By Sean Cronin
Aidan O'Brien trainee The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–What A Home {Ire}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}), a €375,000 Goffs Orby yearling, attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with an impressive debut display tackling seven furlongs at the Curragh last month and stepped forward to deliver a track-record performance over the same trip in Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York.
The 2-1 second favourite was swiftly into stride and raced on the front end from flagfall in this one-turn test. Nudged along when threatened passing the quarter-mile marker, he refused to yield and stayed on powerfully under whipless cajoling in the latter stages to lower the course record by a whopping 0.74 seconds. At the line, he was 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko), with a half-length back to 'TDN Rising Star' Ruling Court (Justify) in third.
“He won very well the last day and people gave him a very high rating, everyone thought he was a very good horse,” said O'Brien. “I'm delighted and couldn't be happier really. Wayne [Lordan] rode him [at the Curragh] and loved him. He'd been working very well and he's always been a lovely straightforward, uncomplicated horse. We came here as we wanted to give him experience ahead of the Goffs Million as we felt it looked a lovely race for him. We thought it could be sharp enough for him, but he hit the gates well and Ryan [Moore] had him in a lovely position. He didn't even touch him with the stick and he broke the track record, so obviously he's a very smart colt. He's the only Sea The Stars we have. He's very good looking, which is why the lads bought him, and you'd have to like everything he's doing at the moment. I think he'd be okay at the top level this year, looking at what he did there. It looked a good Acomb, looking at him he'd have no problem at a mile and further next year. We knew the third horse [Ruling Court] was very good, but we know, having come through the breeze-ups, sometimes they take a few runs to show how good they are. He might not have been as good as he was at Sandown, so we knew he might be vulnerable today.”
James Owen was delighted with the performance of runner-up Wimbledon Hawkeye and said, “Beforehand I would have been delighted to come in the first three and I'm over the moon. He's run a great race and I think we'll definitely step him up to a mile, He's a mile-and-a-quarter horse for me all over. We'll see how we go, the Gredleys know more than I do and hopefully we'll get it right.”
Charlie Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam was nonplussed by the effort of Ruling Court and added, “On the face of it, it's disappointing. He looked like he travelled into it quite nicely and then just slightly flattened out. Ryan was on the front end and it might just turn out we were beaten by a better horse. The first three pulled clear, but it is a little bit disappointing. We'll see what comes out in the wash, he hasn't totally disgraced himself and finished out the back, but we were excited about him.”
Pedigree Notes
The Lion In Winter is the second of three foals and lone scorer produced by G3 Pinnacle Stakes third What A Home (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), herself a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner and G1 Irish Oaks, G1 Yorkshire Oaks, G1 Pretty Polly Stakes and G1 Nassau Stakes placegetter Venus De Milo (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}). Venus De Milo, in turn, is the dam of G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup victor Cleveland (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The Lion In Winter's second dam Inchmahome (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-placed sire Inchinor (GB) (Ahonoora {GB}) out of G2 Child Stakes victrix Inchmurrin (Ire) (Lomond). The January-foaled bay is full to a weanling filly.
He's exciting!
Sea The Stars colt The Lion In Winter remains unbeaten in the £165,000 @Tattersalls1766 Acomb Stakes for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/4H3kmftV8k
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2024
Wednesday, York, Britain
TATTERSALLS ACOMB STAKES-G3, £165,000, York, 8-21, 2yo, 7fT, 1:21.58 (NTR), g/f.
1–THE LION IN WINTER (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: What A Home (Ire) (GSP-Eng & SP-Fr), by Lope De Vega (Ire)
2nd Dam: Inchmahome (GB), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Inchmurrin (Ire), by Lomond
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€375,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £93,572. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $132,823. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB), 129, c, 2, Kameko–Eva Maria (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire). O-The Gredley Family; B-Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs Ltd (GB); T-James Owen. £35,475.
3–Ruling Court, 129, c, 2, Justify–Inchargeofme (GB), by High Chaparral (Ire). TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. ($150,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; €2,300,000 2yo '24 ARQBRU). O-Godolphin; B-Nursery Place, Manfuso & Wilhite (KY); T-Charlie Appleby. £17,754.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 5. Odds: 2.00, 22.00, 1.00.
Also Ran: The Waco Kid (Ire), Mr Chaplin (GB), Diablo Rojo (Ire), Jouncy (GB), Rajeko (Ire), Yaroogh (Ire), Our Terms (GB), Urban Sky (Ire).
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