By Tom Frary
There were shades of High-Rise (Ire) (High Estate {Ire}) at Lingfield on Saturday as Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's silks were carried to success by Third Realm (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial. Winning the second blue riband prep within the week for his owner-breeder and the Roger Varian stable, the 14-1 shot who broke his maiden over an extended 10 furlongs at Nottingham Apr. 17 was held up early by David Egan before making his move downhill to the home straight. Getting first run on the 6-5 favourite Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) there, the homebred stayed on strongly to keep him at bay and score by 1 1/4 lengths. High-Rise was the winner of this in 1998 before going on to Derby glory and Third Realm was cut to around the 16-1 mark for the June 5 Classic afterwards.
Varian, whose El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) also races in these silks and captured Thursday's Listed Dee S. at Chester, was leaning towards targeting the June 5 G1 Epsom Derby. “I've yet to speak with the owner, so we'll not set anything in stone just yet and most importantly we need to see how the horse comes out of today's race,” he commented. “He ticks a lot of the boxes in that he's won a recognised trial, it looks like he'll get the trip and he's won on good-to-firm ground at Nottingham and in pretty testing conditions today. He's a neat, well-balanced colt who ought to handle the undulations of Epsom. It's the nature of the business that you're cautiously optimistic when you're going from a maiden to a recognised trial, but it isn't a surprise–he's a colt we think a lot of. He won nicely at Nottingham. I was worried about the ground, to be honest, but I thought if he handled conditions he'd be well up to running a nice race.”
Third Realm is a half-brother to this stable's G3 Bengough S.-winning sprinter Cape Byron (GB) (Shamardal), who also won on the afternoon at Haydock. Also a half to the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein scorer Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), the G1 Prix Saint Alary third Imperial Charm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), his listed-placed dam is a half to the G2 Celebration Mile winner and GI Arlington Million runner-up Afsare (GB) also by Dubawi. Her 2-year-old colt Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has yet to race, while she also has a yearling colt by Lope de Vega (Ire).
Saturday, Lingfield, Britain
NOVIBET DERBY TRIAL S.-Listed, £60,000, Lingfield, 5-8, 3yo, c/g, 11f 133yT, 2:35.15, sf.
1–THIRD REALM (GB), 126, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Reem Three (GB) (SP-Eng), by Mark of Esteem (Ire)
2nd Dam: Jumaireyah (GB), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Donya (Ire), by Mill Reef
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (GB); T-Roger Varian; J-David Egan. £34,488. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $52,204. *1/2 to Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Fr at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Fr, SW & MGSP-Eng, $306,567; Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), GSW-Fr, SW & GSP-Eng, $343,257; Cape Byron (GB) (Shamardal), GSW-Eng & SP-Fr, $401,954; and Imperial Charm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), G1SP-Fr, $136,125.
2–Adayar (Ire), 126, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Anna Salai, by Dubawi (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £13,086.
3–Scope (Ire), 126, c, 3, Teofilo (Ire)–Look So (GB), by Efisio (GB). O-J H Richmond-Watson; B-Lawn Stud (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £6,546.
Margins: 1 1/4, 5HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 14.00, 1.20, 5.00.
Also Ran: Kyprios (Ire), Recovery Run (GB), Carlisle Bay (Ire). Scratched: Etonian (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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