By Tom Frary
Reappearing for the first time since finishing eighth in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown in September, Al Shira'aa Farms' Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) showed she is a bright prospect for 2024 by taking Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud S. at The Curragh.
Held up halfway down the field early by Billy Lee, the Willie McCreery-trained 8-1 shot swooped on the front a furlong from home in this contest registered as the Ridgewood Pearl and readily asserted for a 1 1/4-length success from Goldana (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}). The even-money favourite Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was having her first outing for the Joseph O'Brien stable having been purchased for 1.65million gns at Tattersalls December, got out of a pocket too late when another length away in third.
“They went no gallop and she was a bit fresh early on, but Billy got her settled and she finished out well,” McCreery said. “We'll go on to Royal Ascot now for the [G2] Duke of Cambridge. There were a few races that we probably should have entered her in, but she would have had to carry a group 3 penalty and I just said it wasn't fair on her and we'd wait for this and it would be a nice pipe-opener for Royal Ascot. She stayed the mile well. Once she settles early, she'll stay it no bother.”
Ocean Jewel dazzles in the Group Two @Lanwades Stakes @curraghrace, but hot favourite Rogue Millennium was all dressed up with nowhere to go … pic.twitter.com/rX5ZR56J2O
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 26, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Ocean Jewel, who also captured the seven-furlong G3 Ballycorus S. last term, is out of the Listed Dance Design S. winner and G3 Denny Cordell & Lanwades Stud Fillies S. runner-up Many Colours (GB) (Green Desert) whose progeny include the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Prix Rothschild heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and the G2 Premio Dormello winner Night Colours (Ire) (Night Thunder {Ire}). Also related to the G3 Palace House S.-winning sire Dandy Man (Ire), her as-yet unraced 3-year-old full-brother to Mother Earth named Bamburgh (Ire) was a €80,000 purchase by Johnston Racing at the Goffs Orby while she also has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by No Nay Never who was a €85,000 purchase by Rabbah Bloodstock at the most recent edition of that flagship auction.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
LANWADES STUD S. (RIDGEWOOD PEARL S.)-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 5-26, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:40.93, gd.
1–OCEAN JEWEL (IRE), 128, f, 4, by Sioux Nation
1st Dam: Many Colours (GB) (SW & GSP-Ire, MSP-UAE, $276,926), by Green Desert
2nd Dam: First Of Many (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Star Profile (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
(€230,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Al Shira'aa Farms; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Willie McCreery; J-Billy Lee. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-1-1, $135,930. *1/2 to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), G1SW-Eng & Fr, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-US, $1,460,919; and Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), GSW-Ity, $139,607. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Goldana (Ire), 128, m, 5, Galileo Gold (GB)–Humble And Proud (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). (£40,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR; €120,000 3yo '22 ARQDEC). O-Sights On Gold Partnership; B-Patrick Grogan (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €24,000.
3–Rogue Millennium (Ire), 128, m, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Hawaafez (GB), by Nayef. (35,000gns 2yo '21 TATMA; 1,650,000gns 4yo '23 TATMA). O-Scott C Heider; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, HD. Odds: 8.00, 7.00, 1.00.
Also Ran: Orchid Bloom (GB), You Send Me (Ire), Villanova Queen (Ire), Girl Racer (Ire), Mammas Girl (GB). Scratched: Gregarina (Fr).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
