By Tom Frary
Backing up a week after her impressive success in the five-furlong Listed Roses S. at York, Merry Fox Studs' homebred Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) upped her game again to capture Saturday's G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. at The Curragh. ]
Held up towards the rear early by Billy Lee, the Paddy Twomey-trained 6-4 favourite was produced late as the 'TDN Rising Star' Apricot Twist (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) started to flag on the lead and her thrust proved strong enough to deny fellow closer Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) by a short head. There was a neck back to Coralillo (Ire) (Havana Grey {GB}) in third, as Apricot Twist faded to be half a length behind in fourth looking as if the six-furlong trip stretched her.
Having met a trio of leading Ballydoyle 2-year-olds on her first three starts in The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), Treasure Trove eventually lost her maiden status by 4 1/2 lengths at Down Royal June 17 before running third in the July 20 Listed Marwell S. at Naas. Denied by a short-head by Mauiewowie (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the Aug. 13 Listed Curragh S., she excelled at York but was up to six furlongs for the first time since the May 15 G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. on the only occasion that she had failed to make the frame when fifth.
“It was a big ask to go Saturday, Saturday, Saturday in two different countries,” Twomey said. “She's got the mental attitude for it. She's tough, she's versatile and she's a two-year-old. They would like to keep her busy and the [GI] Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint on the grass in Keeneland is a possibility.”
Treasure Trove is out of the Listed Radley S. third Pichola Dance (Ire) (Distorted Humor), whose dam is an unraced full-sister to the Sadler's Wells pair of group 1 winners Listen (Ire) and Sequoyah (Ire). The latter was later responsible for the four-times Group 1-winning sire and dual Guineas hero Henrythenavigator and his G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-placed full-sister Queen Cleopatra (Ire) (Kingmambo) who is also the second dam of the Derby runner-up Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Also related to Galileo's Irish Guineas hero Magician (Ire), her daughter of Blue Point (Ire) is due to sell at the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, while she also has a filly foal by Blame to whom she was bred back to for 2023.
Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
HEIDER FAMILY STABLES ROUND TOWER S.-G3, €55,000, Curragh, 8-27, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.94, gd.
1–TREASURE TROVE (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Pichola Dance (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Liffey Dancer (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Brigid, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Merry Fox Stud Limited (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €33,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 8-3-1-3, $116,466. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ocean Quest (Ire), 128, f, 2, Sioux Nation–Gold Zain (GB), by Aqlaam (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-J Kirkland & Mrs J M Ryan; B-Dr T K Chah (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €11,000.
3–Coralillo (Ire), 128, f, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Lady Nancy (Ire), by Zoffany (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€16,000 Ylg '21 GOFSPT; €80,000 2yo '22 TATGOR). O-Middleham Park Racing Ireland; B-Jim Bradley & Sebastian Curran (IRE); T-Eddie & Patrick Harty. €5,500.
Margins: SHD, NK, HF. Odds: 1.50, 5.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Apricot Twist (Ire), Lady Tilbury (GB), Daamberdiplomat (Ire), Dower House (Ire), Tiger Paw (Ire), Studio City (Ire), Decorated My Life (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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