dual Classic winner Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})–already produced the dual Group 3-placed Thinking Of You to the cover of American Pharoah. Fabulous has visited the court of fellow Triple Crown victor Justify (Scat Daddy) 2019-2021, and has fillies of 2020 and 2021 and a weanling colt of this year to show for it. She was sent back to that first-crop sire again this season.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE 'JEWELS' BLANDFORD S.-G2, €200,000, Curragh, 9-11, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:12.29, yl.
1–ABOVE THE CURVE, 131, f, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Fabulous (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mariah's Storm, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Immense, by Roberto
'TDN Rising Star'. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick
Smith & Westerberg; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY);
T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €120,000. Lifetime Record:
G1SW-Fr & SP-Eng, 5-3-1-1, $309,497. *Full to Thinking Of
You, MGSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Insinuendo (Ire), 134, m, 5, Gleneagles (Ire)–Obama Rule
(Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€110,000 Ylg '18 GOFOR).
O-Deegan Racing Syndicate; B-Mount Armstrong Stud. (IRE);
T-Willie McCreery. €40,000.
3–Galleria Borghese (Ire), 128, f, 3, Caravaggio–On Ice (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Derrick Smith, Susan
Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Mrs Ann Marie
O'Brien (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 5.00, 5.00, 66.00.
Also Ran: La Petite Coco (Ire), Lyrical Poetry (Ire), Didn'thavemuchtodo (Ire), Rumbles Of Thunder (Ire), One For Bobby (Ire), Seisai (Ire), Emphatic Answer (Ire), Sunset Shiraz (Ire), West Coast (Ire), Only (Jpn). VIDEO.
A game performance from Above The Curve who records success in the G2 @MoyglareStud “Jewels” Blandford Stakes
🏆 G1 Prix Saint-Alary
🏆 G2 Blandford Stakes@JosephOBrien2 | @coolmorestud | @curraghrace | @IrishChampsWknd | #LICW22 pic.twitter.com/wD2P3FKaJe— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 11, 2022
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